Side effects of venlafaxine withdrawal

Hi Lorraine 

I am so glad to hear you, as, it is very hard to go through alone. My refill is ready already, but, my body tells me, never touch this pills again! 

I am reading all the comments, as, it makes me feel, I am not alone, and most of the symptom are normal. 

It looks, this awful brain wave or vibration  sequences gets lesser than thelast 4-5 days ago (I hope 🤞. I am surprised how to got a short naps, 30 minutes, without noticing these brain vibrations. Still have severe nausea and feeling vomiting which cannot remember if it is normal. Gravol Gingember has been very helpful. I was not able to go to workplace today and not sure if I will be able to work on Monday.  I have an appointment with a psychiatrist on Jan 31, hopefully, get an idea about that, but, do not let them to involve me any antidepressants again. 

I will update my journey for you and people who are interested on. 

Thank you again for contacting me 

Shell 

 

Good morning Shell. How are you today? I forgot to mention the retching plus now developed a persistent cough!

How are your symptoms?

Wishing you a good day ahead xx

Good time Lorraine. Thank you for following up. No coughs, but still have nausea, headache, tiredness. Got a dull pain between my shoulders at back but gone when I woke up. Today felt better. 

Thx a lot for being here. 

Best wishes, 

Shel

forgot to mention about insomnia and brain zapps along nausea, headache, feeling vomiting, tiredness, sometimes feeling exhausted and crying a little bit. 

 

Hi Shel

It's far from easy isn't it! I am now bon day 2 of no ven and like you no sleep last night! Retching so hard I may require tener lady at this rate lol. Dizziness I'm also with you big time. I did get triple strength omega and B complex and a multivit yesterday as this combo is meant to really help withdrawal. Look forward to your update ???

Hi Lorraine 

oh yes, it's very tough times. I think we are very strong and braves ladies however.😊I started getting nightmares( I am diagnosed with PTSD already) again 😔😔 this is what I really don't like to go through it again. my son-in-law who is a wonderful neurologist, advised me take ven 37mg in combination of Alprazolam 0.25 mg twice a day immediately and not  to stop the medication all the sudden because I will face all the problems

again in the future. So, I took venlafaxine 78mg in combination of

Alprazolam and slept for 7 hours, no nightmare. Well, I started my day, with

no feeling vomiting, headache, nausea, ... what else??? Cannot remember! 

Never the less, I have had and have too very much in my plate and my son in law believes I need to take some medications but in a reasonable dosages. 

at the end, after 5-6 day or a week of no pills at all, I had still, nausea, headache, brain zapps, tiredness, and most awful feeling vomiting and insomnia and excessive saliva. 

 Wish that helps. 

 

Hi Shel

Just seen your message but only after I had already replied to you. I am pleased for you and will do the same if I carry on having retched symptoms! By the way all the same withdrawals as you mentioned. Keep me posted Shel and thinking of you x

Thx Catherine for the information. I am so sorry to hear about your husband . 

Brain Zapps! Actually it's a good phrase for this feelings. I started to reduce the Ven by 150mg/day and truly I have been in a very tough times, .Yesterday I could sleep for a while( because I woke up and reviewed my dream) but had a very bad dull pain on my back between the shoulders, a little bit scary, got angery easily, started walking back and forth, talking loudly for awhile till 6am. 

Today, i woke up at 10:30 am, I felt much better, less nausea, still feeling vomiting, so couldn't take breakfast. I took my thyroid pill which was forgotten for Two day!!! Surprisingly, I stared to work at home, cook something and took two pills melatonin(OTC) at 8pm but still awake. 

 

Sorry for this fragmented  notes ( concentration problem that I am in).

Now,  I rememberd, I started the same way you started by reducing that tiny tabs but not sure, per day or per week, but I remember I faced some side effects that scared me but didn't stop me. 

I needed and need to be free of these strong pills. 

 

Sorry didn't see this message before my last message. Shel I am with you 100%. I want to tough this out now and the violent retching is scary but determination wins the day! I think we know when enough is enough. ?

You know Lorraine, I just want to get free of these pills, but, after getting nightmares again, I am a little bit scared! about the cost I have to paid! I have had an experience of an arranged marriage, living with my ex for 24 years full filled with all kind of torturing, getting Cancer and going through all the treatment alone, being away from my only child for 12 years, PTSD, living life on my feet without any emotional support are some of in my plate! 

With this brilliant history 😇 can I have a happy life without these pills! I am not confident after getting the nightmares again. 

I have started this journey to get a peaceful life, no lack of concentration and forgetfulness, and as a consequence, getting stress and anxiety, regardless of taking depression medication. I have my goal ahead " no more lack of concentration and forgetfulness" , happy and peaceful life, I keep trying to get it for next 6 months. 

With thy love and respect 

Shel 

 

Hi Shel ?

My heart goes out to you.

You have been through so much. Please tell me your not still in that awful marriage. Importantly I hope you are now all clear of cancer. I think you need to be kind to yourself and your body. If you are getting dreadful nightmares maybe reinstate a tiny amount of ven eg 12.5 to see if it takes the edge off. Then stabilise and then reduce a fraction each time. My capsules held 6 mini tablets each one being 12.5. See how you go but don't distress your body and brain necessarily. You can still quit but in a way that is kinder to you.

I'm in bed retching away and hoping I will get some sleep today.

Stomach is also bad! Going to see how I go tomorrow. I do understand when you say about getting clarity of mind and being at peace. We will get there. What plans have you got to make your life better? You deserve happiness and health and certainly to be treated with love and respect. We are on this planet for such a short time, it's important that you find peace and a good quality of life. I will certainly add you to my prayers and I hope tomorrow will be kinder to you xxxx

Hi dear Lorraine 

fortunately I am not in that awful marriage but the consequences of that still are and believe always will! 

I am a Cancer free and living my new life  with the consequences of the strong chemotherapey; , short term memory and concentration problem. I  couldn't work as a full time nurse, but, I managed to work as foot care nurse which requires less concentration and memorizing materials.

Today, I had less nausea, feeling vomiting, brain zapps, or tiredness. Is that is because I had ven 75mg in combination of 0.25 mg Alprezolarm? Have no idea! The energy level was better because I could go for shopping! 

But the freedom and peace which I felt during the last 5 days, it's gone. 

Cannot explain how but it's a sort of feeling that you don't need to prove because you experience that. 😔 I thank you vey much for adding me to your prayers and your kindness never be forgotten dear. 

Good night 

Good morning Shel. It sounds like reinstating that small dose of meds has really helped you and i honestly think your body needed this at this time. Are you on capsules or tabs? I would stabilise before starting any small adjustments to your meds. You will get there and as we both know there is no reward only pain from racing to achieve our goals.

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead xxx

Good evening Lorraine 

when I couldn't recognize my son in law and all the times at home confused and forgetfulness, I decided to stop taking pills when they are not helpful. I take ven in capsules and first I reduced by one tiny tablet inside the capsules. I remember, I felt awful, and scared. I thought maybe I should not open the cap but take a less dose of the medication. 

Maybe I should not take 378 mg once a day but twice a day! I am not sure. 

It looks taking 75mg twice a day, works very well because helps me to sleep well, no more medication for insomnia! 

Tomorrow, I will visit my new psychiatrist and explain all and will share here. 

I wish my son in law was here, so, I had no problem to have my mets! 

He recommanded me take 75 mg ven + 0.25mg Alprezolam twice a day which perfectly works. I mean perfectly because, concentration and memory looks much better. 

Wish you all the very best Lorraine 

👍👍

Good morning Shell ♥

I am so pleased you are feeling a little better.

I reinstated 37.5 yesterday around 6pm as I was vomiting, had bad diarrhoea, crying and had completely lost my mind! That was day 3! I have just woken up and feel stable and my brain is back!! Guess this journey will be longer then I realised. Look forward to hearing how you are ♥ I take it your not in the UK? But wherever you live, it feels like your just down the road! I am glad I had you to go through this experience with ♥♥♥ I hope your day is a great one x

Dear Lorraine 

i live in Canada and I am glad to have you by my side in our journey. Guess what? Yesterday I got sever anxiety, stress, shortness of breath while I was on antidepressants, ven 75mg/12 hrs! I was scared and sent a message to my son-in-law to confirm should I keep taking ven again!? 

It was hard to me go through cold turkey, but, there was peace on my soul and body, no sign of stress or anxiety at all! I have no idea,

I just needed and need to know how long it takes to pass the withdrawal period! Today I feel nausea right now and tiredness. Never the less, , I had nausea, was crying, fragile and had fatigue  on the day 5 of cold turkey. 

I met the new psychiatrist and she referred me to mental hospital for a memory test that I forgot what was its name! 

I am glad to have you too to go through this journey 

Love, kiss, and big hugs 🤗 

Hi Shell

Gosh we are both going through the wringer! I have not recovered properly since my failed attempt to stop venlafaxine. I am exhausted and low today. I think it's good that you have been referred to the mental health team, they can offer some really good therapies. I was meant to attend my first healthy thinking programme tomorrow, but I cannot see myself feeling well enough to attend. I think the key to coming off ven is to reduce at a snails pace! I will not try a further reduction until I feel fully functional again! Like you my memory is affected but as I'm 56 it could be my age!

Thinking of you and hope some of your symptoms are easing off ???

Hi dear Lorraine 

You got it, I believe so it's better to reduce it in the way it's works. Today, no sign of of stress, anxiety, or brain zapps but confusions! I lost time when I was chatting with my sister that was embarrassing!  

I take ven 75mg twice a day morning and at night  rather than taking 150mg at morning and Alperazolam at night.  

I have noticed, its hard to me now, to keep my smile! barley I smile when I was quiet opposite!! 

In total, was a peaceful day. 

Thinking to you too and wish you get better soon! By the way I am 53 yrs old, 

feel sleepy againnnnn hard to concentrat.   

Hi Shell

I really hope your day is going well? I started off the day feeling very low but the afternoon turned out great. My daughter (36yrs) had a home Christian baptism. Following this the couple that undertook the baptism asked if they could pray for me.

I willingly agreed and to my amazement I could feel the healing taking place. My head became clear like and the heaviness left completely. I don't know what religion you are Shell, but for me as a Christian the prayers were said in jesus's name. It was a real miracle and blessing. I don't know if you believe in healing through god but please consider it ??

I kind of lost my faith but after today it's 100% back. I'm back up to 62.5 mg ven and plan to stay on this for at least a month then drop a tiny weeny bit after that! I learnt a valuable lesson trying the stopping approach. Apparently some people end up in hospital if the quit without tapering. So let's be kind to ourselves ??

Praying for you and wishing your smile to return quickly xx

Hi dear Lorraine 

Thank Jesus, I am Christian too and a believer. I am so very much happy for you and I am going great too, can you believe!!! Now, it's two days I am on 75mg ven! and unbelievably no side effects at all 😇😇😇😇 I think we did it dear. Today, almost, all the time I was joking and laughing, such an amazing day. 

My faith, is the main source of my strength and the only reason to survive during the last almost four decades. 

I have heard too that some people end up in hospitals and get very very tough times. 

My son in law, is in contact to me ( He doesn't live in Canada) and guides me all the times ( God bless his kind heart and my daughter as well). He is very kind to me, and he asked me to take 75mg ven just at morning and alprazolam at night. I cannot believe coming to 75mg from 378 mg!!!! And no side effects at all!!!! 

I am very much happy for you dear Lorraine and keep praying for your wellbeing. 

With Love and caring 😍😍👍👍👍👍