Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

@susanh824
How to lower your dose is the million dollar question. Depending on how long you’ve taken, Effexor, you may or may not be dependent.
What worked for me might not work for you.
Personally, I believe in the 5 to 10% method. There was a Dr. in Europe, I believe in France, who was a psychiatrist, and he took Effexor. His patients complained about withdrawal effects, and when he stopped, he stopped the same way he told his patients too and he also suffered from those same withdrawals, he now believes in stopping slower. He uses the 5 to 10% method so by deleting your dosage by 5 to 10% every month, many believe that gives you the best chance to avoid withdrawal symptoms, or at least decrease them.
Also your dose, weight, length of time you've taken it play a role.
Effexor has a very short half-life of about 5 hours. Most people's brains need time to adjust to not having it.
I don’t believe skipping days is a very good option.
The brain is very sensitive. Believe me I know I have had epilepsy for nearly 60 years and have had thousands of seizures. It doesn't react well to quick change. Give it time. I take brand-name seizure medications because of the slight differences in generic manufacturers I have seizures with generics.
Be kind to your brain give the chemicals a chance to adjust. All I can really say is just go slow. Don’t cut buy a third or a quarter. If you are having withdrawals your tapering is too fast.
Good luck,
Jake

Is it possible for you to get the 37.5 mg capsule, so that you can lower your dosage to 187.5 mg as an initial step? That would be a less drastic change, and perhaps one your body could adjust to more easily.

I’m just now weaning off of Effexor. I was 75 and 37,5 daily. My doctor had me take the 75mg for 2 weeks and now I am taking the 37.5 mg for 2 weeks. I am experiencing awful headaches and stomach cramps along with diarrhea and nausea. The problem is, is that while I am getting off of this, I am also starting on estrogen and progesterone because I am now in menopause so I don’t know what is messing my body up!! Is it normal to feel this way getting off the Effexor?!

Effexor is the MOST difficult anti depressant to stop taking that has ever been on the market.
Many people who take Effexor for any length of time are unsuccessful when attempting to get weaned off of that drug.
Like many drugs in the same category, if it proves helpful it’s a blessing.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with taking some sort of medication long term if it helps you to successfully navigate life.
I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is a physiological condition which causes me to get depressed at predictable times of the year. I take Effexor ER 37.5 mgs daily. All of the talk therapy on earth will not help this condition. I did try to switch meds once … emphasis on TRY.
I will probably take this drug for the remainder of my long legged life. It could be a whole lot worse.
Any the reaction you had was very typical.
It’s a good drug with a not so good side effect.

Hi from UK !, DELIA 74, I am keen for any EFFEXOR/VENLAFAXINE feedback. Especially from long term users like your good-self. I was on 75mg from April 2017 to the end of a 2 year taper down = Oct 2018 to Oct 2022. I stopped a year ago taking any . I note your above post. My question to you. After stopping EFFEXOR , did you get any * long term, going away & coming back , side effects / withdrawal effects? I do, & have read * this phenomenon can occur for 3 or 5 or more years ! after titration off, as the drug remains in ones system. I got / get nearly ALL of the side /withdrawal effects = ONE YEAR NOW after titration / cessation. Appreciate any past reflections on your post effexor time . Regards SIMON

Hollybloom , Hi from UK ! You are lucky " I am getting most of the bad side effects 1 year after stopping! after a 2 year titration (liquid). some people get such post pill titration / cessation effects for 3 , 5 or more years after stopping ! Regards SIMON

Yes, that is normal. The physical side effects will go away.

I took Effexor for ten years. It has taken two years for me to rebound.
I used a combination of talk therapy with accupuncture. I also take herbal supplements and vitamins. Additionally, removing as much sugar and processed food from the diet can help tremendously.
I went through a little personal hell, while withdrawing this horrible drug. I lost 50 pounds, has horrible sleep disturbances, developed anxiety and depression. I originally started using it for the pain associated with fibromyalgia.
Today I'm living a mostly anxiety and depression free life.

I was on 450mg of Effexor/Venlafaxine for fifteen years. I was also on a host of other poisons, fourteen in all.

Three and a half months latter and all that’s left is 20mg of latuda. I will stop that on Thanksgiving.

20 mg of latuda is not therapeutic for any of the diagnoses if been given over the years. I could stop today, but Thanksgiving seemed like an appropriate day.

The elimination of my meds, not reduction mind you, has been accomplished with the begrudging support of my psych provider, my primary care doctor and my therapist.

Discontinuation effects have for the most part been nonexistent to mild.

The biggest issue has been sleep disruptions. I was on two meds to help me sleep that were so bad for me (I wouldn’t give the to an animal I didn’t like) that I insisted they be stopped immediately.

In the beginning I was lucky to sleep two hours at a shot. Last night I slept seven and a half.

All psych meds mess with sleep when taking them and when discontinuing them as well.

I probably could have titrated the Seroquel and Lorazepam a little slower and avoided some of the sleep problems but they made me groggy and suicidal.

Other than that I got the sniffles every time I dropped Venlafaxine along with some gastric distress. Both went away in a matter of days.

I feel the best mentally and physically I have in my entire sixty years on this weary planet.

I believe the solution to an overwhelming majority of mental illnesses is nutrition and exercise.

Unfortunately my experience has been that for a number of reasons no one, not the sick and suffering, nor those who profess to care for them, want to hear about.

I believe the pharmaceutical and insurance companies found their heard of cows many years ago and have been milking the sufferer and the providers a like ever since.

Increasingly the leading mental health institutions like Mayo are putting diet and exercise as the first two recommendations for dealing with metal illness.

There is going to be hell to pay for what has been done to those suffering with mental illness.

Perhaps then things will change. For now the best I can do is be my own best advocate.

I’ve written on this subject quite a bit. If I haven’t annoyed you enough yet click on my username and you can see previous post.

Last thought for this post.

From fourteen medications starting July first to zero by December first.

There is nothing special about me

I hope you find the peace you deserve.

This may sound stupid but why do you (and others) want to quit? Is there a side effect or health risk I don't know about? I've been taking Effexor for over 20 years and my doctor has never mentioned quitting. When I forget or am late with a dose I notice that a feeling of dread comes over me. When I make small, essentially irrelevant mistakes my self image immediately goes to the "I'm stupid, hopeless, worthless; why can't I deal with life. What's wrong with me? place. If I lose say 10 years of my life due to this drug I'd truly consider it a fair trade.