Venlafaxine and trying to get off this awful drug!

As I wasn't allowed to put the link in my post here it is copy and pasted - some of it didn't make sense, the Vitamin D3 drops seem really high dosage so didn't follow this.  I hope it helps.  Aby x

This is a Success Story and Instructions on Beating Effexor Withdrawal. I spent hours reading these forums and found that there were many, many posts asking for help but precious few with any answers. I believe that this was largely because when people finally beat Effexor withdrawal, they simply didn't have reason to come back to the forums and therefore never reported their success and how they achieved it. I promised myself that if I found it, I would come back and share it with you.

I had some rough Effexor withdrawel and like each of you, I was in a very bad place. After having been on 150mg per day of Effexor XR for the better part of 12 years, I finally decided it was high time to stop. I weaned off as per my MD's instructions, over a period of about 6 weeks. Sure enough, after the final 37.5 mg, the withdrawal started.

I had daily "brain shivers." That is, when I turned my head, it felt like my head was turning in delayed waves, even after I completed the motion of the turn. This was, for me, the worst of the symptoms. I also had the "crying for no reason" symptoms and the "quick to anger" symptoms as well. I really feared that this would go on for months or even years.

Now I don't mean to be preachy, but I really believe that without the careful nutrition and exercise that I am about to outline, my success may not have happened, period. So I cannot say whether you will have success at all if you choose a different diet and exercise plan.

As a point of reference for the quantities that I am outlining, I am a male, 48 years old, about 5'8, 165lbs. I did the following and within about three weeks, I began to feel normal again. It has been two months now and I am feeling fine.

First, NO sugar, period. I love sweets and I love sugar. No sugar. That means no soda as well - drink water, a lot of water. You are flushing serious toxins out of your body, you don't need to add more crap like sugar to the problem.

Exercise every day, at least until you beat this withdrawal. I did a lot of elliptical exercise to get my heart rate up. It made me feel better and it lessened the "brain shivers"--my worst symptom. So walk fast, or run, or do whatever you can to get your heart rate up. At least 20 minutes worth.

Nutrition:

Every morning - Take a daily Detox supplement from a quality health food or supplement store. They will help you select it. This will pull the residual Effexor from your cells and allow you to excrete it.

Take strong Omega 3 capsules (fish oil), I used 1200 mg gel caps. I took four in the morning (and three more in the afternoon). Buy quality supplements from a quality health food store, again, they will help you select.

I also took 20,000 ml. Vitamin D3 drops. Again, get a quality product (in olive oil if possible).

Take a quality mulit-vitamin.

VERY IMPORTANT: This next step is what I personally believe was the main ingredient that made the withdrawal symptoms start to fade, and then completely fade: Fresh Ginger.

Put fresh Ginger root in a smoothie. That is, in a blender add 8 oz Almond or Coconut Milk (find it next to regular milk at the grocery store). Add fresh strawberries and blueberries or whatever HEALTHY ingredients you like so that it tastes good. Next, grate about two tablespoons (yes, a lot) of fresh ginger and add this to the blender. I truly believe that it is the Ginger which is the secret! It really made the "Brain Shivers" fade and then stop.

Afternoon - I took three more capsules of fish oil and three capsules of Ginger Root (you find this in the vitamin section). Eat healthy for lunch, period.

Dinner - Primarily, Eat Salmon, it is VERY high in Omega 3s, which you need a ton of right now. For sides, eat fresh vegetables. No junk food!

This worked for me and I am thankfully feeling fine now. But make no mistake, your body and mind are at war right now, so you MUST bite the bullet and do the hard work to beat your Effexor withdrawal.

Best of luck and God bless!

Rob P.

The reason you hear only horror stories about venlafaxine is because those who are fine on it and being helped by it are busy getting on with their lives and don't need to go on a forum. It's the same with any drugs, they suit some people but not others. I've been greatly helped by venlafaxine and I'm in no hurry to come off it. In combination with mirtazapine it has enabled me to get my life back on track and take advantage of non-drug therapies including CBT. So I do sympathise with your plight because I've had similar reactions to other antidepressants. But I wouldn't want to demonize a drug that can help some people.

It has been quite a while since you posted this. By now, I hope you have been successful in your quest to come off of this drug. I took Effexor 75 mg, for 3 months for anxiety. Everyone's body chemistry is different. A drug that works well for one person might do nothing for another. For me, the Effexor did nothing but cause me to nearly lose my job (I'm a benefits specialist). I was no longer able to think clearly at work, and my colleagues were concerned. Even the simplest tasks were daunting. I was in a constant fog. So, I decided to stop taking it. Well let me tell you...coming off Effexor has been horrible! Nobody warned me that this would happen! I thought I could just stop taking it in the same way that I might stop taking a vitamin supplement. WRONG!! A few hours after my 1st skipped dose, I thought I was going to die! Dry heaves, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, and brain zaps so bad my brain felt like it was shaking inside my cranium! I was stunned when I realized that my physical symptoms were related to one skipped dose of Effexor. I BARELY was able to drive home from work! I gave in and took a capsule that evening, and continued to take the drug for another week. But I knew I was just postponing the inevitable, so after doing some research on the Internet, I tried again and have been successful. Here's how I did it: A few Saturdays ago, I skipped a dose. Yes, the tidal wave of withdrawal symptoms hit, but not until the next day, which gave me hope. So when I could no longer stand the symptoms, I took a capsule. Within hours, I felt better, but I decided not to take another capsule until the tidal wave hit again. This time I went two days before the tidal wave hit, and it wasn't as bad. The headaches continued, as did the brain zaps, but no vomiting or dry heaves. So the next time, I was able to go three days before the tidal wave hit. Now it has been four days since I last took a capsule, and I do believe I have reached the promised land. Today I had only a few brain zaps. I think I have broken free and emerged on the other side to tell others that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel better than I have felt in years. Maybe it's an endorphin rush, but I swear I am more energetic and more clear-headed than I have been in years! To all of you who are trying to get off Effexor, push on! You can do it and it will be worth it!