Venlafaxine/Effexor XR

Hello,
I know it can be different for everyone, but a question on venlafaxine and quitting cold turkey..
I have done this before a few times, and it wasn't so bad, with the worst effects lasting less than a week.
This time is different, new side effects etc, and I guess I'd just like some reassurance it will stop? I suppose I have
answered my own question.. it's different for everyone, but anyone else's experiences would be appreciated.
I don't want to start back on this then taper off etc.
It's such a cycle, after being on it a while the disconnected feeling becomes too much, I feel like I'm riding around in a robot body,
looking out at everything. The usual shit is still in there but the robot takes over so I can go about my day and seem
"normal" to everyone else, that's the best/simplest way that I have to describe it. After stopping the drugs I end up getting to the point again when I remember why I tried them in the first place and off I go again.
Thanks, annonymity is good, this is not something I can talk about face to face with anyone.

Hi Walker. What dose are you coming off?

I came off it cold turkey earlier this year, and the withdrawal effects were wicked. Really awful. I cant remember how long it lasted, but at least a couple of weeks. A friend of mine came off it at the same time, and she switched to fluoxetine for about a month I think (is that right nzmum?) and found that much better.

I was on 150mg per day this time. I never really looked online about withdrawals because I'd always just put up with it until it stopped. The different experience this time made me look up a few things out of curiosity, and finding sites that said the "discontinuation effects" can be long lasting made me wonder. As long as it does end eventually & I'm back to normal (?!)

Well, its a low dose, so hopefully it wont be too bad.

Just a thing to think of - I went off my meds and things deteriorated awfully. Im back on them and things have improved again.

Hi, I have just gone I suppose "cold turkey" I was on 225mg of Venlafaxine, lowered that about three months ago to two and one about two weeks ago. Last friday I didn't get my repeat thinking last time I came off 75mg I had two days of dizziness and halutinations then everything was fine... 5 days later it's been true hell! I want to try for a baby and have heard about the horrible side affects for early pregnancy. I am hoping that these stupid side affects go away soon.

oh man i am so not onto it lol the orignal post was 5th of may and im only just seeing it now!

venlaflaxine is an awful drug to come off! i had awful withdrawls from it, vomiting, uncontrolable shaking, dizziness etc. doc told me these withdrawls could last a month or more so i was put on fluoxitine and then taperd off that, that helped alot!

uninspired_artist..i would recomend you talk to a dr about it as it can be dangerous stopping medication abruptly.. the withdrawl effects will probably go away eventually but its hard to say when as it can be different for everybody.

i wish the professionals told you about withdrawls before prescribing such medication, had i known how hard and awful it was gonna be comming off venlaflaxine i would never have gone on it in the first place.

good luck with getting off it

Its absolutely a nightmare comming off them, about talking to the doctor... Sadly I have a horrible doctor/ Clinic which I have a high debt. I cannot go see her I have had Psyciatric Support even come with me once and it still didn't make seeing her helpful. I was bullied in to having a Mirena by two of the doctors at the clinic. I am obese and they do not want me having another baby (words from Dr's mouth). I was so upset and even had to go to winz to get funding for it $600 which three years later I AM still paying off! So we couldn't afford to pay everytime I went to the dr's so it had to go on the account. Anyway, I would have to be dieing before I ever went to see the doctor again. I feel totally alone, even my family don't understand why I don't want to go. I've been on citalipram and fluox but found they didn't work and no, the doctor didn't tell me I would experience anything like this if I was to come off the venlafaxine. Just needed to vent too. Facebook has got a hammering today! Oh I was expecting to adopt a friend of mine's baby and four weeks before the birth instead of wanting an open adoption she has said she wants closed and that we cannot have the child... sooo gearing up emotionally to have another one, sooo looking forward to it!

Ok come off venlafaxine cold turkey... Thought I could do it and be ok, found that if I took one of my Citalopram might alieviate symptoms (random reasearch from internet said it could help) it did! Wahoo, and at least I know Citalopram will not harm me as much as Venlafaxine did. So dispite me not wanting to go to the doctor because she's horrible and mean lol. I know I am going to have to get a prescription for Citalopram. Also when I was bullied into having the Mirena put in, within two days it had come out with lots and lots of pain and scaring. Six months later when I was at a complete low, the did it again. They said that I didn't have to pay this time... $220 later opps sorry you did have to pay and within 5 hours the IUD came out again... I'm not so upset today and its the first day in a week that I haven't felt so sick.

Hiya
I started off on Venlafaxine about 9 years ago, didn't suit me so moved onto Fluoxetine. Both gave me really bad cold sweats, shakes, and dry mouth. Especially during the night. Moved onto Citalopram after that, it was ok. Still felt weird on it. Finally came to nortriptyline. Still have some cold sweats at night and some odd feelings every now and then but it is definitely the best for me so far. It takes several months to figure out the right type for you, stick to it and take note of how you feel on each one and tell your doc. You will find the right one for you eventually

Having tried/been through the different groups of anti-depressants I can tell you it's a very hard journey but worth it. Forums like this are a huge help when you feel the medication isn't doing anything for you.

I'm currently on this stuff and hate it......I am trying to come off it and got as far as 75mg but then my mood drops terribly. Prior to that I had been on as high as 225mg but couldn't even function! I was constantly tired, slept with ease 2-3 hours every afternoon, couldn't read let alone use the internet well. Now I'm finding my mood is all over the show and I'm feeling stuck as what to do next.

My GP (naturopath) has recommended using SAMe but that's expensive and thus far not gone too well.

Because of family history of bipolar etc I have been put on lithium but I was running to the loo to much on that, then Gabapentum for mood as well as pain but I wonder if that too makes me drowsy. One thing I know for sure is the Effalexor def makes my moods worse hence why I want off the stuff.

So at the moment with lots happening in my private life I'm struggling and find it hard to trial any meds easily as such when I have kids and an elderly mother with dementia living with me!!!! I feel I should cope better but am not

You could try fluoxetine if you are having trouble getting off. You take it while you wait for the venlafaxine to wear off and it should get rid of the nasty withdrawl effects.