I have just gotten off of Venlafaxine. Anyone else?

Posted by mbryan @mbryan, Apr 25, 2023

I am having trouble staying full/feeling full/feeling constantly hungry. I need some advice on what to eat. Is this a serotonin problem that the medication causes as a withdrawal symptom? Has anyone else also gotten off of this medication?

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@mbryan

When I started eating those foods, I made it every day and incorporated most of those foods in every single meal and snack. You of course, should make sure to have some sugars in your diet, but I made sure to incorporate some if not all of those plus lots of water every single day.

I have had to quit drinking coffee/alcohol, but since I'm feeling pretty much 100% better, I'm going to try and incorporate it back into my diet after eating breakfast. The only other thing I have really had to control is my mental (stress management) and my heart rate because it was high due to my cortisol levels.

Make sure to take a walk in the morning for 10 minutes or more. Bring your water with you if you need it, that's what I did and still do. Have a routine when you wake up before and/or after the walk - include the walk in your morning routine! Don't scroll on your phone first thing in the morning. Meditate. Also, ginger and green tea after a meal help to lower your blood sugars. I struggled for a good 2 months after constantly feeling faint and gaining weight due to eating so much food from that feeling. I'm finally feeling so much better and all of these things actually really helped me.

Something else that has really helped me are Happy Mammoth's Hormone Harmony pills. I couldn't really feel the effects at first, but once I started to feel better, I felt the effects. This will help to balance out your hormones which includes cortisol, your stress hormone.

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You are awesome! Thank you so very much for all your suggestions. I’m so happy that you are feeling better. I am determined to feel well again. There was a time when I couldn’t get off the couch. I am so much better than that. I have a lot more to go.

Some of the things I have done: lots of meditation using Calm app, tapping using Tapping Solutions app, Deepak Chopra’s app, Fitbit watch. I try to eat clean but I need to do more. I need to give up coffee.

Can’t wait to try the Happy Harmony pills and change up my diet.

Thank you, again!❤️❤️

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@cfos

You are awesome! Thank you so very much for all your suggestions. I’m so happy that you are feeling better. I am determined to feel well again. There was a time when I couldn’t get off the couch. I am so much better than that. I have a lot more to go.

Some of the things I have done: lots of meditation using Calm app, tapping using Tapping Solutions app, Deepak Chopra’s app, Fitbit watch. I try to eat clean but I need to do more. I need to give up coffee.

Can’t wait to try the Happy Harmony pills and change up my diet.

Thank you, again!❤️❤️

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You are so welcome! I am so happy to help, and love helping. I had such a traumatic experience, and I want people to know that you will be better again! It takes some time. You GOT THIS! The only way I gave up coffee was because I felt SO horrible.

If you ever need anything else, like tips or just uplifting let me know!

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@cfos

I tapered off Effexor several years back. I had a horrible time and thought I was losing my mind. I went on celexa for a few years only to start cymbalta two years ago. Never felt well on any of them and now tapering off cymbalta. It’s not going well. I listened to a talk by a man who had an easier time coming cocaine than coming off antidepressants.

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I am on Venlafaxine. Thank you for the heads up. I am saying this because it was not too many years ago I came off ZOLOFT. I now understand why I thought I was dying during the withdrawal process yet when I asked the doctor about what I was experiencing he said in effect no no there is no connection. Come on medical world be honest with your patients.

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@kuma

I am on Venlafaxine. Thank you for the heads up. I am saying this because it was not too many years ago I came off ZOLOFT. I now understand why I thought I was dying during the withdrawal process yet when I asked the doctor about what I was experiencing he said in effect no no there is no connection. Come on medical world be honest with your patients.

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There are more doctors coming around but if they’ve never had a patient with this problem….!?!? They should be reading all the new information that has come out over the past decade or so. I hate that I ever tried these meds. I’ve never felt well on any of them and I have tried four with several diagnoses that were wrong. Too many docs and patients passing them off as “happy” pills.

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@cfos

There are more doctors coming around but if they’ve never had a patient with this problem….!?!? They should be reading all the new information that has come out over the past decade or so. I hate that I ever tried these meds. I’ve never felt well on any of them and I have tried four with several diagnoses that were wrong. Too many docs and patients passing them off as “happy” pills.

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Literally!

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@kuma

I am on Venlafaxine. Thank you for the heads up. I am saying this because it was not too many years ago I came off ZOLOFT. I now understand why I thought I was dying during the withdrawal process yet when I asked the doctor about what I was experiencing he said in effect no no there is no connection. Come on medical world be honest with your patients.

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Yeah, seriously. It almost makes you feel victimized, and technically, we are all victims of big Pharma. I no longer trust any of my doctors to the full, and I honestly like learning about how I can take care of my own body by eating the right things and that sort of stuff. It's just absolutely crazy what these drugs do to your body.

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What sources tell you Effexor is dangerous- I’ve been on it 20 yrs. Interested in citation or doctors or FDA warnings you all might be reading.

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@mbryan

Yeah, seriously. It almost makes you feel victimized, and technically, we are all victims of big Pharma. I no longer trust any of my doctors to the full, and I honestly like learning about how I can take care of my own body by eating the right things and that sort of stuff. It's just absolutely crazy what these drugs do to your body.

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Water, water, water breath, breath, breath, 🙏🏻

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@sears

My doctor won’t prescribe Effexor or Paxil any longer due to the extreme tapering issues.

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My new psychiatrist said the same thing to me today. Unfortunately she is my new psychiatrist and not my old one because it's been 5 months since I stopped Effexor. For two months I was nauseated. Then for two months I was CONSTANTLY nauseated and started losing weight. For the past 4 weeks even drinking fluids makes me nauseated and my heart palpitations are there to remind me I'm miserable when the nausea subsides.
She just gave me a limited prescription of Prozac to try to handle the withdrawal symptoms and wean off of it as well as another med to help with anxiety. Going off of my other symptoms but not wanting to overdo it she gave me 2.5mg of olanzapine.
I'm going to start them today. I'm hoping beyond hope for some relief.

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@bmoregrl

What sources tell you Effexor is dangerous- I’ve been on it 20 yrs. Interested in citation or doctors or FDA warnings you all might be reading.

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Just because it's dangerous doesn't mean it can't be very helpful. In this case it's the withdrawal that's the worst part. Getting off of it is extremely difficult. Everything has the same warnings about stopping medication, but countless testimonies (including my own and my friend's) indicate how much worse Effexor is to stop than loads of other meds.

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