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Effexor tapering question
I was on 112.5mg of XR for chronic pain. I started to taper from it over 20 weeks ago by cutting every 2 weeks. It was changed to IR in liquid form and I split it into 3 doses a day. Problem is I never did the math on how much the psychiatrist was cutting every time. I wasn't having issues at first as soon as I came down to around 60mg I'm getting stomach pain constantly, lost weight because can't eat due to pain, insomnia is horrible 3 4 days no sleep. I'm at 31mg and I can't keep going like this. I did the math and if I ask for an adjustment to cut 10% of the last dose every 2 weeks will take me another year or so to get off this horrendous drug. Is there a way I can ask to be given another medication that can cover effexor so I don't have to take it anymore and taper off that other one then. This is too painful.
Will I face withdrawal if I cross to another antidepressant? Please inform me.
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Dear Casstate
I have gone thru this Effexor / Venlafaxine issue / experience and have, as a result, consulted Neuro-pharmacolgists World Wide over many years. Also, consulting this Site and another USA leading one with many years of Patient contributions. Base line appears that everyone is different in their make up & therefore reactions to this Drug. I have read about people on staggeringly high doses , then titrating off quite abruptly, with little side effects. How long were you on 150 mg? I am an extreme example - it took me well over 2 yrs to titrate off 75 mg Effexor , with no other meds to balance . I still get some legacy side effects - 2 yrs after stopping. Titration was overseen by my Dr and Pharmacist. From the symptoms you describe and your stated , very short cutting down of doses, I would think , based on feedback I have read , you are titrating off too fast and your body cannot adjust. Hence the adverse effects. It is also evidenced that the longer you are on effexor , the slower you need to take titrating off with the drop down dose. But as I say , I have never taken Prozac.
It seems to be different from one person to the next. I went from 75 to zero in one jump and had an absolutely miserable four weeks, and lingering reactions for a few following weeks. It's a long story, but in my case the drug had flipped me upside down and made me suicidal. A rare but known side effect. I had to get off of it in a hurry. I was able to plow through the vertigo and nausea and brain zaps because I knew my mood was improving, so I had that driving me.
On a side note, having seen no end of posts from people struggling to get off of that drug and not uncommonly failing to do so, I seriously question whether it should be FDA approved. No pharmaceutical intended to help someone should become a nightmare to quit using if it doesn't work. The drug itself becomes worse than the disease.
At bare minimum, doctors should be required to carefully explain to patients that if it doesn't work, withdrawal is potentially miserable and extended. I was never told this, and if I had been, would have probably thought twice about taking it. I was in a vulnerable place and my general provider just said "Here, take this. If you're not better in a few weeks get back to me." That was inadequate to put it mildly.
I'd like to see a national movement of those of us who have been on this medication and have had to quit and have struggled with it to get the word out. I'm not opposed to antidepressants, they do save lives, but if they have a potential to create harmful problems like Effexor does, they need to be handled with much greater caution.
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2 Reactions@casstate I am so sorry to hear that you were going through such a difficult time getting off the Effexor. I went through a very similar situation about 15 years ago with the same drug. I was a mess. I cried all day at work. I felt as though my head was gonna explode. I couldn’t control myself at all and I’m so glad I got off of it. If you are struggling this much with the drug consult your doctor or psychiatrist whoever recommends you taping off and see if you can go in a slower rate because in my uneducated opinion, I think you’re going off it too quickly and you can always spread it out further over six or eight weeks but when they put you on this medication, they certainly don’t tell you about how difficult it is to get off of it because they don’t know they don’t have that issue. I wish you the best of luck. I will be thinking of you and praying for you. Please keep us posted as to how things go.
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3 ReactionsHello everyone,
Thank you so much for making your way to my post. I am in pretty bad shape as (I believe) a result of tapering down my Effexor prescription, and I am looking for support, advice, timelines, or suggestions to maybe help me get through this.
Background: I have been taking Effexor 300mg (2x 150mg XR capsules) for about 4 years now for MDD and GAD. I am currently 21. My life situations and state of mind have changed considerably in the last few years, and I've been truly happy for about a year now.
About 5 months ago, I was speaking to a behavioural health specialist about my habit of overeating, and I mentioned to her that it got a lot more frequent and I gained a lot of weight when I started Effexor. I also said that, since I had been doing pretty well mentally and had taken the medication for some time that I would be interested in talking to my regular doctor about coming off it it. I am still relatively young (21) and it sucks having to take medicine when I go on girls trips or to stay with a friend, so I figured why not. She said sure, and that if I feel like I don't need it anymore or at least such a high dose, that I could start coming off of it and even she can help prescribe the tapering amounts, but that we should start in summer. That brings us to now.
About 2.5 weeks ago, I started my first reduction in the dose. I went from 300mg XR to 262.5mg XR, a reduction of the smallest available capsule amount (37.5mg XR). I honestly didn't notice much of anything at all. I took that amount as per instructed for 2 weeks, and then about 3-4 days ago I began the second reduction as instructed of another 37.5mg for a new daily total of 225mg XR.
2 nights ago, shit hit the fan.
I started having terrible withdrawl symptoms. I was flooded with anxiety and nausea, and I was hot, hotter than the sun. I had diarrhea and shaking, too. I couldn't sleep at all that night, I was terrified. The absolute worst of it only lasted 10 hours thank god, before I settled into feeling only moderately physically uncomfortable and anxious. That's where I am now. I'm 4 days in to the 225mg XR and although the worst seems to be over I still don't feel right, I am anxious and shivery. My behavioural health specialist said the worst of it is probably over and each day I should continue to feel more comfortable on this dose, and I should stay on this dose this time for a month instead of two weeks, before another reduction of 37.5mg XR. But I am scared. I am scared of the sickness and pain and the sheer dread/anxiety that rushes over me. I am scared that in a month I still won't feel normal. And even if I do, that's when it's time to decrease it again, and I'm so scared to. I am lucky I am on summer break from University and not working, I can't imagine trying to carry on with life in this condition.
Please somebody, anybody, I would greatly appreciate any support, advice, tips, etc., because more than anything I'm just scared. Thanks.
I am not a doctor, so my comment is based on personal experience and my own research. Your doctor is asking you to make reductions that are too large, too quickly. Please research Mark Horowitz and Anders Sorensen, the experts in the area of deprescribing psychotropic medications. Anything more than 10% every 4-6 weeks is not recommended. I went through hell for a very long time because I was told to follow a similar schedule as you. Doctors are not taught about safe deprescribing, and the current guidelines are not based on how the drug impacts your brain. Please do your research. Good luck.
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1 Reaction@kaelan I am so sorry you are in pain. I have taken 150 mg for many years and have switched to other anti-depressants multiple times, for one reason or another, only to return to this med. I am presently on .75 and hope to remain here. I would take longer to lower your dose further. I have found taking 75 mg doses of CBD oil, which helps with anxiety, is an aid while reducing your dose of Effexor. You might ask you doctor for a prescription of Valium while you are going through this, which you could take every few days when the pain is too much. My doctor allowed me, at 80 yrs old, a prescription for Xanax, which my partner keeps in a safe, to take when natural remedies for anxiety don't help. I can sometimes walk away the anxiety. I am careful what I allow myself to watch on TV and Youtube has lots of calming videos to watch for meditation. I hope you have the support of your family while you are going through this. If you can afford it, a message, or at least ask for a hug from your friends, can bring temporary relief. We all need body contact. Hang in there. You will get through this. Just continue to do it slowly.
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1 ReactionThank you so much.
On Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 11:04:37 AM EDT, Mayo Clinic Connect wrote:
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| Comment posted by @david707 on discussion "Effexor tapering question ".
@kaelan I am so sorry you are in pain. I have taken 150 mg for many years and have switched to other anti-depressants multiple times, for one reason or another, only to return to this med. I am presently on .75 and hope to remain here. I would take longer to lower your dose further. I have found taking 75 mg doses of CBD oil, which helps with anxiety, is an aid while reducing your dose of Effexor. You might ask you doctor for a prescription of Valium while you are going through this, which you could take every few days when the pain is too much. My doctor allowed me, at 80 yrs old, a prescription for Xanax, which my partner keeps in a safe, to take when natural remedies for anxiety don't help. I can sometimes walk away the anxiety. I am careful what I allow myself to watch on TV and Youtube has lots of calming videos to watch for meditation. I hope you have the support of your family while you are going through this. If you can afford it, a message, or at least ask for a hug from your friends, can bring temporary relief. We all need body contact. Hang in there. You will get through this. Just continue to do it slowly.
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Thank you. This is a night mare. He gave me Prozac as a bridge.
On Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 10:03:20 AM EDT, Mayo Clinic Connect wrote:
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| Comment posted by @mmsm on discussion "Effexor tapering question ".
I am not a doctor, so my comment is based on personal experience and my own research. Your doctor is asking you to make reductions that are too large, too quickly. Please research Mark Horowitz and Anders Sorensen, the experts in the area of deprescribing psychotropic medications. Anything more than 10% every 4-6 weeks is not recommended. I went through hell for a very long time because I was told to follow a similar schedule as you. Doctors are not taught about safe deprescribing, and the current guidelines are not based on how the drug impacts your brain. Please do your research. Good luck.
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