Effexor XR Discontinuation Syndrome-any way to minimize withdrawal effects?
Question posted by mandynikki on 15 Aug 2012
Last updated on 8 October 2018
I am being titrated off of Effexor XR . I was on 225 mg and my Dr. lowered it to 75 mg in under a month. I started to experience SEVERE nausea, vertigo , severe headache, symptoms of "spinning in head"wooziness,stomach pain,extreme fatigue. I can not function at all. I also have developed leg crams in sleep in the past few weeks. In the past few days.have leg pain during day. My calves and feet just went numb with pin and needles.
What is the recommended titration schedule for going off Effexor XR? My close friend is a psychiatrist and she says that my Dr. lowered it much too fast. does anyone have any suggestions as to how to MINIMIZE withdrawal effects?
Added 18 Aug 2012:
I am now experiencing more severe upper G.I. pain, and indigestion as well as nausea. Has any one else had this problem when withdrawing from Effexor XR?If so, what ,if anything helped?
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18 Answers Page 2
IN
Inactive
17 Aug 2012
Hello mandynikki. True, you need to gradually, ever so slowly wean might be the best word oneself off from a drug such as Effexor. Best suggestion would be 25mg every two weeks. sounds drastic perhaps but Effexor can as you've discovered have some awfull side effects. This taper will certainly ease your withdrawls and be a comfortable one. Best of wishes and good luck, I hope you do well on whatever you might choose, opt to do, pledge
Votes: +2
MA
mandynikki
18 Aug 2012
Hello, Pledge. Thank you so much for responding to my query. I'm on Effexor XR so it only comes in 37.5s and multiples thereof, though most responses I am receiving- including from my friend ,Lisa, who is a psychiatrist, have recommended going down in 25 mg increments. I'm not sure how to translate this into Effexor XR withdrawal as Effexor XR does not come in 25 mg. I'm a little confused as to what you mean when you say that 25 mg every 2 weeks "sounds drastic" By this, do you mean that it sounds like very quick titration, or very slow? Thank you so much for your helpful feedback and good wishes. My Dr. is being very difficult and is now denying that any of what I am going through could be from discontinuation syndrome though he is the one who first proposed that my nausea, headache etc could be from this.I think I've never been this nauseous :( . thank you so much. I greatly appreciate your support and well wishes. mandynikki
IN
Inactive
19 Aug 2012
Hello again mandynikki and you are welcome. By drastic I mean, too slow. I should have worded it otherwise. I hope you do well and have a wonderfull Sunday.
CA
carlajg92283
18 Jan 2015
Hi Mandynikki. Ive been titrating off Effexor XR as well, and am actually completely off of it as of this week. I've been experiencing withdrawal, same symptoms as you. This may be helpful in translating titration schedule: 25 mg per week to ten days- 7 days a week, then 6, then 5 , etc. no more than 25% of total milligrams per week to two weeks. You will likely need to get back up to a dose where your symptoms diminish and then start over. I'm a mental health professional, so I have experience in this area, plus a really good doctor. Another suggestion is to find a new doctor! What has helped me deal with withdrawal is about what I do if I have the flu: ginger ale, lots of soups and toast and whatever is gentle in my stomach, heating pad for the pain on my back, hips and legs. Though the temps have been bitter cold, I drive with the windows down to help with the motion sickness. Be gentle with yourself, nap when you need to and drink plenty of fluids.
Your doctor should be ashamed, that is far too quick of pace to lower your dose. You should only drop 25mg per week at the most and maybe no more than 25mg per 10 days. I have been here , my doctor dropped me of 225mg to nothing and it nearly killed me. I have let him know that he made a severe mistake and he has apologized. You are going to have to slow down this process, get your dosage back up to 200 mg and drop off from there 25mgs per 7 to 10 days. be very careful. Best of luck to you, and talk to that doctor.
Votes: +1
MA
mandynikki
15 Aug 2012
Thank you for your response.and advise. I greatly appreciate it. I am sorry to hear about what you have endured.I am confused about one thing My friend, the Psychiatrist also spoke of going down in 25 mg doses,but .Effexor XR only comes in 37.5 mg, 75 mg, and multiple thereof, as far as I know. Are you speaking of the original Effexor?
SA
sara12345
15 Aug 2012
I think that you may be better off to go down by the 37.5 XR doses since they are timed doses. Otherwise taking the original Effexor, you get bursts of the medication, then it drops off in your system.
Doesn't your psychaitrist friend have specific recommendations for you?
PA
papasam
15 Aug 2012
I was not on the XR. You need to go down in the easiest available dosage of the drug. Do not cut the XR version of Effexor as this will cause your system to overdose.
MA
mandynikki
15 Aug 2012
thanks again for your feedback and advice. I will be extremely careful. I wo't cut the XR as you advise.I've just begun to research this as my psychiatrist just told me last night about the "discontinuation syndrome" but I read today that some people on the XR actually take the beads out of the capsules and reduce the dose that way when they are down to the lowest dose. I hope you are feeling well and much appreciate your support and advice.
MA
mandynikki
15 Aug 2012
sara-I was e-mailing back and forth with in the middle of the night. We didn't actually speak yet. I will ask her for more specific advice.tonight.thank you.for your suggestions and feedback.
SA
sara12345
16 Aug 2012
Oh, you're very welcome.
I would be interested in whether you can reduce the dose by taking apart the capsules. You DEFINATELY need a doctor or pharmacist to tell you that it is legit.
MA
mandynikki
16 Aug 2012
Sara,thanks, I will be careful before doing anything. I just called my pharmacist. He agrees that the "taper" was much too fast .when I find out more information I will let you know
BU
bumblebee90
16 Aug 2012
Just wanted to say Heeey papasam. I hope you have had a good week, and have a great weekend. Your friend, Ruthie
PA
papasam
16 Aug 2012
Hey, Ruthie Good to hear from you. I have been at doctors offices for 2 days straight with my menieres disease. Then to no avail , he told me I wasn't bad enough to get surgery and to continue on as is. Bummer but I am not a quitter so I will keep pushing myself as long as I can.
MA
mandynikki
16 Aug 2012
Papa Sam, I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. Ruthie and Papa Sam- I don't want to offend either one of you-but I am receiving e-mails from drugs.com thinking that I am receiving input on my question on discontinuation from Effexor XR- and Papa Sam- I greatly appreciate your helpful feedback -thank you..but it seems that this is now turning into a conversation between the two of you. I would really appreciate if you could continue your conversation outside of my question on Effexor XR Discontinuation. Again, I do not wish to offend either one of you.but I am receiving e-mails!!! and it doesn't seem to be the right place for an off topic exchange between people.
PA
papasam
16 Aug 2012
So sorry I will discontinue the reply's was not thinking. Again I apologize.
MA
mandynikki
16 Aug 2012
Papa Sam, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't offend you in any way and the last thing I wanted was to make you feel bad in anyway.. I have such a headache.I think it is making me a little"snippy"..Sorry. I trulydo appreciate your kindness and support . I am a total "newbie" to drugs.com and should probably familiarize myself.with how this works. Hope YOU feel better very soon!!
BU
bumblebee90
17 Aug 2012
mandynikki, Well you sure the h--- offended me. I have many of friends on the site that do that all the time, and have for the last two yr.s I've been on it. Noone has ever ever had a problem with saying a quick hello. I will never make a comment to anyone under your question at all. But I won't apologize like poor papasam did. Bless his heart. With all he has to deal with... to get that response from you... and it making him feel guilty like that. I hope he doesn't quit the d--- site. I wouldn't have wrote a word, if I would have known someone would be so picky, immature, and tell papasam off. I got broad shoulders..bring it on. But leave that poor being alone. Man I'm mad. You tell us not to say hello on the site under your question... YET you tell us off ON the site. Is that not being hypocritical??? Go to our frieking avatars, and write a PQ like you suggested us to do, and tell us off there.
I'll make sure an PQ or email all my friends and warn them not to respond to someone else under your question. In my opinion, and I'm quite proud of it, you were being too picky... period. We just said hello. We didn't carry on a conversation. It's people like this that makes other people want to quit. I hope your proud of yourself that you told an older man that's sicker than a dog, off on the site, and humiliated him, mandynikki. I hope to never talk to you again or see your name anywhere. Way out of class sister. You could have wrote him a PQ. Hypocrite Hypocrite Hypocrite. And p.s. There wasn't one ounce of you that was sorry for what you said. And you know it.
SA
sara12345
17 Aug 2012
To mandynikki, I did understand both your sincere apology and your newbyness to the site and your pain. I for one, will always offer you advice if you post any questions.
We all have to be understanding of one another. All the best. Sara
MA
mandynikki
18 Aug 2012
Hi Sara, Thank you so much for your kind response. I am sorry I did not respond more quickly. I was too upset to go back to the site.I appreciate your kind words of support and your understanding of my "newbiness" and of the sincerity of my apology. It was ,nor would it ever be my intention to upset or offend anyone.Your kind words of support mean a great deal to me. I was thinking of withdrawing from the site altogether but your kind words of support along with those of PapaSam's have convinced me to stay. Thank you so much.warmest regards, mandynikki
SA
sara12345
19 Aug 2012
Mandi... Glad that you will be staying on this site. Take care. Sara
HE
Heldel
24 June 2018
I have been taking 75mg twice a day and now day 1 of weaning off and I was going to take 1 of 3.75mg twice a day but my brain is already pissed off at me. Should I take one of the 75mg for my second dose which is the evening dose? Instead of only taking a total of 75mg for the whole day? That is half of what I have been taking for several years and afraid that will cause me huge issues?
You need FAR MORE time to titrate off of a medication like Effexor. Shame on your doctor!
Take as much time as you need to more gradually decrease it. Listen to the recommendations of your close friend. You will probably have some side effects, but they shouldn't be so intolerable.
Votes: +2
MA
mandynikki
15 Aug 2012
Thank you so much for your feedback. I greatly appreciate it.
CH
Chris74
8 Oct 2018
My cousin is also a Psychiatrist and she said that the dosage must be reduced by 1/4 a MONTH and a benzodiazepine should be added to help with the process
