Tips on minimizing withdrawal symptoms from Effexor (aka Venlafaxine)

Hi richyrich,
I completely sympathize with you! Withdrawal symptoms are horrendous - the brain shivers, anxiety and all the rest. I too was on Effexor XL for years. Every single time I asked doctors to reevaluate my dosage -or if I still needed the drug or not - all they did was up the dosage! I found a forum by folks in the same boat. We have to take getting off Effexor ourselves. I'll try and find that forum, but it was about 12 years ago.
I got a pill sorting kit and a supply of empty capsules. The good thing is that the Effexor capsules contain tiny beads. If I remember correctly I counted the beads in a single capsule first. Every two weeks I reduced the amount by about 10% which I then put into an empty capsule. It took me about five months to be totally off Effexor. It is key that you reduce the amount of the drug in your new capsules VERY gradually. The emotional feelings, brain shivers, and anxiety WILL go away in time without the horrendous withdrawal symptoms. My heart goes out to you. Good luck!

Njoys, Hi. I was on VEN / Effexor from April 2017. Unbearable side effects = I got nearly all, + the drug was of no use, led me to titrate off. Finishing, end Oct 2022, after DR & Pharmacist oversight of my hyper slow titration regime. BUT, I still get continuos terrible legacy ALLERGIC side effects from VENLAFAXINE. I was only on 75mg. Principally , extreme fatigue all day. 10 hrs in bed. Swollen lips,
Poor short term memory, Brain fog. I have contacted ALL UK Professors involved in this field, incl Royal Coll of Psych UK past President. No reply from Dr Horowitz UK. No help forthcoming. After years of Internet dialogue & research, it appears I am amongst a rare group who react violently to ANY Anti-depressant. Before VEN/EFFEXOR, i was given Mirtazapine, Risperidone & Quietipine . Only 2x pills of each ,gave me Psychosis & eye sight loss. I was Hospitalised @ one point as a result of these reactions. It appears in the rarest of cases like mine, it takes YEARS, after titration, for these legacy allergic affects to stop. AND , these effects go away & come BACK ! I can attest to this , (e.g. bleeding blood spots on head, tight breathing chest,). I have seen (Horowitz) mention 4 years as an average , for these legacy effects to subside in extreme cases. It is clear ,(reading yesterday ), Medical science are still in the dark about the long term adverse effects of these "new gen" Anti-depressants. Has anyone had such experiences as me? & what was / is the prognosis? Thanks

I'm currently on my last stages of reducing Venlafaxine. I've been on it for approximately 3/4 years with a maximum dose of 225mg. In 8 months, with the help of my doctor, I've reduced to 37.5mg every other day. The next step is 37.5 every two days. Everything is going well apart from the nausea (which they gave me antisickness tablets for) and the brain fog. No matter what I try, I can't get past the brain fog. I hydrate, eat well, reduced caffeine, INCREASED caffeine, sleep well, I just cannot get past it.
Any tips would be appreciated. It's my biggest downfall. I can deal with the brain zaps, but the brain fog is the worst. I just feel like I can't think of see clearly.

Hi NClaireB, (My sister is named Claire). Thanks for this post , this is the very problem I still get. I am too looking for Patient feedback, as to how long this Brain Fog symptom last. I was only on 75mg Ven for 18 months , but, it took 3 years to titrate off, as I was hyper sensitive to the drug. I suffered from nearly all listed side effects. After 2 years, I still get Brian Fog. Pre VEN , I had a photographic memory & have a very high IQ. BUT, Ven severely affected this. There is some *improvement of late of the Fog lifting. (*in the last 3 months). It is very bad ist thing in morning. It seems these VEN "legacy" side effects can last for a long time after titration off, from what I have read. Walking & exercise is said to help. I did try to ask Dr's if the length of time you are on the drug , directly corrolates in turn, to how long it will take for your body (& mind) to be clear of it's adverse effects. Note that - All the Dr stated "rules" of VEN "half life" are not at all realistic , in terms of the severe & long term legacy / post titration symptoms some patients experience. I have investigated this phenomenon for over 3 years , speaking to Neuropharmacologist Professors. Hope we can get some feedback. Regards.

I began taking venlafaxine 10 years ago for health anxiety. Twice, I tried tapering off before I knew anything about ADS (anti-depressant discontinuance syndrome.) Neither did either doc who guided my taper-way too quickly. I gave up and continued the med. I’m starting to taper off again from 75 mg, taken at dinner time. I’ve reduced my dose from 75 mg. to 62.5 mg. taking a 37.5 mg capsule (extended release) and a 25 mg tablet (immediate release) together at dinner. Because of the shorter-half life, I’m wondering if it would be better taking the tablet at bedtime or the following morning to reduce the withdrawal effects I’ve begun having. Also, my taper plan is to go from 62.5 to 50 (25 mg twice a day) to 37.5 capsule onecd a day to 25 mg tablet once a day to 12.5 mg (half a 25 mg tab) once a day to zero. Thought about the 62.5 mg timing or the taper schedule.

There is a LOT of information on this site if you can find the time to read it. I did the same as you--tapered twice too quickly. I'm on my third try. This one will succeed because I'm following the recommendation set forth in The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines--basically, no more than 10% reduction at a time, reducing by ten percent of remaining dose (i.e., a decreasing amount) only when feeling stable at the reduced dose. Make sense? If not, please say so. One can do it by counting capsule contents or shaving tablets, but my independent pharmacist created a liquid solution, making the taper quite simple. Good luck to you.

I did a lot of walking. It helped.

I went off Sertraline cold turkey 2.8.25 after 12.5mg for just 9, days every other day. The withdrawals have surprised me (they have been pretty bad) because I was on them for such a short time at such a low dose. I also suffer from MDIS - multiple drug intolerance syndrome. Cant take Ibuprofen as a heart patient. Can't exercise because I'm so dizzy. Sleep comes on suddenly from sertraline side effect, so sleeping often. Don't have mush control over my diet because live in a retirement community where they provide the food and it isn't always nutritious or healthy. Why do they continue? Is sertraline still in my system after two months off?

I know this is an old post, but could you provide an update? Did the pristiq help with anxiety? Did you ever get withdrawal from effexor? I'm cross-tapering right now, and am not sure if the pristiq is helping. It's almost been two weeks on it.

I'll tell you the move from effexor to pristique was seamless. And the. Dosage is lower. 1st 2 days I took 50 MG of pristique along with my normal dosage of effexor 150 MG. 3rd day NO effexor and up to 100 MG of pristique for 3 weeks. No idea I had changed anything. 4th week I moved down to 50 MG pristique and added 2.5 MG the lowest dose of zyprexa. Week 5. No pristique only 2.5 MG of zyprexa. 3days after the last pristique was no fun!!! But 1 month I'm off effexor. I'm so sensitive to meds too. I still suffer from depression and anxiety so I stayed on the zyprexa. It wasn't a nightmare and didn't have to count beads. Pristique is a tablet. But. 1st week I questioned the move. But 22 days off effexor and do feel alot better. No more SNRI FOR ME!!