Venlafaxine withdrawal please tell me it gets better

[withdrawal123]

Gone from 225mg, to 150mg, to 75mg over a few weeks and on nothing since Friday.

I feel horrendous, physically and emotionally. I made the mistake of googling and read this could last for weeks. Right now I feel light headed and like I might pass out, quite spaced out. I also feel horrendously sick which has only just come on 48 hours after not taking any.

Does anyone have any advice/reassurance? I feel so awful.

That's a pretty fast withdrawal. Did you do it under Dr supervision? Imo you should have gone slower and then dropped to 37. 5 for a few weeks.

It's an awful withdrawal but remember each day you get through is one day further away. Some people find antihistamines work. Try and stay cool, keep your fluids up and stay off the Internet. You won't hear the good stories anywhere including here!

Thank you @Coffee86

I've reduced my dosage as advised by my perinatal nurse. My baby is 12 months now but I haven't been discharged yet. Back to work imminently. Don't feel like there is much MH support available generally speaking tbh which is partly why I wanted to come off it whilst I'm still under the perinatal team. They have reduced my contact quite a lot and it just happened they didnt forewarn me about it, so feeling a bit alone right now. I'm not very good on the phone, and they can't see me face to face until September

God no, no wonder you feel awful. You need to reduce it slowly slowly 75 then 150 then 75 then 150 until the brain zaps decrease then 75 daily then 75 every other day for ages! Whoever gave you this advice has clearly never experienced the sheer horror of venlafaxine withdrawal

That is really too fast.

I’m on 150mg (came down from 187.5mg, I couldn’t tolerate more than that), and have been for a month. It’ll be getting dropped by 37.5mg a month.

I am on other medications but this one has always been more or useless but was stuck on it till I levelled out on the others.

I came off 37.5 and it lasted about a week-like a really nasty flu. If you’re two days in, I’d be tempted to try and carry on but take to your bed à la flu. This isn’t something you can just tough out.

That's way too quick, no wonder you feel awful. It's a hard one to come off, you need to take it slowly.

Adult DS had a tough time coming off it, he found the brain zaps almost intolerable.

I came off 225mg cold turkey. Not what anyone would have advised and I felt physically unwell for about 10 days. Hot and cold, nauseous, tired, brain zaps etc. After about a week I could feel things improving and after about 10 days I was fine. I am aware what I experienced was probably quote mild in comparison to other people - I didn't have any side effects when I started and I was started on 150mg. I just wanted to say that the symptoms do go away, however awful it is at the time.

However, if you are struggling emotionally, I would question whether it is the best time to stop? Can you try and give your MH team a call or get someone to do it for you? They will be the best people to advise you.

I am in the process of coming off 150mg daily dose which I've been on for a few years.
First I changed from modified release 150mg to 2 x immediate release 75mg. Did that for a month just to get used to 2 smaller doses.
Then 75mg in the morning and 37.5mg at night. For a month.
Will then drop to 37.5mg morning and night.
Then 37.5 once a day. I can easily go back up if I don't tolerate the drop.

Main symptom has been brain zaps and fuzziness, which I can manage.

Is she a medication prescriber? I would contact your gp and ask them for advice and maybe speak to the nurse too. What she advised was dangerous.

@theorigrights that's a really sensible way to taper

[quote Coffee86]@theorigrights that's a really sensible way to taper[/quote]
It means a lot to be told that, so thank you.
My life has been a bit chaotic and intense these last few years. I've had lots and lots of support.

The fact I'm able to follow a sensible withdrawal plan really shows me that I'm getting back to where I should be.

And I have a good GP.

@dane8

TheOrigRights Is that where you are now 37.5? Please when you’ve come off that can you do a thread of how your coping, I’d luv to know I’m on 225mg have been for about 5 years that dose but on venlafaxine about 10 yrs I know everyone is different, but good/bad to know each individual case Good luck x

Hello dane8, No I'm on 75mg in the morning and 37.5mg at night for a couple more weeks. I won't be on a single 37.5mg dose for another 6 weeks or so. I will gladly start a thread. I'm nervous tbh. How will I know whether difficult feeling are down to withdrawal or a return of the black dog, and if it's the latter do I now have the resources to manage in more healthy ways?

I suppose I need to keep an open mind.

That's really fast. If you need to start again at 75 and have that for a bit then drop it slowly.

Venlafaxine is an absolute fucker to come off.

It will pass though. Eventually.

I agree with the poster who said antihistamines are helpful.

Honestly op it will pass.Probably within a fortnight.

Venlaxafine is horrible anyway, it's good you are coming off it.

Venlafaxine saved my life @maggiesfarm I'm on 300mg xr and will be for a long time. I think it's a brilliant snri.

@dane8

TheOrigRights Great, looking forward to reading your withdrawal Diary, in a good way I can imagine how nervous your feeling, think it’s because we were in a bad place at the time we went on them. That now we are scared that if we don’t take them anymore, we will go back. Also we on venlafaxine have read so much on how hard it is to come off it, that that’s our thought that’s at the forefront off our thinking.

Did you feel any difference going from capsules to tablets, what the make off them
I’m on Effexor capsules

Is your mh depression, depression/anxiety or anxiety?

Sorry for highjack your thread withdrawl123
Hope your coping and doing ok?

I've started a thread My Venlafaxine withdrawal diary

I have been on fluoxatine as well, and (going through a bloody minded phase) came off cold turkey. I didn't like being on those so after a period of time with nothing and then having to admit I was struggling my GP suggested venlafaxine.

I have not noticed any difference between capsules and tablets or in immediate vs modified release (apart from when the buggery tablets don't go down first time!).

My problem was initially situational depression due to a very difficult divorce (abuse). It then developed into clinical depression. I was so bound up with everything I didn't realise what was happening. It took a very good friend to spell it out to me like a child.

During the divorce I used my eating as something I could control. I knew it wasn't healthy, but I just let it be as it was enabling me to carry on.
Unfortunately, after my divorce due to a combination of the totally unexpected fall out emotionally (panic attacks, triggers sending me spiralling) and the ongoing difficulties with my ex, the controlled eating developed into something that was controlling me and professional, successful, independent, sporty me developed a full blown eating disorder.

I am in recovery now and I look back and see the denial, fear, shame, self loathing, and how my 2 kids have not had the Mum I want to be, and can see how unwell I was. I have been under the care of the ED team twice (last discharge was a few months ago) and although at the time I wasn't receptive to recovery, they gave me the tools I now use, now that I am in the right (or better) place.

I associate ADs with a terrible time in my life and I want it in the past.

@inthekitchensink

God no, no wonder you feel awful. You need to reduce it slowly slowly 75 then 150 then 75 then 150 until the brain zaps decrease then 75 daily then 75 every other day for ages! Whoever gave you this advice has clearly never experienced the sheer horror of venlafaxine withdrawal

Doesn't it drag it out? I came off 375 overnight ( I was only 19 and had just had enough of it) and yes it was pretty bad, but I don't think I would go slower than the OP if I had to do it again. I'd prefer to get it over with.

dane8
Yes, there is a huge difference between loss of appetite due to stress and the complexities of an ED.

I lost quite a bit of weight before the ED kicked in, people were commenting and I felt so self conscious. It was all due to the stress of the divorce.

Thank you so much for all the replies. Have been reading them but feeling too sorry for myself to do much else.

Physically I am coping better. The sickness comes and goes and the 'brain zaps' are not budging or reducing yet but I can cope better now than I could a few days ago.

Mentally things have been pretty awful to be honest. I've been in some dark places the last week and the clouds are still above me. I go back to work in a week (massive backstory, but it's going to be immensely stressful and having a 12 month old adds an extra edge to that). There is no way I could cope with this when I'm back at work and in the end I decided I would be better to continue what had started. I was also worried that I'd be too scared to ever try coming off it again.

I do agree that the withdrawal I have done has been way too fast. I couldn't get hold of my perinatal team when I needed them and so I had to make the best decision I could. In hindsight I would absolutely suggest people discuss a slow withdrawal with their health care professionals. It baffles me that the standard withdrawal recommendations are similar to mine when the effects from venlafaxine are so absolutely terrible!

I think your perinatal nurse gave you very, very poor advice.
Do you have an appt with them to follow up with how your withdrawal is going?
It sounds like you got to 12 months postpartum and they wanted you off their books (nb I have no experience with perinatal MH teams so maybe I am completely wrong).

It would be OK to go back on to it OP, it's not a sign of weakness or failure, BUT please try and speak to your GP. Can you do an econsult?

Meanwhile, keep writing here if it helps.

Take care