Tapering off 37.5mg of Venlafaxine HCL ER--ADVICE
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi all, I have been on 75mg of Venlafaxine HCL ER for about 7 years now and I really want to get off of the drug as it isn't fully working any more for me. I have previously tried getting of the drug about a year and a half ago and it was so miserable I ended up going back on it because the withdrawal was too much to handle. I finally tapered down to 75mg to 37.5mg and felt fine (I am also taking 20mg of Paxil this time to help ease the withdrawal symptoms). Today is the first day I am tapering off 37.5mg and am starting to feel a bit anxious (not sure if it is because I'm freaking myself out). I took 25mg short release this morning at 9:45am and took 12.5mg short release at about 1pm. I am planning to take 37.5mg ER and then the 25mg +12.5mg every other day for a week. Next week I plan to take 12.5 (am) +12.5 (pm) a day and 25mg (am) +12.5mg (pm) every other day. Do you think this is too fast? Should I taper down slower and to what amount? I'm really nervous about this... The last time I was tapering off of this horrible drug I finally got down to 12.5mg and I had sever withdrawal symptoms. I was hysterically crying and then laughing, felt suicidal and couldn't get out of bed. I also bought fish oil this time to help with the brain zaps. Any advice at all would be helpful, thank you!
0 likes, 3 replies
m89928 cn1234
Posted
This sounds way too fast to me. Took Ven for approx 15 years, tapered off 75mg over a period of about a year and a half. Did two beads (1 mg each) a week until about 12mg then one bead a week and then took that last 1 mg for about a month before finally stopping entirely. I reduced the beads on Saturdays so I felt the effects on the weekend and had stabilized a bit by Monday to go back to work. I still had withdrawal symptoms -brain/memory fog, stomach upset, depression and some agitation, but it was manageable and didn't have brain zaps. I just told myself it was the price of freedom from this drug. Take Omega 3s if you are not already. I have a fairly long detailed post on here (somewhere in the topic) of how I withdrew. Even after you stop taking Ven, you will have withdrawal symptoms for quite some time, especially if you have taken this drug for many years. Take care of yourself and go very slowly. If you work during the weekdays, do your initial reductions on weekends. Know that you are going to have very uncomfortable symptoms no matter what, but if you go very slow you can do it. I have been off this drug and all other perscriptions since June 2015.
christina21598 cn1234
Posted
Hey cn1234 it looks like you might be tapering to fast, i could be wrong. I would start with the 37.5mg each day for Seven days only One a day. Then after that try taking 37.5 every other day. Then move down to the 25mg every day for several days, then every other day & so forth. There is absolutely no rush to wean yourself back of off them ok. I only started the Cod oil myself yesterday Boots only £2.99p 1000mg for the hot/cold shivers and my body went to ice 👍 until i woke up so I'll continue to see how these work in the helping of the weaning down and withdrawels
cn1234 christina21598
Posted
Thanks for the advice! So I am taking total 37.5mg a day of short release tablet right now (25mg in the morning and 12.5mg in the afternoon) and feel fine so far. Would you suggest just taking one 25mg short release in the morning for next week and nothing in the afternoon? The half life of 25mg is at about 5 hours. Maybe I can split the 25mg and take 3/4 of it in the morning and then take 12.5 in the afternoon like I am doing now?