1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Venlafaxine

Advice please - coming off 37.5mg Venlafaxine / Effexor

Posted , 37 users are following.

daniobentley
daniobentley

Hi all, 

I have been on Venlafaxine for about 9 years for anxiety and panic disorder. I was only ever on 75mg but it was the only thing that help stabalise my mental health. When I was pregnant 6 years ago I tapered to 37.5mg p/day which was horrible and when i was pregant again 4 years ago, I didn't change it. 

I have been feeling for the last couple of years much less anxious and more able to cope with things, therefore I've been wanting to come off these for a while. I noticed that if I missed a dose I would really suffer for it the next day, causing panic if I had run out or something. Anyway, things in my life are positive and I feel now is a good time to try and get off completely. 

Thing is, I have been halving my 37.5mg pills for a few weeks and that's been good, but I can't do less than that without horrendous side effects. I don't want to go back to the anxiety I experienced in the first place but I don't want to stay on hese forever either. 

I have tried a half pill one day and a quater pill the next for a week and just don't feel myself (dizzy, foggy brain, anxious, angry easily, nauseous etc.). I don't get capsules so can;t take"beads" out so I have to snap the pills in estimated halves/quarters. I felt so bad this morning I took the other quarter from last night. 

Docs keep saying "you're on such a low dose, just take one every other day and you'll be fine" but it's really hard even on such a low dose. 

Any advice greatly appreciated - I am weary of "bridging witg prozac" because I don't want to swap one drug to another. I am happy to try vegetarian diet, or detailed weaning plans, etc. 

Thanks in advance

1 like, 84 replies

84 Replies

Prev Next
  • Greatgranny
    Greatgranny daniobentley

    Posted

    On Effexor extended 150 for 8 years with klonopin .5 3 x day( took twice a day ). Had a horrible withdrawal a couple weeks ago after forgetting 1 dose which I took 15 hrs later. Withdrawal lasted in spite of it: nearly ever thing everyone has said. MD agreed to get me off so using Zoloft 50 to do it.  Also still on klonopin but it's acting differently .  Never felt anything until now .  Sleepy afternoons so skipping that one.   I go back in a month and will get to 25 and taper off. Have not seen anyone doing it on Zoloft just Prozac.  WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO????

     

  • mikey99775
    mikey99775 daniobentley

    Posted

    I have been taking Effexor now for about 4 months. I started with 75, which wasnt doing much and then moved to 150. Only at 150 did i exerperience a difference, but then the anxiety started kicking in and I decided to get of it. I went down to 75 again and then quit cold turkey. Was the worst thing i ever did, i thought i was going to die. I then went back on 75 and gradually went down to 37.5. Im on the beeds so now im slowly taking them out 10 beeds at a time- its not so bad. Maybe try the beeds - take 10 out at a time- and that will stop the severe outcomes hopefully
    • alison_45716
      alison_45716 mikey99775

      Posted

      Hi mickey that's great your going down . I'm on the 37.5 mg a day but can't get off this dose I'm thinking of counting out 10 beads a day so scared of the bad withdrawals as I tryed before and the side effects were horrific

  • rose18106
    rose18106 daniobentley

    Posted

    I have been on Effexor XR for 6 months I had such side effects I started to wean off thee dr dropped me from 225 to 75 too fast and I cldnt get out of bed.. I had the brain zaps and the dizziness was more like the worst case of vertigo. She put me back to 3 tablets of 37.5mg 3x a day for a while. After 5 days the withdrawals went away. Now 2 months later I was able to get down to 37.5 for a bit. Now I am on day 5 of the tablet of 25mg and woke up this am again with that dizziness where I can't drive etc... I'm hoping it goes away soon. I'm sorry but I think coming off of this drug is evil. I can't beleibe that drs are still prescribing it. Personally I think it should be banned. The side effects of it are horrendous. Good luck to anyone coming off of it I know how you feel..

  • alison_45716
    alison_45716 daniobentley

    Posted

    Hi I'm on 37.5 mg a day but can't get lower than this the withdrawal is to bad I want to have a baby so I want to come of them . I've been looking at the Prozac bridge route has anyone come of Effexor using this method 😊

    • sam72309
      sam72309 alison_45716

      Posted

      Not sure if you received my last reply but you can really ease the side effects by taking omega 3 oils, vitamin b complex and vitamin c. 

      When I was coming off these pills I decided to stop them altogether and the side effects were horrendous, thankfully taking the vitamins eased the effects by about 80-90%. 

      Please try if you want to start a family. 

      Hope it helps x x x 

    • alison_45716
      alison_45716 sam72309

      Posted

      Hey no I didn't get your last comment. Yeah I got omega 3 I need to get the rest hopefully they work well on me . So glad I found this form . As I feel trapped like I really want to start a family but can't get of the 37.5mg . I've tried but as you know the side effects are horrific. Did you take beads out of your tablet every day 💛💛💛

    • sam72309
      sam72309 alison_45716

      Posted

      Hi, unfortunately my tablets were whole and not capsules. I took 37.5 every other day for 3 weeks before going cold turkey. It was hard to start but once I took the omega 3, vitamin B complex and vitamin C I felt NORMAL! The brains zaps stopped almost immediately, I found those the hardest to deal with. That was in November and I've been off them since.

      Please get all the vitamins as this helped me so very much.

      Good luck honey x

    • alison_45716
      alison_45716 sam72309

      Posted

      Really ah that's amazing so happy to hear you where able to get off them ?did you get all them vitamins in a chemist or off your doctor xx

    • sam72309
      sam72309 alison_45716

      Posted

      Holland and Barrett Hun but my gp signed me off work for 2 weeks so that I felt rubbish at home and not at work.

      Try it...it will work x x x

    • alison_45716
      alison_45716 sam72309

      Posted

      Great I'll do it do you mind if I message you while I'm going through it would just be great to talk to someone who has gone through it x

    • nina_08890
      nina_08890 sam72309

      Posted

      Hi Sam,

      I am now reducing from 75mg to 37.5mg by taking 75 one day and 37.5 the nxt as said by my doc. It sounds like u got on really well wit the vits, how many did u take per day?

    • sam72309
      sam72309 nina_08890

      Posted

      Hi Nina, 

      i took 37.5mg every other day but even then I still has the awful side effects of brain zaps etc etc. 

      When I eventually decided to stop them I told vitamin B complex, omega 3 and vitamin C. I cannot express just how much this helped me. I became symptom free by the next day, I’m not exaggerating. 

      Good luck. You will get there xxx

    • sam72309
      sam72309 nina_08890

      Posted

      I took 2 omega oil, 1 vitamin b complex and 1 vitamin c 
    • nina_08890
      nina_08890 sam72309

      Posted

      Hi Sam, thank you for your response. I will carry on taking them. I am determined to do it 😀

      Best wishes

      Nina.

    • elora59113
      elora59113 nina_08890

      Posted

      Hi Nina! Just wanted to ask how you're doing with weaning yourself off? I'm currently on 37.5mg of Effexor XR daily. Going from 75 to 37.5 was actually fairly easy. I was kinda moody and sad for a while but it subsided quickly enough. However, I just tried taking out one bead from the pill on one day, and then two beads the next, then three beads (out of 120 beads in a capsule) and I've started getting super sad already. I'm wondering how your mood is as you're coming off Effexor? And how are you doing it? Are you stopping cold turkey or reducing? Anything you can tell me would help a ton!

      Best wishes,

      Élora.

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.