1. < Depression & Anxiety

Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Posted by richyrich @richyrich, Nov 2, 2016

I have been taking Effexor/Venlafaxine for years and tried to get off it a few times but each time I try to give up the chemical withdrawal symptoms are a horror story and I give up giving up. Anyone got any tips or tried and tested strategies? Thank you

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kratz5 | @kratz5 | Jan 1 3:20pm

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY TO MY QUESTION.

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bonniepie70 | @bonniepie70 | Jan 1 8:23pm
In reply to @simon007 "bonniepie70 Hi, it took me 4 yrs to titrate down & off from 75mg V. I..." + (show)
@simon007

bonniepie70

Hi, it took me 4 yrs to titrate down & off from 75mg V. I have been off for 1 year. The issues you have had are seemingly commonplace, as the lower the titrated dose, the more extreme are the w/drawl effects. So, giving up is tempting. Even after a year after stopping, they persist in my case. I have read such (post cessation) effects can "wax & wane" for a very long time, but do (eventually), become less debilitating & frequent. Having said that, everyone is different and these (withdrawal) symptoms reportedly vary wildly. It seems nearly half of people on VEN / EFFEXOR get varying degrees of withdrawal effects.

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Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply,you have given me hope!.
I'm going to stop this medication vert very slowly this time. I've removed.just one pellet from 18 inside the extended release capsule for 14 days and tomorrow I'll remove 2 for 2/3 weeks and see if I can do it slowly that way.
Youre right about withdrawal symptoms lasting for months if not years once the drug is stopped.
I've a bad feeling.that Venlafaxine 225mg for 12 years has caused me to develop Dystonia and possibly Stiff person Syndrome.

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toekneet | @toekneet | Jan 8 7:11am
In reply to @kratz5 "I am having a hard time understanding why so many are getting off Effexor/Ven. If it..." + (show)
@kratz5

I am having a hard time understanding why so many are getting off Effexor/Ven. If it is helping you why would you go want to go off it ?? Unless your doctor has prescribed something else he thinks would be better for you ???
I am currently taking 300 mg.

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Hello! I am in the process of going off Effexor XR. I have been on it for about 18 years, and honestly, it did not help my depression, and I gained 90 pounds in about 18 months without changing my diet. Over the past few years, I have noticed a variety of health issues. I started googling Effexor and thyroid cyst. Effexor and hypothalamus issues. Effexor and anemia. Effexor and REM sleep behavior issues. Effexor and periodic limb movement disorder. Effexor and inability to lose weight. On, and on, and on. All of the issues I googled, and more, all have studies linking them to Effexor.

I have read too many horror stories about the drug to mention, and even more horror stories about people who have tried to come off it, and have been unsuccessful.

I started at 300 mg, and I am now 68.25. From what I know, the worst may be yet to come. In my opinion, it is an awful medication.

I wish you the very best, and hope your experience is better than mine.

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tglapin1974 | @tglapin1974 | Jan 9 3:50pm
In reply to @kratz5 "I am having a hard time understanding why so many are getting off Effexor/Ven. If it..." + (show)
@kratz5

I am having a hard time understanding why so many are getting off Effexor/Ven. If it is helping you why would you go want to go off it ?? Unless your doctor has prescribed something else he thinks would be better for you ???
I am currently taking 300 mg.

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No medication is perfect is meant to be taken over a lifetime, unless as in my case & others like it, that medication is the best we have right now to take over for an absent or malfunctioning organ like a thyroid gland or high blood pressure. Like you, 30 years ago, I was prescribed an anti-depressant that I thought was necessary to take for the rest of my life. I failed to heed the warning of a family friend/physician who advised me to watch carefully how my body, mind, & spirit responded OVER TIME to these psychotropic meds. Since I failed to heed his warning, I threw away all these meds. with disastrous results: almost losing my sanity, job, home. Just 4 years ago, a former psychopharmacology professor turned psychologist suggested that I be weaned off venlafaxine gradually with the help of a holistic psychiatrist who understands the role of spirituality in mental health throughout our lifetime. Thanks to this therapist & finding such a psychiatrist over the last 4 years, I accept full responsibility for partnering with all health practitioners in whatever prescriptions they write for me. As a result of these changes in my attitude toward all health practitioners, I have so far been successfully weaned off all mood-altering meds., take only Synthroid & 2 low-dosage hypertension meds. to help my body address the loss of a thyroid gland from cancer 52 years ago & the family tendency toward hypertension. I'm also a faithful member of Al-Anon for the past 36.5 years - an awesome source of inner & outer peace. Thank you for your question. My life journey has taught me over & over again to listen to my body, heart, spirit rather than assume that all docs know what's best for me. In God & 12-Step spirituality I trust, not docs who prescribe drugs willy nilly. But for the grace of God, I could have died just like any other patient who made a doc their God instead of their Creator.

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2 replies
kratz5 | @kratz5 | Jan 9 6:29pm
In reply to @tglapin1974 "No medication is perfect is meant to be taken over a lifetime, unless as in my..." + (show)
@tglapin1974

No medication is perfect is meant to be taken over a lifetime, unless as in my case & others like it, that medication is the best we have right now to take over for an absent or malfunctioning organ like a thyroid gland or high blood pressure. Like you, 30 years ago, I was prescribed an anti-depressant that I thought was necessary to take for the rest of my life. I failed to heed the warning of a family friend/physician who advised me to watch carefully how my body, mind, & spirit responded OVER TIME to these psychotropic meds. Since I failed to heed his warning, I threw away all these meds. with disastrous results: almost losing my sanity, job, home. Just 4 years ago, a former psychopharmacology professor turned psychologist suggested that I be weaned off venlafaxine gradually with the help of a holistic psychiatrist who understands the role of spirituality in mental health throughout our lifetime. Thanks to this therapist & finding such a psychiatrist over the last 4 years, I accept full responsibility for partnering with all health practitioners in whatever prescriptions they write for me. As a result of these changes in my attitude toward all health practitioners, I have so far been successfully weaned off all mood-altering meds., take only Synthroid & 2 low-dosage hypertension meds. to help my body address the loss of a thyroid gland from cancer 52 years ago & the family tendency toward hypertension. I'm also a faithful member of Al-Anon for the past 36.5 years - an awesome source of inner & outer peace. Thank you for your question. My life journey has taught me over & over again to listen to my body, heart, spirit rather than assume that all docs know what's best for me. In God & 12-Step spirituality I trust, not docs who prescribe drugs willy nilly. But for the grace of God, I could have died just like any other patient who made a doc their God instead of their Creator.

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Thank you for your information. I admire you and all you have gone though. God bless you.

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shonniaj | @shonniaj | Jan 12 2:44am

I was taking effexor for 3 years.and I finally weaned myself off of it,but I still have nice sweats how can I get that to stop.

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shonniaj | @shonniaj | Jan 12 3:00am

I was taking effexor for 3 years.and I finally weaned myself off of it,but I still have night sweats how do I get that to stop.

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1 reply
simon007 | @simon007 | Jan 13 6:38am
In reply to @shonniaj "I was taking effexor for 3 years.and I finally weaned myself off of it,but I still..." + (show)
@shonniaj

I was taking effexor for 3 years.and I finally weaned myself off of it,but I still have night sweats how do I get that to stop.

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Hi Shonniaj, I am also want info on this ! 3 Yrs on drug also. + Dry mouth also, du to nit swts , Thanks SIMON

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1 reply
shonniaj | @shonniaj | Jan 13 7:41am
In reply to @simon007 "Hi Shonniaj, I am also want info on this ! 3 Yrs on drug also. +..." + (show)
@simon007

Hi Shonniaj, I am also want info on this ! 3 Yrs on drug also. + Dry mouth also, du to nit swts , Thanks SIMON

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@simon007 I drunk lots of water and Gatorade for my dry mouth and I also did some walking.

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bonniepie70 | @bonniepie70 | Jan 24 9:51pm
In reply to @jayman76 "I was on 225mg Effexor and 900mg Gabapentin daily. I can't even remember how many times..." + (show)
@jayman76

I was on 225mg Effexor and 900mg Gabapentin daily. I can't even remember how many times I tried to get off but it was a LOT. I figured it was impossible. I just want you to know it is 100% possible and I am finally free of those poisons. I did it by removing a pellet from each capsule every few weeks. Took forever but it worked. Then when almost off it took an additional few weeks of a Prozac script to help get off. Good luck.

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Hi there
I hope you don't mind me asking you how you are now you're off the evil venlafaxine.
I've been on 225mg for almost 10 years plus hydrocodeine for EDS pain and I'm convinced both drugs have caused Dystonia. I've been removing one of the 18 pellets from capsules every 3 weeks and am now down to 13 with no withdrawal symptoms apart from a low grade headache.
Thankyou for sharing your story and giving me hope that getting off this evil drug can be done.

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