Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

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 🥹

May I ask how long you have been off venlafaxine?

I think if someone has been on a medication for a long time and had increases in the dosage, too much tolerance of the med can occur and the desired effect no longer exists. Sometimes an alternative medication may be available that will provide the desired outcome. Concerns about medications, dosages, side effects should be discussed with the prescribing provider.

Hi @brightwings,
It has been a long time since you posted. I used to follow this thread when my partner spent a year getting off of Effexor, and your story inspired me. As a Healer myself I actually think of you often as you were one of the first people who embodied many of the things I now believe to be essential to healing trauma and the body. I was also fascinated by your experiences with plant medicine "before it was cool".

I actually decided to create an account so I could message you and ask you if you are still kicking around here on these boards, or if there is any place I can message you to chat about healing and energy and life. Long shot perhaps but I can't see how to PM someone on here =)

Hi, I’ve seen lots of posts mentioning having withdrawal, but few mention what the symptoms are. I have started to withdraw. Started at 225 mg, but have cut out one 75 mg pill every third day. Around this time, I started experiencing waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep. I’ve always had problems falling asleep, and take Ambien, Magnesium and Tizanidine to help. But once I was asleep, I slept through the night. Not any more! This seems like a sudden change, and I can’t think of anything else that would have caused it.

Has anyone else had this symptom?

@westcoassster Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! You'v emade a big step in creating an account here, and we hope you will think about continuing to post here in the supports groups. We have a great group called "Just Want to Talk" where your chatting about healing and life and energy may find quite an audience? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/other/

To private message another member, go to the hyperlink at their message, which will take you to their profile.
There, you will find the option to "send a private message" that you click on. Write your message and click send. Be aware that there is a built-in security where a new member cannot send a private message at first, in order to prevent scammers/spammers from getting to existing members. Hope this helps!
Ginger

I am sorry to learn you are struggling with this. You have lots of company.... Withdrawal symptoms may include sleep issues. A National Institute of Health (NIH) continuing education article on venlafaxine reports: "Abrupt cessation of venlafaxine can lead to serious adverse effects such as irritability, tiredness, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, trouble sleeping, nightmares, headache, sweating, dizziness, tingling, or "pins and needles" feeling, shaking, confusion, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea." Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535363/
Which is why it is important to wean off the drug slowly. I've experienced most of these effects. I have little appetite and lost more than ten pounds. It's still a struggle, some three months after a complete stop of the drug. I am doing my best each day to counter what I believe are lingering effects of withdrawal (though my doctor disagrees, believing I should be clear of all effects by now). I aim for daily physical exercise, try to keep busy, meditate as needed, think on positive things, and follow many of the suggestions made by others on this website. On occasion, I take Benadryl or Tylenol PM to help me sleep. It's not easy, but I am determined to get better without relying on this drug for hot flashes (which helped little with hot flashes anyway). Wishing you all the best. Keep your doctor and pharmacist in the loop.

Thank you, your comments and the link were extremely helpful!

@susanh824
I suspect cutting your dose by a third every three days, if that's your plan, likely will lead to withdrawal effects. Three days isn't much time for your brain to get used to not having Effexor.

What would you suggest? I have been doing 225 mg, 225 mg, 150 mg, then repeat. It’s been two weeks.