How To Reduce Effexor Withdrawal Symptoms

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! This is what I've been looking for to reduce my "brain zaps" Facinating post with all the right info. And best if all is that you are telling people why this works. I know why, because its all quite logical, but you nevertheless went to great effort to detail exactly what you used and why. Excellent!

Thank you to everyone here.  My heart goes out to all suffering or touched the horrible side effects and withdrawal effects of effexor.  Don't give up!  Don't give up! Don't give up! Don't give up!  It's not you...It's the drug effecting your nervous system.

This helped me this week, "Withdrawal is not an illness...Your central nervous system is in a TEMPORARY state of being excessively excitable and overly sensitive to stimuli..."

I took Evil, oh, I mean Effexor for the last 2 and 1/2 months (April 26, 2013 - July, 2013). I was prescribed Effexor xr for Hot Flashes.....Hot Flashes!!!!!  I had never taken an anti-depressant before.  I have been a health nut, always eating organic, no hormone, no pesticide food, yoga, meditator, 5x/week swimmer.  I "thought" I was suffering when I had hot flashes.  They were nothing compared to the withdrawal effects of Effexor.    After a couple of weeks of 75mg., my hot flashes were gone BUT Effexor turned me into a zombie, no feelings, speedy thoughts and talking, sleeplessness, zero appetite..it was like I wasn't me anymore.   Actually, I didn't realize it was the Effexor until around the 1st week of July when I missed a dose.  I had all of the above plus my whole body started jerking and twisting when I tried to sleep.  I read about the side effects of effexor and I started to become horrified.

Later I was walking my dog and I couldn't catch my breath and a piercing pain went through my chest.  I went to the er.  My heart and lungs checked out.   I told her about Effexor but she just said there was no connection, that I had seasonal allergies.  My GP doctor said the same thing at the follow up......Then and there I realized I was onmy own! 

I went to boards and forums and they have helped keep me from going crazy. Despite reading everywhere that I shouldn't go cold turkey, I did anyway.  THIS IS DAY 8.  It's been rough...like what others describe here ....I was up 4 days straight then brain zaps started day 4 and continue now.  I am a teacher and somehow I have to go back to work in 10 days.  What helps.. I started the fish oils and vitamins.  I eat berries and spinach salad.  Also, the yoga pose "downward facing dog" makes zaps go away immediately while I do it. God Bless!

Oh my gosh - this is me exactly! I'm on day six on quitting pretty much cold turkey. Day two felt like I was drunk and goofy and by day 3 and 4 I thought I was going to die. I was vomitting, dizzy, electrical zaps were mind stopping and I could not stay awake and when I did sleep - it was crazy! Day 5 I felt some relief and now I'm on day 6 and basically I feel light headed and lots of "zaps". The dreams I did have - were panicky and I would wake up in a sweat. but every dream I did have was about every issue that I did not deal with previously - I mean every situation, every person, everything. I allowed myself to stay in bed for almost two days andn amazingly enough, after all the panic dreams - the next dreams were about the same situations but how I got through them and finally I slept a solid 12 hours. I feel like I solved all my problems in one crazy sleep filled weekend! While I do know that this is not reality - I do have my sense of "how can get through this" back. I came to realize after another failed relationship, house in foreclosure and drinking everynight that all this drug did was numb me to responsibilities and reality. I to gained weight and became complacent with my life and how it ended up. I was to the point of believing I was depressed, helpless and that I needed "someone" to fix all of this for me. I felt more depression and false sense of highs than I did before I was on this drug. I can tell you and I am ashamed - but I had two very low nights that I thought suicide was the only answer - to the point where I was sitting in my garage with the car running! Talk about scary - my guardian angel and the strong real me luckily pulled me out of that. It definately helped in the beginning and got me through a brief period in my life where I needed a mental break. I am a very strong independant person and as I looked back and realized how I feel victim to this drug - I was going to take control again. I would not suggest to ANYONE that quitting cold turkey is the right thing to do - its scary and makes you feel so sick and the dreams I was having were literally these panic like dreams. This was my second attempt and I knew what I was getting into and I prepared myself. I don't want to dwell on what got me to be on this drug, but I can tell people that when dealing with death, divorce, sickness that God gave us emotions for a reason. Its ok to grieve, to be depressed for a bit and to stress about life once in awhile - thats how we survive. Please remember that I'm not a doctor and if depression or anxiety lasts for longer than "normal" amounts of time, you may have a natural or normal chemical inbalance that does require some type of medication and I truly believe in that. but to just take a pill to cover up issues that appear to be too difficult at the time - is not the healthy thing to do. The issues never go away - they just stay buried until our brains are ready to release and deal with it. I have been on 300mg on and off for almost ten years. I will tell you that while I thougth i felt good - I was in denial and in this state that all is good and all will work. My children have suffered from my lack of discipline and being a parent at the appropiate time. My "la la la la" attitude over the years has damaged relationships, career devolopment and my finances. I literally every single day felt that I could not deal with anything and just floated along in life. Well now I'm still alone, unhappy in a job and better much next to bankruptcy. My worst weight was when I got up to almost 240lbs!!! Thats only 5lbs less than when I was pregnant with my second son!!!!! I'm 5"8" and my normal weight is anywhere from 175-195 - hey give a girl a break! LOL - but I least I was aware of my weight issues and would address them. I got the point where I just plop on the couch, eat like crazy and figured "who cares" - all was good - like I said I was just floating along with no cares in the world. Without digging deep - that sounds wonderful, but again the underlying issues were just stewing inside, tearing me apart and making me worse. I would suggest doing a lot of reading, soul searching and spending time alone. I've had the same cell phone number for almost ten years, I just recently changed that and I've been doing a lot of walking, reading and learning to love me agian. Certain people will not like you trying to be better - there's a side to all of us who enjoy misery at times. As much as it hurts, it does help to cut them off and in my case specifically it is my brother and sister - which hurts becuase we are a close family and our parents are no longer with us - but I refuse to stay on the path of our life sucks any longer. I hope to be stronger and be the one who gets them on this postivie happy path I have found! I feel like I could talk hours about this - I do "feel" again - even though I'm still going throught the withdrawal process. I started Vitamin D and Fish oil yesterday and everyday feels real agian . I know there will be down times, times when I'm angry or stressed - but I brain does that to give us a kick in the ass once in awhile!!!! My mortgage company was willing to work with me and instead of addressing the issue - I let deadlines go by and never cared about it. Not anymore - if you don't stress sometimes you don't react. I feel if I can't react - then I'm not really living. I have to much to offer and to enoy in this life to settle for numbness or half ass excuses why my life sucks. This forum is awesome and I would truly enjoy helping others, getting advice form others and helping us all get back this. Stay strong and love yourself and forgive youself and we will pull through this together.

I am so glad i found this forum. I have all the withdrawal side affects you all mention. I am on day 3 of going cold turkey and feel terrible. You all know how i feel. I was on Prozac for 17 years and due to a bad spell my consultant put me on Venlafaxine  instead. I went up to 75mcg.  I had no side afects coming off Prozac, this Venlafaxine gave me bad side affects while taking it and now even worse with the withdrawal. I have only been taking it for 8 weeks and my god how hard it must be if you have been on it for over a year. I am not going to give up the cold Turkey. With all your good advice which i will try i'm hopeful soon i will feel better and most of all be able to move my head.

This Drug should be banned.

You are coming off way too quickly.  I am reducing my Venlafaxine at a rate of half of a 37.5 tab every 6 weeks.  I have tried before but thought that my symptems were coming back but it was the effects of coming off too fast.  I have been lucky to find a charity called the Bristol Tranquillizer project which deals with the withdrawal of antidepressants and benzodiazipines.  Best of luck and keep at it.

I have been on Effexor 75mg 6 months and fell pregnant a few weeks ago and got told I had to withdraw off it as soon as I can...however I was not told how too...I had a miscarriage last week, not blaming the drug here but omg this is the worst drug I have ever had to withdraw from...I read someones post saying it's the equivalent of withdrawing from heroine, I have never had that drug but damn...the brain shivers, the constant headache that is numb, feels like at times someone is digging their fingers into my brain...flu like symptoms, no energy, dizzy which leads too feeling anxious and nauseated...this is hard very hard...

I'm continuing coming off so when my husband and I try again for a child my body will be clean and going through this stress...I would love to know how long this goes on for as it is very very tiring.  I am trying to go down by taking on capsule then nothing for two days take another ect for a week then move onto a capsule then three days nothing ect ect... There does not seem to be any easy way out of these withdraw symptoms... apparently 78% of us will cop the worst withdraws coming off this drug...so why in hell don't doctors tell us before prescribing it that this is highly likely of happening as I would never have started it!  I have withdrawn from Zoloft and Pristique no worries...this is just HELL!

I take a multi vitamin and will buy myself the other vitamins and fish oil to see if this will help as I have never felt so ill ever!Anger is a huge problem worse than I ever had for a very long time... emotional rollercoaster....:(

This is also an extension of the reducing effexor withdrawal symptoms...
I have taken all summer reducing the amount of beads in the 75mg effexor I was taking. started with 10 and went down 5-10 a week Till I got to 50 out of the pill and then I quit. I am having every single sympton listed on this thread except no nausea thank the Good Lord. I have never tried to do anything before that made me feel so terrible. However, the reason I wanted to get off Effexor is because I thought I was getting alzheimers. I couldn't remember words, names, anything. My brain just didn't work. It was embarrassing, and very scary. I did research and realized this was probably due to the Effexor. I have no dementia or alzheimers in my family and am only 59 years old.
This is day 4 of no effexor and I have taken vitamin B12, fish oil, and although I hate to admit it, I have added vodka to most drinks throughout the day. Fortunately I am not working this week so I am able to do this and not drive or leave the house. The vodka was an attempt to try to fell better as I feel like I am out of my head and maybe going out of my mind.
BUT...today is a little better and my memory has been getting better all summer and I can actually think! I will never get on a drug such as this. I also pray a lot. I know this too shall pass and I will have my memory/mind back. I just needed to get this off my chest and thank you all for posting because I know I am not alone and not going crazy.

I'm feeling your pain...I have tried once before and am on my second try of withdraw...this is a vile drug that should be taken off the market... I also have started to have a couple of drinks again after not drinking for months just too try feel better...keep intouch would love to be supported through this and also be a support to others xo

I've been on 75 mg for a year, started in AFG when I was allergic to the first thing the doc tried. It was just supposed to be temporary, but I stayed on it after getting home thinking I needed it. I felt so happy I didn't want to let it go. When I started feeling more depressed I thought I needed a higher dosage. The side effects on the medication were usually limited to extremely realistic dreams. I have memory problems from a deployment injury so it became very difficult sometimes to figure out what actually happened and what I dreamed. When I skipped a dose...horrible, horrible nightmares. The worst and most realistic of my life..and I couldn't wake up. I would try to pull myself awake and it was like I was stuck. Waking up was a long and painful process, making me late for work on a constant basis. The brain zaps or whatever you want to call them, moved throughout my body. The mood swings, the crying, the dizziness...every sing symptom I've found. When I decided I wanted off I was put on a step down of 37.5 for 2 weeks, then half of that for 2 weeks. It ended up being way too fast so I extended the half a pill for a month I think then dropped it last Sunday. The zaps and nausea and small mood swings were all I dealt with until today. I thought I had gotten off easy, that maybe this was a special case. I realized today I was so wrong...and I'm really really struggling. I had a panic attack after trying to talk to the guy I'm seeing online. I can't tell up from down right now. I cried for 6 hours. I don't know how to get him to understand what I'm dealing with. I hope I'll be okay soon.

I know you wrote this a while ago, but thank you. Yesterday I thought I was going to die, but this all helped. Thank you again.

First of all, I wanted to thank ALL of you for taking the time to post. It is a great relief to know that the bizarre (and very hard to describe) symptoms I am experiencing, are common, and eventually will go away.  Eventually.

I had noticed the infamous "brain zaps" over the course of my 6 year relationship with Effexor.  I could always tell when I missed a dose "by that weird feeling I got in my brain".  It was never more than a passing thought, because I would pop the wonder drug into my mouth, and all was well with the world again.

I never made the connection that those symptoms would become pronounced when I stopped taking the Effexor.  I did a brief 3 week taper off 150mg, and never thought twice about withdrawl until I was in the thick of it.  Since finding this forum, and using some of the herbal rememedies I have seen, I am on day 4 of my quit.  I generally feel pretty craptastic, with a significant emphasis on brain and heart zaps.  (Thank God I have a reasonably accurate term with which to describe those symptoms!)  But I have not (and hopefully WILL NOT) experience the extreme, debilitating symptoms, from which many of you are suffering/have suffered.  For me, knowing that what I am experiencing is "normal" and TEMPORARY has made a huge difference in my approach to getting through this.  I am beyond grateful for that.

And although I have no love for feeling like this, I can't bring myself to condemn the drug/drug manufacturer.  Yes, this absolutely sucks, and I would be thrilled not to go through it. But I am thankful that the drug was available when I needed it, and helped me to get through a pretty rough patch.

I pray that God waches over me, and all of you, as we put this behind us and move onto better things ahead.

Sounds so like me and I am also a Susan. Low dose for 10 years, why even be on it ??? That is what they ask. So I went off, what I thought was SLOWLY. Started in Aug done end of Oct. November was "hell". Now when the season should be joyous, I am still suffering, not as bad. Was put on Xanax for anxiety, really thought was loosing my mind. What next???? Don't know, I take one day at a time. Doc said "maybe go back on Effexor". Time for a new doc????

Goodness! it's an awful feeling isn't it! Probably you won't even see this post, but I'm on here and I guess I need to vent. I have been on Effexor XR for migraines. I am going to apparently the #1 neuro in the country (if not #1, he's one of the top) (Dr. Kaneiki in PGH) after much trial and tribulation and jack ass neuro's who did nothing to help but take co-pay after co-pay. He put me on Effexor XR 150 at first meeting and it defintely made an improvement. Researching everything under the sun to help reduce 20+ migraines a month and avoiding lots of ingredients/chemicals found in foods has greatly helped. I now am getting maybe 5 a month due to watching too much tv, light sensitivity i can't avoid, giving in to a food trigger, etc) and about 3 when it's approaching everyone's wonderful monthly visitor, whom my husband calls Flo. Haha. Anyway, even when I get a migraine, they aren't as intense, but I was never told of Effexor's side effects, especially with withdrawal. I didn't ask because I didn't know meds could do that, and I was still having such horrific migraines I wasn't going online to do any research. Anyway, I want to get off because: 1. I want to see if reducing/eliminating effexor can be done without increasing the migraines frequency/duration/severity, especially if I follow other regimens like exercise, avoiding the triggers I've discovered, etc. 2. major weight gain that i can't stop even with diet and exercise. I've got a small bone structure and about 5'7'', and I was about 130 lbs but now i'm cresting over 150! and it's all in my thighs and hips, so i have skinny arms and skinny ankles. Even my underwear suddenly doesn't fit, i out fit my jeans every couple months, and it's hard enough to find pants that fit in the thighs but aren't 6'' too big in the waist. Everything is skinny jeans now and I do NOT look good in skinny jeans. I cannot emphasize that enough! So what do i do? it's like my matabolism is in reverse. 3. it's interfering with my school work because of the extreme fatigue and distractability I have constantly, even after being put on adderall. Does NOTHING. 4. oh and one day i'd like to have kids since i'm 31 and finishing up my teaching/masters degree hopefully in the next year...can' do that if i am on effexor. not sure how to do it if i have migraines either so should probably see how i'm going to do without sooner rather than later....

these last couple days, i have been taking my dosage as normal and i have all those withdrawal symptoms, especially the vertigo/brain zap/dizziness stuff. i have tons of homework, my job keeps scheduling me like 8 days straight, and it's a freaking pizza place for cryin' outloud, and i can't get anything accomplished! no one will cover a shift for me to help me out either. i get it, none of us really wanna be there, but come ON.

i came across this post and the symptoms and was like YES! is that way i am more irritable/aggitated than normal on top of the other stuff? rather emotional too lately. i'm sitting here now with a game open on my kindle, the laptop in front of me, and my binder with the assignment i have to write on, and here i am typing away on this post.

last night i got home at about 10:30 from work and had thought of working on my paper last night, then was all gung-ho about getting up at like 8, out by 9 to do my paper at panera bread or something, and then go to the gym and back home to get ready for work at 5. instead i couldn't get up til about 11:30, the damn coffee pot hasn't been working right, my mom's calling me drunk and going on and on, and here i am at 1:30!

ugh i can't stand it!!

Moved out of volatile relationship, out of state, into my mothers very low-stress apartment. I do not work.

Got my last batch of meds from old state, and based my taper off of how many I had left. I am tapering off of Effexor, Lamictal, Lithium, Vistaril, and Trazodone simultaniously.

I am now down to 90mg per day.

So far I feel fine. I have no physical symptoms, just anxiety peaks when I step down. Because I live in a low-stress environmnent, and I have no pressure, I am left only with self-inflicted anxiety. I am using yoga and lots of positive self-talk, and vitamins to replace the drugs.

I expect the steps from 75mg and down, and especially after the 45mg, to produce physical withdrawl effects. I plan to increase my Vitamin intake again at that time.

If I get too flipped out when it gets down to bare bones, I plan on going to the emergency room, tell them to write me a script, and continue my taper at a slower rate. I'm not going to give up. If this is too quick, then I'll just get some more from the er and slow it down.

You all were able to do push through the end, and I am going to as well. 

I'm excited that I'm even down to 90mg! Each decrease is a celebration for me.=) One step away from Effexor.

EFFEXOR XR 150mg Taper

I taper down 10% of 150 each step. I would have liked two weeks for each step down, but I had to work with how many pills I had.

There are approximately 544 pellets in a 150mg capsule, so I did the math to count out the pellets for each step. Once I run out of capsules I'm going to take the pellets with apple sauce.

135 mg x 7 days, PLUS 2 omega3 capsules in am, 2 in pm. 1 multivitamin in am. 1 vitamin B complex tablet in am. 1 vitamin D3 softgel in am.

120 mg x 7 days, PLUS same vitamin regimin as above.

105 mg x 7 days, PLUS added the Vitamin B and Vitamin D to evening (6ish) routine. I feel much better after I take the evening Vitamins.

90 mg x 5 days, PLUS same vitamin regimin as above. This is where I'm at now.

75 mg x 5 days

60 mg x 4 days

45 mg x 4 days

30 mg x 4 days

15 mg x 4 days

STOP

I have just weaned off of Effexor, successfully I think, so here is my n=1 research reults.

After being on 150mgs for several years, less a short period on 225, I reduced by 37.5 mgs monthly until I reached 75mgs, and then 2 weeks on 37.5 and 2 weeks to 0.

10 days later I feel fine, with a touch of dizziness if I move too quickly, and still a little more emotional than usual. 

Days 3-4 were the worst, with all the normal withdrawal symtioms excluding the brain zap thing, as follows:

Sweats, cold shivers, dizziness, headaches, spinning, nausea, muscle soreness, very poor sleep, ear ringing, irritability, poor emotional regulation.

The spinning, dizziness, and nausea made me somewhat incapicated such that I didn't feel I could drive safely or work and thus I decided to research the issue to find out what was going on and found out these issues are common. My doc had not warned me of this in any fashion.

After doing the online reading I bought some Gravol/Dramamine and almost immediately the spins, nausea, and dizziness were alleviated to the degree where I could at least function reasonably well. Each passing day has been better and I feel pretty much normal now.I only needed the gravol for 3 days or so though I should have started them right away. Still much more emotional than normal but can't say if that is still part of withdrawal or my new natural state now that I am off of the drug.

My learnings:

Carefully consider adding Zoloft/Prozac to the withdrawal process

Slow the step down process, particularly below 100mgs.

Have the Gravol handy and don't be afraid to use it

Long periods of sleep will be the exception so whenever you feel sleepy take a nap for as long as you can.

Do this under the care of a physician who has knowledge around the issues of Effexor witdrawsl or will find it before recommending a course of treatment. 

 

51 year old male, quite fit, 6' 3", 202 lbs. Diabetic but not on insulin, mild Dilated Cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

Taking Beta blockers, Ace inhibitor, Lamotrigine, Digoxin, Lipitor

Started taking Effexor shortly  after my heart failure diagnosis, 2007 I believe.   

As always, your mileage will vary. You all have my very best wishes.