coming off venlafaxine?

Hello

I've NEVER posted to any forum but am trying to withdraw from effexor xr after 15 years.

Over several months cut down from 300mg to 37.5 and finally stopped taking last week. Please tell me there is light at the end of this tunnel!

I am still experiencing the most horrendous side effects - brain zaps, fogginess, anger, dizziness, sweating & feeling hot - how long until I start to feel 'normal'?

My doctor has me on avanza to help but I don't want to take anything anymore - I just want to feel stuff again.

Thanks for listening & wish me luck

I've heard that taking 20mg of Prozac then cutting down to 10 to get off helps.

To judy 1959, whilst the Prozac option might work for some people I really didn't want to go down that route despite this withdrawal being unbearable at times. Having taken Prozac in the past & benefitted from it, I did reach a point where taking it gave me some horrendous side effects also.

To elaine 0117,at some point there will be a 'biting the bullet' moment even if it's over the last few grains you take .... I do know what you mean though as I've recently stopped taking Venlafaxine. Like you I'd previously tried & was lead to believe that my symptoms were returning, worsening depression.

For me, this withdrawal is/has been awful despite reducing gradually (my posts are on this thread & also the thread started by ron ????) but I'm feeling positive that I will feel better eventually. All the posts on all the threads (in my opinion), have been incredibly helpful & continue to be a source of information, inspiration & camaraderie. This combined with medical supervision has helped me thus far & I hope you go on ok with yours.

To Kinini, I read your post with my head nodding in agreement with much of what you said whilst smiling at your description of it all! Thanks & all the best to you....

To fran62808,I wish you luck & lots of it!

I'm Day 28 post Venlafaxine & still suffering all those awful withdrawal symptoms you mention; my Consultant assures me they will pass eventually.

I'm eating as healthily & naturally as possible, taking exercise in the fresh air (even if I don't always feel like it!), drinking lots of water & resting when necessary.

I've recently had a serious of routine health checks by my GP which included an annual ECG which is recommended if taking Venlafaxine. So even though I feel so physically dreadful I'm reassured that all my basic obs are normal. Like you I'm wondering how long it will be until I feel normal again!

All the best to everyone x

I am into my 4th week without venlafaxine and i am so angry.. i feel like while i was on the meds i just let things' go' and let certain people get away with things now i am thinking more clearly i am so angry with them.I know that this is mainly down to my brain readjusting but its so difficult to be objective!

I read on an American site that taking anti histamine helps so i did just that and for me it worked (i also took benadryl as recommended) there is some science to it i believe.

I have had horrid brain glitches and headaches and feel that i am not yet quite there but i am thinking so much more clearly, i am no longer in a fog and i am able to take information in and retain it!! Thats why i wanted to stop with the medication. I am pleased to have found a UK forum its so helpful knowing that other people have similar stories. x x

I know what you mean about being angry! 2nd week off efexor & still having crap side effects. The not sleeping & brain zaps are annoying. I feel like my ears want to pop but can't and headaches...

This is still better than being on the drug. I feel like I can take in & retain information better and am feeling a lot more motivation to do things.

I'm hoping this stuff gets easier.

Thanks for the info on the benadryl & anti-histamines. Am going to give them a try.

Is anyone as pissed off as me that their doctor put them on this stuff for so long? My doctor patronisingly told me I was 'brave' the other day. I felt like smashing him!

I am amazed to hear of the (to me) drastic regimens that most folks are following to get off Effexor. To avoid withdrawal symptoms I can only reduce my dose by approx. 3% every two to three WEEKS. If I do it any faster than that, my anxiety and depression gets out of control. I've been prescribed one half of a 75 mg tablet three times a day. To reduce my dose, I shave off 3% of one of the half tablets per day (e.g., my evening dose). I stay at that dose for two to three weeks, until I feel relatively OK and that the worst of my anxiety is gone. Then I shave 3% off a different half tablet (e.g., my noon dose). In the past five months, I've reduced my daily dose by approx. 40% and I expect to be able to be off it completely in about another 8 months.

To do the reductions, I bought an inexpensive microgram scale online for about $10 U.S. It works great.

My wise therapist now tells all her clients to take a whole year to get off Effexor.

In addition to the Effexor, I also take 10 mg. fluoxetine and 20 mg of Viibryd, as well as a LOT of fish oil, Vitamin D, a multi-vitamin, B-6 and B-12, plus weekly therapy.

Best of luck to everyone.

Hi there

I wish we could get tablets here. They are no longer sold in Canada, the only Effexor sold her is xr in capsule of multiples of 37.5. That is why I have been cutting down by that amount. I am now on the final 37.5. I have one more week on that and then I am going to open the capsule and take 1/2 at a time for a couple of weeks. The dr. Wants me to do a schedule of take a capsule miss 2 days and then take another capsule and do this over agin for 2 weeks and then miss 3 days for a couple of weeks. I have talked to people who did this and they felt horrible. So I am going to try the 1/2 capsule idea I think this will be much better. If they sold the tan

Eats here I would gladly use them instead.

Got to love auto correct. Lol. I meant to says if they sold tablets here I would gladly use them.

Long ago I remember reading that some folks open the capsules and reduce their dose granule by granule. That's how I got my idea for shaving the tablet. Everyone's different, of course, but if you're very sensitive to dosage levels, cutting down by 37 mg. at a time seems extreme. Based on your symptoms, you could reduce your dose only by what's manageable. I hope you find a method that works.

Just wanted to update. Been ven free for almost 1 1/2 months and I have to say it feels great. I never made it to the max dose that some of you are on, but as soon as I noticed the weight gain, I realized that this was not the med for me. I did drop 37.5 per week then opened the capsules and took 1/2 of that on the last week, there were some days that I also took benedryl to help with the naseau. Excerise and perseverance are key. Good luck everyone. It can be done!!!

Hello all, I have 3 months yesterday off this aweful chemical drug, it was great, like a breath of fresh air until i went down a couple weeks ago, but being on meds for depression for 40+ years, this has certainly been a breath of fresh air. Off the meds and in depression I have been able to get up every day, later in the day mind you, been eating something, have been showering and brushing teeth, and engaging others at least on the computer. So despite depression, my few worst days lately have been nothing compared to the days on this drug...I will be consulting my gp because of the dangerous mind games i play with myself ie suicidal thoughts, but feel i have good coping mechanisms, change thoughts, change behaviour and the rest will follow. I am so afraid of having to go back on but after years at 300-350 mg, nothing can compare to how really good i feel despite feeling really bad, a conundrum to say the least but overall so glad I went off them, At 3 months my mind probably has not had the time to make the necessary chemical changes back to the me I was as a 20 yr old, but wull give myself time, another 3 months and we shall see! Good luck to you all on your journey. I take NO drugs of any kind to supplement or play with or anything...just do it, as they say,

3 years on venlafaxine....10 days off it....it is HELL ON EARTH. I managed to get off citalopram 40mg better than this. NEVER will I ever take this drug again. I think it is the worst AD drug to get off...having experienced every withdrawal symptom known to man......worst one is my eye sight and dizziness....how long will this last!

How fast did you come off? Too fast will make a difference. Can you back on your previous dose and reduce more gradually?

Hi Judy, I have slowly reduced over 12 to 15 months but I think I may have quit too early on my lowest dose of 37.5mg every other day. I have experience of withdrawing from citalopram which was hard but this is literally hell. I do think I am going to have to take a very small dose when I am feeling this bad. Things are not improving on day 11 really...well, my anger is less but is still there....I have even got into trouble with the Police for an alleged assault on my ex partner which I admit I had them by the shirt collar....it's just not me...I hate it but what can I do? There are benefits of coming off this drug but the symptoms of withdrawing out way these by far. This drug should really be the last resort for anyone depressed. Surely, there are others out there that don't make you feel this bad.

I don't think you came off too fast, in fact that is a really gradual reduction. I think the every other day regime is the problem. My son tried that and finally just quit period and the side effects went away in a couple of weeks. I am doing what I have read others do, opening the capsule and taking 1/2 of the little balls. I am starting this tonight. This way my body is still getting a steady supply just less, so that should be much easier. It is safe open the capsule and take the beads just don't chew them, that would cause real problems. I am sprinkling them over baby peaches, the prescribing information recommends apple sauce but I like the peaches better. As I said this is safe, just don't chew and the prescribing information suggests this if you can't swallow a capsule. My pharmacist also says this is fine to do it this way.