Tapering off venlafaxine

[DaytimeIsCrazy]

After over 2 years on 150mg of Venlafaxine for depression, and about a year of feeling only 'normal' levels of low mood and overwhelm, I agreed with GP to start tapering the beginning of the week.
I knew it'd be a struggle as seen to be quite sensitive: if I miss a pill in the morning my head is spinning by lunchtime. I also switched from another AD to this and that was pretty rubbish, too.
I'm on 3/4 of my dose, and the withdrawal seems to be beginning as I've had a weird headache the last couple of days and woke at 3:30am wide awake...
Just posting to share, any helpful suggestions for the inevitable ups and downs gratefully received.

Yer I’ve heard travel sickness tablets help
Is that the only SE off coming off you’ve had? If so you’ve been very lucky. I know a few people who have tried and had to go back on it due to SE.

Yer I’m on venlafaxine 225mg upped to that about month/6 weeks ago.
I’ve been on it since 2012 8 years( bloody hell writing that down seems to have gone so quick)

I still have anxiety, higher sometimes more than others.
I think I’m going to try cbd oil

I have no problem staying on the drug if I need it for my MH, but feel I should try and stop to check if I do.
Other SEs so far include spinning head, upset tummy (rushing to the toilet) and some anxiety. Early days, though!
My main problem is the part of the day when the dose is due / taking effect. I wonder if I should be splitting my dose over the day. I'll speak to dr today.

I split the dose, as suggested by the dr, but had to take the second half at lunchtime as felt so rough.
I'm hoping tomorrow won't be quite as bad, as the later dose should still be in my system first thing. I feel like I need some kind of drip to slowly get it into me through the day.
I wish I wasn't so sensitive to it!

You must be on tablets, I’m on capsules xr
So are you take 37.5mg morning and night then

Day, I think most people on AD are sensitive because there adjusting your brain

Good luck op, I'm on this too, 150mg since December 2016, before that I was on Fluoxetine but meds were changed at a psych appointment when I was diagnosed with OCD too.
I take mine all at once in the morning and am always shattered though I do have chronic insomnia too.

Is it better to split do you find?

After the initial day or two, splitting the dose in half seems to have worked really well. I'm far less nauseous in the mornings. Hopefully the next taper will be easier if I keep splitting them.
I do seem to be more sensitive to withdrawal than some people, my body seems to get the drug through my system in 24h or less which isn't very handy! I was fine on the extended release ones, but will continue to split the tablets as long as is practical.

Just a quick update: I reduced the pm dose by half, and then 10 days later the am dose and so now on 37.5mg daily. So that's a quarter my original dose.
I feel pretty much ok, and think the nausea and headaches are more down to eating too much as not so obviously lined up with times I'm low on drugs!
Still a way to go, and may be worse yet to come.

Venlafaxine interfered with my b12 levels to the point I got pernicious anemia. Be careful what you're doing.

Was this while you were coming off? I've not been tested for a year or so but definitely since starting.

I was still on it and the symptoms were so bad I had to stop, I was so breathless and fatigued. I didn't know until I tried it that it can inhibit b12 absorption.

Thanks for info. I'll keep an eye. I'll hopefully be able to stop entirely soon.

Good luck in coming off of it, hope it goes ok.

Keep updating when you can as interested how it goes
You seem to be so strong te headache dizzy upset stomach, that alone is enough to knock you side ways.

That's under control at the moment. Just annoyed it took a couple of weeks of it for me to split the dose and fix it. I'm expecting it back at 'the end', though.
I'll keep updating as could only find info on the ridiculously hard bits of coming off when I searched. That or the extreme cases.
I'm impatient to drop another half, but know I should give this a few weeks...

Yeah, it is probably best to reduce it slowly I think. Hope you are doing ok.

Day how you coping?

No more reducing just yet, on 37.5mg (quarter original dose) spread over the day.
Feeling a bit low the last couple of days but DC2 has been hard work, and work a bit annoying, so hopefully nothing.
Really tempted to stop entirely and just deal with the withdrawal, but with DC I can't really risk it

Don’t do that, you may regret it.
You’ve got this far now, the last bit is supposed to be The,worst !
So take it slowly,

Did you take it for anxiety and depression and as that gone now.?
I’m I right your coming off because you feel fine now?

Good luck

Yep, mostly depression but a bit of both. Been 'well' for a year so thought I'd give it a go.
I've not had too many blips but feeling a bit low this week.

I've seen the dr today and decided to go back up a little to 75mg a day.
My mood, and ability to cope with work and the DC, has been rubbish so has to be done.
I can either try and cut down again in future or stick with this dose, if it works. Even if all I've achieved is reducing my dose that's fine by me.
I had been very sleepy in the day on 150mg, so hoping to avoid that.

Sounds a good plan x

It's 1.5 weeks since I upped the dose again. It's been pretty rubbish as low mood has been joined by anxiety.
Hopefully I'll feel better next week, once the drugs have started to properly take effect again.
I'm trying not to be too gutted, but it's really hard to go back to not functioning properly on a daily basis

Hi day
But wanted to put you off or scare you, as I know everybody is different

A friend of mine was on 250mg for years, she decided after she thought she was feeling good now to taper off very very slowly.

She got down to 37.5mg xl, after getting down to this dose she had a relapse in anxiety. She’s now back even higher at 300mg plus a psychotic drug and ended up in 19 mg off diazepam!!!
That’s after taking well over a year maybe 28 mths not to sure. It’s a b..... to come off

Hope it goes wel, keep updating xx

After 4 weeks back up the 75mg (half original fose) I'm slightly better than I was but still not functioning how I'd like. I feel low, anxious and generally overwhelmed.
I need to see dr and increase again, don't I?

Update. I increased the same day as my last post, and now feel well again. It took a few weeks, but I’m back to where I was. That is, I’m functioning and happy enough but very tired and sleepy.
My plan is to give it a few months and maybe try again, just going down the half my dose and sticking there, in the hope I’m less sleepy but still feel well mentally.