How long will Effexor Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

I was prescribed 75mgx2 per day Effexor, starting at the age of 12. For the next 4-5 medicated years I struggled with constant adrenal fatigue, memory loss, loss of cognitive function, cerebral storms (imagine somebody driving 10-penny nails into the base of your skull for a few seconds) and general loss of touch with the world outside myself.

Sometime after I turned 16 I had adjusted somewhat and I started researching exactly what I was taking. After realizing what I was taking I suggested to my doctor I should be brought down. After which I felt far better than I had in years. It took some time to adjust to the person I had become while I was "away".

At 22yrs I had somehow acquired Type-2 Diabetes, nominal aphasia (can't remember nouns, kinda like stuttering except with only a certain type of words), mild depression, muscle and joint pain, back and knee muscle weakness, constant mood swings, cardiac arrhythmia, wide range oral allergy syndrome, knees that sound like tissue paper, and most symptoms occuring with cushings syndrome.

Looking back I did have a few endocrine related symptoms as a child that should have put up red flags for every doctor I had. But sadly they didin't.

When I was 12 they tested my IQ at 143, now I would probably test at around 130 because of my cognitive deficiencies which I'm painfully aware of every day.

The hourly blood sugar bell curve can be debilitating at times. But I'm coping with what I have and challenging myself to out-perform my "healthy" peers both physically and mentally. I give everything I have to achieve my goals as I may not be around to complete them tomorrow. I had a very close call with arrhythmia a while ago, which was induced by no particular trigger.

At 22yrs I try not to pay attention as I watch my injuries start to heal slower, my hair get grey, and the various "duct tape" solutions to my daily regimen grow in number.

At times I feel a bit cheated as you may guess. If a 16yr old can see the source of a problem through such a medicated fog as that, when people with years of experience fail to do so, I am concerned for the safety of the many others also similarly medicated.

From time to time, when the moment dictates, I alone ask a simple rhetorical,"Why?", out loud. An every time I find the same quality of answer with no ears to listen, that I did with trained M.D.'s at my disposal.

Be thankful and remind yourself daily that you still have your health.

I was prescribed 75mg Effexor for 6 weeks (when my father died), but stopped cold turkey on the advice of my psychiatrist because it wasn't working and I'm going to be starting an IVF cycle next week. This is torture and I don't see an end in sight. I'm having to retype lots of what I write because I can't get my body to do what I want it to (when I talk half of what I'm thinking stops before my tongue can get the words out and I feel like an imbecile). I'm having horrible and vivid nightmares, very painful joint and body aches, vertigo, nausea, diarrhea, I'm unsteady on my feet, I'm crying at the drop of a hat, and snapping in uncontrollable anger over little things, I'm starting to have violent suicidal thoughts where I feel like driving into a wall or stabbing myself or something that is full of rage, I shiver and get twitches all over, I'm getting very agitated, I get tingly feelings over my body when I try to rest, and all of this is made worse when I get upset. I can't work, my husband keeps treating me like I'm crazy and "sick", and I'm ready to give up! I never had this with Prozac! I HATE whoever made this horrible medicine. I've been off now for two weeks and my symptoms are not subsiding! I don't know what to do at this point but die. I went back to work one day and it was torture to make it through. I came home crying in absolute pain and my husband can only say how "sick" I am and that I "need help", that it's "scary". No sympathy, and I'm ashamed to tell anyone else what I'm going through. How long is this torture going to last?

I was prescribed 75mg Effexor for 6 weeks (when my father died), but stopped cold turkey on the advice of my psychiatrist because it wasn't working and I'm going to be starting an IVF cycle next week. This is torture and I don't see an end in sight. I'm having to retype lots of what I write because I can't get my body to do what I want it to (when I talk half of what I'm thinking stops before my tongue can get the words out and I feel like an imbecile). I'm having horrible and vivid nightmares, very painful joint and body aches, vertigo, nausea, diarrhea, I'm unsteady on my feet, I'm crying at the drop of a hat, and snapping in uncontrollable anger over little things, I'm starting to have violent suicidal thoughts where I feel like driving into a wall or stabbing myself or something that is full of rage, I shiver and get twitches all over, I'm getting very agitated, I get tingly feelings over my body when I try to rest, and all of this is made worse when I get upset. I can't work, my husband keeps treating me like I'm crazy and "sick", and I'm ready to give up! I never had this with Prozac! I HATE whoever made this horrible medicine. I've been off now for two weeks and my symptoms are not subsiding! I don't know what to do at this point but die. I went back to work one day and it was torture to make it through. I came home crying in absolute pain and my husband can only say how "sick" I am and that I "need help", that it's "scary". No sympathy, and I'm ashamed to tell anyone else what I'm going through. How long is this torture going to last?

I have been taking Omega 369 2 pills 3 times a day and it does wonders for me. I went cold turkey off of 15o mg after 3 years.

I contacted a local lawyer, who gave me a lawyer in Coral Gables FL. I live in Florida. Tom Cqlmo Since the monitor/censor these posts.

I have been tapered off effexor since April 2011. My question is how long before normal shows up. I really do not want to go back and cypalex does not sound any better then what I have wiened off to date. I feel so much better in many ways BUT i still have times I can not think straight and have some anxiety along with my circling as my husband calls it. I am told seratonin is produced in our intestines how long before it works to show up in our brain?

This is truly a horrible drug for the long-term, of which most of us were not informed of when having been prescribed in the first place.Please don't give-up! There's Got to be a way to conquer, and I believe we've got to keep trying. If we can possibly get the time off work long enough even, that would help to deal somewhat a little easier. For it's the least little bits of stress,that could lead to an outburst of anger for no reason. I remind my self of a Bible scripture...I can do All things through Christ that strengthens me. Phil. We will have the VICTORY!!!!!!

I agree 100pc with you, I was on this for 5 years, weaning off them now,into 2nd week and LIVING HELL ON EARTH, with drawal is so bad, can't begin to describe them. Only good thing is , I think, is if you stick it out you will never ever take them again.

Usually I just use a stimulant to bypass the effects of withdrawal. I am going to the doctor tomorrow or today to get a prescription for concerta. Concerta is my life-long go-to drug for anything. Once I had the flu and took concerta while I was sick...someone could have shot me and I would still not feel it. I recommend trying to get a stimulant. Concerta is on the high end whereas Aderhol is a little bit cheaper and doesn't give you the feeling of invincibility. If you really are tired of feeling tired, worn out and you can't focus, get to your doctor AND DON'T GET MORE ANTIDEPRESSANTS. That's so counter intuitive. 

I cannot understand why Effexor is even being to prescribed to people.  This stuff is poison!  I have never had a medication effect me the way this one has.  I have been on some form of anti-depressant medication since I was 16 (I'm now 41).  I have taken all different kinds.  Back in September I was placed on Effexor because I wasn't sleeping, even when medicated, and I was suffering even more anxiety and "blues" than usual.  I started taking the Effexor and everything got worse.  I didn't sleep, my heart would race, I have this constant pounding in my head.  I had been experiencing migraines before I took Effexor, but after I started taking it they got worse and I actually had one that lasted for a week.  I ended up at Urgent Care having to get pain/knock-out shots.  (The shots took away the pain, but didn't knock me out)   

I started researching insomnia because I felt like if I could just get some sleep I would feel better.  That's when I discovered that my medications could be causing my sleep issues.  I started reading all the information I could find on Effexor and I realized I was suffering every adverse side effect this medicine could cause.  I also read about the nightmares of coming off of it.  I knew I needed to quit taking it and I tried to cut it in half.  What I found out was that although the withdrawals are a nightmare, I felt even worse when I took it.  

So, it's been a week and I am in withdrawal hell.  I'm not sleeping, my head constantly pounds, it's so loud it actually affects my hearing.  I am sick to my stomach all the time, I'm dizzy, off balance, I can't concentrate, I have a dull ache in my head all the time.  If I exert myself even a little I get a sharp headache.  I feel like a slug, absolutely no energy.  My head feels like it weighs 100 pounds, it just feels so heavy.  I'm an emotional wreck.  I cry at everything.  I ache all over, I get chills and what I like to refer to as the "shakes," I just feel like my insides are vibrating.  I have no coordination, even the simple tasks are almost impossible.  

I have started taking Omega3, b complex, and Dramamine.  I had read these would help ease some of the withdrawal symptoms.  I know for sure the Dramamine is working.  I still feel sick to my stomach, but I don't feel like I'm gonna throw up all the time.  

Anyway, it's nice to read these threads and see that I am not alone.  It gives me hope that I will hopefully get through this. I'm very fortunate that I'm not working outside the home right now.  There is no way I could work in this condition.  I feel for those of you who are dealing with this and having to try and work on top of it.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who shares.  It really does help to no you're not alone.

I've been taking Effexor ER for several years.  Since I became eligible for Medicare, I shop around for the best price; Canada, CVS Express Scrips, and occasionally run out.  That's a different story.

I describe my withdrawal symptom as the "pft, pft, pft" of fence posts while driving on an old country road.  Has anyone else had an experience like mine?

Has effexor helped?  Well I don't fly of the handle like I used to but my overall mood is blah, no highs or lows.

I was on Effexor for about 7 years.  I had worked up to 150 mg. a day..  It took me two full years to taper down, and in July of 2012 I went off completely.  In September, about 6 weeks later, I hit the worst depression I have ever felt in my life.  Full blown panic attacks, out of control anxiety, vomitting in the morning from anxiety, and now.. 6 months later I am still struggling.  At one point I was in such a state of fear and panic that I thought I might need to be hospitalized.  I have had suicidal thoughts.  This has been an incredibly difficult and rocky road.  Not that this matters, but I am a business owner, and it has impacted my ability to make decisions, and function as the leader that I need to be for my employees.  I would never, ever have started to take Effexor had I known that the withdrawl would be this long lasting and severe......  If you are thinking of taking Effexor, be very, very wary and do your research.  I wish I could turn back the clock, but I can't.. Now i am just trying to get thru this day by day.  

Hi! I have been taking Venlafaxine 75mg/day (Velaxin in Romania) for 6 months and before quitting my doctor reduced my dose to 35mg/day, but with now advice or suggestion for how to deal with withdrawal symptoms. I have read a lot of not so nice stories about the withdrawal so I got a little bit scared. Today is day 11 with no pills, I hope that the most difficult part passed and I can say that it’s better than I expected:            

Day 1: - no symptoms

Day 2 in the afternoon and day 3 were quite difficult to handle (couldn’t sleep and when I did I had nightmares, dizziness, increased heart rate, headache, I felt like the brain was moving in my head, nausea and a lot of crying with no real reason, fatigue, high focusing difficulties).

Starting with day 4 the symptoms started to decrease: first no more crying, no dizziness and no headaches, the sleeping started to get better. For the nausea I just ate small ginger pieces and a lot of lemon.

The remaining symptoms after day 7 or 8 are: increased heart rate, fatigue and focusing difficulties.

They are still upsetting in the morning (I think this might be related to the time when I took the pill) and almost gone in the afternoon.  

In all this time I had sick leave (because of some skiing accident - bad coincidence) and I was lucky to have the support of my understanding husband, mother and of my therapist. I took Omega 3 (3 x 500mg) , yeast pills (vitamin B complex) ,  drinkable magnesium  and for sleeping some plant pills. I tried to have light meals and drank a lot of water and fruit shakes (orange, kiwi, apples, lemon and ginger).

I’m confident that I will continue getting better and that soon everything will go back to normal.

I hope that this might be helpful for some of you and that we all will get rid of these nasty pills.