Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Hi everyone. I think I may have to wait another week to reduce from 37.5mg to 25mg tablet. I am just really foggy. It is interesting to me how many of us are sleepers. I can easily sleep 12 hours a day and I have been doing this for years. Is this a side effect of effexor? I feel like I have slelpt my life away. Another interesting thing: my libido is starting to return. I actually have thought about sex for the first time in twenty years. Is there anyone else out there whose libido was absolutely killed by this drug?

@catamite

If your taking pills could you cut it in half or remove half the beads if using capsules and go down a little slower. Slower is better anyway.
I unfortunately can relate to the libido problem not from Effexor but anti-seizure meds. I never gave sex a thought in 50 years. I still have problems but found someone I’m in love with and my sole mate doesn’t care. Bless her.
Wishing you the best of luck!!!
Jake

@shaker1956

Hey buddy,
I’m with you in spirit although that doesn’t really help you out any.
Did you have any symptoms to indicate you may be having other problems? Did you have conventional X-Rays or a Bone or some other scan. Which bones are they looking at? Seems I always have more questions than answers. Hope all your tests are negative.
Always wishing you the best.
Jake

@texasduchess
I want to thank you for your posts on here. I have been reading in this forum for 2 months now & flagged you because of your good advice, nutrition & diet suggestions & links.
Brief history: I started 300mgs of effexor & 1800mg of Gabapentin 10 months ago when I began having anxiety attacks that worked into panic attacks. Those attacks started after I weaned off oxycodone that I was on for 6 months after major spine surgery to correct my severe scoliosis. In February, I foolishly started to taper on my own slowly. Mistake that ended me up in the ER.
Got online & Googled "effexor withdrawals" which brought me to this group. Needless to say, I'm following my PCP's advice these days.
Two weeks ago I finished the taper & am off the 1800mg Gabapentin now. PCP wants me to wait a month before starting effexor taper again. I'm nervous about that as I have already tapered to 150mg from the original 300mg. This time i plan to do it very slowly as recommended in here.
I just want to share with you what I have done to help w my anxiety this past 5 wks now. My nextdoor neighbor & I (she's 72 & I'm 65) started using cbd oil products. She takes it for pain from neuropathy & fibromyalgia; I take it for anxiety. We are both having good outcomes. I don't think I'd have finished tapering from the Gabapentin near as easily if I hadn't started the cbd oil.
From your posts on here, it sounds like you do a lot of research. That's what you'll need to do w cbd because there are so many out there that are better for different ailments. I also joined a Facebook group called "CBD oil users group" (no spaces) & have learned a lot from those posts. This past week, they started a new group for "CBD oil users for anxiety". I joined it too. I read in these posts mostly for product recommendations. But since everyone's metabolism is different, the same product may not work for all. You have to be willing to experiment a bit even after researching. I'm on my 2nd bottle of oil now & find it better than the 1st 1 I tried. I'm also taking the same brand gummies at night for sleep. They work great & I haven't had to take but 1 1mg ativan at night since starting the cbd stuff. I'm sold on it. Others may not be or are "offed" by the stigma of it. That's ok too but for me it has completely changed my demeanor. I haven't felt this good mentally in years! More energy, more clarity & even happy again! My sense of humor is even coming back.
I didn't mean to drag on so long here. I want to thank you again for your posts on here & I can only hope that I can be a smidgen if that hope to you & others. And if I can answer any questions on cbd oils, I'll try. I am surely no expert either but have & will continue to do a lot of reading up on cbd.
Have a good week!

Someone mentioned they were having problems with akathisia, I thought I replied to your post but can’t find your post or my reply. I wanted to say some people are helped by VitB6 1000-1400mg. Might want to ask your doctor about it and other prescription meds that can help.
Best of luck.
Jake

My libido was killed, but now I'm 74 and hope it doesn't return when my taper is over!! Much easier this way at my age!

@edziner
Thank you for letting me know that CBD oil is working for you and your friend. At the start of my symptoms back in June, I visited a couple of local head shops and bought a 500 mg bottle of Green Garden Gold Hemp Oil Supplement (Med Pac MCT Coconut Oil with naturally occurring CBD; hemp extract 16 mg). (Anyone know if this particular brand is any good?) Brightwings AKA Cute Susie was using CBD oil very successfully. Only tried it once as supplements, particularly L-tryptophan, were working for me.

It's just this Friday, Saturday and today that I am resorting to the Valium more than I want to--I have such a small supply and don't want to use it up if a worse episode occurs later and I have nothing. Not sure what's different about this weekend and why the akathisia/anxiety is so bad. I've pulled the Hemp Oil out and put two drops under my tongue (I believe Cute Susie said less was better and start slow although the bottle instructions say to use 1 to 2 droppers full twice daily).

I have taken 300mg of Venlafaxine for years. 3 or 4 months ago I dropped down to 150mg. I think I was functioning acceptably, at 71 who knows, but this week I quit completely. Can't work, hot all the time, August of course, and wanting to vomit.

After reading the withdrawal problems here I see I am lucky. I just took another 150mg pill. I'm thinking of taking one pill every other day for a few months.

What are the downsides of that? Dan

Best of luck Shaker-I am sending good thoughts your way!
Ainsleigh

@texasduchess
You might want to Google "what is the difference between hemp oil extract and cbd oil". I'm pretty sure I read that hemp oil (although it comes from the same plant species) is different from cbd oil. Think I remember that the hemp oil is a lighter version of the more medicinal type cbd. Not sure how well that would work w anxiety. My Hemp Bombs 1000mg cbd oil says "100% CBD oil" w other ingredients listed below that as "hemp oil, grape seed oil & mct oil" (whatever that is...). I will also check w my neighbor; she's gotten both her kids on cbd for anxiety & I think her son ordered hemp oil from Amazon.
I'm definitely not trying to sell HB products here but I have given several gummies to friends, hairdresser & pedicurist. It's an inexpensive way to see if it works for you. I 1st got HB gummies in a little 5 pack at the smoke store for $10. Took 1/2, then 1, then 1 1/2 on consecutive nights for sleep. I'm told they also sell the little packs in gas stations & convenience stores but I haven't seen them here in Tennessee.
During the day, i take 1/3 dropper x 3/day. Feels like it's working good right there for me. So that is about 30mgs per day.
Let me know if you have any questions. Hope the above helped. Just keep in mind it'll take several weeks usually to fully kick in but you should feel a little something right away.