Hi, has anyone personally experienced or know someone who has reduced their dosage of venlafaxine / Effexor ( SNRIs- serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors ). I am experiencing a tremendous amount of brain fog and I am not sure why. I reduced my dosage about 45 days ago. I am also experiencing a lot of anxiety. I was fine for the 1st month.
I was put on the meds 3-4 years ago for anxiety. I was moving houses and starting a new jo in a whole new location. I dont feel like I need it and I would eventually like to get off of it.
ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
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moparkie715
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Hi moparkie, my daughter-in-law was on venlafaxine for about 20 years, and came off it over the past 12 months. She is not part of this site.
I know she found the whole experience a great challenge! She read up on the side effects and experienced many of them. It took a long time before she felt 'normal' again and it was hard for her. She has several health issues including heart problems which are not related to the drug.
I will talk to her and relay her experiences if you find no one else who has experienced the withdrawal issues.
Meanwhile, I hope you keep persevering with the effects. Stay focused if you can! It will be worth it at the conclusion.
You mention reducing dosage on this post and another post of weaning yourself off of C/L. Are you doing this on your own or are you working with a doctor. I worry that you’re trying to do too much all at once. Since you’ve been on meds 3 to 4 years it’s really important to go off each drug in stages and slowly. Wait a few weeks before going off a 2nd drug, etc. It can be dangerous if you go off too quickly and without help from your doctor. I do hope that you’re being careful. I hope I don’t sound like I’m preaching, I’m just concerned for you. Thank you for listening. Be safe!
The reason for 'withdrawal' symptoms are that your brain constantly re-balances many chemicals to enable it to function and it has got used to balancing with the presence of venlofaxine. This is why dosages are reduced in steps. Titrating down as it is called enable the brain to adjust.
There are no dangers associated with the reduction of Venlafaxine. Though it can be uncomfortable. The symptoms will stop one your brain adjusts.
Hi, personally, i was take venlafaxine for 10 years and the last year i start to decrease the dosage, the process took 2 months, probably, you must be reduce the dosage by 32.5 mg over 2 week at least, however is sure you will feel very sick the first and second day when start the period of reduction dosage. Maybe You must buy empty capsules for decrease the quantity recommended. Don’t worry, you can, is difficult but, you can, after, you will feel better, i’m sure. Good Luck!! God Bless you!
Rosal, I reduced from 150 to 75, as per ,my doctor instructions. She prescribed me also 37.5mg, but have not taken this dosage yet. I have taken the decreased dosage for over 6 weeks. I think if I recall correctly I felt fine for the 1st month. Then I was diagnosed with PSP so I decided to stay on it. My neurologist said it would be ok for me to wean of of my Parkinson's med sinemet C/L
But once I am off that med I would like TO TRY TO get of off the venlafaxine. I've always felt awful so I would like to see how my body would feel like if I were drug free.
THE 75 MG and the 37.5 mg r both pills, which can be cut. What do you think my next should be ?
Hello Moparkie !, I understand you when you say that you feel uncomfortable taking medication but sometimes one has to choose what makes us feel better. In my case, I left venlafaxine because some of its side effects bothered me a lot and talking about this issue with my doctor, we decided to migrate to 20 mg fluoxetine only 1 per day. For me, it was my best decision, I feel good and experience fewer side effects. Now, let me tell you something, when I started taking this type of medication and I felt better, I rejected the idea of taking medicine for the rest of my life (my doctor had told me that I would need it for life) and talked to him about it. subject, I asked, do I really need this? maybe I'm getting things wrong and I'm overreacting??, he told me, look, you wear glasses and when you take them off you see blurry, right ?, I ask you, what is the reality ?, the one you see with glasses or the one you see without lenses ?, the one that I see with lenses I answered, it is correct, the same goes for your brain, you need lenses to see reality. There I understood that it was something I would have to learn to live with, medication combined with psychological therapy allowed me to feel good for the first time in 45 years. In your case, you are facing a stressful situation that is necessary to have controlled to not feel too overwhelmed, talk to your doctor, just please, do not forget that the important thing is to feel good. You do not have to please anyone or have to be perfect or clean of drugs, what you have to do is take care of yourself and have a quality of life so you can enjoy it. What you need right now is to put on your best face to face whatever comes and if the medication helps, I don't see why stop taking it. You'll be fine, I send you a hug, God bless you!
Hi moparkie, my daughter-in-law was on dose of 75 and reduced to 35(?). I think. She said the step down was difficult in the beginning.
Difficulty seems to be the initial step down, as Kevin says, it takes time for the brain to process.
As she progressed she found she could halve the 35 capsule by opening it and cutting the tablet inalf and then putting it back in the capsule to swallow. DONT TAKE OTHER HALF WITHOUT THE CAPSULE! it is inside to help release it slowly. Without the capsule you get a very sudden 'hit' and it is not a nice feeling.
Take the reduction very gradually. Dont try to hurry it.
Think about what SewBesrs has said too. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling.
Hello Mo. This particular antidepressant is very difficult to come off, i reduced from 225 to 150 and it was difficult. For your GP to reduce you b6 75mg in one hit is, to say the least a bit unkind on you, she might well be a really nice GP but a 75mg reduction is a lot to deal with. They do a slow release 37.5mgs which they never used to, it was like a stat dose. This would have been better for you.
I would think that by now, hopefully, you are coming out of that awful brain fig and for me, sometimes i felt like i was slippipping off a curb like when you are just going off to sleep, not nice.
If you are still in trouble and i hope you are not, i would suggest going back to your GP and asking if not insisting on the slow release 37.5 tablets.
The side effects with Venlafaxine are very harsh and physical so i hope you are doing well. Good luck!
Stuee6, it has been rough but it has been about 1 month now drug free...I have been takinL Thianine to help with the anxiety withdrawal symptoms. Let Thianine is an amino acid given to patients with anxiety.
I just bought Ashwagandha because I am suffering with fatigue and shortness of breath.. guessing it's a lovely side effect. . I will let you know how it goes.
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