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venlafaxine withdrawal- please help!!

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tg
tg

Hi there, ive just joined on here to get some advice and support... i was prescribed venlafaxine xl (modified release) 10 yrs ago for severe depression after my daughter was born, over the years this has been increased to 225mg a day. My partner and i want to have another baby and was aware of the effects venlafaxine has or could have on a unborn child so i went to my psychiatrist to ask for there help to come off it, they drew up a plan where i would gradually reduce my amount by 37.5mg each week. This was 6 wks or so ago and am now on day two of no venlafaxine what so ever.... but im suffering really bad withdrawal symptoms.... excruciating headaches, shaking and shivering, nausa. This evening i had a major breakdown and couldnt stop crying. I had to be prescribed diazepam! I feel worse as each day goes by, dont think i can do this for much longer if this carries on.... i really want to get off this drug but i dont know how long the withdrawal will last and when ill start to feel better, does anyone have any ideas??

I feel like im in living hell at the moment...i have been feeling so bad that ive been house bound now since i started this regeime, i just need to know when its goin to end.

13 likes, 509 replies

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  • sonyahurst
    sonyahurst tg

    Posted

    Hi there....I'm going through the dreaded withdrawals from this terrible drug ATM. I do honestly believe that venlafaxine should be banned, I wish that doctors were made to take this drug themselves sometimes so that they would understand just exactly how bad it really is! I have been on 150mg and I found that I would suffer ALOT even if I missed my tablet by a couple of hours. Nausea, shakes, vision problem, brain zaps.....I felt a little euphoric at times on the tablets and also felt like I was dreaming all the time. Not good being a single lady with a 3 and 5 year old. I was prescribed it for anxiety and 'adjustment disorder' after leaving my husband at the end of last year. I decided that I could t carrying taking venlafaxine as it was actually MAKING ME DEPRESSED, mostly due to the massive weight gain I experienced.i gained almost a stone in three months. Really. I started to taper off them earlier this month. I reduced from one 150mg in a morn to 37.5mg in the am and 37.5mg in the pm for two weeks, then one 37.5mg in the am for one week... Then half a 37.5mg in the am (so 18.75mg) and then off. I experienced effects that I mentioned earlier for the first 2-3 days after each adjustment, along with stomach cramps, menstrual bleeding (almost constantly) pains in hands, legs, pins and needles....but they subsided after that. I'm suffering ATM not taking any but there is NOTHING that would make me go back to taking this drug again. Ok, I can't get off the loo, feel like vomiting, I'm groggy....restless, and get these horrible feelings as though my skin is actually moving on my body (bizarre to read I bet but even weirder to experience!) but I know that this will pass...so I just have to grin and bear it for a few more days probably. If it intensifies any more I'd be tempted to try the Benadryl, as I hate feeling sick and anything that can ease these physical discomforts will be welcomed if it continues. But it will be worth it to get this horrific drug out of my body. I feel like it's been poisoning me and would never ever advise anybody to start taking it. There are many other, safer ssri's out there, like sertraline etc. hope this is useful to somebody x
    • helen62899
      helen62899 sonyahurst

      Posted

      Hi sonyahurst,

      I am really sorry that you feel like you do through taking venlaflaxine, but please do remember that venlaflaxine succeeds where other medications fail.

      I was prescibed it 3.5 years ago after suffering severe post natal depression and my Perinatal Psych was really candid with me and levelled that she doesn't prescibe this drug lightly and that it is a last chance saloon; for me it certainly was as I had tried prozac, sertraline and martazipine with no success and I was then given fresh hope and I firmly beielve my life back with venlaflaxine or i risked being admitted to hospital.

      I get what you are saying about the withdrawl. 7 days ago I completed my 4 month programme to get off the stuff and yes it was horrid and yes there were dark days, but hey....i feel amazing!

      Like you I got to the point where my medication was making me ill. I believe my medication was making me depressed!  I too have gained 3.5 stone in 3.5 years! There seems to be a pattern as much of what I read is about weight gain with this drug.

      You will though, i am positive, feel the benefits of being off it.

      I am sure my Psychiatrist thought that I was making up how I felt; I feel more alive, more awake and more in control. I now have more energy than i have had for years and cannot believe how my 'chemical kosh' affected me.

      I read loads and loads of forums when i made my decision to quit and also made a detailed plan with my psych. It took 4 months and there were days when i wanted to stop my withdrawl but i made a promise to myself that i would be controlled no more....

      I have to say that I had a military style plan in place.

      At work I had an advocate who knew not to call the ambulance should i have a complete melt down. She had my mum, dads and husbands phone number and promised to call them if I was ill, and I was twice.

      I purchased benedryl ( acrivastine) by the bucket load ( god, i still don't know how it works, but it does and I have challenged my Psych to work out what it did for me!) and took 2 tablets, 3 times per day during my withdrawl.

      I had a paracetamol 4 times daily to help with the 'flu symptoms' the cold turkey and the headaches and brain shakes(yep, i really did feel like someone had their hands in my head wobbling it about).

      I had Stugeron (sea sickness tablets) at the ready. 

      I had Diazepam on stand by, but funnily enough i denied myself this even when I was in 'crisis' as I didn't want to get addicted to something else! And i drank gallons of water!

      3 times i got horrific 'cold turkey' ( runny nose, aches, pains, cramps, shivers, weakness) and was told by a nurse practictioner friend to eat carbs (porridge was my choice), drink loads of water to prevent dehydration and rest. Despite the water advice I got a terrible water infection which failed to respond to antibiotics in the first instance, but hey, i am here to tell the tale.

      My plan involved dropping 37.5mg every 2 weeks, after my initial switch from long acting to regular venlaflaxine....that was tough in itself as short acting tabs never suited me in the first place.

      The reason it is such a hard drug to come off is that it has short half life. It washes out of your system really quickly causing the crash! My 'crash' happened at day 2 of the drop and lasted for 2-3 days.

      I noted that once I got to the theraputic dose of 150 mg, 6 weeks in,( as i had an initial switch) my withdrawl was really hard.

      Yes, i took to my bed, yes, i had some time off work and yes my parents/inlaws/hubby looked after my little boy when things got really bad. Yes,I was evil to my hubby, I was awful to live with but I knew that I needed to do this for me and for all of them and that was my drive to ditch this crap. 

      At 75 mg i slowed my withdrawl down as i felt really ill............

      but then, i was determined. I chipped away a little at a time until i was on 4.5mg! Yes, a bit of dust per day and truly, i knew there was no clinical benefit but i 'needed it' for a few weeks........until i decided I was not going to be controlled anymore. The manufacturers had made enough from me and I was going to be free from it............and god is it good!

      So, in short.....i totally get your hatred for Venlaflaxine, but in the long run I know it saved my life and got me well to be the best Mummy I can i be to my little boy, a wife to the man I love and married and the daughter my parents knew......

      To those who are thinking of quitting,  You CAN do it.

      Only YOU will know when the time is right and please, make a plan, research forums/websites for advice from those who've done it and make everyone aware of what you are about to embark on.............You can and will beat this drug.......with the right support in place and no pressure to rush your withdrawl , erm sorry....discontinuation...........!

      I still giggle to myself about the claim that this stuff is not addicitve in the true clinical meaning of the word and I love the use of the term 'dis-continuation symptoms' in the hefty leaflet in each box ............. a fancy word for withdrawl and one designed to confuse and decieve .......

      All the very best of luck to you.

       

  • sally87
    sally87 tg

    Posted

    Hi

    i am 13 weeks off 150mg Effexor which I had been on over 10 years.  I came off it under doctor's guidance over 4 months.

    i am still suffering horrible symptoms which are quite incapacitating.  Mainly anxiety and panic attacks plus fatigue and a general feeling of unwell ness. I think it will get better eventually.   I seem to be in for the long-haul though. I am trying to use positivity although it doesn't always work and I lose sight of the end of the tunnel.

    Good luck to anyone else going through this and if there is anyone who has suffered for many months and is recovered I would be so happy to hear from them.

  • sally87
    sally87 tg

    Posted

    I'm also curious to know what are your tips to make it through the day?  Do you find work impossible or a good distraction?  How do you cope with young children etc?  Do you try to carry on as usual whe symptoms are severe or give in to them?? Etc

    i don't work now. Am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  I do find it hard to make a conscious effort to make myself look good when I am feeling bad and I know that is wrong as I feel psychologically better if I dress nicely and put some make-up on.  I also find I cancel quite a few social things and this is really bad as I am letting the symptoms win.  I do walk my dog a lot and I find that helps.

    As this is taking me so long I often lose my positivity especially when I have a long or an all-day wave of anxiety say and have to turn to my wonderful long-suffering husband and my therapist who is helping me through this, for reassurance.  I also check positive success stories I have copied and pasted on the Notes section on my iPhone to ground me again.

    • sonyahurst
      sonyahurst sally87

      Posted

      Hi Sally....how are you doing? I'm a week off venlafaxine completely now, thank god! It is such a relief. I am still suffering with some withdrawal effects but nowhere near as bad. Last week was one of the toughest weeks of my life. It's helpful knowing some people experienced what I have first hand, as it's often difficult to explain to your loved ones JUST HOW INCAPACITATING the effects of this process can be. I really relate to you with the effort to make yourself looking good part...I struggle to motivate myself to make an effort....even though I know is feel so much better. I feel quite terrible about myself appearance wise due to the weight gain and the fact that I feel generally unwell most of the time. I have been honest with my family and my partner and just accepted as much help as I could with the children, house work etc. I will warn, I read on this forum a recommendation about Benadryl when withdrawing from venlafaxine. I was pretty desperate on Friday with the nausea so I bought a packet of Benadryl capsules (acrivastine) and was EXTREMELY poorly. I have never had a reaction to anything as severely before. Not sure if it was just bad luck but it was not a good idea for me, at least. I have a new partner who is very supportive. I feel do sorry for him having to put up with all this, but let's be grateful we have people in our lives that stand by us through this xx
    • sally87
      sally87 sonyahurst

      Posted

      Hi Sonya. Sorry you are going through this too but it's great you're already seeing improvements!   How long were you on it?   I have improved somewhat over the weeks I think although I'm still getting tingling legs most of the symptoms seem to be emotional.  Anxiety is pretty bad and my emotions are red raw. I can't take stress. Yup. I feel ill too also still very fatigued but I find distraction is good. Also forcing myself to go out with friends even if I don't feel like it. I honestly forget about everything and I tell them I feel fine. Fake it till you make it no?!

      i can't take Benadryl either.   It makes me feel really poorly like you as well as depressed. Isn't that strange?!

      i constantly need to work on my positivity then this is so much easier.

      i have been seeing a therapist as well as my doctor but have decided therapy is now not having a good effect on me. It helped in the beginning but this psychotherapy is making me focus too much on what is happening to me instead of accepting these are just withdrawals and getting on with life.

      Keep on carrying on though and update from time to time.  I will too.

  • athol91131
    athol91131 tg

    Posted

    Congratultions, Maureen. Well done. You should be very proud of yourself.
  • beverley8057
    beverley8057 tg

    Posted

    I am going through the similar withdrawal  experience and its one of the hardest things I have had to go through my life.I am very grateful I was prescribed this drug because it helped with my hard to treat depression however I could not stay on it for too long due t its side effects.Although I was no longer depressed I found it hard to function at work.Headaches ,dizziness,nausea ,chest discomfort etc.I am lucky my GP and Psychiatrist have been super supportive as without that I cannot imagine my outcome.Venlafaxine is not an evil drug but its definitely one of the hardest drugs to be on.
  • Minion21
    Minion21 tg

    Posted

    I've not managed to read through all the posts, but I'm so glad that I've found this.  I was prescribed Venlafaxine after another antidepressent, and have been stuck on it for around 18months now.  In this time I have also had a family bereavement and seperated from my partner.  GP was initially very supportive, but referred me on to a psychiatrist (massive waiting list) and since then has really be useless.  Still not seen anyone else, but can't go on like I have been.  So I've been reducing my dose down, and stopped last week.  At the moment I'm feeling quite nauseous, have terrible tinnitus and I'm guessing these weird feelings are the 'brain zaps'!  But considering I was on the medication for depression, the only thing that feels no different at all is my mood. 

    I'm getting out and about and exercising, and also going to change my diet to support a healthy body and healthy mind.  Looking forward to feeling better!

    Wishing everyone else loads of luck coming off this hideous drug.  Obvioulsy it has its place, and can/does help many people, but I do think the side effects and withdrawal problems should be made know to people at the start.  X

  • RichardJS
    RichardJS tg

    Posted

    I'm on day 2 of coming off my final 37.5mg modified release Venlafaxine. And do I feel odd -  as described by so many people on this thread. The GP did say that I would feel physical symptoms for a while.

    Everthing I have has been mentioned by others so I won't repeat my symptoms here. I'm finding it uncomfortable and unsettling rather than anything else, my mood is good.

    I do note that most posters seem to be ladies. As this is men's health week I hope by me posting other men might read it and feel inclined to share their feelings and experinces. It helps to be reassured that as you come off what has been a useful treatment for me the physical impacts are not unusual.

    Just for the record about 6 years on 150mg, reduced to 75mg last Autumn and down to 37.5mg about 4 weeks ago when I forgot a 75mg dose, tried to do without, couldn't went to 37.5mg and yesterday stopped completely. 

    Good luck everybody.

     

     

  • pam97442
    pam97442 tg

    Posted

    I am also on 150mg and can't believe how hard it is to get off of this.  I have not liked how it's made me feel or act and now that I want to get off it it's impossible.  No one told me about this medication and now I'm the one suffering.  I'm going to do this one way or another this drug is jot going to control my life.  
  • jasonhfx
    jasonhfx tg

    Posted

    Thank you to everyone on this forum for sharing their experiences with venlefaxine/Effexor. I have been on 300mg daily for about a year and have had severe discontinuation/withdrawal for several months since cutting back my dose. Any missed doses result in unbearable symptoms: headache (which I get constantly from the medication itself), severe electrical shocking in my head and body, dizziness, severe nausea, vomiting, disorientation, sweating, chills, shaking, and other flu-like sympts.

    I was not made aware of any possible withdrawal symptoms by my GP, psychiatrist or pharmacist (nor in the drug info sheet provided by the pharmacy). I would NEVER have taken Effexor had I been aware that I could end up in this state of living hell. I STRONGLY advise anyone thinking about Effexor or other SNRI's or SSRI's to reconsider. 

    I am now taking 225mg, hoping to wean to 150mg soon, but these symptoms (as well as severe mood swings, worsening depression and anxiety) are making my even routine activities extremely difficult. I wish I had never taken Effexor and I hope that eventually I will be able to get off it completely without constant misery. I read on this forum that Benadryl tablets may be helpful to some people and I am planning to try that - hope it helps..

  • pam97442
    pam97442 tg

    Posted

    I'm at 150 and trying to get off this drug it's the worst thing I have ever experienced.  The dr who put me on it can't see me until July 8 and so far I can't get anyone to lower the dose without in patience or out patience attending a group session.  I'm already in a program with my counselor.  I have two issues to work on co-dependent and self esteem and I can't get off this crap that my MD put me on and this wasn't what I wanted.  I wanted something to calm me down when things got to be to much in my life.  This is nuts and no dr or drug company should be able to give things like this out.  Good luck to you and I hope you succeed and beat this drug.  As for me I have no idea what I'm going to do moving forward.  
  • ross94426
    ross94426 tg

    Posted

    Hi all

    Really feel for anyone going through this. I went through the process of withdrawal many times. The first time I had no idea what was coming. I was on holiday after uni and was getting brain zaps, losing moments of time, and became uncharacteristically aggressive. This was back in 2003 in the UK and my doc hadn't warned me about it. I am only glad I hadn't started working because the damage could have been enormous.

    The Good News is I came on and off Venlafaxine many times and found my own foolproof way of avoiding all withdrawal, and its thankfully effective, free and straightforward.

    The extended release version is a capsule, filled with little  beads, that can be easily split open by pulling apart the two plastic halves. This means you can precisely control your dose downward. Rather than enduring withdrawal hell when you drop from (for example) 150mg to 75mg, each day right before you take it, you remove one or two of the 'beads' from a 150 caplet until you're on half, THEN switch to 75. Repeat the process down from 75 to zero. I did this down from over 200mg and it worked fine. If you get zaps or other symptoms, remove slightly less or spend a couple of days at your new 'dose'.

    As a caveat - one doctor told me I should not really open the caplet, but I told him that, if he would like to go through the experience of effexor withdrawal and then tell me that, I might listen. Eventually we agreed to my way! Given I did this many times in my numerous relationships with the drug, and never had a bad event happen, its the process I would use in future.

    Hopefully this will help some people, no one should have to go through it as it can be terrifying.

  • ross94426
    ross94426 tg

    Posted

    I should add for clarity to my post- you open the caplet,  remove 2 or 3 beads and then RE-CLOSE the caplet, pushing the two halves back together before swallowing. Do it right before taking rather than in advance so that air or moisture cannot get a chance to degrade the contents.

    I couldn't see how to edit my post so added this here.

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