What could help with Effexor withdrawal?

Thank you, everyone, who wrote about your experiences withdrawing from Effexor.  It hasn't even been a week since I threw all my pills down the garbage disposal...Effexor-14 years (112.5mg./day); Seroquel-10 years (as much as 1200mg/day, but left off at 100mg/day); Klonopin-22 years (as much as 22mg/day, but left off at 2mg/day)...and I had painkillers, Zofran, Inderal, Hydrozyzine Meclazine (sp.?) and MORE!!  It's a long story, but my pharmacy put Effexor in my Effexor bottle, my Inderal bottle and my Hydrozyzine bottle.  Last July I ended up with Serotonin Syndrome.  The medical "profession" in my state has no concept of Serotonin Syndrome/Effexor.  It's very different with Effexor than with other SNRIs and SSRIs.  I discovered a plethora of data online just one week ago.  I tried to talk with the myriad of doctors I'm seeing, but no one would listen, nevermind even look at the data.  So, either I get help coming off all this medication or I stop on my own and suceed or die.  So I'm doing this alone; but now I don't feel so alone.  I have Flax Seed Oil but haven't een taking my supplements because I've been feeling so terrible.  I just took 2 tsps.

So far I've had to spend a lot of time in bed.  I'm nauseous, dizzy, suffering from severe back pain, having "brain zaps" every time I turn my head, boughts of diarrhea and constipation, muscle spasms; I can't sleep or I can't stay awake; my ears ache and are "ringing;" my mouth has become one big sore.  There is a positive...the only thing I can drink is water, and I'm thirsty all the time.  If anyone has any other ideas, please write.  Again, thank you for all the feedback.

I've been taking different anti-anxiety drugs for the past 2 years (after learning that I'm allergic to a chemical compound in Zoloft and Celexa), and while Effexor has been the most effective for me, it has the WORST withdrawal symptoms. I no longer have insurance because being in college and paying for my own rent isn't enough to get help in my state for medication, so sometimes I have to wait a few days and unfortunately that means I go through withdrawal symptoms. I have light-headedness, nausea, muscle cramps, increased anxiety, and brain zaps. I need a way to get through the withdrawal symptoms (short-term). I'm 21, in college, and have very limited funds but anything will help.

I've been on effixor for over three years and am now off of it for three days. I get brain zaps about 45 times per minute. I am sweaty and cold at the same time and very shaky. I am taking fish oil/omega 3 plus a "green" vitamin thingy. Nothing has helped. My 21st birthday is in 3 days. I am not looking forward to my birthday being filled with brain zaps and sweaty coldness.

i'm sorry :( I stopped taking it cold turkey a year ago this March. It did take about 3 months for the brain zaps/vertigo/night sweats to go away. 

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What courage! I envy your commitment. Can you tell me how you're doing? I just tried 48 hours from 150ER and have already backed out. W/drawal is immediate and catastrophic. I'm 65 years of age and feel as though I'm imprisoned. My psychiatrist is the last person I would ask for help. For some reason supplements make me nervous nor can I afford them. I feel hopeless and w/out a solution to this dreadful addiction. Thank you dear friends for your insight and messages of hope. Rosa

Guest, after three weeks, how are you doing? Rosa

It out support group for effective withdrawal? Congratulations on your cancer survival. ROSA

You go girl!

Hi everyone, I have to say thank you for all these posts! I have finally decided after being on meds for 17 years it's time for me to get off these! I have been on 300mg for the last 4 years along with Quetiapine at night as I suffer from insomnia on Effexor! I desperately want to get off these drugs and so far so good! I dropped 37.5mg first for 2 weeks then another 37.5mg for 10 days the withdrawal was manageable I got a shock with these brain chills, and I have been very irritable, sudden anger, nausea'. Vivid dreams, sweats, anxiety. I then dropped 75mg for 10 days then another 75mgs 7 days ago - I'm currently now on 75mgs and feeling very shaky! I'm doing this on my own, as I feel frustrated with my dr, psychiatrist and the system, they just will not listen to me! I figure I know my body and I want to be able to beat this! I have the will and strength to get off this I just feel very shaky! Can anyone help???? Is it the withdrawals? Or is it me? How do I know? I want this so bad and I just don't want to hear anymore that I have to be on them forever! I don't trust Dr's and the rubbish they tell me anymore ... Any comments would be very appreciated! Thank you ;)

I took Effexor XR 150mg for the past 10 years (I am a 27 year old female) for PTSD and panic attacks.  I wanted to discontinue the medication because I am planning to start a family, and my psychiatrist told me Effexor was not a safe option.  I was weaned off of Effexor XR while starting Prozac.  The hope was that the Prozac would help with withdrawl symptoms.  I weaned off Effexor in a period of 2 weeks, and similar to others' experiences, the withdrawal was horrible.  I had tremors, panic attacks, sleeplessness, uncontrollable crying, nausea, and the feeling that I was going to lose my mind and end up hospitalized.  The withdrawal symptoms lasted about 4 weeks (day 5 after quitting the medication was the most difficult).  I am now on a low dose of Prozac (20mg), and I have been off of Effexor for 2 months.  I am experiencing minimal anxiety, and I am sleeping and eating well.  The withdrawal was horrible, but I'm so glad that I got through it and that I am on the other side.  It gets better!

Hi ,
Its great that it works for you & I think only 1 person admitted that it did help them at the time , so , yes I believe it helped me too .
Now my life has changed & I am stable & safe due to very hard work mentally , stopping repetitive harmful behaviour to myself .
However , everyone noticed my lack of lustre , my monotone state & the loss of my creativity ( even I knew it had taken a chunk of my personality ) .
So, as i am safe now to stop & not going to harm myself , the post is awesome .
I am glad you weighed up what is best for you .

Best of luck

I am going through this and right now I want to kill someone or have someone kill me or beat me. I hate life. I want to hurt myself. Too bad I promised my daughter I wouldn't kill myself. Someone come beat me, rape me, hurt me.

I have only been on effexor for 3 and 1/2 months and have quit cold turkey, not even knowing that there would be withdrawal!  I would like to know if anyone knows if the amount of time is on effexor matters when it comes to length of withdrawal? 

Thankfully, mine has not been as severe as the many people posting here - I am truly grateful for that!  And I have found some helpful "remedies", I'd like to share.  Mineral supplements:  Mega Food Therapeutix's Thyroid Strength, Source Natural's Theanine Serene, and for nightime - ZMA (zinc, magesium, and B-6).  What I was told to look for was a good source of L-Tryosine and Taurine.  I really believe these are helping.

And I keep seeing repeated recommendations in effexor withdrawal forums to be *sure* to take Omega 3.6.9 - people to seem to swear by the omega's. 

Good luck to everyone!  We WILL be effexor and withdrawal-free!

I was taking effexor for the last 3 years, at 225 mg. I realized that this pill wasn't a guarantee for me to not have suicidal ideation. I would feel suicidal and have crises at least twice a year even while on this massive dosage. So i cut down to 150 mg, then 75, then none. Each time i felt hot flashes/icy chills, nausea, loss of appetite, apathy, zaps/shocks, dizziness, etc. Everything described here in the other replies. Almost blacked out last night after getting a slight cut on my finger. It's been about 3 days since my last effexor pill and i'm feeling downright terrible. I hate effexor more than ever now.  Going to have to try omega supplements. hopefully this withdrawal will subside.

I am 16 and Holy c**p, this has to be the worst 4 weeks of my entire life, i feel like i have a god offal flu. I was on 225 mg of effexor xr for almost a year and am now trying to wean myself off of this horrible drug. I am down to 150mg a day, I found that 2000mg of fish oil can really help with the brain shivers but i am still having severe blurred vision, muscle spasm, night sweats and vivid dreams. I am starting to think they should take this drug off the market, this stuff should be illegal!!! They are in for our wallets instead of helping us. Thank god i found this forum. I actually thought I was crazy. I have had to quit high school for a period of time considering i can function or get out of bed. I feel like i am crawling out of my skin daily, and the horrible body aches refuse to leave! is there hope for getting off of this anti depressant ? am i scared?