Effexor 'Venlafaxine' Withdrawal Symptons or SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome

Post Update: 30th January 2007

'Effexor is the heroin of Antidepressents'

Just a brief note as to be honest I am fed up to the back teeth of Bipolar, antidepressants and the seemingly never fucking end of bad news after bad news of side-affects and withdrawal symptoms. (Effexor 'Venlafxine' Withdrawal Symptons or SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome).

Below is also my schedule, current and previous, dosages and symptoms and other insane crap.

   – Your Experiences: I would like to link to your Blog if you have written about your experiences with Efexor.

The list for Venlafaxine is very long, and I have already started the weening off process. Already experiencing some real fucked up withdrawal symptoms.

Fuck... Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck..

SOME VERY USEFUL LINKS:

The Effexor Community's Journal - I have contributed to this forum, username: grahamrsmith
| Effexor for Life - Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry
| Effexor Activist.Org
| We need a Lawyer - Effexor XR
| How to taper Effexor XR - 3 Methods
| Effexor Withdrawal Symptons
| Effexor Side Effects, Ratings and Patient Comments

 

My Doses and Symptons, Withdrawal and Non Withdrawal related.

MY LIFESTYLE, DIET, MINERALS, SUPPLEMENTS & VITAMINS (Details at bottom of post)

Please assume that if i don't list a previous symptom in a newer list that this is still experienced. I will clearly mark when symptoms disappear or are reduced or increase in intensity.

   

As of 30th January
Still at the 112.mg dose.

I think it's worth noting that I had a 'great' day yesterday, I actually woke up feeling half human, which is a HUGE thing, it really is. Even if it's a fluke, I don't care, just enjoyed it and gave me some hope to carry on as I am.

| Night Sweats - I had this very bad, constantly wake up drenched in sweat, literally soaked to the skin and to the mattress. But Have just realised I have not had these severity of symptoms for some weeks, which is helping with the consistency of sleep.

| Still experiencing most of the below, but are inconsistent and not regular, except the anger, Diarrhea, extreme sluggishness in the mornings and depersonalization which are always there. Which pretty much sinks my mood anyway, so it's hard to tell what is actually going on.

As of 20th January
Dose from 150mg to 112.5mg - Two 37.5mg Tablets in the morning and one 37.5mg tab in the evening.

New Withdrawal Symptoms:

| Diarrhea (sadly very bad and daily-had this for roughly 3 weeks now, worsening)
| Depersonalization - certainly more pronounced
| Anger - just see my recent posts for proof
| Vertigo
The sluggishness in the mornings is pretty fucking bad still and if anything seems to be getting worse. Try not to combat it with coffee, it doesn't work and just makes you more pissed off.

20th December to 20th Jan
Dose from 300mg to 150mg. 

I would advice not to do this if you have the choice. I was out of contact with my consultant, I was feeling very 'shite' and couldn't wait and did what I had to do. I self medicated this particular time. I am still expecting fall-out from this jump. However, I think I have got away reasonable lightly given some of he horror stories, at least for the time being.

Previous Withdrawal Symptons

| Can hear my eyes blinking
| Brain Zaps or Brain Shivers
| Severe Memory Lapses
| Ansty
|Occasional severe Headache
| Dizziness
| Extreme Anger at pretty much everything
| Irritableness
| Loss of regular emotions
| Severe numbness both emotionally and physically
| Tiredness during day (slept 3hrs this afternoon - Even though sleep well at night)
| Extreme sluggishness in the mornings, usually a good few hours to get going. More than one day I have had to 'right' off as I was just unable to function through confusion, loss of concentration, tiredness and irritability

Prior to 20th December
Following were usual side-affects nothing to do with a planned Withdrawal. This made me decide to come off Venlafaxine.

Dose 300mg in the mornings.

| Can hear my eyes blinking (general and if late with a dose)
| Brain Zaps or Brain Shivers (general and if late with a dose)
| Memory Lapses and poor recall

| Depersonalization - sense of unreality and loss of self  (recent months)

| Vivid (very) Dreams

| Sexual dysfunction
| Headache
| Dizziness
| Extreme Anger at pretty much everything (recent months)
| Iritibility (recent months)

| Loss of regular emotions (recent months)
| Severe numbness both emotionally and physically (recent months)
| Extreme sluggishness in the mornings, usualy a good few hours to get going. More than one day I | have had to 'right' off as I was just unable to function through confusion, loss of concentration, tiredness and iritability

I have many other 'issues', but it's hard to tell what drug is responsible for what side affect, withdrawal sympton or just a 'bad day' funk, or social or personal related emotional crap.

LIFESTYLE, DIET, MINERALS, SUPPLEMENTS & VITAMINS

It's worth reminding you here that I am a regular 'good boy'. Don't drink or smoke. Eat and cook fresh meat and vegetables every day. Certainly get my 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. Snack on fruit. Drink water. Exercise every day, moderate to fair jog, or swim. Take a truck load of Vitamins, minerals and supplements.

These are suggested by my consultant (in particular the Fish oil-EPA, Omega 3, 6, 9 and Flax Oil approach to Depression) and nutritionist so are not my choice or seen in some mag somewhere. I have done intensive research into this and you cannot go wrong. There is also some info over at Stir Crazy's Blog confirming some of what I list as being pretty 'essential'. Take these every day. I do take other 'custom' supplements, please email if you want a more concise list. I also buy the 'best/the most expensive branded vitamins. It's worth it.

I'd be a liar if I said I took all these every day. However, for the most part I do, worse case is I go several days without any of them, but I try to take the Fish Oils and the Vitamins listed below also help break down the Fish oils so that the body and brain can process them more efficiently, ie. Selenium, Folic Acid.

Omega 3, 6 & 9 Capsules
VegEPA (Concentrated fish oil without DHA, just EPA)
Flax Seed Oil
Flaz Seed Powder
Selenium (Solgar)
Zinc  (Solgar)
Vit B1  (Solgar)
Vit B12  (Solgar)
Gentle Iron (Solgar)
V2000 Multinutrient (Solgar)
Folic Acid  (Solgar)
Energex AM (Electrolyte Solution Zinc Sulphate)
Energex PM (Electrolyte Solution Magnesium Sulphate)
SELF 19 Amino Acids Superfood Powder
Cal-M Calcium and Magnesium Poweder

Comments

[ariadneK, Ph.D.]

Keep us all posted on how the withdrawal goes...the nastiest withdrawal I EVER experienced was from Cymbalta, and I swore to God that I would NEVER take it again for any reason.

Take care, I'll be wishing you the best!
K.

[keener]

Hi from another person struggling to get off effexor. I think you're right you can end up on so many drugs that you don't know where 'you' are and the various side effects begin and end. I wish you the best of luck.
Keener

[christin]

I've been trying to get off of Effexor for years. Thank you for this post, it has been the root cause of my last two hospitalizations. I was on 450 milligrams which was waaaaay to much once and the second time I was trying to get off of it too fast.

[Graham Smith]

Hi ariadneK
I am so crap at responding to my comments. Half the time I don't even know one has been left, for some reason Typepad doesn't notify you when a comment has been left.

So now I have them set up to be approved. This way I do get the email, so hopefully comments will not slip under me.

Thanks for the 'luck'. This post will be updated as and when shit happens, as well as more useful links, advice and stuff.

Take care,
G

[Graham Smith]

KEENER,
I am more confused than ever with where one sympton ends and another starts, what's just a bad day and what's something else.

There are some good links at the top, especially the forum, very useful advice in there. My consulatant was next to useless with any advice, so again, I am self medicating but this time basing it on the advice I have taken from the forums and other sites and just tailored it.

:)

[Graham Smith]

CHRISTIN
JESUS! 450mg, that's insane. You must of been reachign the ceiling on that one. My consultant didn't want to go past 300mg.

I hope I can keep adding stuff that you may find useful.
By the way, a few days ago your Blog posted some info on general health and vitamins etc. But I can't find it as it links nicely to the advice I give at the bottom of this post. Are you able to send it to me so that I can link it?

Thanks C

[CL Psy]

Sorry about the withdrawal symptoms, mate. Sad to say that Wyeth (Effexor's manufacturer) would apparently view this as just your symptoms coming back since they apparently don't understand that Effexor, like other antidepressants, has notable withdrawal symptoms for many folks.

I posted recently on my blog (pardon the self-promotion) regarding research misleadingly stating that Effexor was a good way to prevent depressive relapse. The researchers likely confused withdrawal effects of Effexor with the return of symptoms (of course completely unrelated to the medication). You can read about it here: http://clinpsyc.blogspot.com/2007/01/effexor-for-life.html -- best of luck in coming off it.

[Graham Smith]

Self promotion is acceptable, go for it. I will add that link to my links on the post as it a very interesting article.

Thank you for pointing it out.

I have come across your blog before and am a regular viewer, so keep it up.

Graham

[Marissa Miller]

Great, great job, Graham. Just got around to linking to this post. So sorry I haven't gotten around to it until now. As for:

"| Night Sweats - I had this very bad, constantly wake up drenched in sweat, literally soaked to the skin and to the mattress. But Have just realised I have not had these severity of symptoms for some weeks, which is helping with the consistency of sleep."

Oh man, to quote FuriousSeasons.com, effexor is the "gift that keeps on giving." I never could attribute night sweats to anything... until now.

[Hache]

Hi,

Good to read your article, it's so good to hear others are going through this too.. I don't mean that in a selfish way of course just to know I am not alone..

I have been on Efexor for 2 and half years.. originally prescribed for severe PMT and was in a bad relationship at the time.

I was prescribed the drug when I was living abroad by a Canadian Doc who swore by them said no weight gain either.. how wrong!
Started on on 150mg XR for around a year then down to 75mg, finally down to 37.5mg for over 5 months.. now alternate days.. now trying to do have a 37.5 every other day.. (I can feel the Headaches approaching!) boy is it tough the usual side effects, brain zaps, sickness, upset tummy, weird weird dreams, moodiness, huge huge weight gain 1.5 stone in 2 years no matter how little I ate and how much I exercised,

My lovely new boyfriend who is very sympathetic and understanding is noticing the change in me since cutting down and I have not told him what my tablets are really for.. (severe PMT which I have now been prescribed HRT for which is helping)We've only been together for a year or so but are discussing starting a family so I want to come off..

It's been so tough and I have given up sometimes as I change so badly.. the days I don't take them are hell.. I am a differnent person and I am so worried this is me and always will be, I have suicidle thoughts, I hate everyone feel down depressed and sad... and it is effecting my relationship with my partner I do not want this to happen we talk and talk but there is only so much..

I wondered if you could tell me if there is something "herbal" I can take, I have heard Magnesium, fish oil and Omega 3 are good from your article... anything else you can recommend to take the edge off this addiction and hopefully keep me being the happy go lucky as much as poss and not a miserble complaining twitching weirdo I have become...

Thanks! x

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The mean difference in total exercise time was 3 seconds, which represented no clinically meaningful difference.

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I think I have got away reasonable lightly given some of he horror stories, at least for the time being.