Venlafaxine withdrawal

Hello All,

Apologies for taking such a long time to reply!! Thank you so much for all your good wishes and support. I hope everyone is doing ok. My stomach troubles cleared up really quickly and - good news - all the physical side effects slowly went away so there is light at the end of the tunnel lol. However, about three weeks after the physical withdrawal stopped i suddenly became really depressed...not good. I tried to ride it out but after a while i was feeling hopeless and realised that the most important thing is being able to function normally so i started taking 75mg again. It's still half the dose that I used to be on so it's some progress. My doctor has advised me to stay on this for a month, see how i'm doing, and then try to decrease again, perhaps more slowly.

Has anyone else had the delayed relapse of depression after stopping effexor/venlafaxine altogether? If so...did it eventually go away?

Hi Lucy. Glad to hear your stomach troubles cleared up and that you managed to stop taking your venlafaxine for a while.

It's a sham you've had to go back on them, but it was the right thing to do. This is my first time on venlafaxine, though I've been on anti d's on and off for 20 + years. From what I've read, venlafaxine takes such along time to leave your body. It wouldn't surprise me if your depression was linked to it.

morning girls! jaxie, your wedding sounded amazing! glad it was all how you wanted! Lucy its good to hear from you! that did worry me when you said you had dropped from 75mg to 0, because I know when I have forgotten to take it how crappy I would feel! If you became depressed again you definitely did the right thing going to your doctor so don't feel defeated just take it more gradual now, your doing fine and keep up the good work.

girls I really have become to view venlafaxine in a mixed way, it treats the depression so quickly its like a wonder drug and you can really focus on life better but when your tapering down or stopping it really is a nightmare leaving your system! I am on day 7 of being off them and yesterday took myself off to Chelmsford from Ipswich for a bit of retail therapy but I'm finding afternoons really difficult, the whirring feelings of dizziness and sickness can get really bad I have to sit down, I'm twitchy and trembling a lot and I just want it to end! and in crowded places people feel like they are literally 'in my face!' i'm off balance and at times struggling to get my words out! at times I'm that close to taking a small dose again its unreal! feel ok at the minute but dreading lunchtime if it kicks in bad again! its so unfair, heroin addicts get addicted for fun to begin with and then get hooked, but at least they get methadone to counteract the smack! we take something to help us function and then try hard and have to put up with all this! sorry dears, i'm clearly getting to the end of my tether with this process! if I feel as bad as I did yesterday I will be going to the doctors Tuesday! I couldn't even drive home, sat in the car park till the worst of it passed

Aww monita, I think you should go to your docs on Tuesday anyway, ask about the Prozac to help. I've always found Prozac easy to come off in the past, it's one of the main anti-d's I've been on. At least you were sensible and listened to your body, and gave yourself time until you drove. Funnily enough, I didn't feel fit enough to drive yesterday, and feeling pretty similar today. As you say, it's a great drug to treat depression, but it's hell to come off! At least we know we're not going through it alone. Take care, all of you. We CAN do this

thanks dear! today hasn't been too bad, only been a bit dizzy etc. in the last hour! I wonder if a short and small dose of diazepam will be better though? I'll definitely go to see the doctor Tuesday! thanks for the advice x

I think that'd be the best thing. Personally, I would be more wary of taking diazepam because it's highly addictive, but that's just me. May be worth you finding out a much information for yourself as possible so that you can't be bulldozed by your GP, if they're like that!

I've been a little bit more out of sorts and started to get a migraine earlier. That soon cleared with the help of pain killers!

hi jaxie, I don't think I can win either way! I have found a forum from last year and there it suggests Benadryl capsules which are used for hay fever and can help with the withdrawal symptoms! . anything is worth a try when you are this irritable! I mean its got to be worth a try over Prozac and diazepam hasn't it? hope your migraine goes, blasted things! ever feel like you are curing one thing and creating another!? we have so got to hang on in there girl! I'm still taking your advice and seeing the quack tue! xxxx

Good on you hun! Yeah, wouldn't it be good to just be able to stop these bloody tablets? Migraine wet pretty quickly, as it usually does once I've taken tablets. Just glad hubby's at home tomorrow, though I have a gardening job to do in the morning. :D

hi jaxie, sorry I am such a pain, I had a real bad day yesterday, withdrawal hit an all time low and by the evening I turned quite aggressive and teary, smashed the blinking sky remote up in frustration. rolling about helplessly not seeing a way forward. my hubby phoned 111 and they were great, my hubby was asked questions by the doctor and he decided I needed to be seen, we went to hospital and after a chat I was given diazepam there and then and sent home. going doctors later so im expecting Prozac will be coming my way next. its such a shame as i'v tried so hard, but in all honesty if this is how my life is going to be I might not have a choice. sorry to be annoying, did you get your gardening done? xxx

You're not a pain, a you're not annoying, monita. You're going through a difficult process and are doing the best you can. I'm glad you got some good help when you needed it hun. What happened at the docs? You shouldn't feel bad or down if you've been put on Prozac. Ok, so it's another anti-d, but it's easy to come off. If it takes the edge off the withdrawal, it can only be a good thing.

Yes, I went and did my customers lawn on Monday! We went bowling after that and had a fun day. I have a bad head today, but hey, I feel ok.

You take care, and never apologise for sharing what you're going through. That's what we're here for. After all, we're all going through the same thing xxxx

hi jaxie! how are you getting on? sorry I haven't been in touch! I had to plod on through the last couple of weeks! I am pleased to say I AM OVER THE WITHDRAWAL! I HAVE BEATEN VENLAFAXINE!!!!!! and you girls can too!!!!!!!!! thank you all so much for all your kind words and support, you have been a real sweetie! when I hit rock bottom on bank holiday Monday and got the diazepam I knew I had to get better, I took 1mg at 11 just before the withdrawal would kick in so it took the edge off, I did this on the tue, wed, thur and fri, by the sat I thought right that's it, its now or never, and I chose to leave the 1mg diazepam and I was fine! and the next day and so on! its a great feeling! the biggest piece of advice I have got is this, no matter how much you taper down and taper down this drug is sophisticated, as soon as your body knows it isn't getting it anymore (as low as the dose gets) then starts the withdrawal, so don't give it the satisfaction! go to the doctor and ask for a low dose of diazepam all ready for when you stop it, even if its down to like 1/4 of a 37.5mg venlafaxine, it will save you a lot of distress! if I could have done it different that's what I would have done! I hope this helps! just because I've come out on the other side doesn't mean I'm disappearing! I'm still here for you all like you have been for me! I will regularly check my emails if you ever need some advice! and I will always be delighted to hear of the progress you are all making! keep up the good work my fellow girlies! x x x x x x x

Hi monita! I' me so long to reply. The downside of being a parent is when they go back to school after the summer, and when they're poorly! My son's had problems with his tonsils again, so he's had a couple of days off school already! Hopefully his tonsils will be removed, as he regularly has problems with them. I'm just glad both my son and daughter have settled at school so quickly. My daughter's gone from playing all day in Reception to having to do real work for most of the day in year 1, a change that my son found difficult to handle last year initially.

Anyway, I'm so glad that you've managed to come of venlafaxine! Thank you so much for your words of kindness and advice, I will certainly talk to my doctor about diazepam when the time comes. As it is, I'm still on 75mg a day, and may stay on it until after Christmas. I don't think it'll be easy this year, as my dad isn't speaking to his brother. His wife has apparently had my nan's wedding ring melted down with other jewellery of hers, when it should have come to me when my nan died 18 years ago. They don't care, and have said that I should just get over it. I'm really upset about it and don't want anything more to do with them. My dad is also understandably upset, as it was his mum's ring! We usually see them over Christmas, but I'm not interested. They only want to see me because of my children, and so I can be told what I'm doing wrong!.

Sorry for whinging on, hope you're doing ok still xxxxxxxx

Hi all, ive just joined tonight..its been my dream to come off my antidepressants...been on different ones since my daughter was 3 months old...she's now 37..attempted suicide 3 times..i have grand mal epilepsy..have tried coming down gradually off the efexor extended release...I get sharp zaps around my tongue, horrific dreams, aggression..headaches and feeling like having no body in my skin..like ive been switched off...and having the epilepsy(totally controlled by 1400mg epilim daily)..it scares me that if I hold out to the end to come off the efexor it could cause a break through seizure...interesting I read here it maybe a fact that the efexor er is harder to get off of...does one experience bad withdrawls changing from efexor er to just efexor..im going to see a dr soon to review my tablets, soon as I can get transport...im low priority on the list im afraid...so over feeling like this

Hi everyone just been reading some of your comments.

I was put on 75mg a day and I got Brain Zaps and really bad heartburn. She change me to 75mg slow release ones. I still got really bad heartburn, tight chest, aches in my eyes.

She then up me to 150mg I started this medication 20th dec 2013 and I have gained I stone in weight. I can't put anymore weight on because it's depressing enough that I am now 14.4 stone. So today I have thrown them all in the bin. I took the last 75mg yesterday morning and I have decided enough is enough!!! I don't feel any different feel like a space out puffed up over weight hippo..

I want to know how long does it take to get this drug out of your system???

Thanks Wendy