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Effexor ER -> Pristiq. Withdrawal?

Posted , 6 users are following.

stephanie50155
stephanie50155

Hi all. I've been in Effexor for a year or two and due to weight gain and other side effects (night sWeating, etch) my psychiatrist and I wanted to try Pristiq. I was on 225. I had classes start this week so we did a sped up tapering of the Effexor. I did 3 days on 150, 3 days on 75, and 3 days on 37.5 as well as the 50 mg Pristiq. Since then I've just been taking Pristiq. (FYI Pristiq is a metabolite of venlafaxine so we were hoping withdrawal would be less severe with it).

So I've been off Effexor and on Pristiq for about 3 days. This past week I have felt kinda crappy (nausea, upset stomach, loose stool, dizziness) but today I feel awful. Are these withdrawal symptoms or am I just ill?

Btw- I live in a hot humid area and it gets worse when I'm outside.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • phyllisj
    phyllisj stephanie50155

    Posted

    Hey Stephanie,  I've been on 225 Ven for 8,5 years, I droped down to 150 two weeks a go and today I'm having really bad withdrawal, it's been building the last couple of days - either freezing cold or boiling hot, nausea, "washing machine" stomach, brain zaps, face zaps, tingling and throbbing, aching muscles, throbbing joints feeling kinda fluey dizzy, pretty much everything.  When I first started ven my psychaiatrist coming off it would be a long drawn out process, done slowly and dropping 37.5 at a time.  Given that it takes 3 months approximately to get properly into your system it sounds to me that you are in withdrawal, I have a couple of friends who've done a withdrawal and change over but they've had 4-6 weeks of crossover.  Anyway, going by my experience over the last couple of weeks and what i was told to expect it definitely sounds like withdrawal.

    • jacqueline69942
      jacqueline69942 phyllisj

      Posted

      Phyllis, I too want to get off of Venlafaxine due to the horrendous sweating....I read your post to Stephanie and was wondering if your friends had any luck with the withdrawal and change over with the 6 week crossover.  Did they still suffer withdrawals with the crossover???
  • neil91349
    neil91349 stephanie50155

    Posted

    Hi Steph

    Sounds like you have withdrawal symptoms but it might caused by coming off the Ven too soon. I'm also coming off Ven but have been reducing them by 75mg every 10 days.

    I've had some withdrawals but nothing compared to yours, however I heard taking a Nytol helps with the symptoms I bought some but haven't needed to use them.

    Good luck let me know how you get on

    Thanks

    Neil xx

    • jacqueline69942
      jacqueline69942 neil91349

      Posted

      How are you doing Neil with the reducing them by 75mg every 10 days??  Shouldn't you be reducing them first by 37.5 mgs, then by 75 and so on?  Have you had bad withdrawal symptoms and are you switching meds or going off Ven all together????

    • neil91349
      neil91349 jacqueline69942

      Posted

      Hiya Jacqueline

      Not too bad thanks only another 7 days of 75mg but if I feel bad after that then I'll take 37.5mg for a week or so. I had 1 brain zap which was unpleasant and still feel sleepy. However my mood is much better my appetite is lower, I've lost 6lbs already and not taking any Mirt. Fingers crossed not too bad.

      Thanks for asking xx

      Neil

  • jacqueline69942
    jacqueline69942 stephanie50155

    Posted

    Your withdrawal symptoms are normal.  That is why I am so afraid to off of Effexor (Venflaxine is the generic name, which I am on).  I cannot stand the sweating anymore...I have been on this drug for 12 years.  No one gets off of it, or even tapers off of it without the symptoms you just mentioned.  You are not ill.  I have heard the withdrawal symptoms are just God awful. Worse than withdrawals from herion I am told...One lady said she had to taper off slowly for 3 years...OMG..
    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann jacqueline69942

      Posted

      I tapered slowly for 2 years but never ever had extreme withdrawal...exactly because i tapered off so slowly and only once i had absolutely no abnormal anxiety symptoms for at least 12 months. No withdrawal issues, no relapses. 3 years without the drug. In comparison going on the drug to begin with was gruesome. What typically happens is that people go off th edrug before the therapy is truly completed. And then they go too fast. Or they just go too fast.
  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann stephanie50155

    Posted

    Hi Stephanie. Your symptoms couuld be either/or. Or both. Upset stomach, dizziness and malaise are very normal for adjusting to the drug and for when coming off it. You will only know after at least 2 weeks of stabilizing on your new regimen. If you are feeling progressively worse over the next few days you must go back to your psychiatrist for an evaluation. He will probably want some bloodwork done to ensure it is not an illness. Hope you feel better soon x
    • stephanie50155
      stephanie50155 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      I have an appointment to get in touch with my psychiatrist on Monday. She had surgery earlier this week so she won't be able to meet in person. I feel a little bit better today, but yesterday the symptoms were the worst around midday, so I guess we'll see... 

      I'm just glad that I'm not having any real mental issues. I do have a bit of malaise but no brain zaps, and my anxiety/depression seems to be the same as it was before -- stable. I am super tired but that's almost normal for me anyway....

    • neil91349
      neil91349 stephanie50155

      Posted

      If you're feeling any worse go to your GP. Perhaps give you something like some really good strong painkillers just to take the edge off.

      If you ever need to chat I'm always here.

      Neil xx

    • stephanie50155
      stephanie50155 neil91349

      Posted

      I don't want anything *too* good... I had a reaction to narcotics earlier this year. Mental reaction. Bah.

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