Venlafaxine withdrawal ~ how do I get through it.....

Treatment and medication
1

Hallo I am in the midst of yet another attempt to stop taking Venlafaxine and I've had a complete meltdown this morning which has left me feeling very anxious. I have been on 150 mg for 6 years and I really don't want to take it any more. I feel abandoned by my GP and I've tried to reduce dose myself. It's been 3 days since I had 75mg and now I feel so anxious, angry, tearful and physically shaky. 

I am wondering if other people have experienced this when reducing or trying to stop?

To be honest I feel so helpless and I don't know what to do. 

I really would value insight from other people who have or are going through this....

2

Hi Lisa, I'm into my 3rd week of withdrawal, and the symptoms aren't pleasant! I'm feeling good now but the first 2 weeks werent easy, I haven't felt anxious but I got angry at the smallest things, cried for no apparent reason and i had an upset stomach and dizziness. Don't feel ur alone in this as I think what ur experiencing is common. I would suggest u see another GP, if u want to talk more u can private message me any time, take care, Gill

3

Hallo Gill, I really value you replying. I've tried several times to get off this med but every time I try this happens. I'm trying to do it whilst working & studying and I just feel so physically & emotionally awful right now. How have you managed to keep going through withdrawal? 

4

What keeps me going is thinking about losing weight and that I'm going to feel better without this drug in my system. It's maybe made it easier as I felt awful while taking it. I had no energy or motivation to do anything, i had headaches all the time, the night sweats were horrendous and I couldn't even walk up the stairs without sweating aswell. I couldn't get up before lunchtime and if I did, I felt tired and listless all day. I just decided that I couldn't feel any worse being off the medication!! Yes it was horrible for a couple of weeks but now I just wish I had done it sooner!!

5

I have put on so much weight and I hate being so overweight & having sweats. I've been neglecting myself. Eating crap food & stupidly smoking. I'm also doing training which involves doing work at local psychiatric hospital. Which has been going well and made me determined to stop taking Venlafaxine once and for all. Now I feel I've turned into some kind of wild woman...constant crying & getting angry over the most trivial things. It's just so difficult to explain to people who aren't familiar with the drug. I know I will have to go back & speak to my GP. What has helped you when symptoms have been really awful? 

6

To be honest... Sleep! But I have read that omega 3 tablets help and also an antihistimine I think it's called Benadryl. I've been trying to eat lots of fruit and veg but it's hard as I've an upset stomach! No one understands unless they have been on this drug, so these forums have been a god send, it helps to know ur not alone

7

I get disrupted sleep so then getting up in the morning & getting out to work has been hard...It is really useful to know about things that can help. I've had some lunch but feel so sick. And I want to drink lots of water. I'm really appreciating your replies Gill ~ big thank you.

8

I know how much it helps when someone replies, I posted a couple of times on here, and it's nice that people take time out of their day to reply to u. So I'm here, anytime u need, others have helped me get through it so it's my turn now!! Lol

9

Thank you Gill. Hopefully I will be able to do the same when I get through this. Going to try & sleep as just been sick and am shivery. Such a lovely sunny day here & I'm hiding under my duvet feeling hellish....

10

Try and get some sleep, and if u want to talk, just drop me a message, take care

11

Thank you Gill. If it's ok I will message you later. Have a nice afternoon & hope sun is shining where you are.

12

Of course it's ok, and no sun here, I live in scotland, it's cold and wet but that's just the usual lol

13

Hi

You really cant take that much less in such a little amount of time.  It might take a couple of months or probably more to get off of them.  You have to cut down your dosage slowly and over time.  Shame on your Dr for not wanting to help you as mine was great and knew exactly what I wanted and how to do it.  I went from 150 and then 75 and have been on 37 now for a few weeks of every day to every other and my final day will be Wednesday and then hopefully I will be off.  You cant go cold turkey as I found out and many others.  Its a possessive drug and needs to be tapered off very slow over time. Please get a little more help and we are always here for you.

 

14

Lisa, I have been here before. If you are climbing the walls like I was some diazapam should help. Phone 111 and you will get an appointment at an out of hours place very quickly. They will assess you and prescribe you a low dose to counteract the horrendous withdrawal. please make that call. U dont have to suffer. Let me know how u get on x

15

Oh yeah I forgot to say I had read that taking diazepam can help, sorry!!

16

Me again, just reading trough other parts of ur conversations and I can honestly say when I tapered down slowly the smallest being a quarter of a 37.5 tablet as soon as my body knew it was gone the extreme withdrawal kicked in. get the diazapam.  Its the only thing that will help. I really sympathise.  I had to get off mine as I wanted a baby. Had withdrwal last aug. Preg by end of sept and had a healthy baby boy in june. Bk on venlafaxine as its the best anti d out there. But will taper down and use diazapam to come off same way as before to concieve nxt time.

17

Hi Lisa

I agree with Leanne's excellent advice below - I think you are trying to reduce the dose far too quickly.

Also, you have an illness that responds to SSRI drugs, and the symptoms of that will return when you stop the drug, or reduce the dosage.  Lots of the withdrawal symptoms can be attributed to the return of the disease.  Try not to confuse them - so many posts on this forum are from people who are trying to get off Venlafaxine, and it seems that many of them are experiencing the symptoms of the return of the illness, but either do not realise it, or don't want to believe it. 

I agree that being on Venlafaxine cane make you feel numb - unable to experience normal emotions - including joy, as well as sadness - but it does help with the agonising reality of depression.

One of the things that you really need is the support of a decent GP - so find another one! 

I am very fortunate that mine has experienced the same illness, and completely empathises.  However, anyone that has never experienced the debilitating effects of depression is unlikey to be able to understand.  My last GP, now retired, was a wonderful man, but I always thought that he felt that my depression was something to be amused by ... and not a real illness at all.

Also, if you are doing work in a psychiatric hospital, it may be that this is absolutely the wrong time to stop taking it, even though what you see there may make you feel that you absolutely have to.

I think it is easier to withdraw if you have some personal time, in which you can sleep, rest, and try to relax.  That may not be possible while you are working, especially in a very stressful environment, and one in which you might not feel comfortable explaining what you present personal challenges are.

If you are thrsty, then you need to drink more water!

Also, if you can get out and walk somewhere in the fresh air, I am sure that it helps.  Your natural endorphins will increase, which makes you feel much better, even if only for a short time.  Far better than withdrawing under the covers ...

Now is not the time to give up the fags - I am a fellow smoker - but do try not to up your intake of alcohol - it just makes you feel far worse. 

I took Venlafaxine for nine years, and had to give it up for practical reasons - it made me vomit two hours after ingestion, and at the time I had a broken pelvis, so it wasn't practical to carry a sick bucket in a shopping bag around with me on my crutches.  Can you imagine?!!  So I just stopped it.

I was fortunate, in that I didn't have any withdrawal effects, (possibly because I was taking morphine at the time, which may have masked them), although I have experienced these before, withdrawing from Seroxat, years ago.  It took months to stop the drug - mostly because of brain jerks & zapps, if that makes any sense, and the feelings of dizziness and separation from reality.

I was OK for a few years, and then crashed again, after a series of events, including the discovery of two breast cancers and the surgery and radiotherapy involved. There were other things, I lost my Dad 36 hours before the second cancer was removed, my beloved dog died etc. etc.

Everyone has a breaking point - I am now on Sertraline - another SSRI - and feel heaps better.  I now accept that it is very unlikely that I am going to be able to stop taking these drugs.  Ever.  So I may not be the best person to advise - however - I absolutely understand the hell that you are experiencing, and hope that my small input may help you in some way.

The more help and support you can get from friends or a partner, the better you will be.  Do try to eat properly, get some fresh air, and try to emerge from under the duvet.

Although I entirely understand your wish to stop Venlafaxine, it may be that you are just one of those people who simply does not manufacture enough 5HT to get by without something of that kind to restore the level in the brain to something that makes life bearable.

If that is the case, then try not to feel a failure over it.  So many wonderful people over the years have been a martyr to depression - Winston Churchill, for example - he had to deal with it without the help of anti-depressants, and still managed to win the war for us! 

He said, wrt depression, that 'when the going gets tough - keep going'.  He also coined the expression ' the black dog is back'. 

I shall be thinking of you.

Take care, and try to look after yourself.

M xxx

 

18

Such wonderful advice you gave and so true.  A good Dr would work with you and help you wean off of this drug.  Its a long road and you have to have patience and support.  Wish you the best.

19

I live in Scotland too Gill & I know it's silly but November is always a really grey month for me here...Was a lovely sunny afternoon but I missed it as was sleeping.

20

Thank you for your encouraging words Leanne...I know in my head & heart I will need to do this properly & tomorrow I will phone & make appt with GP. I've felt so much better compared to when I was ill before with depression but my world just comes crashing down when I try not to be on the med...

You have done really well to reduce your dose & it really is good to see it can be done.