When I stopped Effexor the first cut was so horrific that it took me half a year to dare cutting it out totally. And I was on a low dosage. I remember the huge relief every day when I got to take my dosage because I started to get withdrawals about 3 hours before next dosage was due. Every day. I just took it because the withdrawals were bad. It had stopped working after three months.

I'm glad I cut it out, the last cut wasn't as bad for me. There are several methods for quitting Effexor, like taper out real slowly. They even make pills for it. (Of course they say the pills are not for tapering but why else make them in 25 mg that can be split???)

If you are on the extended release you can open capsules and count the granules and decide how many to take. Taking away one every second day might be doable. (Just remember you can't remove from the capsule, you have to count the ones you are taking because there is not the same amount in all of them, just roughly). If you swallow the granules whole without damaging them (easily done with some yogurt), they are OK to take without the capsule, and yea I have asked the manufacturer (of the original Effexor).

You can also taper in another antidepressant as you taper out Effexor. That is probably the most humane way, but then you need a doctor who know what he/she is doing. The choice of that AD should be one that causes the least withdrawals.