Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

If I may ask, how long have you been off of these drugs?

Hello to all my fellow withdrawal sufferers!

19 years ago I was prescribed 37.5 Venlafaxine XR capsules for postpartum depression. My youngest of three was 4 months when I fell apart at his well baby checkup. I was a hot mess of tears and frustration. (Looking back I now see that it was more a lack of help from my spouse that put me in that state…but that’s a different story) .

During the almost two decades I took Effexor/Venlafaxine I have attempted many times to wean off the drug, with doctor approval. I have been on the lowest dosage so I was instructed to take them every other day. I suppose I am ultra sensitive to the withdrawal symptoms as first few hours past the “off day” missed dose I began experiencing withdrawal:

1. Tinnitus - it does not come and go. Nope, this bad boy stays and squeeeeeals with no reprieve.
2. Vertigo - I am dizzy and off balance and often liken the feeling to trying to swim through wet cement or jello. My limbs feel like they are lagging after the rest of me.
3. Tingles - My tongue and gums feels numb and/or tingly.
4. Experience emotional extremes - I am a roller coaster! Watching the news had me sobbing when normally I might have merely felt sad. Explaining to a friend that I was staying in this weekend had me in tears. Driving to get groceries and experienced the WORST road rage (admittedly, there was no cause for my behavior. I’m so embarrassed by how I snapped at being tailgated). Typing this has me weepy. I recognize this is the withdrawal, but that doesn’t make it easier to “control” my emotions.
5. Lethargy - I could easily watch tv most of the day, when usually I watch 2-3 hours a week!
6. Poor diet - I normally eat clean/paleo foods, but I crave sugar and carbs and junk food and alcohol.

My most recent weaning has been with my primary care physician’s blessing. The first two weeks I tried taking a dose every other day, but that was too extreme for me. Since I take capsules I can’t cut a pill in half, but I have been opening them to remove pellets from each. I initially halved the dosage and took a regular dose for two days then a half dose one day. Two weeks later I did every other day. Two weeks after that I took the half dose for two days and a regular dose for one. Then I took a quarter dose two days and a half dose for one day. Then a quarter dose every other day.

With a three day weekend, I ripped off the proverbial bandaid. I stopped taking any Venlafaxine. I am struggling! But I think I may have figured out a quasi-solution: the pellets I took out are still in a jar. Twice today I licked the tip of my pinky finger and tapped the pellets. I got about 5-8 “sprinkles” in a serious micro dose. This may be my best approach to sanity in this. No, I’m not completely off the drug, but I’m okay with that.

Damn, but I HATE this withdrawal!!!

By the way, I wanted to say how nice it has been reading other peoples experiences… Not that I’m happy other people are suffering, but it is just so nice to know that I’m not alone.

So hard to be treated for this condition. My heart goes out to you, obviously you are a bright , sensitive person. I wish you all the best.. we care

A few thoughts after 8 hours of sleep:

1) I’m really disappointed in the physician who prescribed Effexor/Venlafaxine to me. With the research I have done over the last 24 hours I now know this drug was intended for major anxiety and depression.
2) I’m really disappointed in myself for not recognizing a less-than-supporting spouse as the root of my depression and anxiety. I was married 25 years and have been divorced 3.5 years. I know, now, that I really needed a partner and co-parent more than medication!

Thank you! I’m on the “better side” of 8 hours of sleep…feeling more like my true self this morning!

Today I have hope that I might be able to stay off Effexor, some three months post-withdrawal. I weaned myself off the first time four years ago. After about two months with no problem, I suddenly experienced an extreme anxiety attack. I called my doctor immediately and said I needed to be back on the drug NOW. This time, because the experience was identical--an avalanche of fear, anxiety and depression two months after weaning off the drug--I considered that it might be the result of continuing withdrawal and not yet the real me. It has been a horrible number of weeks, but I had my first good night last night and got out of bed without dreading the day for the first time this morning. This is thanks to support from my husband, brother, a few friends with whom I shared my misery, and members of this support group who have shared your stories. I am praying that this is a genuine "reboot," and aim to continue getting sufficient physical exercise, meditating on what is good, fighting to stay optimistic and avoiding the negative, doing what I can to help another. I expect to continue to have hot flashes, but that's minor compared to the nightmare of withdrawal from Effexor. Peace and good health to you all.

P.S. This is after telling myself just yesterday that I am one of those who must be on the drug for life.

I was on Effexor XR and eventually it gave me night terrors, hallucinations, deep anxiety and a slew of other undesirable problems. Also high blood pressure, which aggravated migraines. Deciding that I could not and did not want this drug in my life anymore, I tried making an appointment with my primary (who had prescribed it). Because my primary was not available, I was seen by the nurse practitioner, who told me to get off it immediately and to take the one that she felt I should take, starting the next day. I just did not think that was wise, so I went home and searched for info. No way was I going to follow her advice! Effexor is not an antidepressant that you can just stop taking, especially not then following it with another antidepressant. The literature was very clear on that. So I stayed on it until a neurologist was able to see me. She was appalled by what the nurse practitioner had wanted me to do. She created a schedule for weaning off the drug, over several months, until the dosage and frequency of administration was next to nothing. Even with that, I had withdrawal symptoms, such as what I called brain-squeezes and auditory disturbances. I've been off that drug for over 15 yrs and took NO antidepressants until I agreed to take a low dose of Zoloft, which was ineffective but also created issues for me. THAT ALSO needed the guidance of the professional who prescribed it, and it took about 8 MONTHS of a detailed, finely tuned weaning schedule, along with check-up visits. When done, I still felt unwell, sluggish, cotton-brained, and kept hearing nasty whoosh wounds in my ears, even being awakened by it. The pharmacist worked with my doctor to create a tincture of the Zoloft, and that also had to be worked into a "weaning" schedule. When all was over, I was grateful to be free of the drug, but still felt somewhat unwell , and that is how I attended our younger daughter's wedding, feeling like an observer, struggling to smile, greet people, and not let on that what I needed to do was crawl under a blanket. I could well have won an Oscar for my performance that night, but what propelled me was not wanting to spoil our daughter's wedding. To this day (12 yrs later), I look back with much regret at how a medication could have sabotaged what was such an important family event.
Based on my very real and personal experiences with these two often-prescribed and "popular" antidepressants, I urge not handling the discontinuation of any medication sans medical guidance.
Just my two cents...I sincerely hope all goes well for you as you aim to be released of the Effexor.🌺

Hello
I have come to give hope to everyone. After taking venlafaxine 225mg for years I decided to take the plunge and come off it. I got down to 37.5mg but every time I tried to go further it caused such horrific side effects I gave up. I tried cutting the tablets into pieces but it was so hard to not have them crumble it got to a point I became so dejected I had almost given up. Now anyone here coming off knows the side effects. Literally horrific. Luckily I did some research being in the medical profession and found in the UK BNF that they did a liquid preparation. I spoke to my GP about my terrible experience so far and persuaded her to allow me one 37.5mg/5ml bottle (£290) on NHS prescription. Well using a variety of syringes till I got down to 0.25ml I am now done. Very very slight vertigo but keeping busy makes it barely noticeable. To all my UK friends, if you have a caring GP, ask them for this regime. Honestly I never thought I would see the day I came off this drug, it was a life saver for me but coming off was a journey in itself. I promise if you do it this way, you can succeed 🥹