My Venlafaxine withdrawal diary

[TheOrigRights]

Someone (I'll tag you in the other thread!) asked if I would be willing to keep a diary as I taper off Venlafaxine with the aim of coming off entirely.

I'm happy to do so and think it will be useful for me, too.

Been on venlafaxine 150mg modified release for a few years.

Month 1 - changed from modified release 150mg to 2 x immediate release 75mg just to get used to 2 smaller doses.

Month 2 - 75mg in the morning and 37.5mg at night
This is where I am now. I've been a bit muddled, partly because I was issued with 56 x 75mg and 56 x 37.5mg with instructions to take 1 each morning and night, and what with everything and 37.5 being a STUPID number to work with in your head, I didn't work out that this would be an increase. Twit.
I'm not sure how many tablets I have left, but I'll see where I am when all the 75mg ones have gone.

Month 3 (ish) - 37.5mg in the morning and 37.5mg at night.

Month 4 (ish) - 37.5mg in the morning

Month 5 (ish) - nothing!

So far I can report only some brain zaps and some fuzziness.
When getting used to taking 2 doses a day I did forget to take the morning one a few times, and only remembered when I started to feel zappy, by which time it was too close to the night time dose to take it.

Mood wise I can report no change. Unlike others I can't say it saved my life. I can't say it didn't. I just don't know.

Good news. The surgery called, spoke to the pharmacist who said they can only offer 37.5mg and GP suggests tapering to one every other day.

I said I was reluctant to do that due to its short 1/2 life and asked if there was a liquid form. I explained that I felt I was doing really well with my withdrawal and didn't want a set back.

She said she'd ask GP and she's just called back to say he's ordered the liquid form but it might take a little while and that if it hasn't arrived a few days before my current tablets run out to order more tablets so I can keep them going until the oral form does arrive.

Thank you MN for bringing to my attention (and the GP it seems) the availability of the liquid form.

I'm feeling positive.

Great news, I only read it somewhere about the liquid and noted that’s what I’d want because coming down from 37.5mg to 0 horrendous and noted to fail and that’s when you have to go back on it because symptoms are so bad

Another thing I had read is only decrease by 10% each time, stay on the same deceased level till symptoms have got better.

Thank you.

10% seems good advice.

How long would symptoms from a 10% reduction normally last?

My 37.5mg capsule contains 3 tablets. Have ordered a pill cutter. Was thinking of cutting one into 4 and take 2 plus 3/4 at first. Would you do that and then decrease to 2.5 when the withdrawals subside?

So I forgot to take my morning (37.5mg) dose yesterday as I was up and out very early (for me) to run a half marathon.
I didn't realise until about 6pm when I started getting the horrid buzzy thing in my head. It freaks me out a bit - I mean, what the hell is in those tablets which makes the electric impulses in your brain go bonkers?!
nb I do understand a bit, but it's s still freaky.

I was going to ride it out until bed time, but come about 9.30pm they were becoming more disruptive and I had thing to do before bed, so I took it then and obv didn't take another one at bed time.

3 days on 33.75mg (10%) reduction. No brain zaps but feel more tired and a little bit of brain fog. Can really feel it when next dose is due. It's all fairly low key but definitely not psychological. If it stays at this level each time I reduce, I think it could be manageable. I was expecting to reduce by 10% on a weekly basis. I suppose will have to see how that goes. I have been on 37.5mg for 10 years at least, for the sole reason that I have found withdrawals so difficult and haven't felt motivated to put myself through it.

@bigyellowtractorface

3 days on 33.75mg (10%) reduction. No brain zaps but feel more tired and a little bit of brain fog. Can really feel it when next dose is due. It's all fairly low key but definitely not psychological. If it stays at this level each time I reduce, I think it could be manageable. I was expecting to reduce by 10% on a weekly basis. I suppose will have to see how that goes. I have been on 37.5mg for 10 years at least, for the sole reason that I have found withdrawals so difficult and haven't felt motivated to put myself through it.

This sounds positive, I'm pleased for you, and well done.

Until I get zaps and/or a bit dizzy I can't know whether feeling tired and out of sorts is down to withdrawal or lack or sleep or perimenopause, or not eating well or anything else really.

I think keeping an open mind about reducing is a really good idea.

Hello,

I have run out of tablet so am now onto the liquid form.
I have NOTHING in the house to measure out anything less than a teaspoon, so I took about 1/2 tsp this morning (18.75mg) and I'll see how I get on.

I'll pick up a medicine syringe when I go to Tesco later (I assume they have them at the pharmacy).

I am feeling good. I am sleeping so much better and I have a joy of life that I haven't felt for so long. I can't know if the meds were disrupting my sleep and flattening my emotions, or whether I am truly better emotionally.

I am on guard though. I am aware that I am still not that resilient (evidenced by me nearly crying at the till in Aldi when I had 3 items and felt that the chap in front could have let me go first).

Day 1 of 18.75mg morning and night. Definitely felt odd in the late afternoon into the evening. I am going to exercise the side effects out!

The liquid form, which I have been told is expensive and special, expires 28 days after manufacture. That will be 18th Nov and I will be just over 1/2 way through the bottle. I feel awkward that I'll need to ask the surgery to prescribe more. Hopefully they'll acknowledge that I'm doing well with my withdrawal (good fortune and being sensible) and approve it, as the longer term effects of coming off too quickly or needing to go back up again have greater consequences.

So far so good. I am exercising my way out of the side effects.

Thank you.
I think it's a combination- I'm not having side effects that I can't handle (exercise really helps), I am pretty tough and determined as well.

I also think it's the right time.

I am nervous of slipping back down mentally and also into the unhealthy habits I used to cope with stuff, but I am very conscious of this and feel determined.

It's taken me 3 months to get this far.

I'm a week into the new lower dose and still getting withdrawal symptoms in the evening.
I should probably take my morning dose a bit later so it's 12hrs between doses, but there's a risk I'll forget entirely and suddenly get really spacey and odd and not be able to drive or faint or something.

I'm still going too. Now down to 2 tablets. Approx 25 mg per day. I have a mix of low mood but am having relationship issues which is probably contributing to it. It's hard to know what's what.

Anyway, I am going to keep going because I feel I am strong enough to get through all of it.

I have been taking 18.75mg morning and night for 2 weeks now and feel ready to decrease again, so this morning I took 15mg. I will do that for a couple of weeks.
I am still getting a bit woozy in the evening, but it passes.

Well done @bigyellowtractorface. I am sorry you've got relationship issues at the moment, and you're right, it's hard to know whether you're slipping into a dark space again. I suppose all you can do is give it time, and keep an open mind about increasing again if you need to, it doesn't mean failure, but rather a mature approach.

Just popping in to say hello and that I've read everyone's posts as I am hoping to come off Venlafaxine at some point myself too (only once my GP agrees). I have been on 225mg for 2 years now and I have to say the prospect of withdrawal symptoms terrifies me, but so is the prospect of staying on Venla for the rest of my life does it really take years for some of it to come out of your system?

No, I don't think it takes years. Venlafaxine has a very short 1/2 life meaning it's out of your system more quickly than other ADs. That's why people get withdrawal symptoms pretty soon if they miss a dose.

I think they key is to take it very, very slowly.

How do you even know if you're ready to come off it? I'm terrified my mental state will suffer if I come off.

@DuckPancake

How do you even know if you're ready to come off it? I'm terrified my mental state will suffer if I come off.

That's a good question, and I don't think there is a straight forward answer, more a number of different factors which need to be taken into account.

For me personally, I felt that because my depression was situational/due to circumstances that given enough time I would get back to my 'normal' self.

In fact, I became quite unwell mentally and still struggle with an eating disorder and the behaviours that come with that, BUT I know I have come to terms with lots of things, worked through stuff and most importantly feel I have the tools and self-awareness to manage things. I have had masses of support from the MH team.

I felt it was time to give coming off the ADs a shot. I have been nervous, but not terrified. I feel able to accept that if I'm not ready I go back to taking them and try again later.

For you, I would suggest talking to your GP to discuss your long term goals.

That's good

See I'm just not sure whether any therapy would only be working while I'm on venla and then be useless once I'm off it if you see what I mean?

I had a lot of trauma- sexual exploitation, then domestic abuse and lost my younger sister to cancer last year. I don't know if or how I could cope with these memories without venla

For me, they wanted me to be at a certain state (physically and mentally) before I started therapy.

I do know what you mean and I don't think you can ever know 100%.

I'm sorry for what you've been through .

i'm so sorry to read about what you have been through too Duck.

I was never on higher than 75 mg and tbh found the drop to 37.5mg easy but from there to zero mega hard. i have been on 37.5mg for at least ten years which shocks me tbh!

I am determined to do it. i've been having counselling and i feel really confident that i can cope with feelings without the need to numb them. i'm not experiencing anxiety as much. i suppose the counselling has helped me trust that i have the inner resources to cope with hard feelings and the insight that if i have them and allow them in, they won't last.

@dane8

TheOrigRights

Are u still with mh team ? Or could go back to the same team if things got bad again?
Because I think if you have that safety net(knowing mh is in bad measures) it helps to know you have people in the right places

Perhaps you could share your tools given?

No, I was discharged from the eating disorder team in earlier this year. I know I could easily go back to them, or the other ED team I was under from 2017-2019 (I live in one county but my GP is in another so I can access care in both). I was not discharged because I was fully recovered, more that therapy and their support had reached a natural end and I needed to do the work on my own. It was fully discussed and agreed by both parties (though after the first discharge I sat in the car and sobbed and sobbed - I felt untethered).

It'll take me a while to think and write about the tools I have, but I will try and do so. It's actually helpful for me to think about it.

I reduced down to 22.5mg per day yesterday (11.25mg morning and night).

Doing OK and feeling like I will be free of taking this medication soon!

oh wow! You have reduced much quicker than me considering your starting base was so much higher!

I am roughly on the same as you now. 22mg but it is hard to cut the tiny tablets accurately. i am on the verge of hitting half way mark which is 18.5 mg. i started on 37.5mg and it has taken ages to get here! I should reach zero in 6 weeks at the rate i am going.

i feel fine mentally i just hate any kind of physical symptoms, reducing at 10% per week feels tolerable.