It's only been day 2 (insurance cancelled) of withdrawal & so far I've been feeling as though when I'm walking to whatever destination, my body arrives but my brain delays its arrival. I feel extremely anxious, nauseous, short-tempered, dizzy, sensitive & confused. I like how I felt while taking Effexor but these withdrawals are unbearable... how much longer can I expect to have them?
How long do Effexor withdrawal symptoms last?
Question posted by ambudai on 9 Feb 2014
Last updated on 5 March 2023
Answers Page 12
There are places you can get help paying for it. The generic is out too. For instance if you join walgreen's club ($20 a yr) it would cost about $30 a month.
I've yet to find a generic Effexor or even an insurance plan that covers it.
Venlafaxine is the generic form!
Yes but they work the same!!
There was a comment that insurance companies won't pay for it. I have been on the generic since it came out and all of my insurance companies have covered it.
GoodRx!!! Prescription drug and it will give you pricing for all locations. I was able to fill Effexor for $8 at Walgreens.
I've been on the generic ever since it came out a few years ago. Slowly getting off now.
Try rxoutreach.com
This is what I take. I pay $.23 up to $1.15 for all my prescriptions that are generic. Brand names are $2.30 per script.
The generic name for Effexor = venlefaxine and all pharmacies are aware almost 10 years as of 2017. I was told only generic is now available. Ask a pharmacist, don't assume. Their job
The generic name for Effexor = venlefaxine and all pharmacies are aware almost 10 years as of 2017. I was told only generic is now available. Ask a pharmacist, don't assume. Their job
Unfortunately, it can last quite some time. Hopefully by the end of the month you'll be feeling better, but the symptoms for which you taking the Effexor may return
I've read in another post that taking fish oil with vitamin C will reduce withdrawal symptoms. Have you any knowledge of this? I have taken fish oil before & I always seem to burp the flavor of the fish oil which isn't very pleasant. If I know that there is a strong possibility that it will alleviate effexor withdrawal symptoms, then it would be worth that nasty fish-burp flavor.
I am unaware of taking fish oil to help alleviate withdrawals. I take fish oil for my high cholesterol levels. There are brands that don't cause the fishy burps.
Look for fish oil with no after taste.
Look for fish oil with no after taste.
This tells me nothing. How long is "quite some time"?
Took my body 2 months to adjust to being off the antidepressant.
After suffering for over a week I tried the Vitamin C and fish oil and it worked. It is now a week later and symptoms are gone
I have been off Effexor now for six weeks after starting at 75 Mg and spending two weeks at 37.5 and another two weeks at 18.5. I have taken the following during that entire 10 weeks.
1. Two Omega XL's and two Viva Lab Krill Oil tabs in the morning and the same at lunch time.
2. a vitamin B complex in the morning.
3. A two mile walk every day at a relatively sedate pace.
4. Lots of water and a variety of green and herbal teas.
I have avoided nearly all the supposedly normal side effects during withdrawal, luckily I guess. I did have some dizziness and light headed ness in the first week at 37.5, 18.5 also at zero, but it has passed. I got slightly emotional when I got down to zero for a couple of weeks, crying when watching House Of Cards on a couple of occasions, but that was about it for symptoms.
I think the Omega 3 in the Omega XL and in the Krill oil MUST have had a positive impact, but the Omega XL was very expensive(still cheap if it was THE major factor). The Viva lab Krill Oil was quite moderate buying six bottles of tablets at a time at about 20 a bottle discounted. I'm certainly going to continue with the Krill oil.
I had been taking Effexor 75 mg for six or seven years, so either I was very lucky, or the regiment that I listed above was effective. This is not a paid popliteal announcement, but hopefully somebody out there will find this helpful. Good Luck, Topcatroyal
Omega 3-6-9 are for brain function according to my pcp. I have been taking them, b-12, b complex.
Freeze your bottle of fish oil pills and the taste should go away. And if the pills begin to stick to each other in the freezer, shake up the bottle.
I was having those horrible brain zaps and I took Dramamine (the less drowsy kind) as well as 2 fish oil (odorless and burpless) twice a day and a vitamin C tab once a day and my symptoms are non existent.
Unfortunately there is no exact time as to when the withdrawal symptoms go away. I'm on day 16 and had a very tough 4 last days with migraines that drove me to the er today. The fish oil does help but the worst are the zaps in your head that feel Licke you just licked a battery. The only thing I can say it does get better day by day and not taking it is the best thing for me. I feel that Effexor needs stronger warning labels because I've read tons of boards where people all have these symptoms and are truly suffering
I've been taking Effexor XR over 12 plus years. I've been taking 600mg and recently cut it to 300mg. I do not feel so good at all.Extremely nauseated,sweats,shakes and just not feeling good at all. Weird dreams head feels funny just not feeling all that good.Any suggestions would be great.I just started the tapering.Missed the whole 600mg in one day and it was horrible.Actually slept all day with the weird dreams,sweats and other symptoms too.
You are tapering much too much at one time. Also, you are on a very high dose so it is going to take some time to slowly wean off. You really need to be under a doc's care to do this process. I wouldn't drop by half though. Don't know what milligram pills you have, but better to drop slowly than experience the withdrawals.
I had bad experiences with low quality fish oil supplements. If you get a higher quality one, it's very much worth the money.
I have been on Effexor for several years just form anxiety caused by claustrophobia. A year and half ago I decided to get off of it. I weened myself down from 75mg to 37.5, stayed on the 37.5 for two weeks and then down to half that dose for two weeks. I then started opening the capsules and counted the pellets. I started at 35 and reduced that amount by 5 pellets every two weeks until I got to 5, then I reduced the amount by 1 pellet for two weeks until I was down to 1 pellet for two weeks. After the complete withdrawal of the Effexor I felt fine with no side effects. That was in June of 2014, about Thanksgiving of 2014 on the way home from work I started feeling a great amount of claustrophobia. Things went down hill from there, no appetite, unable to sit down for any length of time, sweats and I had to take Xanax to be able to sleep. This lasted for about a week before I was able to get back on the Effexor, about 1 month later all was well after I reached the therapeutic dose.
I would like to know from a doctor if this is normal after the length of time I was off of the Effexor and if this would have gone away and if I would have been back to my self pre-Effexor days.
as Laurie has said the fish oil I use without much problems taste etc is made by nature made company. but don't know about helping with brain zaps. I do know many that have been helped with Ibuprofen 200mg taking 2 twice daily WITH FOOD. worth a try but i can't swear by it.
Is there anyth I got that can help make the days not so long? Something to lessen the Nausea and vomiting are terrible for me.. Please help.. I cannot stand this to much longer
I use Blackmores travel calm ginger for the nausea... I'm not vomiting but do feel like it but I will say these tablets are a god send when it comes to relieving nausea. Also drink some camomile tea, I found that also helps with nausea and it's calming too. I'm on day 10 of complete cold turkey... I was in 225mg of effexor. Other things I take is vitamin b... odorless fish oil tablets and pain killers for the headaches. Eating small snacks also helps. The withdrawal is basically like a severe case of the flu... I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy but it's much better than being on that nasty drug. I have bouts of energy here and there and I'm feeling normal... happy, not that fake happy that the drug created. It will get better and easier... oh and eat bananas!!
I was on 225 mg Effexor XR. While I could get out of bed, I suffered anxiety related chest pains that landed me in the ER (no anxiety attack). Anxiety, drowsiness, fatigue, insomnia, yawning, and I just didn't feel present. I couldn't concentrate. I felt drugged. I am on week 3 of weaning off Effexor after being complainant for 5 months. I also take:
1 fish oil
2000 vitamin d
500 vitamin c
Oderless garlic supplement (arthritis - it REALLY helps)
Cinnamon
Nothing has helped my withdrawal symptoms. I want to sleep all the time, but can't sleep, and I get dizzy anytime I lay down or get up, like it's vertigo! It's awful. But on week 3 I feel less drugged! Still on 75 mg of Effexor until my next appointment. On 300 mg of Wellbutrin, which was slowly increased (slowly - 7 days for decreasing and increasing).
Also, I was put on it after my grief hit me like a freight train. I lost my parents 9 months apart at the age of 30. I'm single and I was moms caregiver. Overwhelming grief and depression caused me to lose my job because I couldn't get out of bed. But Effexor was or is not worth the side effects.
You need to wean yourself off of Effexor slowly. I went from 150 mg to 112.5 for a couple months to 75mg for a couple months I'm now down to 37.5 mg. I have only felt a couple brain zaps. No other symptoms so far. I have only been on 37.5 for a couple days. I'm not sure how it will be when I go off completely. if it's not good I will probably take 1 every other day for a couple months then spread it every three days for a couple months. Then 1 a week for a couple months. I hope you are off them now. It doesn't have to be unbearable. Dawn Karen - Mae
I'm going thru the same thing I just wanted to share something I did last night that may help a little my body started tensing up I but a ice back behind my neck and it helped my body loosen up and helped the headache and I finally was able to relax and sleep I slept for 8 hours
I hope you did not have to discontinue the Effexor abruptly. When discontinuing that medication, we often titrate down gradually... most often while starting a replacement drug... cross titrating the two for targeted symptom management.
I have been on Effexor for 7 years. 3 months ago, I started experiencing the "rare" side effects: nausea, loss of appetite, 14 lb. weight loss, anxiety and panic attacks.
I have been tapering off of Effexor. I was on 225 mg. The first 2 weeks I went onto on 150 mg. The next 2 weeks I am taking only 75mg per day. I have had major problems on this level: loss of appetite, more weight loss, anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia. sweats and chills etc. The dr. told me to stay on this level 4 weeks. She will not prescribe anything to relieve the panic attacks and anxiety. I am just toughing it out. Still have to go down to 37.6 mg. This is taking forever
Unfortunate that the doctor won't address your symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks. Is the doctor going to prescribe something else for the reason you were on the Effexor?
I think at least 2 weeks. It will get better and don't give up! Also, fish oil did wonders for my nausea and brain zaps.
You can buy fish oil from a company called Ascenta and it comes in different flavours. I prefer the chocolate one. It's about 46.99 and it's the best.
I'm on day 3 with sever nausea, vomiting, swimmy head and mood swings. How long should I expect symptoms to last? What can I do to help alleviate symptoms?
The length the symptoms last is going to depend on how many milligrams you were taking when you stopped. As far as the nausea, don't let yourself get dehydrated. At least drink something like ginger ale to help. There really is no magic bullet to make it better. You can try some of the suggestions in the answers and comments to this question.
I have been on 150mg for several years and during this time I would start feeling terrible just hours within a missed dose.
My doctor knew this and when I told her I want off, she prescribed me Bupropion to take in addition to Venlafaxine- in hopes to buffer the withdrawal symptoms. I take 150mg of Bupropion daily but as I started coming off Venla I throw in an extra 75mg when I'm feeling wild.
150mg to 120 for a few weeks, 90, 60, 30 and I am on day 4 of nothin. Obviously it's not going so hot or I wouldn't be here.
It almost feels like the worst hangover AND being pregnant at the same awful time. Headaches, shakiness, constantly nauseated, confusion, bouts of hysterical crying (equally for sad and happy stuff!). My husband thinks I've gone absolute bonkers.
Im jumping on Amazon now to buy fish oil pills (I'm glad I'm not the only one with fish burps) and whatever else y'all have recommended. Fingers crossed it will dissipate within the week... Then it's just Buproprion to wrestle with.
I haven't updated since I started weaning off Effexor EX
Jan 1 went from 150 mg to 112.5mg
daily I took a multi vitamin and 100 mg 5HTP on advice from my natural supplements friend
Starting Feb 1took 1 37.5 mg In a.m. with 1000 mg Salmon omega3 and I packet of Ener C
Took 100mg 5HTP in afternoon and in evening 37.5 mg plus 1000 mg Salmon omega 3 and 1 ener c packet
Symptoms all along but getting milder are
Dry heaves, headache, insomnia, zaps in my left limbs and extreme tinnitus.
Tomorrow Feb 24th will go to
1 100mg 5HTP plus 1 Ener C and 1000 mg Salmon omega 3 in morning
Afternoon 1 37.5 mg Effexor
Evening repeat a.m. dosage
Doing for one week then only going with my supplements daily no Effexor.
Each day I feel better and know after 12 years I can beat this
Supplements really help especially since I added Omega3 and Ener C
Good luck to all will post weekly to give updated
Feel free to ask any questions you may have
My daughter was on Effexor X-ray without positive results and after weaning off the drug, horrible dizziness and nausea. What cured her in 24 hr completely after trying the fish oil and vitamins was CBD oil! It is legal in all 50 states and we bought our CBD oil gold label by cannevest at Bunns nature store. 60mg per gram. She put a orzo size noodle of cbd oil under her tongue and within the hour it stopped symptoms. This also helps her sleep at night . You won't get support from your neurologist or primary dr for this treatment because in PA they haven't bothered to educate themselves of this alternate therapy since it doesnt come from a drug company. It works!
I can hear my eyes move... yes hear them..is this at all normal, been off for 8 days now, actually believe i am going insane.
I am currently going through this now. I was on 150mg for 1.5 years but I found this particular anti-depression drug caused me a lot of anxiety. The Dr. Increased the dosage to 250mg hoping to decrease anxiety and it had the opposite effect. It's been 3 weeks of gradually tapering off and it's been awful. I have never experienced anything like it. I truly can't even describe what this has been like. NOTHING was worth this and I mean nothing. I took a medical leave from work to do this and I realize I could never have worked and done this. Even now starting a new anti-depression drug at a low dose I still feel awful; dizzinesss, anxiety, uncontrollable sobbing, awful irriability, terrrible, continuous dreams and t his is with 2x a week therapy, guided yoga, guided mindful meditation. Wehen I furst decided to swich medications boith my Psychiatrist and Therapist offered a hospital stay to do this and I refused now I understand why th ey suggested it.
Related topics
effexor, withdrawal, insurance, brain, symptom
Further information
- Effexor prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Effexor (detailed)
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