Coming off venlafaxine! I’m going crazy. Please help.

[Arbi]

Hello everyone,

I’m new here and I’m not sure if I’m posting in the wrong community. If so, I’m sorry.

I’ve been suffering from anxiety and depression since 2011...in 2015 I had a major relapse ( I’d stopped taking escitalopram cold turkey!) so my doctor put me on Venlafaxine and on the highest dose possible... I almost feel that he was fed up with me and wanted to get rid of me so he prescribed 300 mg after I mentioned 75 mg was not helping)

After 3 years of being on 300 mg and being stable, I decided to taper it down and finally completely come off of it. Under the supervision of my new psychiatrist (who’s awesome), I tapered the dose down from 300mg to 37.5 in the course of one year. Everything went really fine. Now I’m off of the drug completely since 10 days and I’ve turned into a zombie... I have very heavy withdrawal symptoms. When I read about the duration that these symptoms can last... I get terrified...they say it can be weeks, months or years.

I was wondering if there is someone here who’s successfully managed to get off of Venlafaxine? I know that I have to go through this but I just want to know if these withdrawal symptoms get less within time?

Please help me...I have a little son and it’s killing me that at the moment I cannot be the mother that he deserves.

Thanks,

Arbi

[Hidden]

u can do this newbie.. YES.. the withdrawls do lessen.Depends on ur body and how long u were on it,them, and how long the meds stay in ur system. I was on ALOT of meds for over 20 plus years.With no help from docs it took me six years, and Ive never looked back.Finally ..7 years later..its all done.Its all worth it.Make sure to get yourself a good support doc on the same page as u...and surround urself with people who TRULY get what u r going through.Friends r great BUT.. may not get exactly what ur going thru..e specially when withdrawls get bad. Ur on here with us which REALLY helps.Suggestion.. Mental HEalth Support community here on HU is another community to add. Being on multiple communities will really help.You can also message members that may help also.

Wish u the best... u got this.. ur already on ur way!!!

[RCCOLA]

I could write a book about the subject or getting off of meds, psychology and how incredibly inept and stagnant it has been compared to advancements in practically everything else., psychiatry and so on. The best place to start is going to the Withdrawal Project. This is a website with enormous amounts of good info: withdrawal.theinnercompass.org

[Mony1234]

I am not taking anymore medicine me it does your head in I will be ill as I have bad guts and won't sleep well etc but I will keep trying not to take it if I am ill take it then stop taking it try that that's what I am going to do medication messes up with your head chemicals in it and other things don't think they are good for you been taking painkillers for years me no good

[Mony1234]

I think I am going mad but I relize I am not its the medication doing my head in stop taking it I am worse but I have to keep trying not to take it that's the only solution I think