venlafaxine withdrawal effects

[carolanne557]

I have been Reading the threads on here about venlafaxine. Has anyone else been on this drug? As long as I have which is 10 years? I want to start withdrawing from it. some one mentioned brain zap. if I forget to take my medication I know by the afternoon because I feel weird and get this clicking or sparking. It's difficult to explain it sounds like electricity in my head. Has anybody else had any strange effects from this drug?

Yes, venlafaxine is a bastard to get off. It has a short half life, so doesn't take long for the withdrawal to take effect.

I've managed to get down to 37.5mg from 150mg slow release.

I can't get off the last bit, and am sticking to it for now.

I reduced very slowly, there's lots of info online. But it took months and months. And I remember reducing the amount by one of the small balls inside the capsule. I'd stick at the lower dose for about a month each time

Ditto this - I was only
in 37.5 (3 little balls ) and reduced by 1 ball at a time for about 6 weeks at a time

been on 325mg for 15 years and been of thinking of coming off for ages. but always feel awful (flu like symptoms) if I miss a dose. weaning myself off feels like such a lot of effort! Also interested to hear experiences

You'd need to reduce very gradually, 325mg I'd be looking at reducing over a very long period of time. The withdrawal is awful if you are late/have run out of meds.

It's no where near as bad if you are reducing gradually. It is a lot of effort, but I didn't need a high dose and wanted to reduce.

I’m on 150mg and have been for 12 years. I hate it and want to come off. I reduced from 275mg. Reminds me to make an appointment and ask to reduce more.

Dh has got down to 37.5 and occasionally forgets a day but gets horrible whooshing feelings by later that day. He plans to come off them once retired knowing it won't be easy. I think the tablets can be split so half the dose again

I was on 300mg for years. Removing a bead a week, has enabled me to drop to 75mg. I did drops of 300mg/225mg/150mg/75mg but left at least 6 months between each big drop. I had headaches but nothing uncopable.

My husband came of very slowly. He counted balls and removed one weekly.

The brain zaps were awful

I'm down to 75 and wish I could go lower, but the zaps get me

Thanks for sharing all your experiences. Slowly slowly it is.

I'm about to go on venlafaxine. Being scared by this thread! Do people feel overall it helped with anxiety and depression?

I've been on it for a few years, recently increased to 375mg. I worry about how I will ever come off it but it's the only medication I've tried that helps me especially with my thought OCD.

When people say beads do they mean opening up the capsule and taking on tiny bit out?

It is very effective. You do need to be very mindful of taking it at the same time everyday and the first week on it can bring awful nausea and dizziness, but it does dissipate once there's enough in your system. It was the only thing that enabled me to function. I went from crippling panic attacks that felt like I dying and not leaving the house, to being able to live a semblance of a normal life. For me, it was a lifesaver.

Coming off needs to be done extremely slowly. I went down one mini tablet a month. Took forever and I did the very last step by taking one every 36 hours, then stopping when I was on holiday so that if I needed to lie down or sleep, I could.

Thank you. I have OCD as well so hoping it might help with that.

Yes - carefully open the capsule , remove a bead /s and then put it back together

I was on 37.5 and it was very effective (more so than sertraline ) for my anxiety but it wiped me too much even at the low dose so had to come off (v slowly )

Yes was life changing. Can’t quite imagine life without it but it’s probably time to try

@carolanne557 How are you doing?

I've been on venlafaxine for 20 years and its been great for me.

I'm on 75XL mornings and 37.5XL at bedtime. The dr split the dose to try and keep some in my system as I was prone to upset stomachs.

I too have had the brain zaps but only if I miss a dose or decrease too quickly.

I had an upset stomach earlier in the week (fine now) but I'm still in the surreal world of withdrawal symptoms (panic, separation anxiety). Hopefully my levels should be back up soon.

Has anyone found a good short term drug to relieve the mental symptoms while the drug kicks in? Dr gave me a few diazepam but that seems to be more for physical symptoms. Propranolol gave me diarrhoea.

I withdrew from this over a long period of time. My GP was able to prescribe it in liquid form which meant I could taper really gradually (and didn't attempt opening capsules etc).

I've been on it for about 8 years and trying to come of it. Mine are capsules, I got down from 225 mg to 37.5 and couldn't get an lower. Someone on here suggested opening the capsule which I did, there are 3 tablets inside and I was taking 2, I'm now trying to take just 1. Started yesterday with just one and feel awful. Trying to preserve.

I emptied the capsule into a small glass pot so I didn't have to put the rest of the beads/tablets back into the capsule

I tried to stop venlaflaxine four times. It was absolutely awful. At last attempt I was given trazodone and got of venlaflaxine. I fainted on trazodone so that was stopped. No effects stopping that.

Good luck to you. I am now down to 37.5. I cut the 75 in half. I am going to try just a quarter next week. Horrible stuff!!

I'm finding that if you eat little and often it reduces the withdrawal symptoms. Hope this helps

thanks