What could help with Effexor withdrawal?

You can try Country Life Omega Mood Support. That works really well. Also try Calms Forte it's all natural and works really well for me to calm the nerves anytime even though it says for sleeping. Good luck and hang in there you will be much happier once that is all out of your system.

I've been trying to quit Effexor too......I have before and it was easier than this time.  Before I tried reducing the tiny things in my capsule but this time I have hard pills.  I cut the dosage in half from 50 mg to 25 mg, then cut that in half for a week and have stopped completely a week ago.  I am on this site looking for information on how long the brain zaps, dizziness when I turn my head and tapping noises in my ears to go away, plus the headache and insomnia, extreme sensitivies to everything going on in my life,etc., etc.!!! I already take 2 fish oil capsules in the evening, maybe I should switch to daytime? I am quitting because I realized that I am too tired to live my life!  At first Effexor seemed to be great for me but then I realized that it is not normal to be too tired to go out in the evening.  I am 61 but in good shape using the treadmill to speed walk at the gym 3-5 times a week and eat a very good diet. I just want to be me.  Negative moods and all and see what I can do for myself by myself.  I lived that way for over 40 plus years after all!  This time around I am having a much harder time with the withdrawal systems lasting so long!  I quit cold turkey once before and the brain zaps were no fun; quit very slowing counting all the little things inside my capsule over a longer period before and that did work, but this time it's been hard! It's been over a week since I stopped taking the less than 12 mg in the am & pm and still getting brain zaps! I'm hoping to find the organic nighty night at whole foods and will try the fish oil routine with benedryl...........won't that make me tired? I think I'll also look for the flaxseed omega 3 capsules. 

I am trying to quit Effexor XR 75mg capsules.  My gynecologist prescribed them for me 2 years ago after my hysterectomy for anxiety.  The nurse practitioner I am now seeing said to reduce 75 mg to 37.5 mg for 1 week, then (1) 37.5 mg every other day for 1 week, then (1) 37.5 mg every two days for 1 week, then (1) 37.5 mg every three days for 1 week.  I have done this and my withdrawals are horrendous:  brain zaps, emotional, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.  I have lost 5 pounds which I did not need to lose.  I can not even leave the house right now.  How long will this last?  Any suggestions?  I have not had a 37.5 mg dose since last Monday.  However, my husband suggested I take 5 5 mg yesterday just to make it tolerable.  It helped very little and I am back to diarrhea this morning.

Thanks for that specific suggestion. Didn't know you could do that. Now I'm gonna do it.

I am going through this terrible thing right now. It seems like it will never end.

I've been off of effexor for 1 month.. one thing that really helped was:

Eating more fat in my diet really helped me. NOT BAD FAT.. but good fat like coconut oil.
I also took 3 omega 3 fish oil capsules daily.. I noticed a difference if I didn't take them. I'm still taking them actually and will probably continue to.

However, be careful with your fat intake because oil is VERY calorie dense and I gained some weight. Best of luck! Hang in there!

I've been off it for about 5 weeks.. I take fish oil and I also incorporate more coconut oil in my diet. I gained some weight but It has really helped me. You can do it, just hang in there! It is so terrible at first.. but it really does eventually get better - I promise! Best of luck!

Hi guys

I was on effexor for over a year and had enough of the numbness and weight gain that is part of the problem. Although the medicine definitely helped me with anxiety and depression, i just could not live like a zombie anymore. Especially when in therapy, effexor acted as a barrier between me and my feelings. So, with the blessing of my doctor i slowly went down with the doses until i was off it. I thought i beat it but then hell borke loose. Brain zaps, crying spells, suicidal thoughts, it was awful. Frantically I read online that Omega 3, mulitivitamin, garlic root capsules and working out can help. I started taking them and I can can say, it has become a lot better! For all you out there that are struggling to get off this pill, please try to take Omega 3 and garlic root! It literally saved my life and if there is a chance it can help you too, go try it! I take 4000mg Omega 3, one multivitamin and three garlic root capsules. Later on during the day if i feel the brain zaps are starting again i take some more Omega 3. i can only say that there is light at the end of the tunnel!

What stops the brain zaps and dizziness

Hi I know you wrote this over a year ago which is why I wanted to ask you how you were doing without the effexsor?

I was on Effexor for close to 4 years.  It helped and did what it was supposed to do.  As I began to feel better equipped to handle my stress and cope with my anxiety, I decided to stop.  I wanted to wean myself off but I just didn't know how to do it correctly.  I went cold turkey.  It was not pleasant.  I am a school teacher and had to deal with nausea and dizzy spells.  I felt like I was walking in a fog.  I had a headache and felt mad at times.  Each day though got a little easier.  The first 3 days were sheer hell.  I mean sheer.  By day four, I was beginning to feel like my regular self.  I didn't have numb, metallic feeling around my mouth or hear my eyeballs swish when I'd look around. lol

If you can do it by weaning that's fine.  But it is worth it to me if you can just set aside a week to feel like c**p.  After that I was good.  I began my cold turkey 2 days before my 2 week winter break which I'm still in.  I was able to enjoy Christmas.  Today I feel GREAT.

I hadn't realised the effects of this medication. I was just happy not to be depressed when I started taking them. but now I'm realising that I'm just emotionless and that's just not me. I wanna get off this medication now. I'll take the bad just as long as I'm not numb.

Effexor was a miracle for me in my darkest depression. I took it 300mg a day for 10 years and then it stopped working. Withdrawal was miserable in every possible way. Mentally and physicaly I've NEVER been sicker than while weening off of effexor. That said, I don't regret taking it for a single minute. It gave me my life back. I had 10 amazing, depression free years because of this medication. It's not drug companies trying to control us people, it's our minds and it's simple biology. As others have said, Omega 3's, benedryl, and SSRi's help with the withdrawals. You will be physically sick, but you will get through this.

Were you weaning off the EFFEXOR? Or just happened while you were taking Effexor?

I am weening off this drug. I am down to actually taking the capsule apart and removing beads. I am down to 10 beads in my capsules and I am having such bad withdrawals that I can hardly stand it. I have been removing ten beads a week from my capsules for months now and can't wait to get off these things all together. My poor husband..I am angry and throwing things and screaming at him and our dogs. Head zaps, cant focus, confusion to the point of acting and sounding drunk, anxiety, laughing one minute, crying or angry the next, feelings of my hands, feet and head not being associated with my own body, hotflashes and sweats the list goes on and on. I am going to just stop taking them because like I said I only have 10 beads left in my capsules. I am afraid but I am going to do it in a couple of days. I haven't been able to drive either. My brain is really a mess right now. I have had easier times getting off of Vicodin when I was addicted to that after a surgery. This stuff is so hard to get off of but I will do it. I just hope I can return to normal. I guess that is what scares me the most..wondering if I will ever get over this anger and irritability.