Venlafaxine withdrawel help :(
Posted , 6 users are following.
I've been on venlafaxine for close to a year now. I take 75mg a day. I was perscribed this medication due to anxiety, and panic attacks. I was riddled with very uncomfortable side effects from this medicine. Things like, sweating profusely, itching all over, inability to urinate standing up, lack of sex drive. And more.
2 weeks ago I decided that I was done with this stuff. I can handle my anxiety now, or at least be aware and manage it. But no more medicine. So for a week I cut the 75 mg pills in half. Then I took 1/4 of a pill for a week. I stopped taking it completely 3 days ago.
Since I've stopped taking the medicine I feel like a complete wreck. I can't think, I can't process what I see, everything is just too much, and overwhelming. I'm so sleepy, and dizzy. I also feel like puking most of the time. And I feel my pulse through out my entire body sometimes.. This all terrifies me, and I just want to feel normal again. I start school soon, and I take care of my 1 year old son full time right now. I have to feel better asap so I can take care of everything. My wife says I'm exadurating and I need to get over it. But everything I feel right now is real, confusing, and aweful. Is there anything I can do to feel better?! And how long will this strange, confusing physical feeling last?!?! Thanks for your time.
0 likes, 24 replies
jedtad ickycrawl
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elaine92718 jedtad
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elaine92718 ickycrawl
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Eventually this side effects will pass. Depends if your prepared to put up with it. To be honest now you've stopped I'd persevere but it will probably take weeks if not months. Whatever you decide best of luck 👍😊👍
elaine92718 ickycrawl
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ickycrawl elaine92718
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elaine92718 ickycrawl
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ickycrawl elaine92718
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betsy0603 ickycrawl
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ickycrawl betsy0603
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Sxx betsy0603
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I've cut my venlafaxine down from 75mgs.to 37.50mgs. to 18.75mgs. I've been on 18.75mgs for 5 weeks now and am still really suffering from anxiety... palpitations, trembling inside and out and a numb feeling in my face and neck...
Is it normal to have the wd symptoms for such a long time. I never seem to have a good day...in fact never seem to have a good few hours...
I was thinking that maybe I would go on to another ad.. which is something I definitely don't want to do..
thanks for your post Betsy, it has given me the courage to keep on going.
I take Omega3 and also have tried passiflora (passion flower) not strong enough for me so I also have oxazepam. I am very sensitive to meds. and sometimes think the oxazepam works counter productive as it makes me feel ill..
life is a struggle but we all keep battling on.
like many I wish I had never heard of venlafaxine.
take care
Sxx
betsy0603 ickycrawl
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ickycrawl Sxx
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ickycrawl betsy0603
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But yes everyone should be aware of the potential flu like WD symptoms.
betsy0603 Sxx
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All the symptoms you described are well-known for ven WD and AD WD in general. Some will use Prozac as a bridge med to get off Ven, then tapering the Prozac. It has a longer half life than Ven. The bad news is that most ADs have serious WD symptoms, potentially. If you are suffering too much, you can always up your dose slightly and see if that helps. Then, wait for a good period of stability before cutting again. I've said it in response to the Mirtazapine WD folks, too, but investing in a small jeweler's scale and weighing your dosages may be the best bet when it comes to decreasing your suffering as you get off this med. And yes, there will be some folks who say they had WD for a few weeks and then were done, but guess what? They're just frickin' lucky! I'm with you on wishing I'd never heard of venlafaxine, and ADs in general! We can do this, my friend!
Sxx betsy0603
Posted
I'd been on 75mg for quite a long time, couldn't take a higher dose (which the mh big guys said I needed) as the side effects were awful, so venlafaxine never really worked for me. Started it 2 years ago.
went from 75mgs to 37.50mg,
then after about 6weeks went down to 18.75mgs and that was 5 weeks ago.
I do have capsules with beads. the number of beads varies between 142 to 164 (the ones I've counted). As this didn't seem very accurate to me, I now count out 75 beads per capsule. The beads seem to be the same size but if you are right then I'm not making a very good job of things...
I'm going to persevere as I really want to get off these meds...
thanks for your time and advice,
how are you?
take care
Sxx
betsy0603 ickycrawl
Posted
My husband just emailed me to say they're doing the flu shot at work, and I'm wondering if this year's is any different than last year's, since I don't want to get un-necessary vaccines while withdrawing from meds...people can develop sensitivities to all kinds of things, certain foods, coffee, chocolate, even some supplements will cause WD to be worse.
betsy0603 Sxx
Posted
You should do okay just counting the same number of beads for each dose.
Though you held for good amounts of time before cutting, the drops you made were still very large, 50% and then 50% again, so that is probably why you are having such extreme WD symptoms. You can do the 10% drops every four weeks if feeling stable. If you want, you can try 20% and see how that goes, too.
You do the best you can. I am doing a combo of bead number and weight, with my jeweler's scale from Amazon that can weigh mgs, for about $25. I'm weighing 29 beads for a gross weight of 78 mg for an active ingredient dose of 29.25 mg, assuming 37.5 mg capsules were supposed to weigh 100 mg gross. Crazy-making! And apparently, the manufacturer is allowed a 10%+/- variation in weight!
Anyway, I hope you get stable soon!