Effexor withdrawal symptoms

Effexor® may cause potentially serious withdrawal symptoms upon sudden discontinuation. These withdrawal symptoms have a tendency to be significantly stronger than the withdrawal effects of other antidepressants including the tricyclic antidepressants.

Discontinuation effects may include:

• irritability,
• hostility,
• headache,
• nausea,
• fatigue,
• dysphoria
• brain shivers

Rarer withdrawal symptoms include:

• shaking legs,
• tremor,
• vertigo,
• abdominal or stomach pain;
• agitation;
• black, tarry stools;
• bleeding gums;
• blistering,
• peeling,
• loosening of skin;
• bloating of abdomen;
• blood in eye;
• bloody urine;
• confusion
• dizziness
• paresthesia
• impaired concentration,
• bizarre dreams,
• agitation
• suicidal thoughts

Effexor and suicide

The possibility of a suicide attempt in seriously depressed patients is inherent to the illness and may persist until significant remission occurs.
Close supervision of high-risk patients should accompany initial drug therapy, and consideration should be given to the need for hospitalization. In order to reduce the risk of overdose, prescriptions for Effexor should be written for the smallest quantity of tablets consistent with good patient management.