Venlafaxine withdrawal day 14 😩 Help please!

Posted , 8 users are following.

Hello. I'm new to the site.

I won't bore you with the detail so to cut a long story short, I've been on Venlafaxine for about a year and a half. I've recently tapered over 3 months from 150mg, to 75mg, to 37.5 mg and stopped 14 days ago altogether.

My emotions are running very high, I'm bad tempered and have a constant stuffy nose. I'm extremely tired. My stomach is incredibly bloated. (this is one of the reasons they first started me in venlafaxine)

Has anyone had any positive experiences of withdrawel or know how long this may last please?

I take a digestive supplement, omega 3, calcium and vit d.

I'm not sure if my mood is going to continue to be this bad.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

1 like, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • Posted

    Hi there Football Head.

    Sadly I can not help but as I can emphasize with your message, I would be so interested in any advice you get.

    I've been on and off it for years and am currently trying to come off it again by taking one bead a month for first month and two next month and so on. Having same symptoms as you are having.

  • Posted

    Hi again.

    I've replied to your post before I think and would like to add that I think that you should be Still taking Venlafaxin bitte at a lower dose and to reduce from there very very very slowly.

    I did the weaning off many times with a doctor's help and last time I was fine for a few months then crashed. So I am now doing it much slower by myself😒 I'm not feeling good at all even though I'm only reducing by a bead a month (and I don't know if that's ideal because the beads are all different sizes) and I'm only starting on the second month.

    I'm on 150mg efexor xl.

    I always went back on them because I'd crashed. Didn't think that it could have been because I'd com off too quickly.

    So if I were you I would ask your doctor to put you back on a lower dose and start weening you of very slowly from there, given how you are now feeling.

    You don't want to have to go back on for like I did and be in the same predicament as I am.

    Best of luck.

  • Posted

    Hi, scrolling though all the posts and saw yours. How are you feeling now? Nearly 3 weeks I believe. Although I am sad to see you and so many others are feeling awful, I am relieved. Today I am 14 days off venoflaxine. Although my head zap and other physical effects are easing..ish. my emotions are all over the place. I am confused, irritated,sad, and very angry,. I am not an angry person normally. I feel hopeless to be honest and so scared that isn't just withdrawal. I know no one can say how long it will last ,I just hope it doesn't get any worse. I have managed to maintain a relatively positive and normal life so far. Being mum to two children I kinda have no choice. But the last few days have been meltdown for me. I look forward to hearing how you are getting on. X

    • Posted

      I have read people describing themselves as being 'mean' around day /14.. that's me I feel really horrible, negative and ' mean' like I have venoflaxine venom in my blood . And so 'on my own' in all this. .

    • Posted

      You are not alone and it’s not you it’s the ven. I was so mean and intolerant of people. Thankfully that passes so hang in there. My mistake was I was offered Prozac and I didn’t take it for four wks because I wanted to be off EVERYTHING.  So now I wait for the Prozac to kick in. It will be 4 weeks on Thursday. I am slightly better but not good yet. 
    • Posted

      Thank you for your reply. It's reassuring to hear you felt the same. I am glad to hear you are getting better. Congratulations! Just all feels such a mess and fight but I won't give up. Just got to keep fighting this nightmare xxx

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