Venlafaxine withdrawal mood changes and depression!

I have just come off Venlafaxine (10 days ago) and now I am experiencing changes in mood and some depression.
Some days I feel very low and have mood swings.Sometimes when I am not low, my mood seems normal and I am not experiencing any extreme mood swings or highs, just very low and depressed feeling or normal feeling.Some days also now I think I feel normal but I have mood changes during the day. I can feel fairly normal for a while and then my mood will change to be low . These are not strong mood swings but the changes in my mood throughout the day are worrying me. This is causing me to worry if I am depressed now or is this normal when you withdrawal from Venlafaxine?So can the Venlafaxine withdrawal cause these mood changes and will the flu like feelings and mood changes I am having make me feel so low or maybe the flu feeling I am getting is just making me think I have a low mood? I am so confused and worried, please can someone help me.
If this is normal, how long will it last? Please can you offer me any advice on this as I am worried that I will not get better and be normal again.

Anyone??
Thanks!!

Hi George,

What dose were you on ? (for how long) and how slowly did you come off the venlafaxine ?

Also why are you coming off ? Are you feeling better or moving to another medication ?

Mood swings are pretty common when coming off this type of medication because there will be a in-balance in your brain that will settle after a few weeks.

Thanks
Simon

George, from what I understand you are experiencing typical withdrawal symptoms.

Perhaps someone who has come off Venlafaxine could post some advice for you?

All I can say is try not to keep 'tuning in' to how you are feeling as this will make you worry more. it is only 10 days since you stopped the medication, I have read that Ven/Effexor is one of the worst meds to withdraw from although I cannot comment from personal experience as I am still on it.

I wish you well and hope you get the answers you need. If it persists the perhaps see your GP in a week or so.

Good luck, Kitti xx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by simond

Hi George,

What dose were you on ? (for how long) and how slowly did you come off the venlafaxine ?

Also why are you coming off ? Are you feeling better or moving to another medication ?

Mood swings are pretty common when coming off this type of medication because there will be a in-balance in your brain that will settle after a few weeks.

Thanks
Simon

---

Thanks for your reply Simond!
So i was on 150mg after on 225 mg and at the end on 300 mg but i am not feeling good with this med.
After the 300 mg i reduced to 225 mg for few days after this on 150 mg for few days and at last i was 10 days on 75 mg and then stopped as the doctor said me.He want to see me off any meds and then decides what to do!!

---------- Post added at 16:41 ---------- Previous post was at 16:39 ----------

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kittikat

George, from what I understand you are experiencing typical withdrawal symptoms.

Perhaps someone who has come off Venlafaxine could post some advice for you?

All I can say is try not to keep 'tuning in' to how you are feeling as this will make you worry more. it is only 10 days since you stopped the medication, I have read that Ven/Effexor is one of the worst meds to withdraw from although I cannot comment from personal experience as I am still on it.

I wish you well and hope you get the answers you need. If it persists the perhaps see your GP in a week or so.

Good luck, Kitti xx

---

Thanks Kitty for your reply too!
So we have to wait somebody who experience the withdrawal and knows!!

hi george i think it is important to come off really slowly to minimise any withdrrawal symptoms

i was on 150mg for a year and then dropped to 1125mg for a month and then 75mg where i have stayed i had no side effects at all

i think the lower you go the worse the withdrawals can be but i think you have done this too quick so dont suffer maybe have a word with your gp about taking a lower dose again and then tapering off slowly

i am well now and free for most of the time of anxiety and depression but i am staying on 75mg as a maintenance dose as i feel so good

im not saying i will never come off it maybe next year i will go to 37mg and stay there

im sorry you are having a bad time and i hope you get some more advice and feel better soon take care xx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkdove

hi george i think it is important to come off really slowly to minimise any withdrrawal symptoms

i was on 150mg for a year and then dropped to 1125mg for a month and then 75mg where i have stayed i had no side effects at all

i think the lower you go the worse the withdrawals can be but i think you have done this too quick so dont suffer maybe have a word with your gp about taking a lower dose again and then tapering off slowly

i am well now and free for most of the time of anxiety and depression but i am staying on 75mg as a maintenance dose as i feel so good

im not saying i will never come off it maybe next year i will go to 37mg and stay there

im sorry you are having a bad time and i hope you get some more advice and feel better soon take care xx

---

Thanks very much pinkdove for your reply.
Here in Bulgaria the smallest pill is 75 mg so i don't know how to take smaller dosage!I was at venlafaxine for 2 months maybe but i think it didn't helped me or maybe didn't helped me because 3 times i increased and reduced the dosages for a short time!

Hi George
I am on venlafaxine and having read up alot about it it can be a difficult drug to withdraw from especially when you get to the lower doses. I think your doctor has reduced you far too quickly especially as you were on 300mg. Go back and discuss this with your doc.
annip

i totally agree with anni xxx

Hi today is day 17 off Venlafaxine.I feel depressed mood,apathy,the flu-like symptoms and maybe depersonalization but i can't understand for sure.I have these feelings every day.
Sometimes i am getting anxious but i use the clonazepam and it helps me,.
I noticed that the Clonazepam can't help me for the depressed mood for the flu symptoms or the apathy.I have no motivation,lost passion in my life,my feelings and emotions are suppressed and i feel emptiness.
Is this normal???Is this from the Venafaxine withdrawal?
I'm afraid that will not going to be better and I think only bad things :(
I have read some posts of some people that they said that there are cases some people
have the Venlafaxine/effexor withdrawal symptoms for a year maybe or more??is this true??
I found and a post of a guy that after 1 year off effexor the withdrawal symptoms became worst and at the end he committed s*****e :(

Hi all, I am coming off Venlafaxine after 8 years. It just stopped working! I have come down from 225 mg to 56, next week I will be on 37.5. I haven’t had any major withdrawal symptoms so far, just feeling out of it plus still have the adrenaline rushes at 5.30 am, but I had these before trying to taper off. My doc has given me 50mg of Sertraline to take with the 56 of Venlafaxine as this is the med he wants me on. I hope everyone is feeling the best they can

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Strat60

Hi all, I am coming off Venlafaxine after 8 years. It just stopped working! I have come down from 225 mg to 56, next week I will be on 37.5. I haven’t had any major withdrawal symptoms so far, just feeling out of it plus still have the adrenaline rushes at 5.30 am, but I had these before trying to taper off. My doc has given me 50mg of Sertraline to take with the 56 of Venlafaxine as this is the med he wants me on.

---

So nothing was added once you got down to 150mg as originally planned?