AIBU to think Venlafaxine withdrawal is horrific

[IAmADancer]

I have been on and off anti depressants for nearly 20 years as I was also told my issues were depression related.
Turns out though, it’s not depression, I’m autistic. I received my diagnosis a week ago. The dr is helping me come off of Venlafaxine but it’s the most horrid experience.
The withdrawal is the worst thing I have ever experienced. I was on 150mg ant night and they have now changed it two 75mg twice a day. I thought this wouldn’t make a huge difference but already the side affects have kicked in. Nausea, dizziness, lethargy, irritability, bad stomach and migraines. I couldn’t get out of bed this morning as I felt like my head was going to split in two.

how does anyone come off this medicine when the side affects are this bad? I’m meant to be going down to 35g in two weeks

Anyone?

It is scary! I came off a high dose cold turkey (I was very young at the time) and the withdrawal was horrific. I would warn anyone against ever starting on venlafaxine after my experience.

Oh, I feel for you. Yes, Venlafaxine withdrawal is an awful thing to experience. It sounds like maybe he should have reduced your dosage 35mg at a time and that it was too big a step.

It passes. Get down to the minimum dose over a couple of weeks (37.5? Daily) then it’ll be 4 days or so of feeling like you’ve got proper flu when you stop altogether.
It’s horrible but you can do it.

Anti depressants seem to have horrific withdrawal, far worse than anti psychotics and mood stabilisers which are far more effective/stronger (in my experience anyway). It's strange.

It’s absolutely horrific and as a PP said, I wouldn’t ever go back on them. It may be worth contacting your GP as they can prescribe liquid in lower doses to get you from 37.5mg to 0. Good luck and remember it’s only temporary.

I had bad withdrawal, similar to you.
I had the little brain zaps for months after too, it's awful.

Had a strange moment reading this, OP, as exactly the same happened to me.
I'm still on the antidepressants, though, as I become uncontrollably tearful when not on them (and I can't deal with the withdrawal zaps).

It’s awful. We are away for a family weekend and I couldn’t get out of bed this morning. My DH and the DC went out for breakfast whilst I lay in bed with a migraine trying not to vomit everywhere.

no one told me how awful Venlafaxine is to come off.
Does anyone know why they go from a nightly does to splitting it out to twice a day?

My husband had horrific withdrawal from this. The half-life is much shorter than other ADs so even forgetting a dose made him feel awful. Also, I think ADs could well have a different effect on a ND person - have you also been diagnosed with ADHD? I’ve known people with this have real difficulties with ADs.

I may well had adhd. I had an assessment because my DS had one and lo and behold I have asd.

I'm totally opposite, I stepped down from 225mg over 6 weeks and didn't have any withdrawal at all. And it worked, I'm off antidepressants for a year now. I do take a mood stabiliser but don't need anything else.

Interesting to see this. I too have been on it for years. If I skip a dose, I definitely notice but not too bad. No idea that stopping would cause bad withdrawal.

Did they switch you from the extended release type to the regular kind? If they aren't extended release, then splitting the dose helps.

@WhoWants2Know yes they did. That’s helpful to know as I wondered why they had done that