help with getting off effexor

I'm in almost as much panic about what might happen as I get off effexor than what it is actually responsible for - I think. lol

I started weaning off of 150mg this way:

Alternatively taking 75mg and 150mg every other day.
Just on 75mg for a few days.
On 37.5mg for 5 days.
Taking 18mg for 4 or five days.

I haven't had any of the symptoms except severe agitation in the body. Maybe a little dizziness.

My plan is to stay on 18 mg for 4 more days and then go off it completely.

Are there worse side effects to come, or am I through the biggest part of the storm?

Why do you want to come off it?

ED, vivid horrible dreams, increased anxiety, headaches, mental aggression, and weight gain.

It sounds like you missed the worst of it so to me it sounds like you're doing okay as far as coming off the med.
Is your doctor with you on this decision?

Ya, his decision was to come off of Effexor much quicker. He said to take 75mg for 5 days and then quit. I'm glad I did what I did. I was very emotional today. Cried at the fall of a pin drop. Today is the first day I'm through taking the 1/4 of a 75mg pill. I'm off of it now.

It would be interesting if the doctors who prescribe these meds could feel the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of the meds they prescribe.
Does your doc have another a-d in mind for you?

Not yet, he said he'd see how I'm doing a month later.

Personally, I hope I don't ever have to take another darn antidepressant again. The brain zaps were terrible. He didn't mention those.

You have passed the worst of it lol. Effexor is one of the hardest drugs to come off...such bad withdrawal symptoms because the half life is so short.
Best wishes. Hope it's going well now for you?

Ok, it's the fourth day of no effexor. I'm doing relatively well, although I still get small brain zaps. I gained so much weight from being on effexor, I need to carry an extra bloodpressure pill and also dealing with some extra anxiety. But the anxiety is tapering off somewhat. Ya, the worst of it's over. Now I need to be losing some of this weight I put on.

If you've been on it a while, the tapering sounds way, way fast. We're all different but I tapered it out during months....

If you have any more problems coming off it, check out the book Breaking Your Prescribed Addiction by Billie Sahley and another lady. They're nurse practioners with lots of other degrees who run a stress center or something, and use amino acids and other nutrients to replace what they meds are doing to your brain. You can find the book on Amazon.com, and their website by googling her name.

Going off Effexor just about killed me. It wasn't that I was afraid I was going to die, I was afraid I won't, and would have to live through the nightmare of it. It triggered the kind of insomnia where I didn't get past stage one sleep for ten months, and even now, my sleep is a disaster.

Good luck......

Took me 4 months to get off Effexor and it was horrible. I took 300 mgs for 2 years. Took a month after coming off of it completely, to feel somewhat better.

Well I continue to be on it and this is my 11th or 12th year. My side effects are minimal. I think there is some weight gain but not sure as I am not that active any more and am older. My bigest concern is that effexor will stop working as I have been on it so long. Previous to that I was on prozac for ten years and it finally wore out for me. I was lucky as the first drug tried always worked. My life without an antidepressant would be a nightmare. Before prozac I was impulsive, irrational, irritable as hell and someone no one would want to live with. Everything upset me. I had severe panic and anxiety and major depression. I am just greatful for the drug. I know I will never get off the meds as I cannot function without them. I am at the maximum amt. for effexor of 300 mg. I also take xanax and trazadone. Its been the perfect combo for me. I guess I have been very fortunate