venlafaxine withdrawal- please help!!

Hello, I am very thankful that I found this forum! I actually found this a couple months ago with my first try at getting off of venlafaxine, but now I am on my second try after an even longer tapering time. I am having just as much as a difficult time. What is crazy though is that I have tapered from 75mg down to 12.5mg twice per day. I feel awful and today is day 2 of my week of nothing, and then I should be moving on to fluoxetine. I have the dizziness, brain zaps and sometimes uncontrolled crying. I am drinking a lot of water to try to flush this stuff out, but has anyone found any foods that could help? Any kind of detoxifying foods I guess you could say? All I can say is that I was feeling very alone earlier today and then found this blog again today and am so glad that I found people in my same situation.

I don't know about detoxifying foods, but I do know that you cope better when you eat well. Just starting my day off with eggs and toast makes a huge difference to how I get through the day. Banana's are great too. Once you have swapped over to the fluoxetine, your symptoms should improve quickly. I swapped over to Citalopram and have continued weaning off that. Currently on 10mg per day and soon to drop to 5mg.

Thank you so much for the reply Cat Lady. That is all I want to do is eat - and I am trying to stick to those good fruits and veggies. Maybe I will have a banana for a snack now. The nurse from the clinic did just call me back and told me to go ahead and start taking the fluoxetine and she also said that I should start feeling better. I sure hope so, have to go back to work tomorrow! Thanks again, I will update with how I feel with the fluoxetine tomorrow. I was on Zoloft for about 8-9 years and have just been working to figure out the next best medicine since that had stopped working. Now with this experience I have been learning a lot and hopefully I will see improvement and will be able to help the next person.

Just wanted to say to stay strong and keep going! It's been a few weeks for me now and I feel like I've been through such an ordeal!! I feel so much better than the first week of withdrawal (I could'n't even drive and just stayed in bed when I could) but things are still tough. I can't seem to get rid of the nausea I feel constantly and still get a few bad nights (feeling paralysed....I'm awake but feel completely frozen so this sends me into a panic). But things are so much better and I never want to take venlafaxine ever again!! I've survived eating healthy food (Brazil nuts, salads....foods rich in protein) and not wanted to touch alcohol so that has helped me in feeling good and staying healthy but still emotional and not quite there yet.

It's a nightmare drug and I completely understand what everyone is going through (it's hard for anyone else who has not gone through this to understand). It doesn't seem fair that there are such horrendous side effects when just the decision to come off the tablets is a massive thing in itself. Also life after venlafaxine....

I doubt any GP would ever take this drug knowing what the withdrawal effects are like.

At least we are all sharing our experiences and I hope you all try and stay positive. The first few days and weeks are horrendous but keep remembering it will get better.. Xxx

This thread has been invaluable!! Thank you all for contributing so freely and generously!

How is everyone doing? Funny question: My mood is slowly getting low. How do I know if it's normal from stopping the meds or if the dreaded depression is returning? I'm really confused.

I should probably give a bit more detail...I've been low for over a week now. I expect to have the odd day where I feel a bit rotten, but I usually bounce back...except this time. I'm sleeping a lot and am really irritable with my family. I've made an appointment to see my Dr for next week (first I could get), but maybe I am over-reacting?

Please see previous posts.......18 weeks free....most of the hell getting better.....no head pains....lost some weight....generally feel more human and not like a zombie........left with waves of anxiety, low feeling and hot sweats....strange as I never had this before taking Venlafaxine.......@Cat Lady......I'm riding it out I've come this far......might try St John Wort....God bless

Hi, you will probably all go mad at me but I just couldn't carry on but I am 48hrs since last taking my venlafaxine 325xl. Maybe different to most, I have gone cold turkey, but for a few other meds too(Carbomazapine 1000, Seroquel 100, Ramipril 5, thyroxine 100, innohep injections, Simvastatin 40, Elleste solo 1. I am still taking co-codamol and citerazine

I won't go into the whys and wherefore. But I am getting weird sensations on left side of face sort of tingling but almost as though it's vibrating, and I am a bit unsteady on my feet but that could be linked to fact that I haven't slept since Sunday. I have been getting some tachycardia on and off and some missed beat periods / very slow rates. Joints are complaining but I do get that so could be coincidental, and I can feel the DVT clot throbs which hadn't been really noticeable. Not in best of health at best of times, have had a few relatively minor strokes. Don't smoke or drink. Any pointers?

Hi, you will probably all go mad at me but I just couldn't carry on but I am 48hrs since last taking my venlafaxine 325xl. Maybe different to most, I have gone cold turkey, but for a few other meds too(Carbomazapine 1000, Seroquel 100, Ramipril 5, thyroxine 100, innohep injections, Simvastatin 40, Elleste solo 1. I am still taking co-codamol and citerazine

I won't go into the whys and wherefore. But I am getting weird sensations on left side of face sort of tingling but almost as though it's vibrating, and I am a bit unsteady on my feet but that could be linked to fact that I haven't slept since Sunday. I have been getting some tachycardia on and off and some missed beat periods / very slow rates. Joints are complaining but I do get that so could be coincidental, and I can feel the DVT clot throbs which hadn't been really noticeable. Not in best of health at best of times, have had a few relatively minor strokes. Don't smoke or drink. Any pointers?

Not going to go mad on you, but I am seriously concerned. You could really hurt yourself. It was utter hell getting off on a weaning schedule - and I was only on Velafaxine. Please reconsider.

Have a read through this thread and you will see how many of us have got through. For me personally, I couldn't manage the last decrease and swapped over onto Citalopram. I continued weaning off that. It helped me a lot. Discuss with your Dr - you have your own unique health concerns to consider.

Good luck!

I don't trust doctors

I'm done! I'm off my medication and I am doing ok! I had a low week, but have bounced back again and I reckon I just need to get used to natural variations in my mood. I get the occasional brain zap, but nothing that bothers me much. The other withdrawal symptoms are gone too.

I am posting this for everyone who stumbles across this in future so they know that it can be done.

My reccomendation? Speak to your doctor about about bridging with something like fluoxetine or swapping you over to a different med for weaning purposes. I did everything right with the Venlafaxine, but it is that final reduction that sends your body wild. After a week of hell, I swapped to a low dose of Citalopram and I continued the weaning process on that. I really believe that this is what made the difference to me.

Anyhow, I obviously don't know what the future holds - my depression may return, but for now, I am antidepressant free and ok.

There is hope.

So, 5 months after stopping 37.5mg, which I only took for 3 months (apparent post viral depression). I still feel dreadful ALL the time. Had sinusitis for weeks, constantly have nausea & upset bowels, anxiety/panic attacks which I never had before Venlafaxine, frequent crying spells, insomnia.....need I go on!!! Finding it very difficult to work & care for my daughter. Any ideas when this might end? I've never felt so unwell & isolated for so long before. Am taking a range of supplements as my GP appears to have given up on me.

Thank goodness for this forum & everyone who contributes xx

Rebecca - that sounds terrible. I had all those symptoms too - so badly that I could barely get out of bed anymore. I also have 3 kids to look after, so I really hear you.

I would chat to your doc. When I was going through the withdrawal I trawled depression websites and there seems to be more and more cases of Dr's giving patients a dose or 2 of Prozac (Fluoxetine). It has a really long half life, so is effectively self-tapering. You can Google it - 'Fluoxetine bridging'.

That is all I can really suggest!

Good luck. You're not going crazy! There is something about Venlafaxine that makes it terrible to get off.