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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@tglapin1974

No medication is perfect is meant to be taken over a lifetime, unless as in my case & others like it, that medication is the best we have right now to take over for an absent or malfunctioning organ like a thyroid gland or high blood pressure. Like you, 30 years ago, I was prescribed an anti-depressant that I thought was necessary to take for the rest of my life. I failed to heed the warning of a family friend/physician who advised me to watch carefully how my body, mind, & spirit responded OVER TIME to these psychotropic meds. Since I failed to heed his warning, I threw away all these meds. with disastrous results: almost losing my sanity, job, home. Just 4 years ago, a former psychopharmacology professor turned psychologist suggested that I be weaned off venlafaxine gradually with the help of a holistic psychiatrist who understands the role of spirituality in mental health throughout our lifetime. Thanks to this therapist & finding such a psychiatrist over the last 4 years, I accept full responsibility for partnering with all health practitioners in whatever prescriptions they write for me. As a result of these changes in my attitude toward all health practitioners, I have so far been successfully weaned off all mood-altering meds., take only Synthroid & 2 low-dosage hypertension meds. to help my body address the loss of a thyroid gland from cancer 52 years ago & the family tendency toward hypertension. I'm also a faithful member of Al-Anon for the past 36.5 years - an awesome source of inner & outer peace. Thank you for your question. My life journey has taught me over & over again to listen to my body, heart, spirit rather than assume that all docs know what's best for me. In God & 12-Step spirituality I trust, not docs who prescribe drugs willy nilly. But for the grace of God, I could have died just like any other patient who made a doc their God instead of their Creator.

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Hello. Can you please provide me with the name of the holistic psychiatrist? Thank you!

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I have been on Effexor XR 50mg for three weeks now. For two of those weeks, I was in bed with anxiety so strong, that I could do nothing but cover up my head and except for what was necessary do nothing else. Debilitating anxiety. This was prescribed after a Genesight. Anyway, I did not and continue to not have the option of tapering off. It has been several days now since my last dose. I am only now not struck with extreme anxiety, but it is a struggle because it is still present. I am trying and at the same time apprehensive because I live with moderate depression and anxiety and know that I am one of those who will have to rely on something to remotely function. I have other chronic illnesses, including diabetes type 2 and high blood pressure but need to get my mental illness addressed as a priority because it controls everything each day.

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@aissa2

I have been on Effexor XR 50mg for three weeks now. For two of those weeks, I was in bed with anxiety so strong, that I could do nothing but cover up my head and except for what was necessary do nothing else. Debilitating anxiety. This was prescribed after a Genesight. Anyway, I did not and continue to not have the option of tapering off. It has been several days now since my last dose. I am only now not struck with extreme anxiety, but it is a struggle because it is still present. I am trying and at the same time apprehensive because I live with moderate depression and anxiety and know that I am one of those who will have to rely on something to remotely function. I have other chronic illnesses, including diabetes type 2 and high blood pressure but need to get my mental illness addressed as a priority because it controls everything each day.

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Hi Carolyn. I’m so sorry to hear how you’re struggling. Just to clarify, did you just start taking Effexor?

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@aissa2

I have been on Effexor XR 50mg for three weeks now. For two of those weeks, I was in bed with anxiety so strong, that I could do nothing but cover up my head and except for what was necessary do nothing else. Debilitating anxiety. This was prescribed after a Genesight. Anyway, I did not and continue to not have the option of tapering off. It has been several days now since my last dose. I am only now not struck with extreme anxiety, but it is a struggle because it is still present. I am trying and at the same time apprehensive because I live with moderate depression and anxiety and know that I am one of those who will have to rely on something to remotely function. I have other chronic illnesses, including diabetes type 2 and high blood pressure but need to get my mental illness addressed as a priority because it controls everything each day.

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Please recheck your prescription for accuracy. I didn't think that Effexor XR comes in a 50 mg strength? I have taken 37.5 mg and 75 mg capsules in Effexor XR ("extended release"). I am now taking a 50 mg tablet, but it is "immediate release" Effexor, available in 25 mg or 50 mg. Just want to be sure you are taking what you should be taking for the optimum effect.

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@toekneet

Hi Carolyn. I’m so sorry to hear how you’re struggling. Just to clarify, did you just start taking Effexor?

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Pristiq ER, correction.

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@toekneet

Hi Carolyn. I’m so sorry to hear how you’re struggling. Just to clarify, did you just start taking Effexor?

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Pristiq ER not Effesor.

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I titrated off of 450mg of Venlafaxine/Effexor over four months. It was too fast. I fell into, a deeper than usual depression. Anxiety that sent me to the hospital out of fear I would kill myself and the reoccurrence of sleep disturbances, I wake up every two hours.

SSRI's and SNRI's do not simply affect us while we take them, they make changes to our biology that science is just starting to understand. I despair that the biological changes to my system may be permeant. Nonetheless, the following is what I do to cope with the ongoing effects of these medications.

I have a very strict schedule. Not having to think about what I am going to do next makes life easier.
I eat a very nutritious diet. I manage carefully the level of carbohydrates, protein and fats I eat.
At my request my proscriber has given me .50mg of Lorazepam twice a day to cut the anxiety to manageable levels.
I do my best to manage my providers.

I do not believe in the "re-uptake inhibition of neurotransmitter" model of mental health care. The most current research is clear: the theory has been tested on the world for twenty years and it is wrong!

I believe mental illness is a combination of psychosocial, genetic and metabolic issues. That is to say that mental illness (I differentiate this from brain damage) is caused by genetic predisposition, environmental factors and biological issues.

Poor physical health will invariable lead to poor mental heal. Being the child of depressed parents predisposes one to being depressed. Growing up and living with trauma causes real biological changes to the brain and body. No pill is going to address all of these issue like some magic elixir.

Mental health and physical health require multifaceted solutions.

I am the child of two depressed parents. I have been somewhat melancholy my whole life. I experienced significant trauma during my childhood. That I have had mental health issues my whole life is no surprise. Add to that the merry-go-round of ineffective medications and interventions along with poor lifestyle decisions and one ends up with the broken sixty year old man that I am.

Improving my diet.
Vigorous exercise.
Structure.
And active engagement in my own medical care are the only interventions that have worked at all.

I'm not well, but I do occasionally have hope.

I wish you good health and peace.

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@aissa2

Pristiq ER, correction.

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I’m sorry. I’m not familiar with that medicine. It doesn’t sound like it’s good for you. I hope you feel better. ❤️

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I am so sorry. I agree with you 100%! Best wishes…❤️

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@toekneet

I’m sorry. I’m not familiar with that medicine. It doesn’t sound like it’s good for you. I hope you feel better. ❤️

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I took the GeneSight test. It is a newer Anti-D and was on the green column that said it was good for me. I am feeling better. Thank goodness the time ingested of only three weeks, the fact I discontinued it when I did and it may not be as time-consuming where one has to gradually wean in withdrawal as some of the others. Not only did I stay in bed except for when necessary with my head covered up with anxiety so heightened, also, I contemplated suicide. Thankfully, I have an online therapist who was there to talk and concern herself about my unhealthy thoughts and gave me suggestions for it if got bad before doing something dangerous and permanent. It has been many, many years than I can remember when either the effects of the Anti-D being taken or the fact I was not taking anything caused such symptoms, especially the idea of ending it all. Very scary. For now, I am drying out or returning to not having anything until I see a medication manager again next month and I guess we go down the list for another drug. Thanks for your concern, it helps.

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