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 3 August 2024
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170 Answers Page 2
Oh! And I almost forgot to add that I've found CBD to help a tiny bit to take the edge off (still working on figuring out a dosage), but I know it's not for everyone nor is it available everywhere (which is ridiculous). And sometimes medical marijuana at night. But during the day I'm at the mercy of withdrawal.
Hi all,
I've been on Effexor XR for over 10 years (I just did the math and cannot believe it's been that long). Started out with 75mg, then after bit it felt like it wasn't working as well and it was ultimately increased to 225mg, which I had been on for a good 6+ years now. Over the past year or two I've definitely just felt more numb and tired than anything else. Oh, and the weight gain - I easily put on 20lbs with this and NO.MATTER.WHAT. could not lose weight. Exercise, eating healthy, not drinking, NOTHING. NOTHING worked. I was nearly certain it wasn't working anymore (and I was on .5mg of Klonopin for about 5 years of it, but, with a doctor's help, came off of it about 3 years ago), so, after speaking with my doctor, we dropped down to 150mg (I was terrified, but the withdrawal was minimal), then after a few months (maybe in October or December of 2017) we went to 75mg. I was freaked out.
Withdrawal was noticeable, with some brain zaps and irritability, but cleared up after a few weeks. In April of this year I went into a deep depression with so much anxiety, so I finally got to see a psych in June. She talked to me about trying something new (Trintellix) and lowering my Effexor even more, but DID emphasize MANY times about how bad the Effexor withdrawal is. I was so scared. Especially after 10 years on this medication and trying to live my life without having to hide out from everyone while dealing with side effects and withdrawals and who knows what. Late June I started on 10mg of Trintellix and maintained the 75mg Effexor XR. Within a week I started to feel better. I was less foggy and had fewer racing thoughts. At my follow-up, we decided to take the next step and lower the Effexor to 37.5 while increasing the Trintellix to 20mg. That was five days ago. Days one and two were an absolute NIGHTMARE. Tightness in my chest, brain zaps, and cold chills - my skin felt/feels like it's crawling and like I have constant chills and goosebumps - my arms and back of my neck/scalp were tingling. I cried a lot for no reason. I went to therapy and was a zombie and just thought my anxiety had increased for no reason. Then I realized it was the withdrawal. Yesterday I thought I was just going to die and I wouldn't be able to do it. Somehow today is better. Still brain zaps (but not as frequent) and the clammy feeling/chilly skin tingles are there as well as some anxiety, but a little bit less.
I plan on doing this for at least one or two months before we try to go from 37.5 to 0. I had tried this years ago and couldn't do it - I was opening the capsules and taking beads to help ward off the withdrawals. But this time I am DETERMINED to do it. There's no going back. I want off of this stuff. I'm so worried and nervous and scared, but reading how so many of you have made it through gives me some hope. I also hope the Trintellix helps pick up where the Effexor fell short.
Best of luck to you all.
You got this. Don’t give up. You are almost done for of it. I know it’s a struggle I went thru it earlier this year. You will feel so much better once you are totally off Effexor. It took a while 6 to 8 weeks to get it out of my symptoms which were brain zaps nausea etc sometimes I was extremely pissed other times I would cry for no reason keep telling yourself it’s the withdrawals bc it is. I feel a hell of a lot better. I’m taking Wellbutrin bc it helps me not to smoke Hang in their this to will pass
Queen Gigi -
I've had the same feelings you discussed in previous posts - I was just numb to everything and had zero empathy. Like, it was there, but I couldn't express or act on it.
How long were you on Effexor?
My anxiety is still crazy high and my arms and scalp still tingly with anxiety. It's crazy. I both want to run a marathon to get this all out of my system and simultaneously curl up in bed and sleep for weeks.
I was on Effexor for over 10 years and finally stopped taking it several months ago. The withdrawal effects were horrible, even though I tapered off from it over the course of a few weeks. I ended up going back on the smallest dosage (37.5 mg) while adding prozac. After a couple of weeks I stopped the effexor again and stayed on the prozac for a couple of weeks. I'm off both now and yet I STILL feel the occasional brain zaps.
So how long have you been med free how are you feeling
Effexor is poison and a horrible drug. The doctor is the drug dealer who keeps you coming back for more. It has damaged my nervous system and taps your spine. The withdrawal rages I had landed me in the psychiatric unit of a hospital. Where i told them this Effexor has ruined me. They seemed to muse aloud at the zombie they had created. 2 weeks later i was released with a head full of Prozac and sadness in my heart.
I’m greatful for each of you and your experience with this drug. I truly thought I was losing my mind. I started this drug about 3 years ago for depression and anxiety I was on 300 XR daily I also had severe hot flashes prior to taking this drug the hot flashes went away. However if I was off on my timing of taking my pills I would get vertigo vomit etc I hated the way I felt when I was off I gained 30 pounds on it I suppressed my feelings ‘ oh your mother died ? To bad mine has been dead 20 years big deal get over it “ that pretty much sums up how I suppressed my feelings while on it. I weaned my self to 37.5 of course with my Dr guiding me it has truly been hell coming off I’m weepy.
Sick at my stomach vertigo dizzy oh yes very pissed off I mean angry over nothing I thought I was losing my mind and I have awful night sweats I’ve haven’t had any since Jan 14 2018 I feel better every week back to myself it does get better with time. I will never take this drug again never in my wildest dreams did I think this legal drug would do such things to me I’m so happy other people have had the same side effects it gives me hope that this to shall pass
It sounds like this medication really worked for you in terms of anxiety but I think that is why mental health support or therapy is so important so that you do deal with your emotions before you come off this drug . How long was your weening. I am down to 125 from 275 but have sat at that all winter as I live in Canada and am affected by the lake of light etc. Also I had a car accident in early December and that gave me heightened anxiety for awhile.
Hello needssomething
I’ve been weening off this drug since Oct 2016 I went from 300 XR daily to 150 etc I weened down to 37.5 and stayed there until January of this year I haven’t had it since January 14 I’m getting better every day it just takes time. I want off this bc I don’t like how it makes me feel when I miss a dose like vertigo nausea in addition I had no sympathy for anything or anyone it was simply time for me to come off of it.
Glad you made it off, how are you know
I’m great today. I’m almost 6 months free of Effexor the vertigo finally went away. I no longer have the feeling of complete and utter dread I couldn’t sleep I was afraid I would die in my sleep I would literally pass out when my body couldn’t stay awake anymore. I’m so glad I stuck to coming off of Effexor. It may be a wonder drug for some it wasn’t so for me I drank cranberry juices anything that would help detox me veggies fruit tons of water to flush it out of me hang in there This to shall pass good luck God bless y’all
I’ve been on the generic 75 mg and my insurance is going up 300% in April so I got with my doctor about getting off of it. He prescribed me the 35mg instant release and said to start with two a day then every five days go down a half. I’m down to one a day now. I take a half in the morning and the other at night. It’s been okay until I dropped to just one a day. I’ve had a headache the past two days and minor head zaps. My doctor said with this you need to taper down fast. I’ve got eight days left so we’ll see!
How are you now
I’m totally fine now! After I was done I still had the lightheaded thing going on but after a few weeks it went away.
Hijacking this for a moment.
I was on 75mg XR generic for 7 years. I just started my taper. Rather than being prescribed 37.5 instant release I was given 37.5 XR. So basically cutting in half right off the bat.
It's been 4 days. I've managed to stay as active as I possibly can so as to not drive myself crazy thinking about how I feel. It's not unbearable and I'm determined to make it through this but my head I've gotten a very bad headache each day and I am pretty spaced out. I only start to feel the zaps close to the time to take my next dose thankfully. Other than that I am tired and fairly irritable ( very easy to piss me off) .
Your story and others give me hope that it's gunna be all good. I wonder if I should mention the instant release tabs to my doc. This seems like the better way to go as it can be managed easier than the XR. Taking as needed and slowly reducing the dosage.
Right now i am so anxious and restless. Starting back on venlafaxine er took away the restless leg but i don't feel like myself or am i doing what i used to do before i started tapering off venlafaxine. I feel like i can't relax I see my psych in a week but this restlessness is unbearable. I hope she will be able to prescribe something I havent been able to enjoy life lately the going back on the 150 of venlafaxine took away the physical problems except for this nasty headache. This is misery.
i am back on 300 mg. the emotional and mental problems are horrific for me.
I'm going to keep it as is at 300 until i feel like me again. i have delirium and inertness. I feel like i have cut wires in my brain. I also have trouble relaxing my body is uncomfortable. My doctor psych said that mydepression has worsen. I want to go on anxiety meds I think it will help but she didn't offer. I hope there isnt any issues . klonopin was mentioned with on call doctor.
I went through this a couple of years ago and thought I'd lose my mind. My primary thought it was all in my head... well, it was... the brain zaps, the mood swings, the feeling as though I'd jump out of my skin. I found another primary who actually listened to me and started me on a "prozac bridge," which is a treatment that has been researched and proven to work for Effexor withdrawal. (The drug company likes to call it "discontinuation syndrome," I guess that sounds less extreme). The process is to wean off the Effexor by adding small doses of prozac, then, when the wean is complete, to wean off the prozac. When weaning off prozac, I was completely asymptomatic. I think it took about two weeks, if I remember correctly. That, after months of hell trying to get off effexor. I started Wellbutrin after the wean, and that has worked well for me. I do, however, still have tinnitus from the Effexor.
I still have the ringing in my ears as well. I hope over time it will go away. I thought I would literally crawl out of my skin when I stopped taking this medicine. I still can’t believe how my feelings changed while on this medication. I just simply stuffed them down I didn’t deal with them period I had no sympathy for anything or anyone. Also coming off I had this feeling of complete and utter dread for days my parents both died when they were 59. I just turned 57 I just had this dreaded feeling that this is it this is your crappy little life You get old. you get ugly you die face it girl your at the end of the line this is it. I thought I would never loose that feeling of dread it has passed thankfully so has my feelings. I was also extremely pissed very very angry. I assumed this was from all the feelings I continued to stuff in over the course of taking this medication.
I hope your okay !
Your post caught my eye partly for the existential anguish but both of my grandfathers parents died at 45 so he was always oh I go any day now ...
He lived until just shy of his 90th birthday!
Dear Neededsomthing
Thank you!!! for asking about me I’m great actually I’ve been off Effexor almost 6 months. I don’t have that dread feeling anymore it took awhile for the vertigo to go away but I pushed my self thru it I suppose I’m stronger then most as I was a military child we moved often I’m also the oldest of 10 our parents died young leaving me with the reins I’m happy I feel good I’m not on any antidepressants anymore the beginning was awful coming off this drug push thru it tell yourself This to shall pass it worked for me I don’t have the feeling of dread that was so awful I couldn’t sleep I worried I would die in my sleep for those of you struggling with Effexor hang in there This to will pass good luck and God bless y’all
I have been on venlafaxine hcl er for 4 years about. It wasnt working for me. I have extreme social anxiety and depression. I was on 300. it lowered to 150 for 4 weeks then to 75 for 2 weeks and thats when the god awful symptoms started. The worst of it was from this restless leg that i had. It was so bad thats all i could concentrate on and not to mention this boredom of everything i do and constant feeling of dread terror being anxious is awful. it took 7 weeks before i got back on 150 of venlafaxine. i'm on currently 1 week and 1/2 of the 150 of venlafaxine. The restless leg went away but the feelings of terror fear dread is still with me.
I have heard the horror stories and thought that if i gradually taper to 37.5 i wont get restless leg. but one person said they were only on 37.5 and when they stopped she got restless leg. How am i going to come off this drug? The doctor said 37.5 everyday to 37.5 every other day . I am going to
try to come down 37.5 a month hopefully insurance will cover it. The restless leg has been hell. I couldn't even smile well during christmas pictures. Time means so much to me and from what i read it will be a while.
I'm so sorry for this i know how it feels i'm writing this so someone can have something to read and that their not alone in this just how i felt when i searched for help online.
I haven't seen an success stories of people coming back a while later if they are good or not. Hopefully i will.
My Doctor suggested that it was only effective for anxiety at higher doses ,say 225. I wish they were a little more liberal with the lorazepam. My daughter ( she is an adult) hated her anti depressants so much she only filled her lorazepam script. I have dropped down to a dose of 125 after being at over 200 for a long time and I am hoping that it will work to come of the rest in the spring. Where I live winter is not the time to try.
I started 75mg of Effexor generic two weeks ago today. Have experienced these this past week, during week two, while on vacation for the holidays:
- waking up every morning between 4-5a (even if I went to bed at midnight)
- if I can go back to sleep, usually by 7-7:30a, I have vivid dreams
- woke up the other night inexplicably covered in sweat (bed sheet was wet, too)
- one day was noticeably jittery
- yesterday (Christmas) I was flatline (family kept asking "What's wrong?")
- I can no longer cry (lost my dog suddenly six months ago and was able to cry about it right up until I started Effexor)
Reading all of these posts, none of which I sadly read or knew about before starting this drug, I'm terrified about the future and do not want to stay on it, let alone take today's pill.
I will say I'm not completely debilitated; have been driving/going to gym/eating just fine but don't know what to do now. Can't reach my doctor due to Christmas holiday. Out of state and wondering if I should call my pharmacist. January through March I have to be in absolute top form for work and greatly fear, based on these responses, that I will have to keep taking this drug at 75mg for that long, thereby increasing its hold, in order to get through my upcoming crucial work period.
Hi it can takes as long to settle into this medication as to get off. In Effexor’s case 75 is a low dose and may not work.
And as for your side effects jitters, night sweats will clear up but we are talking weeks and insomnia and feeling flat they are going to stay for the long haul. I had to add 150 of Wellbutrin to get a bit more pep( okay to have any interest in anything but my bed and naps.
Time of day you take your meds May help with sleep
If I take it at breakfast I am really tired in the afternoon / supper time. And am up in the night
Evening I cannot sleep until late.
So I find mid afternoon say 2:30 works then I am good until well after supper then crash , if I practice good sleep habits ( no phone low lights don’t do anything but pee and go back to bed )then the night waking doesn’t last long
Magnesium is supposed to help with sleep.
I am so glad I found these responses, because I thought I was weak and exaggerating what I have been feeling. I tried to reduce the amount of venlafaxine I was taking, from 300mg to 75mg, but then ran out the day after Thanksgiving. Since then, I thought I was out of my mind. But thanks to all of your sharing, I no longer realize that I am alone in these feelings, nor in the desire to get off this medication. I am unnerved by the length of time of withdrawal symptoms, however. I do not look forward to feeling like this during the holidays.
I took 200 mg of Venlafaxine per day for almost a year. It seemed to make me feel more anxious, odd, paranoid a little. Thoughts of something bad was going to happen. Insomnia, nausea, dizzy, unable to think clearly, hot sweats.
Forgetfulness and to top it off weight gain and hair loss. It seemed like it was making the things it was to be helping me with worse. Anxiety. So, I tried to wean off under my doctors care, of course. I got down to 12.5mg and I had horrible fits of pain in my right side and and around my lower back. Shocks to my head, legs, arms. Tummy aches, dizziness, headaches so bad it was completely debilitating. All these things are happening at once! My doctor suggested I just keep taking it. (really) I did some research and found what they call a Prozac bridge.
(Fluoxetine is the generic) I told my doctor and she approved a 10 mg dose to go with the 25 mg of Venlafaxine everyday for a week, then with 12.5 mg everyday for a week. Keep taking the Prozac for another week by itself. it kind of fools your body into thinking your still taking the Venlafaxine. It worked for me. It was not an easy road because I didn't know when things would work, or wouldn't. All I knew, is I wanted off of this stuff. I now take Extra strength 5HTP and do relaxing things for myself and use essential oils. I still need the alprazolam for anxiety attacks, but I needed those when I was taking the Venlafaxine too. Anxiety isn't just going to go away. I will always have to do my best to control it the best I can. I have chosen to do it the natural way with no side effects.
I wanted to share because this site helped me with this so much! so, Thank you All for sharing. I must say, please always speak with your doctor about these things. You can die from the withdrawal if its bad enough. Everyone is different. Even tough I have been off of it now for 20 days, I still get hints of that funny dizzy delayed reaction in my head, and shocks in my limbs and brain. When does that go away? It's probably just going to take a while for me. As I said everyone is different.
Thank you
Hi Ambudai,
So sorry to hear you have to do this because the insurance won't pay! Where I am from the government pays for my meds.
I reduced from 225mg Effexor to 37.5mg and the side effects were horrible despite doing I did it over 12 months.
I have seen a new doctor recently who is an expert in mood disorders - she said the side effects are from your body withdrawing form the serotonin. Effexor has a half life of 20hours (which kinda means long it stays in your body) but another antidepressant Fluoxetine has a half life of 20 DAYS. basically what this means is that if you take a small amount of fluoxetine your body will not be craving the serotonin and you will most likely avoid side effects!
I started at 150mg venlafaxine a week ago and reducing by 37.5mg every 10 days - I was told to also take 1 x 20mg tablet of fluoxetine ever week and this has stopped all my side effects!
I feel like this needs to be broadcast to every doctor in existence because the side effects were HORRIBLE last time and don't exactly improve mood!
If I was you I would go and ask my doctor if they could hook me up with some long half lie fluoxetine to help with serotonin withdrawal.
Take care of yourself! I know its really not nice!
Hope this helps :)
I was put on Effexor to control hot flashes after breast cancer treatment. I did not have depression, and really resisted taking it at first. After about a year it wasn't really helping with the hot flashes anymore, so I wanted to get off it. Oh my God, it's so hard! I weaned myself off over about four months, and I still am not back to normal. I've been completely off the medication for about a month, but where I was perfectly happy before, I now feel like I have acquired depression! Everything makes me discouraged and sad. I really recommend people think twice before taking this drug, especially for off market uses.
I really think these doctors should try effexor out and when they see how difficult it is to come off of they won't be handing them out for absolutely everything. They are speaking all the time with the drug reps from big pharmaceutical companies and are probably told that it isn't difficult to come off Effexor. All they know is what the pharmaceutical reps tell them so that's what they prescribe. Effexor is very very difficult to come off of and it can be done I'm sure but why should anybody have to go through that.
I was reading somewhere that taking Extra Strength Omega 3 in softgels - about 1500mg gel caps bought from a good health food store - take about 4 in the morning and and 3 more in the afternoon. Also take about 10,000 IU of Vitamin D3 drops and a quality multi-vitamin daily. Using fresh ginger in a smoothie helps with the brain shivers. Again I want to tell you that I found this in an article written by a person who came off Effexor and found taking these vitamins and supplements very helpful. He also stopped eating sugar completely and ate lots of fresh vegetables and Salmon. No junk food. I hope this helps.
I was also put on Effexor, at age 30, to help combat the terrible side effects I was having from Tamoxifen (an estrogen blocker) after Breast Cancer . I was originally put on Zoloft and boy was that like a vacation, bc it actually was a vacation from Tamoxifen as it was completely rendering it useless. My CVS Pharmacist caught it, as the prescriber and the CVS computer did not originally flag the interaction. Boy was that an amazing 8 weeks!!! I have been on Effexor for over 5 years now, almost 6, and I am currently on 375mg. I had to specifically find a Psych that was very familiar with Effexor, especially at higher doses and Tamoxifen. I needed someone that had a history with prescribing 225mg and higher, as the insurance company did not want to approve doses over 150. My PCP also was not comfortable with prescribing anything over 150mg and it was just not cutting it for me then, and was (is) my only option.
I read a long time ago that withdrawal from this is VERY tough and inquired with my Psych how I would ever possibly stop if I wanted to have a child. Because this is so far the only option that doesn't seem to have a severe interaction with Tamoxifen and negate its workings, I have only ever been able to adjust the dosing to combat the highs and lows of my symptoms. I had also read, right from the Effexor manufacturers site, that WD symptoms could begin as soon as 12 hours after missing a dose, no matter the strength of the dose missed (37.5mg-450mg). I had looked it up bc I woke up one morning and felt very, very disoriented. I had the worst case of vertigo I had ever experienced. (Well until I missed another dose some time later that is)
So lesson learned, and I now set two alarms on my phone to make sure I never miss another dose. I believe I was taking 150mg then. Fast forward about three years and I actually start to have WD symptoms as soon as 4 hours after my scheduled dose. I just have to keep a dose on me at all times in case I won't be home at 8:30pm to take it.
I can't imagine I would've been able to tolerate the Tamoxifen without the Effexor. I am on the 10 year Tamoxifen plan, and I am counting down the days and fully plan to throw a party when I get to stop. A GIANT PARTY! I have also warned my Oncologist sufficiently that he better not ever come to me saying we should actually make it a 15 year plan.
Anyway, right now I feel like the good outweighs the bad and my Psych also feels the same. I am VERY in-tune with my body, thank goodness for a whole host of reasons, mostly being able to catch my breast cancer very early at age 30. My Psych is very receptive to my requests to increase or decrease my dose as a result of this. I seem to lose my "filter" when it's time to increase it, I just can't seem to hold my tongue.
I do dream of the day when I will be able to not have hot flashes, joint pain and migraines like it's my job and be able to take Zoloft again. I have a long family history of depression, treated and not, so there was a good chance of depression for me anyway. I don't think other that being pregnant one day, I will ever be able to be off all depression/anxiety medications.
I have been on Effexor for 5years and over the last couple hears have experienced a lack of energy and just not feeling right. Today is day nine of cold withdrawal; it’s been rough so far getting some extreme side effects, was about to give in and go back on it, but stumbled on this form. Thank you all, after reading the comments, I feel like I can keep going to till I feel normal and completely off mine dependency off this drug. I
I think it’s very possible that you’re body has become so used to the synthetic serotonin that you aren’t making your own, and therefore feel depressed now. Try doing some of the frontline things that good doctors suggest for mild depression before meds. Exercise,smell pine forests ,garden if you like it , not to encourage overeating but eat things you like in a very mindful way, meditation,
Cuddle ( your kids,babies, partner, or at least hug a friend) and maybe you can shake it off. Also there is lots of food supplement advice but I think that only St. John ‘s wort is proven to help. You can read about it on this site. Also the cognitive therapy book titled The Feeling Good Book is great. And at least you know not to except Effexor if you decide you do need meds.
I agree doctors should think again about off label , there is no way I would take this medicine for anything but major depression.
I am not sure I can ever stop after almost 3 years. And I get sweats /hot flashes from Effexor.
Many millions of people do take it for depression and do very well with it. So banning it would cause many suicides and/or grief for those people. If Effexor doesn't work for you, then you are right to get off it, but you need to go off of it very slowly. But if it's just because you don't want to take medications, I hope that depression doesn’t come back. Plus depression causes diseases much earlier in life such as osteoporosis, heart attacks, and strokes which is because the telomeres get damaged. I am a case in point having gotten osteoporosis and a major stroke early in life. That's because when I suffered from depression, these medications were not on the market.
You need to go off Effexor very slowly to avoid the possible side effects. I have 2 friends plus myself who went off of it quickly without any side effects. But obviously a lot of people do. Effexor has been a God send for me. Without it I literally wouldn't be here.
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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