How long will Effexor Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

I was on Effexor to help with menopausal hot flashes. Like most of you, I started at the low end (37.5 mg) and was raised to 75 mg. No more. Was on for about 4 years and then, partly because of the bad press the drug was receiving, and partly as I thought night sweats were continuing anwyay, wanted off. First week-half dose and no significant issues. Then off completely and wow, what a ride (and not a good one). It has been about 2 weeks now without the drug and I am still experiencing the heavy head, the exhaustion, the zap (sort of sounds like a cash register drawer opening and shutting constantly), the nausea and feeling sick. I don't want to socialize in the evenings-I am too exhausted. I wasn't on for depression or anxiety-just night hot flashes that were waking me up. If I had known about this drug and its withdrawal, I would have just put up with the hot flashes. Exercise (walks with the dog!) helps with the heavy head but people who know me just keep saying you need to see your doctor as you "look ill"-grayish and heavy eyelids. I would have thought 2 weeks would have any drug out of one's system but alas, I thought wrong. This drug really screws up the neurotransmitters in the brain and I just hope the brain readjusts to its own levels of serotonin etc and I am praying SOON. This drug shouldn't be dispensed by a GP especially for something as simple as hotflashes. I am learning a lot about the drug and its side effects the hard way. Physicians need to stop dispensing it. Pyschiatrists need to take it and see how they feel when it is withdrawn so they can counsel their patients. The company needs to be held accountable for the chaos it has caused in people's lives-not just those prescribed the drug, but the family and friends who watch the needless suffering.

I took venlafaxine 37.5 mg the genetic for effector for 1 day for the first time. I went to sleep after I took the meds and wokeup with my heart racing and feeling like I was high on something. I had to go to the er because I was scared. They told me to stop taking it and call my doctor aka np. I hope the withdrawal isn't too bad, because I felt bad when I first took it.

Hi everyone, this is my 11th day off this horrible drug. It is the worse Ive ever felt in my life, but I believe it will get better. b Yesterday was a very good day since I weaned and stopped completely. Today is another story, the zaps in my head and nausea is really bad. I find when I am keeping busy it is not as bad and the Omega 3 help somewhat. My doctor told me the side effects from coming off the drug would last a week, but its been over a week and I can hardly function, one thing I know for sure I would never take this drugs again. Take care all

I just abruptly stopped my Effexor 150mg/day and have had terrible w/d symptoms too. It's been about two weeks now and the nausea is gone. I hear nearly constant ringing in my ears a "wooshing" sound when I move my eyes laterally quickly. I have joint aches and feel "general malaise" (fluish - achy, runned down feeling). Klonopin helped during the first week, now I'm toughing it out mostly but still take a 0.25mg dose when I'm too agitated to cope (I feel hypomanic most days now too). The Klonopin helped with the nausea during the first few days - a lot! No one told me to use it, I just had an Rx for it and tried it out of desperation and it worked! I hope this advice helps some of you.

i've been on effexor for about 10 years was on 150mg for quite awhile then opted for 75mg for years. i tried to stop 2 years ago got to the 37.5mg then i guess it was not the right time because i decided to go back on to 75mg.

 

this drug has ruined my life. i finally decided that now is the time i want off. for good. its been since march 14 i was brought down to 37.5mg a day for a week then march 22 it was every other day. today is my 2nd day on only clonezapam, and all ive been doing is crying. i'm tired of being nauseous, the brain zaps and i've slept all day and had a short fuse today as well. i'm just hoping this will eventually go away. i too a sick and tired of being sick and tired but refuse to give up this time. :-|

Hi, Please dont give up it will get better I promise you. Today makes it 33 days since I stopped taking the stupid drugs and I am so better, I get a few zaps here and there and my body is a bit sore but I am functioning way bettter. The nausea a will go away soon, I eat a lot of fresh ginger and took gravel with ginger and it did help. Try and drink lots of water and flat gingerale. Hope you feel better soon, but if you are going to go back on Effexor because you are too sick off coming off it DONT, its not worth it. Take care

i had a break down today more of a panic attack. i just cant take the brain zapping anymore its making me crazy! when i try to explain it to people they look at me like im crazy. i am not giving up this time dont worry I'm just tired of feeling like c**p. its only been about 4 days im only on clonazepam (very low dose .5mg) but they nausea and zapping make me lose my appetite so i dont eat which makes me feel even worse. i need to stop my pity party!

I had been on Effexor 150mg for about... More then five years now and recently saw a mental health team who has tappered me off it frm 150mg to 37.5 to nothing in two weeks. The plan was to start me on a medication called Proxtine 20 mg yesterday, and as soon as I took the Proxtine I black out and collapsed in the shower. Normally when I forgot to take an Effexor I would get what most would probably feel is like... A brain shock or brain shiver, and basically... Well like being drunk with out the alcohol, I would be very dizzy and find it very hard to walk and just be horribly tired.

 

I've found in the last four days now since taking no effexor at all, that I've developed a horrible stutter that I never had before, plus terrible involentary muscle spazzums, and I've been vomiting black and every time I eat I have diharria afterwards. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem before coming off effexor? Or whether I should be the Proxtine because it doesn't seem to be any better for me. I honestly can't understand why I was taken off Effexor, it did well enough for me only bad side effects when I forgot to take one. And basically my doctors are telling me that I just probably have a cold or something causing the muscles spazzes and stuttering, which just makes me wonder how experts in this field could be so idiotic, because I've never once heard of a cold doing so. Plus my paranoia has gone through the roof! I was on Risperdone which I stopped in August of last year, and Effexor was the only thing left stabalizing me on my depression side of things, and its just horrible!

 

So has anyone ever found that they've suddenly started to stutter? And my main concern is at the age of 21 and being a photographer as my job is if these twitches and stuttering is going to ruin my career because I can't hold a camera still or tell me model what I need them to do without it taking me five minutes to stutter it out. All the doctors tell me there's nothing wrong, that its not something they've ever heard of and that its not neurological! I just want to know if its going to be permenate this stutter and spazzing I have it terrifies me that they've done this and blame it on a cold!

if you are vomiting what looks like coffee grounds you need to seek medical help immediately.

I am a 52 year old female. I have been on 150 mg of Effexor for about 15 years due to panic attacks. After reading these posts I am terrified to continue my decreasing schedule.  About 3 weeks ago I was dropped to 1 x 75mg and 1x 37.5. I was doing great until this past Friday. I began vomitting , couldn;t sleep, constant pressure in my head, and tremors in my right arm.   I feel edgy and have been off work since then.  I have a very supportive family, but I am terriefied to continue after reading these posts. I started taking the Omega 3's last night as well as some meds for the vomitting.   I am type 2 diabetic so I need to be careful about everything. I would love to hear from someone in the same boat as me , as well as someone who has succeed their withdrawl.

Thanks for the advice.

dont give up! you have come this far! a few times i'm like why am i doing this to myself but honestly if you think of what you are putting in your body i don't know why i did that to myself!

I Stopped Taking Effexor 6 Months Ago. It Was Horrible As Most Of You Know. I Tried To Taper From 75Mg But ended Up Just Stopping. Haven't Completely Felt Normal Yet, But Way better. Now At The 6 Month Mark Everything Is Going To c**p. First Time Ever Having Panic Attacks. Depressed. Can't Stand Being In The Sun For Some Reason. Weird But I Always Feel Dirty And My Skin Is Breaking Out. Don't Care To Even Go To Work Or Interact With Others. Why Is This happening After 6 Months? And How Long Will It Last? I Took Effexor For 6 Years Fyi. I Thought Once I Made It Through The initial W/D Phase It Was Over. Apparently Not?

Prilosec anyone? try it u might not like it

Is there anyone that could point me to whether or not long term use of effexor could have affected my immune system?