# ARRGH. Effexor withdrawal.



## BMF54123 (Aug 10, 2004)

OK, so I took 75mg Effexor XR for about a month or so, decided it wasn't working for me, and tapered it down over the last few weeks. My last dosage level was about 9.5mg (I split the 37.5s into several empty gelcaps), which I stayed on for about a week; I haven't had one for several days. I've been so dizzy I can hardly walk or type straight, and I keep waking up during the night, disoriented, between extremely vivid nightmares. I'm well aware that these are all typical withdrawal symptoms, but HOW LONG are they supposed to last? Shouldn't they have ended by now, considering I never even got to the full dosage level, tapered like I was supposed to, and didn't take the stuff for very long? Or is my over-sensitive brain just trying to drive me nuts by blowing the withdrawal out of proportion?

Arrrrggghhhhhhh...


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## bat (Aug 18, 2004)

i don't know but i hope you're feeling a bit better by now


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

SSRIs and Effexor are known for bad withdrawal. I took Celexa for only two weeks and lost my prescription bottle during spring break, and was sent into nightmare withdrawal for three days. I stupidly went off Effexor cold turkey TWICE (after being on 225 mg), I just had horrible, horrible withdrawal for about 48 hours.

But, I've never had a withdrawal that lasted that long but it's different for everybody. It might be a mix of DP symptoms and some withdrawal that's making it seem longer, especially if you're going from meds to no meds. I have been on meds for five years and if I tried going no meds, my body would be a wreck for probably months.


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## pfpc (Aug 22, 2004)

I went down almost cold turkey from 225 mg Effexor (doc's stupid advice in trying to transfer me to another AD) and had horrible withdrawal for 2 months, until I squelched it with klonopin.


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## Martinelv (Aug 10, 2004)

Effexor is the only medication I've had any trouble with, and I've taken just about everything at one time or another. In the beginning I was on only 37.5mg a day for about a month, then tried to taper off....whoa...big mistake....I tapered for two weeks and still got major head zaps and dizzyness. I've cold turkied benzo's, Cipramil, Respiridone, no probs.

Saying that, Effexor helps alot with my anxiety and especially my panic attacks...I haven't had one in months now. I'm on 150mg a day now, and I don't care if I'm on it for the rest of my life.


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## dax (Mar 16, 2005)

Does everyone have withdrawal from effexor? I think I'm going to stop taking it this month...my psych never said anything about withdrawal, is it common? I didn't think SSRIs caused withdrawal at all.


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## unidlehands (Nov 15, 2004)

As is always the case with any medication, they will effect people in all different ways.

I made the mistake of trying to quit Effexor cold turkey from 75mg a day, and had the most awful two days before I gave in and took the dose again (an hour later I was fine again).

I then decided to do it the way my doc suggested, that is I cut from the 75mg Effexor XR down to 37.5mg Effexor tablet for two weeks, which gave me minor dizziness and flu symptoms for a couple of days. Then I cut the tablets in half and took 17.75mg for a week, once again minor dizziness for a day or two, and then 48hrs ago, cut it out completely, once again minor dizziness which is now passing.

So all in all I count myself lucky, but it goes to show that you really need to cut the dose down slowly.

Oh, and one other thing to note, taking Benadryl tablets really did help with the dizziness and flu-like symptoms I experienced, who knows why they work, but they certainly did the job for me.

Graham


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## Guest (May 6, 2005)

Try getting your doctor to prescibe you a small dose of Prozac - you just take it for a week or so, or even less - it takes away the withdrawal. This worked for me - I had crazy withdrawal. My vision would shift up and down, etc.

good luck.


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