Tips on minimising withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)
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
Best to ask a psychiatrist – but it's not unheard of – it depends on whether the ingredient causing your discontinuation symptoms is the serotonin or the norepinephrine….if it's both or just serotonin – the prozac might help.. .As an SNRI, Effexor works on both chemicals – while Prozac is an SSRI….but prozac, zoloft etc seem to be easier to taper from.
@youngsally
I am a breast cancer survivor and it was estrogen positive. I was on tamoxifen and as some years went by, put on Aromasin. I was put on 25 mg of Effexor to control hot flashes when the tamoxifen put me into chemical menopause. The only side effect I noticed from Aromasin was from the very first pill until three months after I was taken off it 6.5 years later was that I would "urp" all night long after I went to bed–nothing ever came up, no acid, no food taste–just "urp," then "urp," etc. Side effect in the small print–dyspepsia. If there's a weird side effect to something, I get it.
Re your friend's irritability, perhaps it stems from menopause. She should look into supplements and AVOID EFFEXOR–https://www.thesleepdoctor.com/2018/02/20/natural-supplements-menopause-sleep/.
@texasduchess
Good Morning!
Thank you for posting the article. I read it and found another article more specifically for Effexor:
https://www.verywellmind.com/brain-shivers-as-effexor-withdrawal-symptom-1065516
Interesting, too.
Have a great weekend!
Ronnie (GINSBERGr)
Thanks – I am pretty certain she won't be taking Effexor — she won't so much as take an aspirin even though she says that her joints hurt all the time….I think she was okay mood-wise until she switched off the tamoxifen – but it was a five year cycle of tamoxifen so as I understand it – most women don't take tamoxifen any longer than that because it has more serious cardiac risks long term.
Will do.
Well the symptoms have begun. Yesterday was day 4 and I was ok in the morning and then started feeling a headache and sick to my stomach. Last night was horrible insomnia and today I have been throwing up with headache and crying. I'm also in physical pain because I had surgery and I am getting another surgery Tuesday. It's just alot at one time.
Sounds like a lot…is it possible to leave a message with one of your MDs? It's important for the doctors to know what is going on – and they can figure out what they can do to make you more comfortable but it is also important because the surgeon/anesthesiologist will definitely want to know. There will definitely be someone on call if your docs are away this weekend.
It is so much, but I felt like I was doing so great without the effexor. I was in physical pain from surgery, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
@haleysmom
Hi!
So sorry you are having such a difficult time. I am guessing it was not the best time to deal with this.
Hope you will be well enough for surgery.
Ronnie
Thank you Ronnie.
I took it for years for menopausal symptoms. I had no symptoms of withdrawal and did it over a period of a month. Ask your doctor first and then if that's not satisfactory google it. Best of luck
That’s encouraging! Thank you!