Long term effects AFTER withdrawing from Effexor

Read next

I was on it for pain and major depressive disorder/anxiety too. Well went vegan 8 months ago and my BP went back to normal, my hypothyroidism disappeared my kidneys GFR went from a 43 to a 76 and I had 6 cysts on my right kidney, A1C 3 went from 8.9 to 5.5 my liver enzymes and my inflammation markers all went back to to below normal range. So I said all that to say I stopped the Venlafaxine XR and my BP has shot back up. It's up and down. Went to E R 180/120 and I had taken Hawthorne before I left so I wouldn't have a stroke. And it went down within 2hrs. That was yesterday and I am back to fighting high BP again tonight. It's been like this for 2 weeks. I found out it's a side effect from the Venlafaxine XR. Also I have 4 herniated discs Fibromyalgia and am receiving EIN in my neck area and lower back. So I felt so much better I stopped taking fioricet at the same time and guess what... It does the same thing. Causes high BP when you stop taking it. So the inflammation is better I lost over 70 inches and It was mostly inflammation. Don't go back on that medicine try changing to a vegan diet. Watch The Starch Solution Dr McDougall and Dr Esselstyn's explains the importance of changing your diet and how refined foods are so detrimental to our health. Also I started taking adaptagenic supplements GABA ASHWAGANDA RHODIOLA & ST JOHNS WORTand Sam E. And they are all good for me.v
Best wishes.

Thank you so much for sharing that experience!! I just discovered this platform today. I will share my experience in hopes it may help someone else.
I’ve been on Effexor 7 years (to help with Tamoxifen & Femara induced hot flashes & depression symptoms). I weaned off as directed by a clinician I recently began seeing (my psychiatrist retired 9 months ago) & the weaning process was too fast (should’ve listened to my gut & not that clinician) I got the typical brain zap, dizziness, sleeplessness, anxiety & irritability side effects that one gets from weaning too quickly off this type of med. What I didn’t anticipate was the excruciating headaches & body pain which also came over me. I have NO DOUBT that Effexor was masking a lot of the pain in my case. In fact-My oncologist kept asking me about my pain since I had begun “Femara” almost a year ago-which is known to cause bad pain as a side effect & I was wondering why I WASN’T getting the bad pain it commonly causes. Now I am convinced Effexor was keeping all of this pain under control.
I don’t know what I will do yet since it has only been a few weeks since stopping the Effexor. I am afraid to go back on Effexor in case I ever have to “come off it” again. I have a very physical job & cannot live like this so I must find an alternative to manage this pain. I’ve already maxed out the Advil doses per day & have added Tylenol so it is worrisome. I may simply have to go off the Femara & take my chances with the cancer returning. The irony is…there doesn’t seem to be many options to help these days.

Please be careful with Advil, Motrin and alieve they can really thin the blood . They are meant as short time fixes.
Tylenol is least offensive on the stomach but the liver doesn’t do well on long term with it.
Keep searching for that right Dr I know it’s time and money and sometimes takes many trials. A pharmacist is wonderful on rx ?

Thanks for the input. I’m tryna be cautious with the OTC pain meds. It’s complicated & frustrating to boot. I’ll ask my docs about alternatives but that’s all the pharmacies can offer until Doctor(s) offer something w/out intolerable side effects. Meanwhile-anti-inflammatory foods? (Truckloads of blueberries, kale, turmeric-haha 😀

I’ve had horrible pain all over my body for the few months I’ve been off of Effexor. I’d been on it for 21 years, and my pain is just so bad, even taking Tylenol and Celebrex everyday. This is the first I’ve seen where someone was going through this, too.

I was on Effexor for 20 years, I weaned myself off with the help of my Dr. i'm on day 4 of no Effexor and today I woke up feeling great, so far no pain or withdrawl symptoms. I have been feeling so much better for the last 2 years, that's why I decided to get off the Effexor, my Dr. suggested I get weaned off, which I did over the last month. She also said this is a good time also since it's Summer and not winter so I don't get the winter blues. I'm staying positive using my coping skills I learned through IOP. Wish me luck.

I hope your doing better, how long has been since you've been off the Effexor?

I have been on Effexor for 12 yrs. And I am still taking it for depression. My question is since the Effexor was helping you…. Why do you feel you have to go off if it ??
This puzzles me as I see this a lot. Please reply. Thanks

Yes I am the same, was on effexor over 10 years and now off it 2 years, and have cronic pain all over my body, burning sensation head, stinging sharp pains fingers and toes.So hard in to live with.got blood tests done, nothing showed, doctor thinks its fibromyalgia but uncertain.I have been trying researching but nothing online, besides your self having cronic pain like me