I am coming off Effexor xr 150 that I took for 15 years. My dr. Put me on 50 of pristiq as I come off Effexor. I’m angry, impatient, depressed, anxious and crying. I guess I have to wait until the crossover is done to make a final judgement. But I absolutely hate how I feel and who I am now. I hope these symptoms are temporary

I can’t seem to find it. Any suggestions?

I forgot to give you my titration schedule. Approximately 37.5 every 2 weeks with the addition of pristiq 50 every 2 weeks. Up to 100

How did you get off

No! I'm 81 and have been on 150mg of Effexor XR for 15+ years. Dr suggested I drop to 75MgXR in one day. Never will I try that again. I will go to a compounder Pharmacy first. Then, I may try taking Zoloft or something else not as addicting as Effexor!!!

Yeah, I finished my final dose 6mgs two months ago and am still having withdrawal symptoms. Lots of anxiety, tears, sweats, and feeling cold

I went cold turkey off of 37.5 mg. I had been at 75 for about twenty years. The reduction in dosage had been accompanied by having another drug added and wasn't supposed to lead to tapering off, but the combined impact of the two drugs sent me into a pretty dark hole (as in suicidal), and I decided over a weekend that sucked mentally to simply stop both drugs. The first week was pretty miserable, but it did let up after that. I've been off of it for a month now, I still have the odd dizzy spell, but overall I feel like my head has cleared. Like a fog has lifted after many many years. I've developed serious concerns about this drug. I personally think it messed with my mind and led me into some avoidable depressive spells where I was actively moving toward self harm. I think it should be prescribed with much greater caution than it is presently given (and no one - NO ONE - ever told me that getting off of it would be so difficult).

I've since started a totally different prescription, one better suited to bipolar depression which is what I have been diagnosed with. So far much better. There is data indicating that in some bipolar patients, Effexor has a flipping affect, sending people into precisely the sort of depression the pills are supposed to prevent, and I suspect this is what happened to me. My psychiatrist has indicated that she thinks this might well be the case.

My appetite since the medication changes has definitely increased, but I don't know how much of that is owing to quitting Effexor, and what's due to the new drug, but I had also dropped thirty pounds owing to depression-driven self-starvation, so weight gain isn't a major concern yet. At this point I'd rather be fat than suicidal, however, so I'm just kind of rolling with it.

I need to update my experience. I previously noted that I had titrated off of fifteen years of 450mg a day of Effexor/Venlafaxine. I strict diet and daily exercise made a big difference. Nonetheless, after thirty days of being off the Venlafaxine I became suicidal and anxious. Anxiety has never been part of my illness.

I ended up in the hospital and dropped into the worst depression of my life. I even tried to hang myself but stopped when I didn’t pass out. My provider tried a number of alternative medication but eventually I have ended up back on venlafaxine at a 150mg.

Initially my anxiety increased even further when I first restarted the venlafaxine. I was prescribed .5 of lorazepam, that didn’t touch it. Eventually the anxiety has subsided but the depression has not lifted. I am also back on bupropion, lithium, Latuda and Seroquel for sleep.

When I was diagnosed fifteen years ago I was mildly depressed. I was also very successful and married with four beautiful children. Over the next four years I became incredibly manic and destroyed my life. Interestingly, the depression never lifted. Even when I was manic I still felt the press to take my life.

I have spent hundreds of hours researching my condition and the treatments I have received. I’m not sure I ever should have been put on medication to begin with. I’m even less sure that SSRI’s and SNRI’s work on my biology.

Unfortunately, I believe my body has become so used to the medication that I may not be able to live without them, whether or not they work. One thing that is for certain are the side effects.

Now I am functioning, barely, I just want to die every waking minute. My greatest comfort comes from the knowledge that my life will end one day, hopefully soon.

Be very careful with these medications, they change the way the body functions.

May everyone live in peace and good health.

It’s because the medicine causes your cortisol levels to rise, therefore, your glucose levels are high. This makes you more hungry and feel like you can’t go a certain amount of time without eating, which is hypoglycemic tendency. This does not mean you’re hypoglycemic, it just means that you have to do things to lower your cortisol (which you can look up somatic exercises and breathing exercises for this) and lower your glucose like eating more protein, leafy greens and cutting out processed sugars. Just try and eat Whole Foods and proteins!

I’m going through the same thing!! I hope it doesn’t last long! Helps to know this is a symptom of the withdrawal though.