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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regionrat | @regionrat | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @sharaden "If overeating a symptom of getting off of this literal hell of a drug? I've gained..." + (show)
@sharaden

If overeating a symptom of getting off of this literal hell of a drug? I've gained almost 20 pounds since I started tapering off. I feel constantly hungry. If I don't eat, I then feel sick. And I've always hated my body and now I'm hating it even worse. I feel so trapped in my own skin.

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yes… and craving carbs and sugar. Since I'm also dealing with the small bowel obstruction, most of the food I eat has to be clear liquids or of baby food consistency. The carbs are supposed to help you come off the drugs. If it's not one thing, it's another.

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catbitess | @catamite | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @sharaden "I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm..." + (show)
@sharaden

I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm down from 300mg to 37.5mg (300 to 225, 225 to 187.5, 187.5 to 150, 150 to 112.5, 112.5 to 75, and 75 to 37.5 and now 37.5 to 0). And the symptoms have never been this bad with any other decrease. I don't know what to do. I feel like a failure if I take it again, but it's so bad. I feel like I can barely stand. Like everytime I get up, I'm going to pass out. Everything hurts. Im so so tired. I just want to be done with this stupid medicine, but I don't know if I can do this last decrease from 37.5mg to 0mg. Why did they ever put a child on this medication? Knowing it would be terrible to miss a dose? And then terrible to get off of it?

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I am going through the same thing. We must hang in there. I can barely move today. I have an upset stomach, diarrhea, headache, vertigo. I am on day 3 of 37.5 to 0. I just don't know what will make me feel better. Alleve has helped a little with the body aches.

REPLY
catbitess | @catamite | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @sharaden "If overeating a symptom of getting off of this literal hell of a drug? I've gained..." + (show)
@sharaden

If overeating a symptom of getting off of this literal hell of a drug? I've gained almost 20 pounds since I started tapering off. I feel constantly hungry. If I don't eat, I then feel sick. And I've always hated my body and now I'm hating it even worse. I feel so trapped in my own skin.

Jump to this post

My stomach is so queasy I don't know if I need to eat or vomit.

REPLY
texasduchess | @texasduchess | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @carley6280 "I have suffered from major depression most of my life. I'm currently going through withdrawals from..." + (show)
@carley6280

I have suffered from major depression most of my life. I'm currently going through withdrawals from Effexor, while starting Trintellix.
I'm at my wits end with feeling awful, even woke up with numbness in my right hip and leg, and a little in my right arm.
I believe I am at my lowest point ever, in terms of depression. I don't know what to do anymore. But cry…and I can't even do that, but feel like it.

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You don't mention if you tapered off Effexor and then tapered on to Trintellix. Read all the posts here for helpful information about getting off Effexor.

You can read the manufacturer's info about Trintellix here–https://www.lundbeck.com/upload/ca/en/files/pdf/pi/Trintellix.pdf.

Numbness was not listed as a side effect, but "Low sodium level in blood causing symptoms of tiredness, weakness, confusion combined with achy, stiff, or uncoordinated muscles" is listed as a rare side effect that you should talk with your doctor, or pharmacist about. In any case, talk to your doctor and/or pharmacist about feeling awful and the numbness.

I found this article on switching between two anti-depressants–https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4919171/. Table 3 gives the strategy for switching from various drugs to another; for Effexor, go down to the sixth drug and go right to the fourth column for Trintellix (vortioxetine).

I also found this site where folks going from Effexor to Trintellix commented–https://www.reddit.com/r/depressionregimens/comments/8kxlrj/effexor_withdrawal_trintellix/.

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texasduchess | @texasduchess | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve seen to many people not take the seriousness and real dangers of quitting this medication. There have been some very lucky people here, Susie for one.
Effexor has a shot half life, probably the shortest of the antidepressants. Because of this the withdrawal symptoms can occur quickly. All this is affected by your metabolism, so if metabolism is slow your withdrawal symptoms will take longer to appear since your body will take longer to get rid of the medication. With a fast metabolism the opposite will occur. Many will have some symptoms if they miss just one dose, especially with a fast metabolism.
Effexor withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person but can take anywhere from 10 days if on a low dose and taken for a short time to a month and even longer depending on strength and time you’ve been taking it. It also depends on the person. If I were stopping it I’d only decrease my dose by 10% to an absolute high of 25% and if any of the multitude of symptoms showed up I’d immediately increase it and reduce the maximum to maybe 15%. Always take a dose every day. Never skip a day/days. And take your new dose at least 7 days before taking a lower dose. Some may have or want to take it longer. The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t have ANY SYMPTOMS while stopping Effexor. And when you take your last dose you’ll be Effexor free and never have another symptom. If however you have been abusing it your outcome may not be as good and problems could possibly occur in the future.
Wishing everyone the very best of luck, and please remember small doses over a longer time is the key

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I've read that once you've gotten off the drug (and at 8 weeks without, I'd say so), it's too late to go back; your current uncomfortable "discontinuation" symptoms could get a LOT worse if you restarted venlafaxine. Many Effexor withdrawers have found Ben*dryl helpful for getting to sleep (I did); I also used lemon balm, kava and rhodiola rosea. Please see my other posts about the supplements that have helped me and the dosage/frequency.

REPLY
texasduchess | @texasduchess | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @sharaden "I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm..." + (show)
@sharaden

I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm down from 300mg to 37.5mg (300 to 225, 225 to 187.5, 187.5 to 150, 150 to 112.5, 112.5 to 75, and 75 to 37.5 and now 37.5 to 0). And the symptoms have never been this bad with any other decrease. I don't know what to do. I feel like a failure if I take it again, but it's so bad. I feel like I can barely stand. Like everytime I get up, I'm going to pass out. Everything hurts. Im so so tired. I just want to be done with this stupid medicine, but I don't know if I can do this last decrease from 37.5mg to 0mg. Why did they ever put a child on this medication? Knowing it would be terrible to miss a dose? And then terrible to get off of it?

Jump to this post

You may be tapering too quickly; the taper to 0 from 37.5 is large. I'm no doctor, but I've read that when a taper down causes too many side effects/withdrawal symptoms that going back to the dose where you had no symptoms (the 37.5) until you stabilize and then, reducing very slowly from there is a better way. I understand that you can do this if the amount of time off the drug is not too long; if it is weeks, or months, going back on the drug can make the symptoms a LOT worse. If the 37.5 dose is a capsule, you may be able to find a compounding pharmacist (may be pricey) to make interim doses down, or perhaps, your doctor can switch you to the tablet form so that you can cut the pill.

REPLY
texasduchess | @texasduchess | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @coloradogirl "So, I just finished this process with Zoloft (sertraline) and here are some things that worked..." + (show)
@coloradogirl

So, I just finished this process with Zoloft (sertraline) and here are some things that worked for me. Your mileage may vary, but hopefully these are low risk for you to try.

1) You may need to ask your doctor for a slower tapering program than other patients. Some people are just more sensitive to dosage changes. Be aware that symptoms will get better, then may reappear each time you taper. AAFMA (practice group of family physicians) says that the symptoms typically last 1-2 weeks and as long as 4 weeks, so I just kept reminding myself that it was temporary.
2) Be watchful for things that make your symptoms worse. For example, caffeine seems to trigger the brain zaps for me (still, even after being off for several weeks), so I cut back my caffeine intake. I didn’t give it up completely (because I still need to function), but cut back on how much real coffee I was drinking, mixed decaf with regular, and switched to tea sometimes. In the end, I probably cut my daily caffeine intake in half, and it did help quite a lot.
3) Ibuprofen or other pain reliever can help with the flu-like body aches.
4) Benadryl helped with the brain zaps.
5) Exercise helped with both. Even if I wasn’t up to a run, a few blocks of walking would settle down the symptoms for a while at least. (Then, when they come back, just take another walk. We took a lot of walks for a while there).
6) Get enough sleep. As I came down off the meds, my normal sleeping patterns returned, which was great, but it did mean that I needed to plan time to let my body rest.
7) Pay attention to your diet. Your brain uses carbs to make seratonin, so now is not the time to go on the Atkins diet. Eat well and make sure you’re getting enough healthy carbs. You may crave sweets; I certainly did. I tried to counteract this by having bananas, graham crackers, and other healthy things I could snack on instead of sticking my head in a birthday cake like I seemed to want.

No lie – it’s a painful process, but this did really help make it easier. Also, at a certain point, when I was down the below the normal starter dose, I just ripped off the bandaid and went to zero. At that point, it felt like each taper was just prolonging the suffering. Don’t just go cold turkey from your current dose, though, as that can be dangerous. Also, don’t add any supplements or substitutes for the SSRI without talking to your doctor first (also dangerous).

And of course, watch for the return of depression / anxiety type symptoms. For a while it was hard to tell whether I was tired because of the change in meds or because my depression was returning. I figured as long as I felt okay enough to function and wasn’t thinking about being harmful to myself or anyone else, I could play it out and see. It turned out to be the meds and on the other side, I can see that I was more worried about it than I needed to be.

I wish you the best of luck and a healthy life.

Mardee

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You may be tapering too quickly; the taper to 0 from 37.5 is large. I'm no doctor, but I've read that when a taper down causes too many side effects/withdrawal symptoms that going back to the dose where you had no symptoms (the 37.5) until you stabilize and then, reducing very slowly from there is a better way. I understand that you can do this if the amount of time off the drug is not too long; if it is weeks, or months, going back on the drug can make the symptoms a LOT worse. If the 37.5 dose is a capsule, you may be able to find a compounding pharmacist (may be pricey) to make interim doses down, or perhaps, your doctor can switch you to the tablet form so that you can cut the pill and taper more slowly.

I read that some folks found fish oil supplements helped with the eye movement weirdness and that the eye problems were related to the "brain zaps" some experience while getting off Effexor. "During withdrawal from an antidepressant, one of the quickest ways to help the brain heal is to supplement high-quality omega-3s. One of the most effective treatments for the dreaded electrical shock sensations (a.k.a. “brain zaps”) is omega-3 fatty acids. While it is unclear as to how omega-3s help these, many people have documented significant reductions in the frequency and number of zaps they experience during withdrawal as a result of supplementation." Read more here–https://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/03/19/10-best-supplements-for-antidepressant-withdrawal/.

REPLY
catbitess | @catamite | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @sharaden "I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm..." + (show)
@sharaden

I'm a seventeen year old girl who has been on Effexor for 3 years now. I'm down from 300mg to 37.5mg (300 to 225, 225 to 187.5, 187.5 to 150, 150 to 112.5, 112.5 to 75, and 75 to 37.5 and now 37.5 to 0). And the symptoms have never been this bad with any other decrease. I don't know what to do. I feel like a failure if I take it again, but it's so bad. I feel like I can barely stand. Like everytime I get up, I'm going to pass out. Everything hurts. Im so so tired. I just want to be done with this stupid medicine, but I don't know if I can do this last decrease from 37.5mg to 0mg. Why did they ever put a child on this medication? Knowing it would be terrible to miss a dose? And then terrible to get off of it?

Jump to this post

Yes, I am feeling so poorly I think I will take your advice. I have read that I can count out the capsules inside to cut my dose. I will try that.
Thank you for your reply.

REPLY
catbitess | @catamite | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve seen to many people not take the seriousness and real dangers of quitting this medication. There have been some very lucky people here, Susie for one.
Effexor has a shot half life, probably the shortest of the antidepressants. Because of this the withdrawal symptoms can occur quickly. All this is affected by your metabolism, so if metabolism is slow your withdrawal symptoms will take longer to appear since your body will take longer to get rid of the medication. With a fast metabolism the opposite will occur. Many will have some symptoms if they miss just one dose, especially with a fast metabolism.
Effexor withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person but can take anywhere from 10 days if on a low dose and taken for a short time to a month and even longer depending on strength and time you’ve been taking it. It also depends on the person. If I were stopping it I’d only decrease my dose by 10% to an absolute high of 25% and if any of the multitude of symptoms showed up I’d immediately increase it and reduce the maximum to maybe 15%. Always take a dose every day. Never skip a day/days. And take your new dose at least 7 days before taking a lower dose. Some may have or want to take it longer. The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t have ANY SYMPTOMS while stopping Effexor. And when you take your last dose you’ll be Effexor free and never have another symptom. If however you have been abusing it your outcome may not be as good and problems could possibly occur in the future.
Wishing everyone the very best of luck, and please remember small doses over a longer time is the key

Jump to this post

Texas, I am taking your advice. Thank you.

REPLY
shaker1956 | @shaker1956 | Aug 12, 2018
In reply to @jakedduck1 "Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

Never stop taking it cold turkey EVER. You could be hospitalized even death can occur. I’ve seen to many people not take the seriousness and real dangers of quitting this medication. There have been some very lucky people here, Susie for one.
Effexor has a shot half life, probably the shortest of the antidepressants. Because of this the withdrawal symptoms can occur quickly. All this is affected by your metabolism, so if metabolism is slow your withdrawal symptoms will take longer to appear since your body will take longer to get rid of the medication. With a fast metabolism the opposite will occur. Many will have some symptoms if they miss just one dose, especially with a fast metabolism.
Effexor withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person but can take anywhere from 10 days if on a low dose and taken for a short time to a month and even longer depending on strength and time you’ve been taking it. It also depends on the person. If I were stopping it I’d only decrease my dose by 10% to an absolute high of 25% and if any of the multitude of symptoms showed up I’d immediately increase it and reduce the maximum to maybe 15%. Always take a dose every day. Never skip a day/days. And take your new dose at least 7 days before taking a lower dose. Some may have or want to take it longer. The point I’m trying to make is that you shouldn’t have ANY SYMPTOMS while stopping Effexor. And when you take your last dose you’ll be Effexor free and never have another symptom. If however you have been abusing it your outcome may not be as good and problems could possibly occur in the future.
Wishing everyone the very best of luck, and please remember small doses over a longer time is the key

Jump to this post

Thanks for the info Texas D. I was ready to try and get a Dr’s app’t and try something so I can get on with life. Today is 8 weeks complete since I took my last hit of Venla. I just started L-Triptophan which is supposed to help with Zaps. Had a horrible sleep last night which causes me to have a horrible day after when that happens. Oh well I’m hoping I start feeling better soon. I dont know how much longer I can put up with this B4 I go back to the Dr with my hands up. But I really dont want to give up!!!!!!!!

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