Coming off Venlafaxine

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I've been on Venlafaxine since June 2015, initially 75mg/day, then 150mg/day, and then 225mg/day for the last 24 months (since Jan 2017).

I was put on it to cope with Anxiety & Depression of a very difficult divorce. Domestic abuse (children & I left in 2014), a very long and difficult divorce.

As well as the medication, I had CBT, a lot of counselling, attended the Freedom programme and two follow up DV support programmes, and towards the end some specialist PTSD therapy (eye movement desensitisation).

I am in a much calmer place now - back at work full time. Divorce over. Children also much more settled. Both my GP and my parents have made comments that I could look at starting to come down & off the Anti Depressants.

I am nervous as 12 months ago I tried to drop down to 150mg again, but just couldn't manage the side effects. The dizziness and nausea, and just feeling very detached from my surroundings. And that was only trying to drop over 1 month to 150mg.

Has anyone been through this, and got any advice?

Other two questions:

I drink alcohol moderately, but did recently do most of Dry January, so can stop for a while if it would help. Is it easier to be dry or drinking a bit to come off ADs.

Also Diet Coke (I drink probably 1 can a day), other 0% sodas (Lilt & Fizzy Orange) and a bit of chocolate (also managed to give up for January). Will allowing myself chocolate/fizzy drinks/alcohol make it easier or harder, or no difference.

Secondly, if I have put on weight while on ADs does it start to come off when you stop taking the ADs, or is it there for good.

Please be kind in answers. I've reread this and realise how pathetic it sounds re other people's issues, but I'd really appreciate some practical help.

Don't even try to reduce without your doctor's guidance.

It’s a very hard drug to come off.

I think you ought to speak to your GP and agree to a POA with very slow tapering.

Yes, very slow tapering. My doctor had me taking partial capsules at one point, it's hard to come off but I managed in the end. I got awful zapping feelings in my head.
It was easier for me because I hadn't found any real benefit from the drug, but it didn't actually take that long to get over the unpleasant symptoms.

Sorry. Not great news here either. I was only on 37.5 and I found it bad. You’ll need to taper back very slowly. At least 6-9 months.

Do not try going cold turkey.

I recently had to try and come off my 375mg dose over a course of 5 weeks as advised by a psych whilst switching to a new drug.9 days in I had full visual and auditory hallucinations with paranoia. So please go slowly and under medical advice

Thank you for the overnight replies. OK, I wasn't just being pathetic last time, and I will liaise with the GP before trying again.

Appointment booked for 22nd Feb ......

Any views on the weight loss aspect? I really put on weight once I was on the 225mg dose, and I'm hoping that might start to reverse once I manage to get down to at least a lower dose.

I forgot to take mine on holiday with me...

I felt like I was falling over and sea-sick all of the time (not helped by the ferry journeys, one in rough weather). Nothing I could do but get on with it. Grim. There was 150 steps to the place we were staying at and I couldn't do all the cycling with my family. I'm really lucky that my dose was only 75mg (last of the PND mixed with some life stress and peri-menopause) and the cold turkey was fairly mild.

Got back and booked to see the GP. Said I was ready to come off them anyway - the scores for depression and anxiety which had been moderate-severe were now mild. Told him I'd accidentally gone cold turkey the week before and he chuckled at my description of feeling like I was falling over all of the time.

I had more minor symptoms when I reduced the dose, and then when I went alternate days, but my mood stayed stable which was the main thing. Can't say much with the weight thing as I'm solidly in peri-menopause and that's causing havoc with everything. I am slowly losing it by walking more, cutting back on sugary snacks and cutting back on alcohol.