venlafaxine withdrawal- please help!!

10 years on 225mg......(wrongly diagnosed).......12 months VERY slow tapering off period!.........4 months free!!!!!.................been to HELL......You think that's the end of it?.......Think again!............Withdrawl symptoms still exist!......AND NO ONE KNOWS HOW LONG THESE WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS WILL LAST!!!!......Has permanant damage been done????.......No one knows!!............

Some of you will succomb to taking alternative chemicals out of sheer desperation!........Some of us will ride out this hell....hoping that some neurological research will eventually come up with a solution!

Hey Gettingthere!

I feel your frustration. No-one knows. And that just sums it all up. I have trawled the Internet but all I can find are hundreds of people battling with this. Sadly, the Dr's also seem to be in the dark.

I am one of the ones who've succombed. I'm on a leftover box of Citalopram on a very low dose and am weaning off that. Venlafaxine will never pass my lips again.

If I ever manage to get off completely and feel ok, I will definitely post it online for other people to find one day. There has to be a positive ending to this!

Hi Cat Lady

I'm still trawling the web sites.....it's the only thing that keeps me positive through this nightmare.......good luck with your journey.........when/if I ever recover. I also will post, to give other people hope........sadly at this time I am unable to give any positive feedback.......and it's been sooooo long....

I took my last 35 mg Venlafaxine tablet on Thursday 18 th October, had a weeks holiday ahead 'just in case' the withdrawal was as horrific as I has read on here. With the exception of feeling a little headachy, very bad tempered at times and the odd wobbly brain feeling I have managed to stop relatively trouble free. I m not sure if it was because I just tried to get on with things and refused to look for withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully others will also be able to come off this as relatively easily as I seem to have done. I suppose this is a help forum, therefore people experiencing real difficulty may be more likely to post on here, but I do think it is important to share a positive experience too. Although I must say, before I stopped,I had read these posts and was utterly convinced It would be hellish.

my first time on forum.

decided to come ff venlafaxine for health reasons and didnt want to be on them forever.

1/2 a 37.5g tab a day and hellish symptoms., although for some reason thurs was a fantastic day.

today was ok until this afternoon then the anxiety came back with a vengeance , nerves , palps and couldnt sit still.

Read about benadryl and bought some chlorphenamine maleate tablets , took one and everything calmed down

coincidence , im not sure , will keep you all posted.

The allergy medicine really does help. So weird, but hey! If the shoe fits! I've also read that omega supplements help, so that might be worth a try!

Good luck. You are not alone.

Hello all, first time posting go easy :p . Straight to the point, 3 days ago i woke up with an incredibly painful headache, dizziness and joint pain. First reaction was i have the flu. Later in the day i actually called NHS direct, after the short discussion i was told to take paracetamol etc... i had no sleep that night with my headache so bad and sort of seeing things. The day after, headache was still there not as harsh, but still dizzy. 3rd day no headache, but still dizzy. I began to type the symptoms in Google and added Venlafaxine 150mg and boom i am brought here!!!!

Well after reading some of the posts and 90% being the same or similar to Venlafaxine withdrawal i had hit the nail on the head. I had forgotten to take my tablets, in fact i had forgotten to re-order them. Alot has been going on this month so i have a choice, do i man up and suffer with the dizziness or Carry on taking them on Monday (due to be delivered) ???

I do feel better now than i have for a long time, maybe it is a discussion i need with my gp. Anyhow just wanted to thankyou for this thread and send hope to everyone in kicking depressions arse

Ooooohh cold turkey on 150. Blimey. You are lucky your symptoms are not too bad. The ongoing anxiety I'd what's getting to me now. 2 months off and wishing I had stayed on ... It's a toxic drug but it gave me a window of strength that's missing now. If that's all the symptoms you have and you are ready to get your own chemicals working then talk to GP on Monday and ask advice. Might me worth getting the over the CPU tee suggestions from above just in case? Good luck. Hope it works for you.

I will let you know how it goes

I don't think cold turkey is such a good idea. Lol. I'd start a weaning process when your prescription is delivered. Take things easy. I'd also chat to the doc about helping you with the final reduction when the time comes.

Good luck and keep us posted! Xx

14 weeks free!!!.....some symptoms are diminishing very slightly......I have noticed that the horrendous anxiety attacks and hot sweats are not quite as frequent........also the sinusitis is not as bad........feeling hopeful........antihistamine has been helpful.....also taking magnesium for cramps........a long way to go....but can see some light at the end of the tunnel ........Never go cold turkey from 150 mg....wean down to the lowest possible denomination....and do it slowly.....Love to all

Approx 3 days without now.

Dizzy but ok

nervous anxiety copable auto pilot kicks in a lot, walking the dog helps.

surprised no-one has mentioned diarrhoea

GPs MUST be made aware of withdrawal notes when prescribing this drug.

I was put on Venlafaxine for HOT Flushes following breast cancer and would never have used them had i known any of what i would have to go through to stop.

The HOT FLUSHES were a breeze comparred to withdrawal.

I had the upset stomach. It is extremely unpleasant all round! Hang in there!

Hi all, quick update i have made a decision not to re-order the tablets. They aren't gonna kill me if i go cold turkey and i can handle the dizziness. The lack of sleep is pissing me right off though. Sorry to hear about the guys/gals who struggle with anxiety attacks, i never really used to get them a lot, generally getting up at 3am thinking i was having a heart attack and freaking out was one of my faves lol. I have cut down drinking heavily too which does not help the sleep but i feel great on all fronts. May only been 5 days since i knocked the tabs on the head but my sex life has improved too, when i say improved i mean i actually want it rather than trying to "make an effort"

Will keep you posted.

Hi Kirk! Best of luck. I hope you are one of the ones that can kick it nice 'n easy! Through all the crazy withdrawal stuff, I have to admit that the return to feeling like myself is really good. I really enjoy feeling real emotions again - even crying is a relief after being a zombie! And yes, the return of the libido is fab! :D

Keep us posted.

BTW - the sleeplessness is probably going to be with you a while. Sorry. hehe. I just started watching loads of movies - keep them mindless though! And Nytol really helps too - kicks the dizziness a bit!