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Venlafaxine my first 14 days without

Posted , 7 users are following.

simon3164
simon3164

As promised here is my experience so far, first a bit of background.  I had been on venlafaxine for 17 yrs my wife tells me and when I was initially put on it I do believe it helped get me through a life crisis.  I had always been worried about stopping for the fear of withdrawl after being on 225mg for so long, I did try cold turkey al the withdrawl like brain zaps etc appeared with a crash in mood, I went to my Dr and told them and they suggested weaning off to be honest I was glad to have a dose just to kill how my head was feeling.  Here is the doseage reduction I did.

1 month at 150mg

2 months at 75mg

1.5 months at 37.5

This may benefit others coming off as soon as I got down to 75mg I started taking cod liver oil capsules 1 a day every day, no withdrawl, and the same effect when I got to 37.5mg.  I am aware that although I am stopping venlafaxine that does not mean I should stop antidepressants as when I was on 37.5 although no withdrawl my mood was sinking with the doseage so under the advice of my Dr I started on sertraline.  The first week of no venlafaxine I has some very mild brain zap bouts, but I have to say the second week none.  The sertraline has picked my mood up and although it is still early days I do feel confident enough to say I am free of it.  I am not saying it is gospel but I have a feeling the omega 3 in cod liver oil has done the job for me.  From reading the forums here that seems to be in some cases the difference between what some have done and what I may have discovered may work for others.

What I have said is not medical and I am not qualified to give advice all I can do is share what has worked for me, and that may not always be the case.  My advice is to always go through your Dr and consider if you want to give up venlafaxine that it does not cure depression and other illnesses it just fogs it, do not feel ashamed to admit you may still need to go to an alternative medication.  For me sertraline is working well, for you it may have to be something different.  I want to thank you all for your helpful posts and will be looking in regular to see if I can help.  God bless you all.

2 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Sukiwarrior
    Sukiwarrior simon3164

    Posted

    Hello Simon,

    Thank you for letting us know how you are doing I am so pleased you are doing well on the Sertraline. I am following a similar roas as you and will be off them by April when I shall also try the sertraline when I get down to the lowest dose. I am taking strong super omega 3s, 2 twice a day rather than the cod liver oil as I believe they are better for depression.

    Keep well and have a good Xmas. 

    Suki. 

    • anne240
      anne240 Sukiwarrior

      Posted

      I took high strength Omega3 all the time I was on anti depressants.  Now not on any medication but take lots of supplements which are helping. 
  • lucy159
    lucy159 simon3164

    Posted

    Thanks Simon, this is really inspiring smile I'm coming off venlafaxine at the moment and it's nice to hear how well you managed smile
  • anne240
    anne240 simon3164

    Posted

    My experience similar.  Took me 10 months to withdraw and I did not get any withdrawal symptoms.  Been 17 months since I stopped, and it has been the longest I have been without depression returning. 

    I was on Sertraline before I was on Venlafaxine.  For the first time in 20 years I am not on an anti depressant.  Hurrah.  Well done, and I wish you well. 

  • ncoules49
    ncoules49 simon3164

    Posted

    Thanks Simon,

    So glad to heare you are doing well. Thanks to everyone I think a small group of us have been commenting on this site for a while and it is great to hear from all of you and that you are doing well. I am 10-11 weeks off of Effexor or I guess V and am doing better every week. My husband helped me reduce off the effexor XL about -10% every 10-14 days and am finally off Completely.Not without a bad day here and there and a little depression or anxiety. Anxiety was what got me on the drug to begin with. Like you it helped me through some really tough times in my life. But it is time to be drug free. I also take b complex and omega 3 thanks to all of you suggesting it.  Some times I freel that I have aquired some habits being on the Effexor. Maybe letting go of the things that made me anxious. I don't know. I think maybe its too soon to tell. The depression is what gets me. Can anyone enlighten me ? Any thoughts?? I guess I'm having to deal with life now.

    Anyway thanks to all of you for sharing. It has really helped.  

    • lucy159
      lucy159 ncoules49

      Posted

      I feel similarly - that maybe i aquired some good habits while on the drug because it gave me spece to think and not be anxious - so i'm much less worried about achieving certain things, and i've learned mindfulness and to be less hard on myself etc... I'm not off the drug yet though so i can't say to what extent i'll still feel this way when i am.

      But what you say about 'dealing with life now' is, i think, really important. Just because you're off the tablets doesn';t mean everything is easy...life still goes on and difficlt things happen. I think one of the characteristics of depression is that people tend to run away from or suppress bad feelings. And so i think that when recovering it's important to remember that feeling things - sad, unhappy, happy, everything...is ok...it's ok to cry when you're really upset...it's the crying that moves you on to the next emotional stage of what you're going through - it is in no way an indication of being depressed (in itself). I've had periods of depression coming off the drug and they are so different from when i'm upset about something - and i make a big effort to allow myself to feel as upset as i am feeling about genuinely really upsetting things because thats what my mind and my body obviously need.

    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 lucy159

      Posted

      I know what you mean about dealing with life . I had a friend of 47 years die, another friend with TBI that has very few memories left of good times had together with our friend and foot sugery this week. I'm dealing, but it has been the uncontrollable crying and depression  getting to me.my husband keeps reminding me the good days  days out weight the bad and as you said Its been a tough couple of months. That uncontrolable depression is terrible. I have finally snapped out of it today. I just let the tears fly!! Thanks for your input. it really helps. My husband wants to write about what we have been through. A different perspective thorugh the eyes of the caregiver......poor guy he has been through hell with me the past 5 months. Again Thanks so much! .  

      Maybe I am grieving, sad and in paion with my foot.OMG I will get through this!!     

  • linda13954
    linda13954 simon3164

    Posted

    Hi Simon,

    Thank goodness I was only on the antidepressant for 6 months or so, and the dosage was 150mg.  Stopping cold turkey is easy when your prescription isn't renewed on time.  I am sure the withdrawals could have been much worse. 

    It has been a week since I quit taking it.  I still get nauseated and headaches something I am willing to live with knowing that it is temporary.

    Hope all is going well for you at this time.  Keep us posted.  I'll try Omega-3, it sounds like a more natural way to handle depression.

     

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