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venlafaxine cold turkey

Posted , 3 users are following.

plainden
plainden

Been on this for 5 wks(37.5) and want to get off it.I am also on mirt + was going to change but Ven just makes me ill.I tried tapering off ven at 10% for 4 days but  withdrawal started - terrible anx + pacing all day + night so wnt back on it.I am still feeling rotten after 5 days of being on it again.I am tempted just to go cold turkey.If i do anyone got any idea of how long the pain will last-how long withdrawal will take? I will still be on mirt 15mg while i withdraw.

 

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Inmate88
    Inmate88 plainden

    Posted

    Hi Plainden. I was on Ven for 6 weeks and went cold turkey as I was desperate to get t out my system. Not gonna lie, it was hell. But I'm glad I did it because it was over quicker than the tapering journey would have been! I felt really ill for about 2 weeks, luckily/unluckily I was in the midst of a breakdown so I was already off work. I wouldn't have been able to work during those two weeks because of how terrible I felt. It was then another four weeks before I felt completely back to normal, so it lasted about six weeks for me. But hey everyone's different. Good luck with your withdrawal from this. If you decide to go ahead keep posting in here for support. Many know what you'll be going through smile
    • plainden
      plainden Inmate88

      Posted

      HI,THANKS FOR THE REPLY.SEEING DOC ON WED TO SEE WHAT HE SAYS.I AM STUCK BTWN A ROCK + A BLOODY HARD PLACE.
  • Digsby
    Digsby plainden

    Posted

    Hi buddy,

    I'm glad you are going to see your doctor as I wouldn't recommend the "cold turkey" approach. However, last December, after 2 months on Venlafaxine, I chose to go cold turkey because the side effects were making my depression unbearable (I was on 225mg). I came off on Christmas Eve (hoping to enjoy my Christmas, which I did). Between Christmas and New Year the withdrawal phase was very tough but I went onto sertraline on New Year's day. Good luck with whatever you choose to do. You will find the right support and medication. Let your health professional, family & friends know what you are going through so they can help you through the transition between meds. Stay strong :-)

    Digsby

  • Bird82
    Bird82 plainden

    Posted

    Hey,

    I was on venlafaxine 75mg for 2.5yrs and I stopped cold turkey. This is not recommended at all due to the extreme withdrawal symptoms. For me, these withdrawal symptoms lasted about 3 weeks, the worst of which being high anxiety, loss of appetite, brain shocks every time I moved my head or blinked, insomnia, pacing. However, I knew what was happening and I knew why it was happening so I think I was able to just manage it. I even worked! I'm not a doctor though so I don't know if there are any serious health implications when you withdraw this way but I have been off them for nearly two years now and nothing adverse has happened. I still suffer with extreme depression and anxiety but the venlafaxine never took any of that away in the first place! So I guess you could do it but speak to your doctor first just in case.

    Good luck!

    • plainden
      plainden Bird82

      Posted

      thanks-only been on this 6 wks so hoping this will go in my favour
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