venlafaxine/Effexor withdrawal

[sunchild77]

I know someone on here will tell me how stupid Im being. But Im trying to come off pretty much cold turkey.

Dr said I could come off it, as Im not depressed anymore, but she advised gradually. ((I know Im a fool before anyone thinks to tell me))

I cut down from 150mg Efexor XR, to 75mg venlefaxine over a fortnight. Felt ok mostly.

Then on monday completely forgot to take the 37.5mg morning dose. So I just thought Id stop cold turkey.

Bit teary yesterday, Now I feel dreadful, so spacey and sick (no electric shock sensations though)

ANy ideas how long this will last? Should I give up on the cold turkey? Will popping a pill make me feel better?

Am I a complete idiot?

ANYONE PLEASE!!!!

Sunchild - I have been prescribed Venlafaxine 150mg and I cannot bear to take it.

First tablet I took I felt utterly wierd - all spaced and sick, and dizzy. I couldn't drive. I just went to bed and lay there feeling awful.

Did you feel like this at first? How long does it last for and is it worth persevering? Have tried fluoxetine and citalopram with no use.

Sorry I have hijacked your thread but have asked question on MN before with no joy.

GetOrf, my Dr titrated the dosage, so started off on the 37.5mg, then 75mg then 150mg, so side effects were minimal. I remember having strange dreams and sweating, and being really thirsty.

I feel really TERRIBLE today though..

I was on Fluoxetine (made me a bit manic and angry, and couldnt sleep), then Mitazapine (made me eat and eat some more, and made me feel drunk in the morning) But Venlefaxine has worked really well for me, but also in combination with CBT over about a year.

ANymore questions feel free

Hope you get better soon..

Thanks very much. I am glad that it has worked for you

Have been very low for well over 18 months now and it has been frustrating (to say the least) that nothing has worked. The dr was quite reluctant to prescribe venlafaxine as she said the side effects were quite severe. Think will go back and ask for a smaller dosage and work my way up.

It is really comforting knowing that it does work for someone! Fingers crossed I will be able to take the lower dosage.

Did it effect your appetite? I only took the one pill but along with the strange feelings, I completely lost my appetite for about 48 hours, and food seemed to lose all appeal. I made myself eat but it was a struggle. Seemed another odd side effect.

Thansk for your help. Hope someone can come and answer your questions soon.

sunchild - I think it would be better to come off slowly and I do think that if you took a tablet you would feel better.
I have been on Effexor twice the first time ebout ten years ago and I rememer feeling pretty good on it. I did have side effects of insomnia and sexual problems. Don't remember any problems coming off them.
The second time was nearly a year ago and they made me feel awful. Night sweats and suicidal feelings. Came off them after not very long at all.

Hi,
I'm coming off them too. Cold Turkey will be beyond awful, you really need to do an extremely gradual cut-down.

Took my last dose 2 days ago after getting down to a 18.75mg dose and I'm sitting here at the moment with that horrible spacey feeling. Feel completely shite.

Maybe you could take half of your 37.5 dose, to take the edge off your withdrawal but still be reducing.

GetOrf - sorry you're feeling low, venlafexine has been brilliant for me, but I agree 150 is a high dose to start on. I started on 75 XR and my mood was better within 2 days, side effects lasted a couple of weeks then settled down. I had excessive yawning and feeling sick all the time but felt so happy it was worth it.
Actually looking back I think I may have been slightly too happy, a bit manic.

Anyway, good-luck sunchild with coming off them and getorf I hope you start to feel better soon.

Hi there, Efexor worked wonderfully for me, I used to be on a 75,something dosage for years, eventually cut back to half a tablet every second day for a loooong time. But dropping that little bit is proving to be really hard. The point, is, however, go off it really, really slowly. I bought a pill cutter and literally took three quarters, then half and so forth. Cold turkey is not a good idea, except if you feel ready for it. Try to trust your instinct, hope this helps!

i came off venafaxine about a year ago as after six month i felt it wasnt working. i was then put on mitrazapine which works well. i have now been oput on both as apparently they work well together as i have been suffering with bad depression since before christmas. being a mum i felt very bad about crying all night long whilst medd was aslep tehn getting up as if nothing had ahappened. my physc saw me in tears and put me on both, time will tell. but i did come off them and went cold turky and regretted it ever since. if you still feel bad in a few days i would try and take lower dose. it is a good drug an di had no side effects

Getorf, (sorry to hijack), I am on 300mg of Venlafaxine (!) as was severly depressed and suicidal. It has been absolutely brilliant, but I remember the first week or so of feeling completely away with the fairies! Dizzy, anxious, horribly agitated. I'm not really selling it to you am I but if you can stick with it, for at least a month. It really has helped me when citalopram did nothing for me.