Im giving up Effexor (Venlafaxine) - taper Qs

[DeLee]

Hello
So I finally made the decision to stop taking my Effexor.
I have been on this medication for about 2years I would guess, around 2 years.
The last 3-4 months ive been on 300mg per day and before that 225mg/day for about 4-5 months.

So my doc told me that I could cut my dose in half, so today is day 1 with 150mg Effexor.

I have read horror stories about coming off SSRI's and SNRI's..
I have Oxazepam on script daily, its a "light" benzo and Im also on 80mg's of Methadone. So I have some meds that might help.

Anyway Im looking for some good tapering schedule, how long should I be on 150mg and what dose after this, etc.
I would really appreciate a link or if you know something yourself.

Ofc I will talk with my doc after the weekend, its just that I can't really relax before I have all the facts out on the table.

Cheers.

 

[Thou]

150mg might be too steep a dose.


You'll start to notice any changes in mood after 24 hours. At which point you may want to reconsider a slower taper.

I've seen recommendations of decreasing your dose by 10% weekly or bi-weekly, depending on how you take to the reductions.

You're doctor should have switched you to the instant release to be taken every 12 hours. This way when you get down below 37.5mg you'll be able to divide the dose with a pill cutter.

I've had success in the past with weaning onto lexapro then gently stepping off of that.

Did your doctor mention any of these options with you?

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

i do not know what other members are going to post in this thread, but any tappering schedelue you recieve here is not a replacement for your prescribing doctor's professional advice. you only have two more days before you are going to talk to him/her about it.

maybe searching for or asking others' about their experiences with what you are trying to do?


anyway, good luck. with getting of the med., that is.

 

[VitaVolka*]

I was on Effexor 75 mgs for a year or so before I decided to quit.
I did was not aware at the time of any horror stories so I quit cold turkey. Well about 48 hrs into it I began getting 'brain zaps', extreeme depression, lightheadedness cold sweats etc. I had to get my bf to run to the pharmacy to refil my script for me since i couldnt move out of the dark basement i was sitting in bawling my eyes out.

To make a long story short the only thing that worked for me was to reduce my dose aprox 5% every few days. Or you could take one or two of those lil bead things out each day...

It a very long process tapering off of effexor. My best advice is do NOT rush it!!!

 

[DeLee]

Thanks for all the replies!

So im going on and today is day 3 with 150mg, the WD symptoms ive experienced this far is lightheadedness, lack of apetite and im very tired.
Maybe a little more anxious.

I will see my dr this week so I will be going over a taper schedule with him. I was just interested in your own schedules or battles with Venlafaxine.
Hopefully this will go smoothly.

 

[mr. red]

Just started taking Effexor about a month ago...this doesn't sound so good. 300 mg is quite a high dose though.

 

[Thou]

Try and get off while you can.

I've been off for 4 weeks and the WD's haven't stopped as of yet.

Not worth being on it if you plan to once again not be on it at some point.

 

[d3Xo-fan]

I don't mean to change the topic, but I'm being prescribed 30mgs Mirtazapine a day and I want to stop taking them. I've experienced those brain zaps but I didn't know they were caused by me not having taken my mirtazapine (I kinda have an 'on/off' relationship with the drug since I only take it when I remember to do so). My doc warned me about possible withdrawals and thus we agreed to put me on 15mg a day from tomorrow on. But that's the lowest dose possible as far as I know. Will I be able to kick the remaining 15mg all at once after having been on them for perhaps a few weeks? Those brainzaps are really unpleasant, I thought perhaps it was some kind of epilepsy since I seem to suffer from that (another recent discovery). Oh and I'm prescribed Triazolam if that would help me kick the mirtazapine in any way?