I am jumping for joy as i have just finished my 3 1/2 month journey from withdrawing from this nasty nasty drug. I have been on Effexor for approximately 10 to 12 years. I was put on it not because I was depressed, but because I had a tendency to make lists and ut worried me if I didn't complete my lists. Never knew this drug would be so hard to get off of. I tried to get off it so many different times but gave up because of the terrible side effects. I finally qent to a different doctor who had me try it a new way and it worked. Yay! I hope my story helps someone out there to get off this drug as well. This is what i did: I was taking 37.5 mg one time a day. The doctor put me on Buspirone, one pill a day to prevent anxiety attacks that i had previously gotten when trying to withdraw. Then i started skipping 1 pill a week for 2 weeks. Then skipping 2 pills a week for 2 weeks. Make sure you're taking a pill in between the days you're skipping until you get down to where you can't take a pill in between your skip days. Once you get down to your last week of taking your last pill, then take a half of pill for 2 weeks, then 1/4 pill for 2 weeks, the stop completely. I also took fish oil and b complex vitamins to help with brain zaps which I had terrible while trying to get off all my other times. I really believe these helped tremendously because i had no brain zaps whatsoever. No anxiety attacks and no nausea. I couldn't believe I had none of these doing it this way. I believe thoygh that if you're on higher doses of Effexor that you should do this regimen for each strength that your on. My low dose of 37.5 mg took me 14 weeks to get off, so it might take 14 weeks per strength you go down, but tome, it's worth it. Believe me when I say, No withdrawal Effects doing this way. I sincerely hope this may help someone out there.
Well done, I was going to try the same method only with slower, I'm on 75mg, so i was going to do half a pill every 8 days, give that some time, then introduce another day where I only take half a pill, and so on, untill I was on half the original dose every day, then lower it again,.
Good luck on your journey and I wish you much success. Don't give up. If it doesn't work, try a different regimine. I feel so much better being off of it. 😉
I am so happy to hear success stories! I have tried several times over the past several years to get off of this poison and had given up each time!
I am now 7 days "poison" free and I feel the best I have in a week. Still have some nausea and feeling a little "off" but I am taking Mega doses of Fish OIl and B Vitamins and I truly believe it has helped tremendously. I have also begun using a half tablet of benadryl twice a day. I can say I feel clearer than I have in years. Going to fight every feeling and roll out of this nasty drug's hold!!
We can do it!!
Thats the spirit there Ang. I am also gearing up for total withdrawal off Ven does work for some—not everyone though!!! Keep putting ur best foot forward and enjoy ur day!!!!
Thanks! Encouragement is what we all need to get through this! If someone has not been through it, they just don't believe how incredibly difficult it is. Physically sick. Even my doctor has no clue, I told him how we were gonna roll with this. LOL. Thankfully he listens well and helps me when needed. hahaha. I have begun weeding out all chemically laden junk from my body. I'm not much on government conspiracy but the more research i do, more i am believing. Keep us sick by making us think we are getting better. BULL. Not this chick. Not anymore. I worked in a pharmacy for over 11 years and loved pharmacology. Then I started to really take notice. Doctors prescribe the same stuff over and over, to the point my mother and her friends would bet with me before they go to a doctor or specialist. Really opened my eyes!
John, you white knuckle that stuff and know there is a light at the end of tunnel when the withdrawals start. They will pass!! Just think, your brain is getting ready to do some amazing work. Rewiring itself to life without effexor.
Ang. I am very lucky as I have a Dr who really has it together. My last 2 Drs just gave out the pills and said their were no side effects!!!! Seriously???? Were they wrong. I’m taking my good old time getting off these last 37.5 pills. I’m doing it yhrough lots of exercise as well proper nutrition. I just dont like the way these pills make me feel anymore. They did work for 7 yrs!!!! Oh well. Hope they work for someone. Lol. As I am sure they are. They just dont work for moi!!!!!!
Good going John
Hi Shrock,
I want to taper off and have read so many ways to try but afraid the more I read. What ways did you try to taper before? I was thinking about reducing a little every 3 weeks for example reducing by 2/3 mg every 3 weeks. I’m on 75mg XR. And was going to open capsules and weigh etc. Did you try this first? Any help from anyone out there?
Hi Norton
I’m currently on same dosage and want to try and get off. How are you doing with the half pill?
Lowering your dose every 3 weeks should be fine. You can do it!!! Start taking 2,000-3,000mg of Omega 3 three times a day, along with vitamin D, and Vitamin B-12. It is amazing the difference and the help they will make! Expect 2-3 weeks of feeling like crap but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!! I am now 15 days Effexor free and even though I have moments I feel "off" or not feel well, I feel better than I have ever remembered. You will have times you want to give in and have just one more dose but don't. Do. It. Get up and move, get and make yourself dance around like your crazy, sing to radio like your life depends on it. I promise you will be so proud of yourself and will feel like a fog has lifted.
I'm glad to see your success!!
I'm taking 337.5 mg!!! It's going to take a year for me to get off it. 
About a month ago, I started lowering my dose 37.5 mg every other day. I've had a headache in the mornings. No big deal. But I'm not sure this is the right way to decrease which is why I'm googling and found this discussion.
I heard about 2 programs online that help you wean yourself off drugs, but don't remember the names and can't find them online.
Should I start decreasing another 37.5 mg once a week for 2 weeks like you did? And continue that way?
I'd appreciate any help you can give me.
i found this post awhile back that had the only positive outcome to wean off permanently from this drug. so the past few months, I weaned down from 75mg to 37.5. I took my first day off too soon then i remembered your post! so now im back on track , taking vit b complex and omega 3 and my 2nd try on the day off really made a big difference, very few zaps, i just sailed through it! now i'm confident enough to move forward to be drug free. hope you're still doing ok.
hi ang....ive got almost 4 months into this and just feeling so tired! can you tell me how much of the omega and vitb you took?i so want to be at your stage now but im persevering big time. i have good people rallying around me so im in this to the end like you!! youre an inspiration.....
Hi, have been on different types of antidepressants ever since I was 16 and have been on Effexor (Venlafaxine) for a god few years. I've tried to come off cold turkey a few times over the last year and it was awful. However, I know I'm no longer depressed and suicidal, so am asking my doctor today if they can help me taper off of them.
All of your stories give me hope that there is light at the end of this road and that I can get off of this successfully. Heck knows I'm sick of feeling like a numb zombie, I want to feel like me again.
Reading this thread, I'm now wondering if I've made the right choice deciding to cut myself off of Venaflaxine cold turkey. I'm on day three . I've been taking 37.5 mg for the last few years, 75mg for a few years before that. I've been home all week with a headcold/flu, so thought this would give me time away fro work to adjust before going back to work in three days Now I'm thinking I've been overly optimistic. My Dr told me the drug should be out of my system fully after about five days, that I might experience mood swings in about two weeks after that, nothing severe. I've been wanting to get off of this for years now...am I our to lunch thinking I can do this?
hello. ive been off totally almost 2months. was on off for 10yrs. dependant on it as it masked my feelings well. i tried your method and commend you on going through that way. i couldnt best way for me when i reached 37.5mg was opening my capsules and counting down the gradules to feel very minimal to no withdraws. example; if theres 59 gradules take out 1 or 2 every 2days or 3days or what makes you comfortable and decrease all the way down to the last remaining gradule in the capsule. i feel my brain is fried, trying to cope with my anxiety which has not been this severe for this long in years. It takes so much in me to not just want the thoughts and feelings to end. sometimes i think mayb just go back on the smallest dose again, but it was causing the rarest side effects. i keep hoping my brain is just trying to get back to function without the years of the drug.
Thank god i quit when i did! i started it 2 weeks ago and just went up to 75 mg literally for 2 days. i had to stop!!! never again will i ever do anything like that to my body! the nausea was unbelievable!!!!
I am tapering from 225mg at 75mg weekly. this is my first week at 150mg. I am taking fish oil and a multivitamin. I am definitely feeling the withdrawal. Also, having trouble sleeping. Anyone have similar experience? Tips? Suggestions? Much Appreciated!
how long have you been on it? you are going way to fast you need to slow it down if you want to be successful did your Doctor give you this taper