Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

I just had to go down on Auvelity from 2 pills a day to 1, as I take SSRI's and was getting a minor-ish Seratonin syndrome response. But Auvelity really knocked my major depression. You can feel it actually working on a different part of your head, But it's a very strong drug, and the side effects felt like my brain was burning. (Again because I was on Seratonin.) And if going down after a week was terrifying, I can't imagine anything further. In addition to finding a cure to depression they need to find a more humane way for us to detox. I have tried so very many drugs that I then had to then get off of, and the few that worked are now messing with my ability to move forward with new ones. And they told us Paxil wasn't addictive--it saved my life but is the most addictive thing on the planet. If anyone has a compassionate doctor interested in helping us detox. There must be ways they can help us mitigate the withdrawal.

Interesting that you received that recommendation vrs. just slowly going off w/out anything to ease the process like I did. Thanks for posting. It's helpful to read. Best of luck.

I'm now reducing to 25mg effexor(venlafaxine), and still taking the P5P and zinc picolinate. Yesterday I was feeling mildly dizzy/woozy which I didn't really notice when busily doing projects around the house. My mood is still fairly even and pleasant. I am experiencing less anxiety. This is all complicate by a down-sizing move from a large house (3500sq ft) to one much smaller - huge life change. I have an overall feeling of being out-of-balance that I attribute to this move (we've been in our new house for one month). I don't suppose this is particularly meaningful to anyone, but there you have it.

Hi since I have been using a cbd vap from royal vaps it’s helped with my anxiety and sleep so much I haven’t started my tapper yet but I get brain zaps even with the venlifaxin so I’m so scared . I’m currently coming off buprnophine I’m down to 4mg and it’s been a peace of cake I got addicted to painkillers due to back pain so the venlifaxin is my next journey and I’m terrified and after that it will be my 7mg of diazepam which I’m scared of coming off of too but I’m away to start my cbd oil soon as could not take it with buprnophine x

Has anyone tried to sue the company who makes Effexor? I have been trying to get off this drug for years and have had no success.

Been down to .5 Buprenorphine for years and cannot get below it , have tried going so slowly and it doesn’t work . Let me know how you do getting totally off it .

@mjfisch you like me are tapering during an already stressful time in our lives so expect things not to go as smoothly as we deal with the lessening dose and the new events in our lives. I am tapering during a lupus flare and a tick borne disease which caused me to total my car and have a hospital stay, all of which have driven me crazy. I ask myself : is it the tapering ? Is it the lower dose Med I'm not doing well on (inactive ingredients ?) or is it my medical conditions? Pick and choose for the answer because no one has it, least of all me!!!

Let's be kind & loving to ourselves. During times of upheaval, rapid change, & stress galore, it's OK to stay with a low dosage for a while. I have a bad cold right now, need to send out some book material to readers, & prepare a presentation. So, just for this week, I'm taking a single 37.5 mg ER venlafaxine every day. Now is not the time to add more change to my day. I copy my indoor cats Tux & Gingi who keep life simple. They have not skipped 1 opportunity to cuddle, play, eat, or drink. In my next life, it would feel good to be a house cat!

@tglapin1974 yes you are right. I feel the same way about tapering and adding or raising as needed.
I LOVE pics of your cats! We always had an orange or orange/white, a grey tabby and a black or black/white cat 😻😻😻. My black cat Spooky died a few months ago....for some reason I can't get over his loss. He was the one who, when I came back from the hospital after my stroke, wrapped himself around my head and started stroking my forehead. 😢💔. They do offer comfort 😊🥰

Glad you liked my kitty pix. May the memory of the precious kitty you lost always be a blessing. After my Minnie passed after 18 solid years, I waited only 6 weeks to adopt my Tux, the tuxedo cat you saw in one of the 2 photos. He sounds like the kitty who comforted you. After my spouse fell in love with Gingi, a stray orange tabby who just showed up on our porch 1-2 days, with our other 2 regulars, Gingi has started to comfort me as well, when I came down with a recent sore throat/
head cold. He slept with me 2 hours on our family room sofa. It's funny how they copycat each other's ways of getting attention from me. So glad I adopted Tux when I did from my local shelter. Also surprised that my spouse copycatted me when he brought Gingi into the house. A double blessing they are! They teach us how to keep life simple and enjoy every bit of it in the present. They calm me down when I get upset or anxious. A cute greeting to each other in the a.m. They rub noses, then wrestle each other. Better than any med., doc, or counselor in my book!