Coming off Venlafaxine and its side effects.

[Jon321]

Hi,

I've been on Venlafaxine for about 3 years now for depression and anxiety symptoms and have recently decided with my doctor to try coming off them gradually to see what I'm like. I was on 75mg then 37.5mg and a couple of days ago have come off them completly. The side effects I have had are terrible and making the days hell at the moment. Side effects I've been having are:

• Dizziness
• Lightheaded
• Fast heart rate
• Times when heart feels like it skips a beat or beats to hard (bit hard to explain)
• Feel very feint
• Everything seems very bright outside (and I'm from UK!)
• Mood swings

Just wanted to know other people experiences of coming off the drug and If what I'm having is normal? I have searched on various forums about coming off the drug and most I've seen mention some of my symtoms but not all.


Thanks for looking anyway and hope to here from you.


Jon.

[SADnomore]

Okay, well, from what I've read online, (before this site, almost all references I could find were negative stories of "withdrawal symptoms, and little else), what you are experiencing is typical for discontinuation of ssri medications. When I stopped using Zoloft, I had the same symptoms, plus what are called brain zaps. A disturbance in perception. Very abrupt "pauses" in the flow of things especially if I turned my head or even just my eyes. Hard to describe, but you definitely know it's a brain thing. I remember now that the discontinuation schedule my doctor put me on was very gradual, and had me going from finally taking the lowest dosage every day, to every other day, to a couple of times a week for a couple of weeks at least. And I still had those symptoms :P Not to worry though, they did go away after not too much longer after I stopped completely, with the odd brain zap maybe a month or so after that. Knew what it was from by then, so while it was annoying, it wasn't alarming. I hear that Benadryl (antihistamine) can help for flu-like symptoms, if you get those. All of it, even the extra-bright unrealness went away. Don't worry! ... I'm sure there will be others chiming in here who have come off venlaxafine, and will have some tips! I just got started and am finding it helpful so far. Hey at least you know you can tolerate it if you decide to go back on it Go for it, be okay with it taking time, and good luck!
Marie

[Jon321]

Hi Marie,

Brain zaps is what I've been getting I just couldn't describe what it was. Its such a wierd and horrible feeling! At least now I understand what that feeling is.

I've had a week of agony coming off them but I think I'm through the worst of it. Less "Brain zaps" and the fast heart rate and skipping a beat feelings I've been getting i've worked out is just heart palpatations which isn't uncommen when coming off medication like this. They have decreased also.

So hopefully things are looking up and just gotta watch how I am.

Anyway thanks Marie for your help, you have been really helpful!

Cheers

Jon.

[SADnomore]

Yw, Jon! Good luck, hopefully your depression and anxiety are kicked to the curb, and as the discontinuation symptoms clear up, you will do well. So many people have to be switched from one med to another due to intolerance, it is good that you were able to stick with the ven to the point where you feel ready to see how you are without pills. My doc always says the honest evaluation of daily function is key to considering whether or not to consider an antidepressant again. When I first went to see him, I was coming home from work and getting into pajamas. I would lay awake half the night with self-reproachful thoughts and in tears. I went to see him for pills to sleep, and he asked "are you depressed"? I said no, but each time I went in for medical help for things, he would ask. I was afraid to say yes, because I had been on a couple of the old tricyclics back in the day as a teenager. Let's just say they didn't work. In the way that the "black box warnings" talk about today. ... I was surprised to find that today's meds don't necessarily zombify and are more helpful. However, after awhile I realized on Zoloft that while I no longer felt sad, I no longer felt joy, either. That's why I came off them. Fast-forward a number of years and it turns out that my depression is cyclical, it comes back every winter. After crying my eyes out all winter I said, okay, this isn't functioning, and went to see him again. Diagnosis: seasonal affective disorder, and my doc chose venlaxafine for me because he has had success with it So far so good, and fingers crossed I will be okay with the titration up each winter, and back down each spring. ... Can I ask you whether you eventually experienced a flattening of emotion? Most specifically an inability to empathize with others, to laugh with them and feel sad with them too? I hope that doesn't happen to me, don't know if it is a side effect of the higher doses?
Thanks for your thoughts as you have time, and best of luck again!
Marie

[Jon321]

Hi Marie

I didn't notice a flattening of emotion when I was on venlefaxine and I was on as high as 150mg at one stage

Hope you get on ok with them and good luck!

Thanks again,

Jon.