I in a sense am glad i found this sight to know that i am not alone. I have been taking venlafaxine for 9 years and everything people are talking about is exactly what i am going through. The buzzing of the brain, sickness, sweating, bad thoughts extreme dizziness. The hard part for me is I am a miner i work under ground 1,680 feet and its hard to operate big machinery in confined spaces dealing with multiple bosses and co workers, and try to pretend to be normal this stinks for all of us and yes it makes me dislike doctors for not being honest. Any possitive thoughts please send my way and I will do the same thanks for reading.
Hi,
I was on venlafaxine for 2 years and my doc said I should have been on it for only 1 year. I had a horrific time coming off it with all of the withdrawals you are having. I found advice on this forum saying that taking Benadryl helps with the withdrawals. I did take it and got me to where I am now - sanity.
Thankyou so much sandra i am getting off this electrical box with typing keys and getting some benadryl and.....sanity!
Darrell73'
There is hope, I took my last Ven. on 16/07/2014. It was hell for a while, just as you describe. This is a hellish drug and I get angry that it is ever prescribed. Today I feel so much better and have my life and FAMILY back. The only withdrawl I still have is some anxiety symtoms and I am sure they will disolve.
Hang in, it's worth it.
DaveTTT
Dave, I have heard that B6 vit can help anxiety. I have ordered some. but not the 50Mg dose just 2Mg as 50 is an overdose and can cause other problems.
Thanks, I'll try that.
DaveTTT
Why not switch over to cymbalta. That's what I did. I one day. No affects. No side affects as you get on effexor. Just a thought. It saved me and I've tried most of them over the years.
Oh Darrell, that is not good!! I used to work for a large airline as an in flight instructor for all new cabin crew teaching safety and relevant flight deck procedures with 4.00 am starts and long days. Eventually I had to stop work as the depressive phases became worse and I was put on Venlafaxine 14 yrs ago.
Coping without it in your system is tortuous hell and I am digging deep to get through this, I thought the Benadrl was helping yesterday but certainly hasn't today. I have lost so many years of my life to this and cancer treatment that it has made me really embittered and angry and would love to have some quality time now in my life. I will try anything to soften all this, and if it anything changes this, I'll certainly let you know, take care and thanks, Susan.
Thank you
That may be an opton if things do not get better within 45 days i have now been off effexor/venlaflaxine only for a week after 9 years of use but i will remember this for an option.
Susan reading your post touches a very soft spot in my heart for you. It sounds like you have been through alot and just the way you word things sounds very clear how i feel. I think you struggling with cancer is just enough to set sombody over edge I think your a very strong person. I hope and i have a feeling that you and i and all others will find peice in life. I think people like us feel like this cause we are more in tune with the world we know its not wright and it effects us but me knowing that i am not the only person that suffers deppression and anxiety makes me feel that I am not alone. I found a moment of peice with my wife tonight and i think you should have a movie night if you havent watched, watch them it makes you feel good, heavan is for real, moms night out and courageous. Hang in there Susan and keep in touch
Hello Darrell, I have read all the other posts. So difficult with your job, and I do admire you. Depression did cause me to lose a job and because of that I could not pay my mortgage, and downsized. Over the past 20 years I have been on quite a few anti depressants. I was on Effexor for 9 years and it did stop depression and anxiety. Last year my doctor suggested I try without it. It took me 10 mon ths to withdraw so I did not get any withdrawal symptoms, and that did work. It is a year since I stopped.
Anxiety has gradually crept back, but I am coping with it. No depression though. I lost the weight I put on whilst taking the Effexor. If the drug is making you so poorly, then you have to decide whether it is worth taking. Different drugs do suit some people and not others, perhaps Effexor just does not suit you.
If you decide to withdraw pleae take it VERY SLOWLY, otherwise you will get withdrawals, which are pretty awful, that is why I took my time.
I do hope you get positive feedback here. Let us know what you decide to do.
Take care.
Hello Susan, I am so sorry you have been through so much. What a strong lady you are. It took me 10months to withdraw from Effexor, and it is a year since I stopped. Taking it very slowly made sure I did not get any withdrawals. I do hope you are managing. I did not know about Benadryl, I decreased really slowly, and so far only little "blips" of depression, but anxiety getting worse. The Effexor suited me well and I had no depression or anxiety whilst taking it. As I am a pensioner, and have been on anti depressants for over 20 years, my doctor suggested I try to manage without the Effexor. I never want to go back on it because of the difficulty withdrawing from it, and hope I can manage the rest of my life drug free.
Hope all goes well with you. Keep us updated please. Take care
I have taken a vitamin B complex, omega3, and a multi vitamin complex all the time I was on Effexor. Been off it a year now, but will continue to take the supplements. I also take herbal tablets from health food shop for anxiety, but don't know how much this all helps. I won't stop though. Anything better than anti depressants if we can manage without.
Thanks Anne. If I may ask how long did your withdrawal effects last. And also, how did you manage to come off Effexor?
Hi Darrell, yes I know that physically and mentally I have been through a hell of a lot in life and this is just a fraction of it but, I am not a victim, I must survive this for my children and grandchildren but as you get older things like this get much harder to deal with and come out the other side of. I am really struggling and would just like to see a light at the end of the tunnel. As I said I am very angry and embittered and this is not me, I guess I know it's going to be along road and time is running out, life really sucks!!
Hi Anne, thanks for your kind comments, I like you have been decreasing the Venlafaxine from 300 mg over a period of 6 months but I have been suffering bad withdrawal and anxiety, but since stopping completely very recently I feel that I have completed lost my mind. I am now on trazadone and Valium to get me through this stage so feel I have stopped one drug for another. I am amazed that you are managing without anything, A REAL ACHIEVEMENT in my eyes. Just hanging in there and will keep in touch, many thanks, Susan.
What is cymbalta
Hi Sandra, Please could you tell me which Benadryul you took as there are three listed all with different ingredients. Thery are, Acrivistine, Cetirizine and Diphenhydramine. Thank you.
Does this help with the mental side of the withdrawals?? Two months of this is getting bit much n need try something to help..before even goin onto another anti/d..