venlafaxine withdrawal- please help!!

Good morning guys

Today is day 4 coming straight off 75mg...positive thought about my body getting getting back to normal is helping me and all of your positive posts!!! Last night before bed I thought I'd give diazapam a shot so I had 4mg plus 2 anti sickness And omg I slept like baby, not 1 brain zap luckly I find I can take diazapamas as an when with out side affects....this morning I have to drive 35 miles to see my kinesiologist, my head isnt swiming and I have felt the best I have for about six weeks as this drug was making me really poorly after taking it for 9 yrs.

Had to share might help someone xxx

I am SOOOO glad I found you guys!

I have been on venaflaxine for about 3 years (after citilopram just didnt work anymore) I was gradually upped and upped until I was on 125x2daily and it really made a difference and enabled me to get on with my complex stressful life. I was a headteacher with big staffing issue with a snr member of staff, my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I was having flashback issues from a medical accident (heart tamponade following an awake procedure that went wrong).

finally, after quitting my job a year ago, sadly my dad lost his fight with a painful pancreatic cancer and my mum was sectioned with alzheimers, I need to come off.

I have been struggling with really bad hot and cold sweats which my dr believes are a side effect of venaflaxine and so I have been slowly dropping down until 2 days ago Ifinally stopped. WOW I was not expecting the rush of side effects from stopping- esp such a low final dose (1x 1/2 37) ...

brainfug, unable to string a sentence together, more and worse sweats, terrible pains in my legs and back, migraines, shakes brain zaps that stop me functioning instantly panic attackes palpitations and lethargy... but then I read all the other posts and realised that this is what everyone gets so I feel less woried - rach the midwife you are a complete star - such intelligent well considered posts have really helped. so Ill carry on a bit and see what happens

I guess now is not the time to start my diet though!

After months of the "Brain Zaps" I feel I am reaching for ADs just to stop them

I would recommend seeing a practitioner for Bach Flower Remedies. These natural remedies which will not interfere with medication are very supportive when coming off AD, and an experienced practitioner will test for what you need.

These alternative practioners are expensive. £80 Homeopathic consultation which my GP suggested.

No, much less for Bach Flower Remedy, £20- - £30 max and you usually only need the one consultation. Alternatively health food shops have a good range with suitable guidance

This thread has been so helpful in making me realise I'm not alone in feeling so utterly horrendous in my 'comedown'. Just off the phone with a doctor who is prescribing me diazepam to take 3 times daily. Can anyone advise on whether this is a wise thing to do? I don't want to mask the withdrawals with something else that could have withdrawals, too.

I'm so astounded that health professionals prescribe this medication! I have never felt so out of my own body. I think something needs to be done to stop this medication causing more harm than good.

Hi Melanie

I am glad you found this place. We are probably in the same place right now as this thread is now in real time!

I have msgd you

I am now on day6 after a 2 weeks session of 1/2 37 x1 .

I have taken 4 months to do this. until i stopped altogether I was doing fine. Then the symptoms above hit like a train.

Today the brain zaps are a little better as long as i dont talk or concentrate for too long! my dreams are getting ore vivid and my heating is either freezing and cold freezing and sweaty or hot and ok or hot and sweaty !!

I was ready for anything this morning and saw a link for seratonin on the bottom of the page. researched and got freaked out.

I have a great friend who is a pharmacologist, healer, and fellow sufferer. SHe came for a cuppa and ended up in a full blown counselling session re meds.

the upshot...

DO NOT mix up over the counter or online herbal holistic etc - it will screw your symptoms more. Her suggestion is a sensible one... I was ok on a very low dose - whats wrong with that? I was coming off cos of the toxity issues but if its more toxic after whats the point?

I am off to doc for a review as soon as I can get a ppt

HAng in there hunni and use this forum if you are not lucky enough to have your own angel like me!

Hey guysmI'm on day 10 and only information I have is stay strong they all pass, I only took diazapm for two nights all of the other symptoms have completely gone...occaasional nausea but I eat or drink and they go....I am on flower power tablets now too...drove my sister 180 miles to the airport n back yesterday..

Hang in there guys xx

Am so glad I have found this forum. Battery almost out on iPad so I will be quick for now!

Came off venlafaxine 2 weeks ago cold turkey although was at clinic but am now home and doing ok. Was on 300mg but reduced to 150 before coming off completely. Still getting nausea, shivers etc but am determined to keep going, stemital helps nausea. Please don't give up it seems like forever but do one day at a time like AA. Still on zopiclone at night but want to come off that as well. Been on anti d, sleeping tabs, lorazapam 7 years...

off to try some sleep, breathless, zappy whizzing thoughts, soo hot, whats the chances eh????

Hey guys I'm now on day 14...and still going strong I am convinced its my positivity that is getting me throuh....I have been seeing a kaniseologist an she's really helping me to stay in my positive frame of mine, she is treating me with the flower vibe tablets..worth a shot!! I refuse to go back on any tablets now...I can now feel hungry, thirsty. ..see better and actually cry, which is all positive stuff.

We can do it guys we have all gone this far.

I will not let anyone spoil my vibe....stay positive xxx

I have been on 150mg of Venlafaxine since May 2010 to treat stress and anxiety (work related). I decided t come off med during the Summer and GP prescribed a months supply of 75mg. Reduced the dosage with absolutely no problems. Cntinued on 75mg for a further month and have now been given a months supply of 37.5 mg. Still no problems although I have had headache occasionally. GP thinks I should be able to just stop after the 35.5mg runs out and hopefully his will be the case. I'd read lots on forums about awful withdrawal symptoms and I know that if I'd run out of my 150mg tabs I did have flu symptoms, nightmares, felt 'spaced out' or in a bubble. So far so good though, maybe slow and steady will win this race.

i finally stopped taking venlafaxine last year, after years of seeking alternative & hitting brick walls with drs. i was taking 150 for a while, i was okay, not great. but after the death of a friend i fell apart. i told my gp i was having disturbing thoughts & 'premonitions' (not really sure what it was) & that it was scaring me,. i was also suicidal. gp tried increasing the dose but it gave me horrible side effects- dizziness, passing out etc- as i had told him it would! so back to 150. he referred me to psych intervention team for urgent medication review. the crisis team lost my file, forgot to call me. they then lost a SECOND referral from my gp. then i ended up in emergency room. admitted that i was fantasising about killing someone & i was terrified of the things in my head - i had NEVER had this before. emergency staff (triage? nurse?) left me alone for several hours- doctor will be with you soon etc. and then told me there's NO DOCTORS AVAILABLE. in the hospital. & I should go home. eventually gp got the psych crisis team to come see me at my home to review medication. they spoke with me about 20 minutes, went outside to confer, and came back with the decision... that i should keep taking venlafaxine 150mg!!!! yep- the same medication that was clearly not helping anything. they advised it was "too dangerous" to let me change medications, because that would involve coming off venlafaxine, & given my mental state that was not wise. at least they were admitting the withdrawal syndrome exists! they also thought it was reasonable that i was thinking about killing a person because it was SOMEONE I KNEW & not a stranger. I was flabbergasted. my gp then referred me to private system & increased my diazepam to tide me over. anyway- the drama continued for sometime- various meds prescribed at ten minute appointments- any concerns i raised were dismissed outright of course. diazepam kept increasing. & each of new meds messed me up more, till i was back in emergency- this time with serious heart problems, crazy fever & breathing trouble. some neuroleptic something something. possibly serotonin syndrome. they werent too sure. that was the last straw. i went back to the internet! went back over all the research i had done on anti-ds & decided what i wanted and how i would do it. i went to a different doctor, said i was visiting from interstate & forgot my meds etc, that i needed some avanza. then i spent a good three or four weeks in bed switching medication and coming off the benzos, relying on friends to occassionally drop by and check i was ok. it was tough but WORTH IT! i am in no way suggesting that everyone go out and do the same thing- what i did was appropriate for me at the time. BUT - do trust yourself! if it doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't right. cut the dose down at a slower rate if you are having bad brain zaps. see a new doctor if they dont listen. read up on new meds first, before you agree to take them- not after you're already hooked on the benzo's like i did, for example if you don't already know how insidious benzo dependance can be, please please read up on this and be very careful relying on the diazepam etc to help you through medication changes

Now done 6 weeks off the Venaflaxine - all the nausea, chills, shakes, dizziness almost gone, it does get better ...