Effexor Withdrawal Tips

Hi MaryI'm not sure if you were the person I originally read about staying hydrated from (as I have been on soo many sites regarding this lovely effexor withdrawal)but that is the one constant I have stayed with the entire time. I drink water, water and more water. And when I'm done with that I drink more water. I believe it has helped, except for the constant peeing Anyway Mary, take it very slowly. slowly as possible, and hang in there.I have vowed to myself, that when/if I really start to feel OK that I would post my happy results, as it appears we never hear from folks more than once or twice. We will be here for you and with you. I wish nothing but the best for you as you continue along this lovely journey. I hope you can help me in my goal of finding and posting a success story. Keep us posted tase

Went from 150mg to 130mg (3rd day now) and I feel awful, awful, awful. Crying, snappy, moody, tired, achy, tired and more tired. It is affecting my job as I don't want to do anything but go home to bed. I feel like a zombie. M

Hang in there if you can.Remember to drink your water.I would love to say I am feeling great, but I have the worst cold ever known to mankind, ok thats an exaggeration, but ick.My head is so stuffy, so I blaming that on the cold, not the withdrawal, so there :D take care

I thought I was logged in but the above was me.

Thanks to everyone who has posted here. I've been on Effexor for about six years (300 mg daily) boosted by a low dose of lithium. The drug was a lifesaver for me, I will definitely admit. However, I've been stable for over two years now. I'm doing research to find out what's happening with Effexor withdrawal. Hoping I can find that I can go off it. The one time I tried (years ago), I ended up in the emergency room. I know a LOT more now than I did then. Still in the process of gathering info... but this posting was very helpful to me. Everyone hang in there and very best, warmest wishes for an easy (or at least ease-ful) time of it.

You sound like me. I have gone from 300mg to 150 mg in one month. It really wasn't that bad. Now that I am attempting to go down more I know I have to do the down one day and up a bit the next. I keep hydrated and took benadryl last night to sleep. It did help. It may take awhile and I know I have to do this slowly. Please post on this board because it helps so many going through this. Mary

Hang in there latest guest. Take it SLOW. mary I hope you are feeling even the slightest bit better. My cold is slowly disipating(sp?). The withdrawal symptoms continue to lessen each and every day. I think this is day 12 for me. I think most of my withdrawal effects are turning towards the emotional side. I'm kind of down in the dumps, but hanging in there. Still trying to drink as much h2o as possible. We can do it guys tase

I have maintained right now at 150 mg. I tried going down a bit but it was too much for me. I have gone from 300mg to 150 mg in a month. I am going to stay at 150 for a bit longer. I have a trip coming up at the end of April and I don't want to be a mental and physical mess. I thought about going cold turkey but would have to go to the psych ward to do it and I don't want that. How long has it taken others to go off completely? Am I procrastinatling? Any response would be helpful! Thanks, Mary

mary Take it as slow as you feel comfortable with. My guess is the longer you take to let your body adjust at each level the better. I wouldn't do anything to drastic now if you have a trip scheduled. So what if it even takes an entire year. For me, I was feeling really good, except for the disgusting cold. I even woke up feeling good today, and I never feel good when I wake up. But now that I am at work, I'm not feeling so hot. I'm kind of dizzy, and kind of fell like I could pass out. I am praying these are not old symptoms coming back. I'm not really feeling any of the fore mentioned withdrawal effects, unless this is just the nex stage. o.O I am still drinking water like nobody's business. I don't know what else I can do. Let us all try and stay strong for each other. tase

Thanks for the encouragement! Hope you feel better too! Mary

I have recently stopped taking Effexor. I read other people's stories about the terrible withdraws and didn't want it to happen to me. After looking at various message boards I read about a woman who opened up the capsule and removed six of the little balls and went from there. Depending on your dose there will be a different number of little balls. I counted all of the balls in one of my pills. I then set up a schedule to remove X number of little balls in various increments. I would save the balls that I took out and used them later as a dose (by putting them in an empty pill capsule). Today is my first day of not taking any Effexor at all. To date I have had no withdraw symptoms from the staging down of the Effexor. Hope that this helps anyone looking to stop taking Effexor. Please note that I was only on Effexor for 2 months.

I quickly wanted to check in and say today is day 18 completely off of Effexor. All physical withdrawal symptoms are gone. IT WAS HELL!! I visited 2 other forums during this last month from hell, and only yesterday i found a link to a website that looks like it would have been an absolute lifesaver. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, but never found. I'm not even sure we are allowed to link, and again it was too late for me to try any of the methods, but boy if I was starting today. Update time. Today is day 18 completely off Effexor. I would have to say that 99.99% of all physical withdrawal effects are gone! I felt really crappy emotionally on Monday, but since then not too bad. I am being cautious in my enthusiasm only because I don't want to psych myself out, but I do absolutely think the worst is behind me, and brain shiver be damned! I have had an aweful cold/bug that is going around the office, twice even as folks who thought they were better have relapsed, so I can't say I have felt great, but only because of this cold. Anyway bushwompa & Victoria, I am overjoyed that you are both feeling well. I just wanted to drop off a link -if allowed - to a site that looks to be a lifesaver (if I had only seen this before) that I found in another depression related forum (Healingwell.com). I have not used any methods as I am done with my nightmare, but I urge anyone who is checking into this thread to at least look at it. antidepressantsfacts.com/taper.htm Good luck everyone tase

I am so happy to have found this site. It has been a real comfort to read what you all have gone through trying to get off of this drug. My doctor told me that it's not addictive, but it's not easy to live without it when tapering off. Makes sense aye? I began Effexor XR after I had one heck of a year. It was my ladder to get me out of the hole I was in. I am very grateful of that. Now 2 years later, my doc and I decided to try and see how I do without it. I went from taking 225mg about 2 1/2 weeks ago down to taking 75mg every 3 day. The withdrawal symptoms have been wretched. I have had the brain shivers, a real bad cold, bowel issues (yuk), tiredness, insomnia, very very moody, and the list goes on. Sometimes I wonder if I am very very moody because I'm sick of dealing with the withdrawals or if it's' actually a withdrawal symptom. Who knows? All I know is that I can't wait to be free! I took benadryl today to ease my cold symptoms, but maybe it will help the withdrawal ones as well. I also have been drinking water like a fish. It seems to help? I can't tell what helps anymore. All I know is that I want sympathy. LOL. I thank you all for your posts. It was a pleasure reading them. I will keep you informed.

I have been on a Effexor almost 3 years - 300 mg. I decided to come off of have it because I was tired of not having enough feelings and the sweating at night was getting really annoying. I would wake up soaked through and through. Anyway, I tapered slowly for about 8 weeks going down by 75mg every 2 weeks until 37.5. I did the 37.5 for about a week. all this was fairly tolerable with some minor stomach issues until I took my last one 19 days ago. My worst symptoms physically seemed to be stomach related off and on pains and diarrhea and I am still having troubles but a lttle less- I wonder how long that will be? The brain shivers and tingling in feet and hands have subsided a lot but are still there but tolerable. As far as the emotional part - that is now becoming more troublesome. I guess I am so worried about bieng depressed again that I question if I am feeling irritable, depressed, quick to anger because of the withdrawals or is the real me returning. I am so determined to finally kick this medicine. I have worked very hard on myself through therapy and I am trying to feel better naturally by exercise, nutrients, vitamins, etc. I have had many moments of feeling very good emotionally- then I have had my crashes. my mood is a bit more unstable these last 7 days or so. I have finally been able to cry again but like so many others here have posted "it feels good to cry at touching sensitive things again but not like every second" I am hoping all this regulates itself to a good balance but how do I know when the withdrawals are done and what I feel is just real? I refuse to give up and go back on this crap! Anyway, thanks all for sharing. It does help to know were not out their alone - and to those just beginning the withdrawal process go slow, be patient and know that this nasty drug will leave your system in time. I know this may sound lame when your in the midst of feeling like hell and can't get throught the next minute but man, this drug is so nasty I just keep telling myself during the worst moments of it that I want this poison out of me! I wish all of you well! Melanie

I have been on a Effexor almost 3 years - 300 mg. I decided to come off of have it because I was tired of not having enough feelings and the sweating at night was getting really annoying. I would wake up soaked through and through. Anyway, I tapered slowly for about 8 weeks going down by 75mg every 2 weeks until 37.5. I did the 37.5 for about a week. all this was fairly tolerable with some minor stomach issues until I took my last one 19 days ago. My worst symptoms physically seemed to be stomach related off and on pains and diarrhea and I am still having troubles but a lttle less- I wonder how long that will be? The brain shivers and tingling in feet and hands have subsided a lot but are still there but tolerable. As far as the emotional part - that is now becoming more troublesome. I guess I am so worried about bieng depressed again that I question if I am feeling irritable, depressed, quick to anger because of the withdrawals or is the real me returning. I am so determined to finally kick this medicine. I have worked very hard on myself through therapy and I am trying to feel better naturally by exercise, nutrients, vitamins, etc. I have had many moments of feeling very good emotionally- then I have had my crashes. my mood is a bit more unstable these last 7 days or so. I have finally been able to cry again but like so many others here have posted "it feels good to cry at touching sensitive things again but not like every second" I am hoping all this regulates itself to a good balance but how do I know when the withdrawals are done and what I feel is just real? I refuse to give up and go back on this crap! Anyway, thanks all for sharing. It does help to know were not out their alone - and to those just beginning the withdrawal process go slow, be patient and know that this nasty drug will leave your system in time. I know this may sound lame when your in the midst of feeling like hell and can't get throught the next minute but man, this drug is so nasty I just keep telling myself during the worst moments of it that I want this poison out of me! I wish all of you well! Melanie