Will I ever feel normal again?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I was first prescribed effexor 150 back in February this year. It was a terrible time in my life and anxiety and depression was consuming my life and decided in a desperate plead to try. I had always been of the opinion I didn't want to be dependant on medication however in that point in my life I didn't have an option.
Safe to say it did exactly what I needed it to and I got my life back on track and better than ever. I have since decided to ween of the medication in the last 2 weeks.
I am now 12 days on no effexor as I weened from 75 down to 35. It has been and still is the HARDEST, testing and endless experience. I have had migraines, nausea, sweats, an awful taste in my mouth, so dizzy and so fatigued and not to mention crying at the drop of a hat. My withdrawals have been so horrific I am starting to feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is getting further and further away. I am trying to be positive but its so painful and draining and no one can give me a answer to when this nightmare is going to end. Ive even started to think I should have just stayed on the medication and saved myself this nightmare.
0 likes, 6 replies
angela65121 Charlotte_
Posted
Hi Charlotte, what a horrible time for you, venlafaxine is a hard drug to come off. I take it and have just started to reduce it this last month. A couple of years ago my dr increased mine up to 150mg i couldnt handle it.....crying all the time, suicidial thoughts, all sorts of symptoms. I stuck it out for 6 wks hoping it would settle it didnt so i just dropped the increase 37.5mg in one go and went through it all again.....horrendous, wouldnt wish it on anyone!! The reason im telling you this is after that experience i did a lot of reading up on ven and how it affects us, withdrawals etc.
What i learnt is the slower u go the better. I dont know how quickly u have reduced ven to now be on nothing?, was it under medical supervision?
I am tablet splitting - so i am coming into my 5th week of reducing by a quarter of a tablet. I will hold at this until i feel 100% then i will cut by a quarter again.
A website i read said ideally u shouldnt reduce by more than 10% of ur total dose ( i cant do this with tablets) hold until all side effects have cleared then reduce again
It will probably take me a year or more to come off but i want to do it with the least withdrawals possible - if i even make it that far!
I also read that if u suffer badly with withdrawals go back to ur last original dose. If i was u i would go back to a dose of 37.5mg within a relatively short space u should feel ok again then withdraw very very slowly.
Please let me know what u think/decide to do. Wishing u well, Angela.
nigel45109 angela65121
Posted
anyone thinking of coming off ven or any other anti depressant, should follow angelas advice, its spot on. especially the bit about going back up to a previous dose, if a reduction doesnt work out. lots of people come off too quickly, and may have needed longer on one of the lower doses. its a very safe and good advice. may take longer, but little chance of a relapse. its nice if you can come off a med completely, but a lot of people cannot do it quikly, or even at all.
angela65121 Charlotte_
Posted
Hi my phone has went funny!....reply following.
mary33143 Charlotte_
Posted
Hello Charlotte
I have been on Effexor for a year after trying several meds and it's the happiest I have been
Did you really give it a chance?
monna93589 mary33143
Posted
Dear Mary,
do you have the tine to tell me a bit about your journey? i'm two days in and feel petrified.
nigel45109 Charlotte_
Posted
hello, ive been on venlafaxine for 8 months now. its brought me from depressed wreck, to the best ive felt for years.i increased to 300mg 8 weeks ago, and im still improving. people taking a snri, usually have worse depression or anxiety than the majority of people. effexor is prescribed after a few ssris have not worked. we tend to have treatment resistant or recurring anxiety or depression. most people dont give anti depressants long enough to work, or when they feel okay, they mistakenly think its the anti depressant thats making them feel not as good as they want. if an anti depressant is the right one for you, and the dose is right, you can feeling completely normal. you need to have a think about whether you should be coming off anti depressants. its a real gamble, as you can end up in a worse state than you started out in. i dont think anyone should be thinking about weaning off or stopping, until at least a year of feeling good. if its right to come off for you, you have done way to quickly. youve been on 150mg, recovered, and weaned off completely in 7 months? you should shill be on 150mg, waiting to feel good for at least 1 year, them reduce the med to coming off completely, gradually over a 6 month period. effexor is one of the most difficult anhi depressants to come off. if its right for you to come off, and you were on 150mg at some point, you should be dropping by a maximim of 37.5mg a time, and spend about a month at each lower reduction, or until you have got over each reduction. i dont know how whether you should have even started weaning off 150mg in such a short period, but know youve done if far too quickly. would recommend you speak to your doctor or pysc, before it gets worse.