Coming off venlafaxine/effexor

I'm currently on 150mg and I need to stop taking it now due to changing meds. I've stopped cold turkey a few times, and even missing a dose makes me feel like hell.

So I've been advised 75mg for next week, 37.5mg the week after and then I stop.

Is this doable or am I still gonna get the horrible brainzaps, nausea, chills, sweating, etc etc?

Yikes. I don't want to unilaterally say it isn't doable because I have seen stories of people surviving in the short-term after making dramatic decreases in Effexor...but I wouldn't advise it. It can take weeks for the worst of Effexor withdrawal to build up so you may not notice it at first even.

I'd say cut by 37.5mg first and see how you feel and base further decisions off how awful you feel. Also, it really matters what other medications you might be on. If it is another snri or ssri, it might not be as bad of withdrawal.

I was afraid of that. I'm also stopping lamotrogine/lamactil at the same time. Was on 200mg, this week has been 100mg, next week 50mg then I'll stop. No problems with that so far. Also finished quetiapine/seroquel 50mg a couple if weeks ago relatively symptom free.

I'm not going on to another ssri/snri though. I'm now on an injection every two weeks called depixol but I have no idea what class this is...

I'm really dreading coming off this, but at the same time I will be glad to be rid of it knowing I won't have to do it again!!

I'm gonna get an appointment with my GP tomorrow, mental health team should have faxed them instruction on cutting the meds down. Only thing is it will say to do 75mg straight away so not sure if I can change that.

That's bad news stopping meds together in a mass detox, your Effexor is 2 much a drastic cut never mind the rest. I don't envy you in the weeks to come but good luck anyway, I have a feeling you will be doing a lot of posting.

Do it as slow as you need to. I had to shave it down a little each week.

Come off venlafaxine VERY slowly. If I miss a dose it's like I had a stroke I'm so messed up. I've seen where it took people 6 months or more to come down off it so don't pressure yourself to stop quickly.

Oh god this isn't gonna be good is it :/ I was given 6 weeks to come off all three. I'm in week 3 now...pdocs and nurses evidently don't understand the hell that we feel when coming off these pills. This very same pdoc told me to stop just like that about a year ago,so the fact this time she has given me 6 weeks is an improvement I guess....

Sadly, coming off venlafaxine is a rough ride. 6 weeks is better than nothing, but yeah, that seems awfully fast to me for how it affects people.

((((( hugs to you fellow Brit )))))))

Doctors don't understand how bad getting off or just reducing the dose can make someone feel, and most aren't anywhere near informed enough about how to properly taper to minimize a patient's suffering. It really is a problem.

Just back from my GP. Sticking to 100mg lamotrogine for another two weeks, and reducing to 75mg venlafaxine tomorrow morning for two weeks. Then I go back and take it from there... I really hope this isn't as bad as I'm expecting!!

Down to 75mg today....wish me luck!!

Good luck secretwhisper I'm sorry you are going through all this my friend. Withdrawals really stink! I don't blame you for not wanting to go back on another SSRI/SNRI either, I had a bad experience with those myself and went cold turkey off of them, my life became a hellish nightmare even more than it was before.

Dexipol, the drug they are injecting you with every couple weeks, is what's called an antipsychotic or neuroleptic, depending on who you ask. They are generally used for the treatment of schizophrenia, schizoaffective and other psychotic disorders such as psychotic depression and bipolar disorder with psychotic features.

Food for thought:
"The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the medicine." William Osler, M.D.

That quote is so damn true!!

As for the depixol....I've never been psychotic in my life. I was told it had anti depressant and mood stabiliser properties. I just hope this works.

I know right!

If you want to know more about the Depixol injection, check out this website Depixol injection (flupentixol)

I wouldn't doubt that it has those qualities to it, it says in on that site it does have some effects in low doses in depression. I hope it works to.

If you aren't noticing a difference you should let your doctor know so they can change it again.

I will talk to them. I'm sick of feeling like this!

I've been coming off of it for 4 months now. I haven't had any TERRIBLE side effects, but man - this is slow.

The only side effects I'm having are brain fog (driving and not knowing where I am), and intensified feelings and depression. But no shocks or physical symptoms.

I originally was at 200mg (I think). I dropped about every 2 - 4 weeks.

Currently I'm on 37.5 for 2 weeks. Then halved for 2 weeks. Then halved, every other day, for two weeks. Then DONE! omg... I'm so close.

Good luck.

while the is some Effexor in your body you are still ok you feel rough . its when there is none you will be put to the test.

Feeling it already brain zaps already although not as bad as I've had them before, I've not got any nausea at least.

I've had those brain zaps....I also used to hear explosions! Not pleasant at all

Explosions?! Wow that sounds nasty!

75mg isn't so bad now, occassional brain zaps but these are mainly in the mornings. I feel a bit run down too...but then again I could just be run down! Another week and a half to go before it gets cut again. I know the real test will be when I stop it completely but at least it's ok for now

^ That is true; stopping completely is way different than decreasing. I can say this now because I have since stopped totally.

I don't know how typical this is, but in terms of headaches at least, it was way worse when I was decreasing at higher doses than when I finally came off.

That explains the killer headache I've had then! Todays has been the worst.

I got that at decreases at higher doses, but now that I am off, I haven't had a serious headache. *knock on wood* It is very odd to me