cold turkey on venlafaxin(effexor)

[dimitri420]

Hi, my friend insist that his girlfriend shall do cold turkey on venlafaxin 325mg a day for 2 years use? shes been out for ten days i dont see that this cold be healthy. u have any experience

 

[JohnBoy2000]

Pretty intense brain zaps/brain fog with no taper.

That being said, I know people who have gone from high dose to zero, with no side effects.

I've just tapered from 300, now at 37.5.
I reduced the dose by 75mg every three days.
The final taper is the most difficult, so I'll go to zero when the mild brain zaps I get in the evening time dissipate entirely.

 

[pally pete]

Hi, my friend insist that his girlfriend shall do cold turkey on venlafaxin 325mg a day for 2 years use? shes been out for ten days i dont see that this cold be healthy. u have any experience

I would not advise to do this.

I C'T'd off of Velafaxine some years back and it was pretty horrific. GP put me straight back on them and then tapered over the course of a few weeks IIRC.

 

[Speeedmagic]

HORRIBLE idea to go cold turkey. I've been on the max dose of Effexor now for over 3 years. Just changing brands, (one was caps, the new tabs) gave me brain zaps and definitely fucked with my head. If I forget to take it, I'll know in an hour or two when I feel the electrifying headache come on...please please taper ALWAYS. This was at one time a very helpful medication for me at the peak of my MDD..but now it really is just a bitch to get off. And it's messing with my mind way too much

 

[Sobrietysucks]

I was on 300mg for half year then stopped way to fast (used benzos) and had brain zaps for 2 months.

 

[thelung]

quitting effexor CT can cause pretty bad w/d symptoms . i've heard of people having the "zaps" for as long as a month ( ^ or two)