[gina_re]

I think I want off of this. I don't think it's been that effective from the beginning. Depressive issues had my pdoc increase the dosage from 150 to 225 somewhere around this time last year and I went hypomanic over the summer and had to come back down. It killed my sex drive. Wellbutrin was added to my cocktail and I kind of started to feel better. And it at least gave me energy so that I don't sleep all day, so I like the Wellbutrin. I asked to come off of it when I was in PHP, but I was told since I'm in an acute episode that it wasn't a good idea. So Wellbutrin was increased and Lamictal was added, which hasn't done much of anything but help me lose weight (which I'm not complaining about since I've gained so much as it is - thanks Paxil!) I've been doing everything right, eating better, sleep cycle is strict (even on weekends), prayer, mindfulness, gratitude, etc. I don't know. I'm not upset about anything. Except that this depression is making me lose focus at work. I emailed my pdoc again this morning since I've been feeling like crap. I don't know what to do.

However, I have heard on this board that Effexor is a b**** to come down from. Is it really that bad? And how long would the taper be?

[Skeezyks]

Hello gina re: All I can say is that I've been on Effexor twice, over the years. I can't take it. It's lethal for me...

[wildflowerchild25]

Yes Effexor SUCKS to come off of. I would do the taper as slow as possible. I went on it for a month over the holidays but came off because it made me absolutely ravenous and I gained a good amount of weight in a short time. I was only on 37.5 and figured it would be easy to stop. Not so! Brain zaps, nausea, and dizziness. It only went on for a few days but still. Sucky. My Pdoc had told me to take it every other day to wean off but I didn't listen. Listen to your Pdoc!

[Ocean Swimmer]

I went on a web site that had a bunch of comments from patients that are getting off Effexor. The best results were when the taper was prolonged up to six month!!!

It's messing with my sex drive too and I don't think it's helping with my depression either.

[bipolar angel]

I did not do well at all with effexor/wellbutrin combo. Within 2 days,I was jumping out of my skin,clock watching,feeling like world ending now,in constant motion,couldn't think or focus...went to ER,wound up hospitalized! Wean very very slowly

[BlueInanna]

II think I'm at 2 or 4 weeks weaning off Effexor. I try to make it over 24 hours, but when a brain zap hits I open capsule and take about a third of it. Relief is fast. I imagine I'll be weaning for another few weeks. It's totally doable don't worry. Cold turkey would be living hell don't do that.

[jacky8807]

Originally Posted by BlueInanna

II think I'm at 2 or 4 weeks weaning off Effexor. I try to make it over 24 hours, but when a brain zap hits I open capsule and take about a third of it. Relief is fast. I imagine I'll be weaning for another few weeks. It's totally doable don't worry. Cold turkey would be living hell don't do that.

I was only on it a short time but it made me worse. I felt so much better stopping it. But I tapered then I did this^^^^works like a charm and now I'm off completely

[Moreta]

I was on 300 mg of effexor in 2010. I had to get off it, so we tapered it down over 4 months, and then I cried for a month. Actually I cried the whole time. It was horrible. Go as slow as possible coming off it.

[Victoria'smom]

I've gone off it cold turkey, It's hell. Zappy head, head ache, dizzy, crying. I'm the person that likes to pull band-aids off fast. I'd go as fast as your body allows.

[gina_re]

Thank you all for your input!! Now if I can get a doctor to allow me off of it! I really don't think it has helped me this whole time I've been taking it. And if it did, it was short lived. The best AD that I can remember was Paxil, surprisingly. But I gained way too much weight on it! I was eating carbs like crazy and not even realizing it. Kind of like Seroquel. I also did quite a bit of emotional eating on the Effexor too which means it was not doing it's job. My favorite was strawberry cake and strawberry icing. Mmmmm, it would be gone within three days just by me alone.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I see I'm rare (as usual with meds) but I've come off cold turkey once and either cold turkey or over the course of a week once (the 2nd from a pretty high dose). Aside from a few brain zaps I didn't have problems. But I usually do the opposite of what a med is expected to do.

[Wanderlust90]

I was on 100mg of desvenlafaxine (pristiq) which is essentially an active metabolite of Effexor. It made me much much worse & became mixed. I ended up starting Prozac the day I stopped pristiq in the end, it risks serotonin syndrome but I never had any symptoms suggestive of it when taking 50mg pristiq (I had to drop to 50mg for a few days prior) & 20mg Prozac together. Prozac has an extended half life & so doesn't totally leave the system for something like 6-8 weeks which helps with discontinuation syndrome. Prozac is often used like this from what I understand. Maybe an option but Prozac made me hypomanic aswell.

[gina_re]

I was switched from Pristiq to the Effexor because the cost of Prstiq had gone up. I was on 50mgs a day and my pdoc said 150mgs is the equivalent. I thought Pristiq worked fine, but the price increase is the only reason I went off of it. And look where it got me. The pharmacy industry is so annoying..