Coming off of Venlafaxine from 187.5mg

[mw]

Hello, I'm new to NMP although I have followed various threads over the last few years.

I was previously on Celexa, but after a long period of time when it was no longer working for me, my doctor suggested that I try Venlafaxine. Despite everything I have read about it, I decided to try it.

I haven't really noticed much improvement since I've started taking the Venlafaxine. I've been on it since February and have slowly moved from a dose of 37.5 mg to 187.5 mg. I only started at 187.5 mg about two weeks ago.

Previously, if I missed a dose, I noticed no difference at all. This week I missed a dose. I also had a cold and didn't realize until yesterday evening that I'd missed two doses in a row.

I decided to not take it today as there didn't seem to be much effect from the doses that I'd missed. However, the only explanation for the way I've been feeling today is withdrawal. Nausea, dizzyness, and now I understand what is meant by the term "brain zaps."

I won't be seeing my doctor for another two weeks, but with these withdrawal symptoms I really don't want to start taking the medicine again. I just want it out of my system altogether.
I know cold turkey is not the best way to do it. Any suggestions on how to cope until I see my doctor again would be much appreciated.

[Dahlia]

Hi MW

You're right, cold turkey is definitely not the best way to come off venlafaxine. Ideally you should stay on the current dose til you see your doctor, then you can plan a withdrawal 'strategy'. I'll warn you though, withdrawal can take some time.

I have just withdrawn from venlafaxine and cross tapered onto sertraline. I was on 150mg venlafaxine, my withdrawal plan was:

Drop to 87.5mg for 2 weeks
Drop to 75mg for 2 weeks
Drop to 37.5mg for two weeks (which is when I started taking the sertraline too)

Obviously you can do it quicker, but are likely to experience more side effects. Incidentally, I didn't find I got the withdrawal effects til 3-4 days after I switched dose.

Perhaps you could go back down to the dose you were on before 187.5mg until you see your doctor? That shouldn't give you too many problems side effect wise.

If you do decide to go cold turkey, I'd suggest you get some meds to help with the side effects: valium for the anxiety, motilium or a travel sickness med for the nausea and immodium for the bad stomach. (In fact, I needed these even when withdrawing slowly)

Good luck!

Dahlia

[soofles]

Hi MW,

I am going though a similar experience and I thought I would offer some advice as to what has helped me get through this testing time!

I had my effexor dose put up from 150mg to 300mg by a doctor who was not my normal doctor. He did this because I said I wasn’t sleeping and not knowing too much and being trusting because he is a doctor I upped my dose without a second thought. After about a month of being on 300mg I was feeling worse than before so I decided to drop my dose back to 150mg. I did this without gradually reducing it, which was not the smartest thing to do but my body could not take the 300mg so I want to drop it back as fast as possible.

I was unable to get an appointment with my usual doctor for 1 and a half weeks so I decided to drop the dose and do some research as to what would help with the withdrawal symptoms.
On day 3 of being on 150mg I walked into work that morning and my manager came up to me and asked me if I was ok. I burst into tears and told her that I had no idea of how I had even gotten to work that day and that I couldn’t recall anything from the past 48 hours which were my days off. I felt like I was going crazy and I must have been pretty spaced out because all the staff members were really worried about me. I was given the next 5 days off and decided to do nothing with this time and just rest.

During my research I found a few things that helped me a fair bit.

For the Brain zaps I took some Benydryl. It definitely eased the frequency of them and I didn’t feel so dizzy.
I would take 10ml during the day every 4 – 5 hours so I wouldn’t feel too groggy.
At night I would take 20ml and this would help reduce them as well as make me sleepy.

I was also prescribed some diazepam for the muscle spasms I was getting which were particularly worse at night, although I would get the shakes during the day as well.
I would take one 5mg tablet just before going to bed and this would ease the muscle spasms as well as make me feel sleepy.
I also if needed would take ½ a tablet (2.5mg) during the day if the shakes got too bad. Although I am aware that valium is highly addictive so I would only take it if I really needed it during the day.

On day 5 of being on 150mg I read that fish oil capsules can help. So I thought I would give this a go. I take 3 capsules 3 times a day which is the maximum recommended dose on the container. I found that this helped with the brain zaps and by day 7, I no longer was needing the Benydryl. I would suggest if you are going to try these to get ones that say “no fishy reflux” because they first ones I tried made my stomach a little upset.

I also would take 2 multivitamins in the morning to give my body that extra boost because my eating patterns weren’t the best and I needed as much nutrition as I could get.

Lastly I did exercise. I am a very active person normally and go to the gym about 5 times a week but because I felt so unwell I didn’t really want to. On about day 5 I decided to go and do a slow jog for a few km/s instead of my usual run and then a small weight circuit. I didn’t over do it but it defiantly helped me sleep and made me feel more grounded because I was feeling so spaced out.

I finally got to see my normal doctor and he was surprised that I had managed to make it through the week after dropping my dose so dramatically. He suggested for me to still use the diazepam at night and during the day if I need to for the next few weeks. He told me that he no longer starts people on Effexor for an anti depressant because the withdrawal is so extreme. He was not the original prescriber of the Effexor. I am also experiencing some neurological symptoms similar to those that I experience when I have a migraine (visual disturbances, numbness, tingling, sensitive hearing). These are slowly getting better, but I was told to come back and get a prescription for a drug called Tegretol, which is an anti seizure medication, if they didn’t ease up in the next week. Apparently this taken at a small dose can help relieve neurological symptoms.

He has come up with a plan for me to slowly wean myself off of Effexor. I will continue to take 150mg for the next month, then I will drop it down to 112.5mg for the following month, 75mg for the next and then 37.5 for the fourth month. After this I will alternate taking 37.5mg every second day for a few weeks and then I will be off them. I plan to take a week off work when I completely stop so that I don’t have stresses and can just focus on myself and my health.

I am only 22, I work as the head cook for a cafe and have had to get through these past two weeks of hell pretty much on my own. My partner is training in the army so I haven’t had contact with him for 3 weeks and my parents are currently overseas so I haven’t really had much communication with them either. I have had my partner’s family who has been a great support as well as my friends.
I think it is really important to have support from people and know that you’re not alone and even just to have someone to talk to, to tell you that your not going crazy! Even though you feel like you possibly are! Also the emotional ups and downs because of the changes in your serotonin levels can make it even harder, so try to find someone just to chat to if you’re feeling a bit down. Also if you are affected by withdrawal symptoms let your employer know if you feel comfortable bringing it up. My work colleagues have been amazingly supportive of me and it’s made me not stress when I have made silly errors with meals and things due to my head being a tad foggy.
Also find a doctor that you have a connection with and who knows a bit about this medication and doesn’t dismiss your symptoms. Even a referral to a psychiatrist because they specialize in this type of medicine might help.

Finally take your time reducing your dose! And also look after yourself and rest a lot, eat healthy and minimize external stresses if possible. I’m on day 14 and feeling heaps better!

Best of luck with it all! :yesyes: I hope some of this helps you and that I haven’t babbled on to much. Please keep me updated, I would love to here how you go and if you come across any good tips!

Take Care :)

Sophie xo

[Kilsally]

I`m on 225mg and no real side effects apart from gradual weight gain and less sex drive /takes longer (noticable but not so much it is a problem,) .... I usually take the tablet at bedtime and if I miss taking it I get excruciating headaches and dizziness ... after missing just one dose ... tried cold turkey but had to go back on them after missing 3 doses at the behest of the Mrs as it pretty much made me unsafe to drive as turning head made head dizzy.