Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

KMART 720,

Hi, Qu, how long were you on EFFEXOR/ VENLAFAXINE?. As I have said before, I too, amongst many other side-effects, am suffering after stopping EFFEXOR. One positive marker, is that extreme heat tolerance issues with 30+ degrees of summer heat 2022 was , this summer, a bit better than last Summer when living thru a hot spell. So, not taking pills / titration by now - summer 2023 - has had some positive effect. But, hot body heat "flushes" , in any ambient temperature , continue. I stopped after a 2 yr titration Oct 22 from 75mg & 37.5 mg - then diluting reduced beads from 37.5 slow release. What would be good is for someone to feed back their long term, timeline resume, of ALL their Effexor / venlafaxine experiences , = post pill cessation to complete end of legacy side effects experience . My guess that all these issues (incl hot flashes etc), fall to the residue of the meds in your body. From what I can ascertain from (limited) feedback, this can take years to clear.

in reply to @kmart720
I dropped down from 150mg venlafaxine to 75mg, and now want to taper to the 37.5mg capsules. My doctor has suggested I do this slowly, but how does one do this? Did dropping from 75mg to 37.5mg cause any awful problems? Initially, my doctor had me go from 150mg to 75mg capsules, but that was terrible. So, I went from 150mg caps to 75mg capsules, and I am now ready to taper further. Can you please tell me about your experience going from 75mg capsules to 37.5mg capsules?
Thank you

I don’t believe I experienced any severe withdrawal symptoms when I decreased from 75 to 37.5.
If I did I probably didn’t realize what was causing them because I honestly didn’t realize the side effects/withdrawal symptoms that was possible until I had completely weaned off.
When I was put on Effexor I it was by my radiation oncologist, when I decided I wanted to go off of it I was no longer seeing him so I discussed it with my regular oncologist. Honestly, in hindsight, he must not be very familiar with the drug because at that point I was down to 37.5/day and he told me I didn’t have to wean off that I could just stop. So I did. Big mistake. The withdrawals were horrible and it took me a week or so to figure out what was causing it because it had never been explained to me.

in reply to @kmart720
I dropped down from 150mg venlafaxine to 75mg, and now want to taper to the 37.5mg capsules. My doctor has suggested I do this slowly, but how does one do this? Did dropping from 75mg to 37.5mg cause any awful problems? Initially, my doctor had me go from 150mg to 75mg capsules, but that was terrible. So, I went from 150mg caps to 75mg capsules, and I am now ready to taper further. Can you please tell me about your experience going from 75mg capsules to 37.5mg capsules?
Thank you

@frances007
I’d never reduce a medication by 50%. My guess is you’re going to regret it. Especially when you’re in your last phase of discontinuing.
My brother stopped it within 1 week with no symptoms at all.
Your best option is a compounding pharmacy and at a much lower percentage. Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?

in reply to @kmart720
I dropped down from 150mg venlafaxine to 75mg, and now want to taper to the 37.5mg capsules. My doctor has suggested I do this slowly, but how does one do this? Did dropping from 75mg to 37.5mg cause any awful problems? Initially, my doctor had me go from 150mg to 75mg capsules, but that was terrible. So, I went from 150mg caps to 75mg capsules, and I am now ready to taper further. Can you please tell me about your experience going from 75mg capsules to 37.5mg capsules?
Thank you

Frances 007, Hi. Regarding dropping down from 75mg EFFEXOR XR to 37.5 mg. This was done with ease * over 3 months or so. Compared with what was to follow. * I had no noticeable reactions, barring a short term (1 week) "step down" withdrawal jolts to my system, each time I dropped down to 37.5 . These reactions were short lived. The REAL issues, (as is commonly experienced by others), come when titrating down from 37.5 to zero. In fact, I was eventually **diluting individual beads from a 37.5 MG slow release capsule (3x beads in each) so, 3,2,1 beads. Then** syringing down in a diluted pot @ 10ml degradations , every 2 months 3,2,1 beads. This took 24 months. BUT, as someone else here has said. The withdrawal effects DO NOT STOP @ zero pill taking! No one knows , as it on a individual basis, as to how long the final , (after pill taking), withdrawal / side-effects issues will last. I have identified 3 to 5 years ! Also , the effects go away & come back over this period. Recent info I have secured , indicates about 50% of people have NO issues with EFFEXOR withdrawal and can even stop quite abruptly. But the rest are all over the place. Critically, as has been commented on here, it is the PACE of titration off that is key to mitigating these severe issues in the most sensitive of people. To stop @ 37.5 is not recommended.

I was on 75mg per day for hot flashes. It was not a problem for me to drop to 37.5mg per day. If you want to be cautious, I recommend a slow process, such as alternating capsules for a week to see how you respond on days of 37.5mg. If no reaction, then you should be okay to go to 37.5mg per day. On rare days that I forgot to take a pill, I would begin to feel nauseous--a reminder that I missed it--and take it immediately, and be ok. It is more difficult to discontinue the lowest dosage, in my experience. I weaned myself off by adding more hours between 37.5mg capsules, then a day between pills, until I was taking so few that I figured I could do without.
I've been off them for about two months, and am feeling extreme anxiety now, after feeling ok after stopping the drug. During withdrawal period, I had occasional nightmares (without realizing they were the result of withdrawal). I am no longer constipated and have less of an appetite for food, so I've lost weight since stopping the drug. With this degree of anxiety, I am not sure I can stay off the 37.5mg per day, but I am trying to alleviate the anxiety by other means--exercise, deep breathing, etc. My doctor suspects that I need the drug now to control anxiety; I would prefer to be off the drug, due to its side effects and difficulty of withdrawal. (No change in hot flashes; I still have them with and without Effexor. It was a mistake to prescribe this drug for hot flashes.)

@frances007
I’d never reduce a medication by 50%. My guess is you’re going to regret it. Especially when you’re in your last phase of discontinuing.
My brother stopped it within 1 week with no symptoms at all.
Your best option is a compounding pharmacy and at a much lower percentage. Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?