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Numbness in hands and feet????

Posted , 5 users are following.

ame78
ame78

Hi, I have been weaning off Venlafaxibe since late November. I was up to 150mg & very slowly started reducing. I have experienced a lot of disorientation, fatigue, irritability, trouble sleeping, bit the MAJOR withdrawl symptom is SEVERE tingling & numbness in my hands and feet. It is worse at night and my feet swell as well. HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED anything like this???? I feel like I'm the only one....

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 ame78

    Posted

    You are not the only one - these are all common wd symptoms.  I'm on a support forum where people talk about tingling and numbness in hands and feet.  I have had numb lips and tongue.   Likely you are having these symptoms because you tapered too fast.  You said that you reduced slowly, but how did you do it?  If it was by dropping 37.5 mg or 75 mg then the taper was too steep,  

    To taper off these meds without the discomfort of WD symptoms, it is recommended that you reduce by no more than 10% of the previous dose, per four weeks.

    You could go back to the previous dose and hold for at least a month to see if your symptoms resolve.  Otherwise, hold at this dose and the symptoms will eventually calm down.  I can't say how long it will take.  How long did you hold after each cut?  Did you have symptoms with each cut?

    • ame78
      ame78 betsy0603

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for replying! So I was on 150 for a long time. I went down to 75 for a couple weeks and felt tingling & numbness in my nose, lips, hands & feet. I slowed it to alternating 150/75 every other day. Didn't help so I slowed more to 150,150,75..150,150,75. For a few weeks.. Still didn't help. Got frustrated & just want off this so I went back to 75 for 3 weeks and now I'm on 37.5 & it's been 2 weeks. I have Wellbutrin to take while weaning but wanted to try just getting off this & see how I am without any meds.. Well after just missing 2 days in a row of Ven I'm not so sure & I might start taking the Wellbutrin soon. I'm just so frustrated!
  • david55690
    david55690 ame78

    Posted

    Definitely not the only one. Tingling and numbness appear to be talked about a lot. I seem to get the numbness down my left side from face to hand. When I first noticed it I thought I was having a stroke. 

    Why do you want to come off the Meds

     

    • ame78
      ame78 david55690

      Posted

      Hi, I originally started anxiety meds due to panic attacks at night and mild depression. Well being on Ven I have been nauseous, irritable, not focused, equilibrium off, depressed on & off. When I went up to 150mg I felt I was in a complete fog, no motivation to cook, clean, or anything! That's when I said I've had enough. Doc prescribed Wellbutrin but I haven't taken it yet. I wanted to see how I do without any meds. I just missed 2 days of 37.5 mg and I'm a complete witch, and depressed! I don't know what to do. I may start taking the Wellbutrin soon.
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 ame78

      Posted

      ame78, you are likely in WD.  37.5 mg still blocks 80% of the receptors, so going off from there is basically a cold turkey - think about freeing up 80% of your receptors all at once, when your nervous system had adapted to the actions of the drug!  What you should probably do is reinstate 37.5 mg and then do a slow taper from there.  How long have you been off?  Are you on the extended release with the little beads inside the capsules?

      If so, you can count how many beads are in a few capsules, take the average, and then pull out 10% per month.  I know it seems like it will take forever, but I can tell you that you will feel better long before you are all the way off.  I am at 27.5 mg now and feel better than I think I have in all the 12 years I was on ven!

      Wellbutrin works totally differently than SSRI/SNRIs and won't be able to negate withdrawal of ven, so you better off doing as I described.

      If you are on the immediate release, let me know and I will tell you how to taper with that one.

    • jacqueline69942
      jacqueline69942 betsy0603

      Posted

      Hi Betsy. Your post is 2 years ago so I doubt you will see this, but I had the same situation as ame78. I went back on a low dose Effexor (37.5) after my doctor weaned me off too fast from 225 to 37.5. I have been back on 37.5 for 2 weeks now and I still feel awful. I am hoping to stabilize. Do you think it will eventually happen? 
  • m89928
    m89928 ame78

    Posted

    Hi Ame,

    I tapered very very slowly (now in month 8 after last dose) and have felt tingling and numbness, primarly in my feet/toes. (among a host of other symptoms)  It was not severe, but it was there.  Also have felt that the the numbness causes loss of balance during walking so  that at times have felt like I am about to tip over.  I believe that when I eat sugary foods the feeling intensifies, but I cannot be sure. You are not alone. Take care. 

    • ame78
      ame78 m89928

      Posted

      Thank you! I feel so much better knowing I'm not the only one! I've been in other support groups and no one else that responded to me ever had these symptoms. My feet get so bad at night and swell too, & when im on my feet a lot. I also feel like it's hard to balance. My fingers are bad too which makes it hard to write or type at work, basically makes simple everyday tasks a hassle!
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 m89928

      Posted

      Lots of people have reported that sugar, caffiene, alcohol and certain supplements make symptoms worse.  One thing withdrawal will do for you  is make you clean up your diet :-)
  • nana401
    nana401 ame78

    Posted

    Yes I get this too when I am on a to high dose. Trying to get off. How did you do it
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