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
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
170 Answers Page 3
pcohen63
30 Aug 2017
I have been gradually reducing my dosage over the last month. I started at 75mg (have been on this for about 5 years, previously on Cymbalta for 1 year until my insurance stopped covering it), I reduced to 37.5 mg for a week, then I cut the pill in half the following week, and then into quarters for the week after that. I am now 4 days in to not taking it at all. Each time I reduced the medication I felt lousy for two days and then I was fine. I am onto day 4 and I feel pretty terrible still. Dizzy, brain zaps, I am hungry ALL the time and I just generally feel out of it. I plan to go to the store today to buy Ommega 3 fish oil, vitamin D3 and a multi vitamin. Any other suggestions? Any idea when this will taper off? This is NO fun!
Overcomer1963
16 Oct 2017
We moved to a new state and have no insurance while we job hunt. I was put on effexor several years ago for night sweats. I have been getting my dosage greatly reduced, so when i ran out a few days ago, I was not prepared for the withdrawal! I am so greatfull to have found this forum and thank you everyone for your help. I have been taking fish oil and drinking alot of water. I had a job interview today and only made it through with prayer all the way there. I pray I can get through. The hardest thing was trying to describe the brain zaps to my husband. It is by far the worst thing . Any other suggestions would be helpful. I am desparate.
zapmenot
27 Aug 2017
I will never take that drug again. It is the worst to withdraw from. My effects were so bad that I switched to Lexapro while I was getting off effexor because I couldn't stand the withdrawal. I didn't need as much Lexapro and haven't had any brain zaps if I happen to forget to take my pill. I even tried to wean myself off slowly and still had terrible brain zaps, dizziness, anxiety, etc. Never just stop taking drugs. BUT in the cse of Effexor, it doesn't matter if you do it slowly, it's still terrible!
sara12345
2 Sep 2017
It does make a difference if you do it very slowly. Good for you for going on to Lexapro to temper the withdrawal.
Jackielhelton
27 Aug 2017
I was on 150 in September last year. I went down to 37.5 in November until last week. That transition was a hard month but I adjusted ok. Now I've been counting out the beads inside the pills and splitting them in half for about a week. Today is the first day I havent taken any. Definitely dizzy, ears wont stop ringing, tired. I dont say the the right words and my reaction time is delayed. My doctor told me just stop taking it. She didn't try tho wean me off of that last dose. She said the symptoms are annoying but not fatal. I decided to wean myself. I regret ever taking these meds. I wish I would have investigated the drug more before I took for it
chesterhoff
20 Aug 2017
This medicine is a fricking nightmare. To come off of this is horrible. I begged my doctor not to put me on it. My insurance was cancelled and I couldn't afford my prescription for about 5 days, I was miserable. I am literally terrified of this medicine. I don't want it anymore.
milemile
20 Aug 2017
This medicine shld be banned. It took me forever to get off of it. Now I'm weaning off lexapro because none of these SSRIs are work for me and I have had such crying spells and the worst tightness in my chest.. the drs fail to tell you all the wonderful side effects of coming off these medications...
Neededsomthing
27 Aug 2017
What I really wish is that doctors would only prescribe Effexor/Effexor RX and the equivalent generics unless they are fairly sure that the patient can afford it.
It is or can be very effective but it needs to be started and stopped very slowly, making good use of the 37.5 mg capsules.
With reduction coming every 3td then second day before daily.
I am currently working on stopping taking it ,from 225 (300 max dose previously) to 150 after slowly lowering and then stay steady there for a few months I will go to 75cap&37.5 cap one day two 75 mg the next for months before every day.
I have heard that even the last 37.5 can be hard ...
I am sorry that you were put in this position.
milemile
27 Aug 2017
Yes as effective as they can be for some the withdrawals are horrendous. I started coming off it crumb by crumb. I've been on ssris for a long time and recently tried to come off all and just use klonopin but it's not working so now I'm trying an older medication. The SSRI and SnRI no longer work for me:-(. Good luck to you...
sara12345
2 Sep 2017
To Neededsomething: Good for you! You are doing it the right way.
sara12345
2 Sep 2017
To chesterhoff: In the future, always get meds refilled when they are available which is always about 5 days before you have run out of them. Sometimes medications suddenly become not available. Or in case your insurance is canceled. Was your insurance canceled so quickly? That doesn't seem right. Who was responsible for canceling it immediately?
Beauswisher
30 June 2017
I even tried to skip a day at a time towards the end of my prescription. It's been a week now and still having chills, absolutely no energy, and huge waves of depression.. I wish i knew about this before starting the medication.
Beauswisher
30 June 2017
The only way I've been able to do anything at all is if I drink.. I don't know what else to do though. Trying to get back into a new psychiatrist takes forever.
ArchieBu
9 July 2017
Please do not skip a day here and there, it shocks your system. Effexor half life means it's already coming out of your system that day. So you need to take it every day and just start taking smaller amounts. Slowly.
Tensas
29 June 2017
I feel you. Have been off Effexor XR for couple months now. It's been rough. Was feeling better then it slammed me again! Wish I had never taken this drug.
Neededsomthing
2 Sep 2017
Sounds like you having another depressive episode? Did it work well you were taking it?
And are you going to take it or anything else this time .
18 months is a min. Amount of time to treat a first episode, do you think you took it long enough to treat .
Lisa 1966
18 June 2017
I am weaning off of 75mg for 8 years. I am a registered nurse and with these awful side effects I would never recommend this medication to anyone. I can't think, feel brain zaps constantly, don't trust myself to drive a car, and my temper is unbelievable. I feel like I'm going to fall down all the time and as if I have no control over my own body. Worst drug ever.
Neededsomthing
2 Sep 2017
If you really want off of Effexor I would try taking another ssri with an easy reputation and drop Effexor well on it then stop it after a bit.
I take Wellbutrin 150 mg as well as the 225 Effexor so I will definitely come off it after the Effexor.
Kbalus
13 June 2017
I'm on day 3 of withdrawal and the brain zaps are driving me insane. Will this go away? I feel crazy. Need some encouragement from someone who has done this.
coconutsandpineapple
31 May 2017
I have been on Effexor since Jan 2017. My Dr started me on 37.5 mg, with only minor nausea, and then had me move up to 75mg after about a month. My thoughts about self harm about have been worse on this medication than any of the other I have tried so about a month ago, I dropped back down to 37.5 mg because he drug was making me extremely moody, I had heart palpitations, and just generally not doing well. Last week I was in a serious brain fog that would not go away and just tired beyond belief. On Friday May 26th, I took my last 37.5 mg dose of effexor. Saturday I felt fine, but Sunday I had terrible dizziness and headaches. Monday I had more dizziness, headaches, and fatigue. Today, Tuesday, I am dizzy, nauseated, tired, and really sensitive to changes in temperature, particularly if a building is even slightly warm.
I was wondering how long it might take for these symptoms to go away or any tips someone might have to help cope with the withdrawal effects.
sueduva
31 May 2017
I'm coming off Effexor now too.
If it is making you feel worse, maybe you would do better on a SSRI ? Back when I was trying meds to see what would help, Prozac made me feel much worse; I felt suicidal for the first time in my life. Unfortunately each drug reacts differently for each of us, so it is very frustrating to find the right drug and dose that works for you.
You should tell your dr. and try something else, they can switch some meds without having to taper. Especially if you feel like you will hurt yourself.
I personally have decided to give St. John's Wort a try. In Germany it is the standard first drug to try when depressed and it is even covered under drug plans there.
Even though I tapered to 37.5 before coming off Effexor 2 weeks ago, I am feeling lethargic, exhausted and dizzy. But my mood is ok, no crying over nothing. I am having trouble finding out how long these withdrawal side effects will last.
Good luck; I hope you can find something to help you.
In my opinion, If a drug makes you feel worse you should come off it, but please talk to your Dr. Take care.
sueduva
31 May 2017
I wasn't a lot of help to your question. But I am dealing with the withdrawals by giving myself permission to rest and relax. I'm trying to drink lots of water and eating healthy food (even though I'm not hungry). My Dr. gave me zopiclone to sleep at night. Basically I'm just babying myself. My husband has been cooking me dinner. I've decided not to drive my car until the dizziness eases. ❤️
coconutsandpineapple
31 May 2017
Yeah, I'm taking it as easy as I can. But being a college student in the last two weeks of school makes it harder. I took a fish oil supplement last night that has 300 mg Omega 3 because I read that could help. This morning I took a B vitamin complex, my vitamin D3, and the herbal supplement I ordered to help with my depression. Besides still feeling really tired, my withdrawal effects haven't been too bad today. I hope they continue to get better and are gone pretty soon.
coconutsandpineapple
31 May 2017
Besides being initially weepy and trying to figure out when to take each vitamin, I seem to be doing much better off the medication than when I was on it. I had been on Lexapro for 8.5 years, Zoloft for 6 months and then Effexor for almost 6 months. My primary doctor basically said that I should see a psychologist, but no matter what doctor I've seen in the past, they never listened to my concerns about being on so many drugs. I swear, every time I went they upped my doses. Though I am still pretty young (only 21) I learned at a young age that I have to be an advocate for my health because sometimes I will tell the doctors that I want to reduce or try a different med and they just nod and prescribe a higher dose because "maybe you aren't on a high enough dose yet, and that's why you aren't seeing improvement". This mentality had me on maximum or over the maximum dose of several medications at one and I started having heart palpitations at 16.
I feel that doctors today don't really take what their patients want into account anymore. They have learned to prescribe meds and adjust to find the right dose. That doesn't work for everyone anymore. They need to understand that every brain works differently and will respond to different drugs in different ways. Luckily it seems that I have found something that works for me for now, I just hope it continues to work.
MidwestPrincess
1 May 2017
Not sure if I replied to this yet, but I have been experiencing some of the same symptoms that y'all have experienced from Effexor XR withdrawal. I began taking the medication in 2014 as my Panic Disorder relapsed after about two years medication-free (I previously took Lexapro and found the withdrawal symptoms much milder). As a result of the horrible weight gain (went from around 145 to about 180 in less than two years with no appetite/food intake change), I decided per my doctor's advice to taper from the medication. I am currently 3 days Effexor free. It took two months to completely taper (took 1 every other day for a week, 1 every 2 days, and so on... ). The first day without the Effexor was certainly the worst. Unfortunately, I also had to fly home that day and I was having horrible brain zaps, dizziness, and began to randomly cry in the airport. So embarrassing.
The symptoms lessened a bit over the two month period, yet I find that the brain zaps just won't dissipate at all. I can deal with some dizziness and the diarrhea, but the brain zaps are the most annoying and debilitating in my opinion. I just began a multivitamin/Omega 3 Fish Oil regimen because it was highly recommended to help the brain heal. I just wish there was more literature/potential solutions to this brain zap problem. I have a degree in psychology and know quite a bit about the human brain, and my best guess would be that the withdrawal causes misfiring neurons in the brain. I just wish that there was more research on this particular symptom, as it seems to affect nearly everyone who tapers off of/quits taking the medication.
If I would have known that Effexor XR would have caused an unusual amount of weight gain (which has affected my skin and blood pressure, as well) and causes such horrible withdrawal symptoms, I would have never taken it. Now that the drug is out of my system, I am beginning to feel more like "myself", though. When I was on it, I felt great; however, I didn't really care about much of anything. I didn't care about my weight, let my appearance go down the drain, etc. In fact, the world could have crashed around me and I wouldn't have cared much. Now, I am caring about tangible things that I always used to care about. Though I feel like crap (from the symptoms), I feel like a human again!
G_money75
18 April 2017
I know this is an old post. I just want to share the way i got off effexor incase someone might benefit from it. I bought a cheap set of ebay scales that weigh to three digits under the decimal point. I had 150mg caps so based my maths on that. A full cap weighed 0.61 grams. An empty cap weighed 0.1 grams. That meant there was 0.51 grams of stuff in the capsule containing 150mg of effexor. If i wanted to take 125mg i would calculate like this: 125÷150= 0.83333333. 0.83333333 ×0.51=0.425. This means you need 0.425 grams from the contents of the capsule to have 125mg of effexor. I think the way the drs want people to reduce is insane as the drops are too much. You get too much confusion, brain zaps and everything else. If you have 150mg caps and want to take 75mg then calculate like this: 75÷150=0.5. 0.5 × 0.51=0.255. So to take 75mg you need to weigh up 0.255 grams of the capsule contents.
As a dr told me it needs to get inside your stomach i bought empty capsules from the chemist. I only went down 5mg/week once i got down to about 75mg. The zaps etc aren't too bad this way. Been off it for only just over a week now with a few little brain zaps and slowness etc but i think its worked well. Hope this might help someone.
Imlobosmommy
5 April 2017
I am just wondering how all of you can go off Effexor, if you take it for pain attacks. If I miss one day, the next day is awful. Emotional, weepy, panic attacks, so I can't even fathom going off it.
Loweez67
5 April 2017
I took Effexor and Bupropion and decided to get myself off of Effexor because I had been on 300 mg for many years. I changed many things in my life that were causing me major stress. I actually lost my job of 26 years and hadn't realized how much stress that job was causing me. I weaned off of Effexor, VERY slowly. I cut back on my dose every 2 weeks and then at the end I was even dividing granuales from the capsules. The withdrawals are horrible I'm not going to lie but so worth it. I still take a small dose of Bubroprion but I feel so much better. Sure I'm emotional but I know my triggers and I try to avoid things that upset me. I've even given up friends that are just toi much drama. I just decided to take over my life and not let depression run my life. My health is much better as well. It is work but you can do it!!
Imlobosmommy
5 April 2017
That should say panic attacks, not pain attacks.
Neededsomthing
1 Sep 2017
If your panic attacks/ anxiety returns that fast rather than just physical withdrawals symptoms then I would think that your just still in need of the medication.
18 months to 2 years used to be the standard time of treatment for first major episode of depression/anxiety.
mroberson
5 April 2017
I was prescribed Effexor for hot flashes after going through chemo and a hysterectomy. I have been having episodes of dizziness and nausea. Never would have thought it was withdrawal symptoms. My doctor referred me to a neurologist because of the dizziness. The neurologist did all kind of tests including squirting cold water in my ear. That really caused some dizziness. He asked me have I missed any doses of the Effexor. When I told him yes he said that the medicine was causing the dizziness. I have been off it for a week now and I feel awful. I took one today after getting it refilled. After reading everyone's comments I will wean myself off it. I had gotten off of it before. If I knew what I know now, I would have never gotten back on it.
satori1111
31 May 2017
Did the Effexor help your hot flashes after going through chemo and hysterectomy? If so then the drug was good for you when you needed it. I went off of Effexor and it wasn't easy but it's possible. It's even more difficult to come off of clonazepam - very serious!
Devin1983
25 Feb 2017
I was weaned off from 150 MGs of effexor... I took 75 MG for 2 weeks then 37.5 for 2 weeks I have been off them for a week after being on them for about 4 months and I'm still have withdrawals... I have the brain zap the dizziness and my face lips and teeth go numb it's very disturbing... when will it stop?
Neededsomthing
25 Feb 2017
That sound awful, if you read up higher in the thread it sounds like you may of gone a bit fast,but your all off now so... some suggestions for fish oil and the like or bridging meds are there too. good luck but it seems that it could be a few more weeks. Remember it won't last forever, are you going on something else because 4 months is not really long enough for brain function to return to normal?
Devin1983
26 Feb 2017
I'm also on ativan 1mg but don't really want to go on anything else
starpolish1
5 April 2017
It will stop ask for Prozac to help combat those stmptoms
satori1111
25 Feb 2017
It is day 5 for me today coming off Effexor after 1 year on it. I feel terrible... very anxious and having some panic attacks, when I walk my entire body shakes and my heart beats very hard and fast. I feel light headed, dizzy (almost like vertigo), diarrhea, some nausea. My doctor told me it could up to two weeks until I will start to feel better. I guess I have to bite the bullet. Good Luck to you too! Let me know how it goes
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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