# My Effexor Withdrawal Journal



## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*My Effexor Withdrawal Journal [SUCCESS - COMPLETE]*

_*THIS JOURNAL HAS BEEN COMPLETED - READ THROUGH FOR MY OWN EXPERIENCE
I AM NOW 100% FREE FROM EFFEXOR

DON'T HESITATE TO PM ME WITH QUESTIONS, OR POST A REPLY HERE!*_

To get you up to speed:

I've been on 150mg Effexor XR for 2 years now. It's being used to treat my once severe Social Anxiety and Moderate Depression.

This year, I decided to taper off Effexor which began the beginning of January 2012. My doctor cut my dose from 150 mg, down to 112.5 mg as the pills are in 37.5 intervals until you reach 150 mg. This is the dose I am currently at with my doctor.

In March 2012, I attempted to take my dose down another 37.5 mg without consulting my doctor. It was going okay until the second week in when I experience an extreme bout of depression that sent my brain into suicidal thoughts. I was not suicidal, but began pondering it like I had done years ago.

That scared me into bringing my dose back up.

A month later I tried quitting cold turkey like I had heard people had done. Well, 2nd day in my vision went blurry, I was so nauseous, and dizzy. It felt like the worst case of dehydration, lack of sleep while fighting a flu, I had ever experienced.

Needless to say I got right back on my 112.5 mg dose immediately --- and by the time I went to bed that evening I felt relatively okay.

So that leads me to this past week where I had read in numerous places that taking St. Johns Wort along side tapering off Effexor will help depression. I also read that 5-HTP can also assist in relieving the withdrawal symptoms but I hadn't purchased it because of the $50 price tag.

On Monday, May 6th 2012, I dropped my daily dose down another 37.5 mg to 75 mg. I have also began to take 300 mg of St. Johns Wort when I wake up in the morning --- and when I have dinner in the evening.

I'd like to know if there is anything else I can do (besides the old, exercise, eating healthy, ect) that can help me avoid the terrible withdrawal effects.

So far I feel okay. Last night I had a small bout of depression and I am expecting depression in the next couple of weeks while my body adjusts. Does anyone know how long it takes the human body to adjust to a dosage drop like that?

Is 5-HTP very effective?

How does St. Johns Wort and 5-HTP work to combat the withdrawal symptoms? I'm sort of blindly running on other peoples experiences and advice.

I've got an appointment with my doctor next Thursday to discuss this recent decrease in dosage. As well as to discuss the St. Johns Wort and 5-HTP.

When I finally cut out the last of the 37.5 mg of Effexor, I'm going to take a camping vacation where at least I can lay on a beach and recover instead of suffering at home.

Thanks for reading and replying!


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

5-htp was the most effective thing for me during effexor withdrawals. I was also taking fish oil and some vitamins. 5-htp is very helpful. St. John's wort has never done anything for me. I was taking 100 mg of 5-htp but you may only need 50-mg. I didn't notice any adverse effects once I quit taking 5-htp, it just eased the horrible withdrawals. Damn effexor, worst withdrawals ever. Don't worry though, it will be over. I tapered down too after taking it for close to two years, the symptoms after quitting lasted about 3-4 weeks for me.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

You could consider a cross taper onto an SSRI such as Lexapro or Prozac, Where you replace Effexor with 10mg of Lexapro or 20mg of Prozac per 75mg of Effexor. 
So for example if your currently taking 75 mg of Effexor, you could switch over to Lexapro 10mg, and then reduce it at a rate of about 5mg every 1-2 weeks.


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## AxlSlash (May 10, 2012)

I felt like i was ona constant stae of withdrawal WHILE i was taking effexor! Safe to say noradrenaline isn't my problem in my case of my sad/agoraphobia/panic disorder.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

istayhome - Thanks for your reply. I managed to find a cheaper bottle of 5-HTP that I purchased today. So I'll begin taking 100 mg of that in the morning (they only came in 100 mg).

jim_morrison - I'd rather avoid having to take any other medications right now, so first I'll try what I've started 

AxlSlash - Sounds like Effexor really wasn't your solution. Hope you find something that works for you!


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

hah! I doubt effexor will help you sleep. Sure, after a period of manic insomnia you'll be out for a few days. But of all the Antidepressant's I've been on I would say effexor is one of the least helpful when it comes to healthy, regular sleep patterns. That's my experience anyways, and effexor withdrawals are worse than any other AD I've been on. I guess it worked alright for me for a while but overall I would not recommend it.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Hyperion - I've always read to take 5-htp before bed on an empty stomach. That's how I took it. I think taking it in the morning is fine, but the empty stomach part is important.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
Considering the last time I dropped my dose down 37.5 mg, this time around is going a lot smoother. I shouldn't count all my chickens yet, because I know the coming two weeks could have some surprises for me. So far so good though. Thanks for your replies!

*fetisha* - When you're having trouble sleeping, the LAST thing you want to be taking is Effexor. I wish I knew the name of the drug my doctor tried me on before Effexor. It was an anti-psychotic and didn't really do anything but act like a tranquillizer. The thing was amazing, I had to take half the dose my doctor prescribed because it'd put me to sleep for 16+ hours! I didn't take it for long though, my issue was daytime anxiety --- not night.

*istayhome* - Thanks for the tip! I'll start taking it at night -- tomorrow.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*fetisha* - Actually, I think it was seroquel... strong stuff.
Effexor did help me with anxiety, but I still had to face the anxiety and overcome it on my own. I guess it helped lessen it... To avoid panic attacks I took a beta blocker but that was only for situations where I knew I might panic (parties, interviews, beginning school, ect). I noticed Effexor worked well for my depression as well.
The hardest part of taking Effexor is overcoming the side effects when you increase the dose, and then dealing with any withdrawals when reducing a dose. My body took about a good 2-3 weeks to return to normal after an increase in the dose. That's when I'd be able to function normally....
If you were on a low dose of Effexor, that's probably why you didn't notice anything... I think most people take up to 150 mg before the drug works properly for them. I could sleep, but it's not like Effexor aided with sleeping... It maybe just helped me not be depressed or anxious about the next day when I was in bed. Some people require an even higher dose... It's different for everyone unfortunately.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

I'm probably playing with fire, but I've been feeling so great on account of the 5-HPT that I decided to cut my dose right down to 37.5 mg. The second last step before I'm off this hellish roller coaster.

Fingers crossed I don't hit a drop-off.


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## Jay-Son (Dec 18, 2008)

May I ask why you are withdrawing off effexor?


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

Good decision man, that stuff is poison! I came off effexor way back in '03. My worst symptom was nausea and marijuana helped me quite a bit with that. Just smoke lots of weed and don't think too much about the withdrawal and you will be alright.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*Jay-Son* - Effexor has been a very useful medication for me. It's always important to remember that meds are a crutch, and never a permanent solution. I've worked hard to overcome my anxiety and depression -- and with the recent discovery of St. Johns Wort along with 5-HTP, I am transitioning to those as a replacement for the anti-depressant.
Your body will get used to medications over time, causing them to be less effective... also withdrawal will be more intense the longer you're on a medication. I'm ready to face my anxieties and depression without my Effexor, and so I've decided to come off of it.

*Recipe_For_Disaster* - Thanks for the support. Unfortunately I don't have a dealer and the buddy I can rarely get some bud from isn't reliable at all. I would dose myself with half a gram morning and night if I had the supply. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of knobs in our government that believe marijuana is DANGEROUS! On a side note, I recently built a stealth grow box that should yield 15-20 g in 2 months... Fingers crossed.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
Experiencing some small minor dizzy spells today. I did take my meds a little bit later so hopefully thats all it was.


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## crazyemily (Jun 1, 2012)

effexor withdrawal sucks. done it a few times, both tapered down and cold turkey. i just cry for days cold turkey, uncontrollably, much worse than zoloft. tapering go 37.5mgs at a time, over many weeks. slowly...!!! it usually lasts 3-4 days of crying if cold turkey. don't do it if possible.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Have you gotten off effexor yet? Best way too taper would be too count the beads and start taking prozac well your tapering i think there about around 360 beads in the 75mg capsoles but every pill size or brand may be different so best if you count em your self too be sure or using the tabs maybe a easier better method reduce by 10% or lower every week or two work your way down too about 5mg then go ct counting the beads isnt easy specially if your losing your mind coming off that stuff you get good at it after awhile i still got headpressure and neck tension after coming off effexor never had that befor in my life same with the hellfire burning pains that drug not too bee toyed with took me a whole year too feel somewhat normal an ssri will speed recovery. my case was pretty extreme with effexor cause it nearly killed me i quit effexor and booze after only two week on effexor and 3 or 4day binge drinking ct and it kept me awake for 10 days severe restless hypertensive cyrsis paranoida hell on earth typedeal


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Hell fire burning pains headpressure darth vader death grip around your throat whenever you leave the house. Anyways after that whole ordeal i had too go back on it and taper propreper. During that 10 days i went too the hospital 3 days into it but after that i was too paranoid too leave the house i did see my docter too my brain was too retarded too tell him what happened coldest day in hell. I thought it be okay too stop ct i was only on it for 2weeks alcohol doesn't keep me awake that long when i ct it but effexor cause some kinda negative feedback loop that was enforcing the dt from the alcohol.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*crazyemily* - I tried to come off it cold-turkey just once. Three days in and I immediately went back on my regular dose. I felt okay to begin with but on that third day within the span of an hour my body went through hell. It was an awful experience and nobody should ever have to go through that.

*GotAnxiety* - I think bead counting is an absolute waste of time. Taking an additional medication is counter-productive to my goal. I want to come off my medication without adding anything new -- the point is to get this junk out of my system and not add anything new (even if just for a short while).
Dude, you seriously went through some bad stuff. A lot of people attempt to come off Effexor in the worst ways I think. My strategy has worked almost flawlessly, as I've experience little to no withdrawal. I'll post my update in a minute so you'll see how far I've come.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
It's only been one month, and I'm down to my last 37.5 mg of Effexor XR!
I dropped my dose down 35.7 mg every two weeks while taking herbal supplements and vitamins. This has worked out so well for me that I have experience nearly zero withdrawal effects. I can honestly say that I am starting to feel normal again.

My sexual dysfunction has nearly disappeared. I have a full days worth of energy, and have stopped constantly napping. I feel more aware and focused in my environments.

Just to remind you, I've decided to come off Effexor because I have worked hard at overcoming my anxiety. I have a history of depression in my family, so this is something I will watch closely. If it starts to get out of hand again, I may temporarily go on a much milder anti-depressant --- and only for a short term fix.

I notice a lot of people don't exercise, and I don't blame you... When I was feeling down and crappy, the last thing I wanted to do was go running or swimming. However, this is very important to overcoming anxiety and helping decrease depression. You MUST exercise, even if only for half an hour a day. Suck it up, and make a tiny effort... Stop crying about it.

I had a blood test done recently, and it looks like the 5-HTP (100 mg) or St. Johns Wort (300 mg) that was taking is causing my liver enzymes to sky rocket. This has put a bit of a dent in my progress as my doctor has forbidden me to take ANY kind of medication (including tylenol or advil) as well as avoiding marijuana and alcohol. I wonder if he thinks I'm lying to him and he thinks I'm abusing alcohol...

Anyways, I can't take my supplements until test results come back normal. I also have to go in for an ultrasound of my liver.

I am going to attempt coming off the 37.5 mg without the supplements. If that doesn't go well, I may go back on the supplements for a month just to finally kick the last bit of this medication. Obviously against my doctors wishes.

After that, I will simply just take a daily multi-vitamin and return my life to normal 

Side-Note: Along with my supplements, I took a single Cold FX pill, because not only do I find it keeps the flu and cold away but it also gives me a boost of energy through the day. This was important to helping me come off Effexor.

Also, I don't know what brain-zaps are. I've never experienced them, not even while withdrawing off Effexor.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
Tomorrow I take my last pill of Effexor XR 37.5 mg. I've been doing well at this level and haven't had any cycles of depression.

Coming off the supplements was a bit of a pain, but I've done okay since then. I'm not allowed to take any further supplements as they're damaging my liver. Also...

I actually ended my relationship with my girlfriend, and I think that coming off the drug has changed my personality a little bit. It's changed it enough to make me disinterested in the relationship that I had. I feel really bad for her because it's out of my control, but it needed to be done. I'm not even interested in looking for a new relationship... I just want to work on improving myself because I've come so far!

I'll let you know how it goes... but so far so good! Wish me luck!

Thank god I have a 4 day weekend to deal with the withdrawals!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
WOW! It's been one hell of a ride this week, but the worst of the withdrawal symptoms are over. Tapering off was nothing compared to stopping Effexor completely. No wonder people often relapse... Good thing I didn't get a refill on my prescription else I'd have jumped back on those things so fast.

I got in to see a doctor as quick as I could so that I could get a doctors note for a week. There's no way I could drive to work, or ... function at work.

The worst symptom was the disorientation. Every move of my head, or move of my eyeballs sent me into a dizzy spell so for the first four days I spent most of my time in bed (usually watching tv) and keeping my head (and eyes) very still.

I had intermittent nausea. The first/second day I vomited, but could have probably held it in. I was hoping it would be one of those "once you puke you feel better" deals. Nope!

Within the first four days I experience sudden muscle jerks. Extreme brain numbness / fogginess. Nausea. Random bouts of shivers (even outside in +28c humid). Random bouts of crying for no reason (that emotion just comes over you). Agitation and anger for no reason at all.

By far the worst was the dizziness / disorientation. I moved slow wherever I went and kept my head straight. When getting a ride to the doctor I kept my head down and my eyes closed. I also closed my eyes if I had to turn a corner in the house --- that seemed to help.

Beyond day four, things started to look a little better. The symptoms weren't getting worse and very, VERY slowly were getting better.

Fast forward to today... This is day 7 since I took my last pill... Day 6 since the first day without any medication.

I'm still experience mild disorientation, but it is completely tolerable compared to what it was.
I have begun to get headaches as of day 5. I am taking 400mg of advil in the morning, at supper, and just before bed. They work.
My appetite today has greatly increased... in fact, I am hungrier than I have ever been before! I hope this goes away, because I don't need to gain weight and feeling hungry is never really that much fun.
I'm still experiencing random shivers every now and then.
My emotions are still unstable, but seem to be getting better. I've had no thoughts of suicide through this whole ordeal.

What got me through the first 4 days was sleep... I would go about my morning routine as best I could. Eat something for breakfast, then sleep away the afternoon. When your brain feels numb, it's not that hard.

I'm also having liver complications at the moment, so I'll point out that I'm not allowed to take ANY sort of medication (aside from advil). This includes any herbals or vitamins. I've had nothing but food and water to help me through all of this. Obviously alcohol is not an option.

If I had the option of marijuana, I would advise against it... Effexor really messes up your central nervous system, and that's not something that Marijuana would help to alleviate. I wasn't in any real pain that marijuana could mask.
I would only suggest marijuana if you had cramping, severe continuous muscle spasms, or zero appetite. Even then .25 grams or less should be enough to help you through that... and DO NOT smoke. Vaporize. Burnt plant matter will intensify your withdrawal symptoms, especially when the marijuana is out of your system.

So I am on the road back to normalcy, without the aid of pharmaceutics. It feels good, and I'm proud of myself for making it through week 1. Everything should go smoothly from here on in.

I'll keep you posted.


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## Phoenix87 (May 12, 2012)

*UPDATE*
Well it's been 3 weeks, pretty well a month since the first day I stopped taking Effexor.

Like most other people, I noticed that the harshest of the withdrawals wore off after two weeks. I was fortunate to be able to go on a vacation with my family so it helped distract me from the whole experience towards the end.

I'm now feeling fantastic! I've got a nasty cold though, but that's besides the point.

I'm sleeping okay, I'm eating okay... I have more energy during the day, and I've pretty well stopped napping except for maybe 30 minutes every other day. No sexual dysfunction, although I seem to not last as long as I did --- that's a bit of a bummer.

I still feel like I am having a little trouble focusing on tasks. I can still focus, but my concentration just doesn't seem to be all there. It may take some time to retrain my brain regarding that.

I guess this concludes my journal. I'm free from Effexor, I feel great!
I haven't had any depressive episodes, and while I have experience some anxious situations, I have come out of them okay. Talking to strangers is all right as well. It seems that the social skills I've gained while on Effexor have stayed with me.

Those skills give me the tools I need to cope with anxiety as it happens. I have been experiencing a little bit more anxiety now that I"m off effexor, but like I said, it's manageable.

If you're thinking about coming off Effexor, make sure you bring yourself down to the minimum does first.

Don't count beads, or take capsules every other day. Go clean off them and stick with it. The first 5 days are the worst, then it starts to get better. Make sure you don't have school or work at the time because you will not be going anywhere. Do NOT drive while coming off effexor. Do NOT take any alcohol or excessive pain killers. Do NOT do any drugs, but a small amount of marijuana can help with the nausea ... although it can make the dizziness worse. Avoid it unless you can't stomach food.

You should be able to go to work the second week, but you won't be 100%. I informed my manager and told him that I couldn't climb ladders or do any heavy lifting. He was very understanding --- safety first, health is important. I didn't want my manager to think I was hung over or slacking off - so it's best to sit them down and be honest with them. They should be supportive, if they're not --- get a new job.

If you have ANY questions what-so-ever please feel free to send me a message.
I'm definitely here for you.


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## Futanical (Mar 23, 2015)

Great stuff!


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## vivek555 (Feb 2, 2016)

hi phoinex
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Bdrizzle (Jun 28, 2016)

Hey Phoenix,

I've been really impressed with your account of your journey, thank you so much for sharing. 

I'm considering going off effexor as well at this point but was curious as to how you are doing since this posted nearly 4 years ago. 

How are you feeling now? Are you still dealing with the depression/anxiety issues? Do you continue to take st johns wort and htp5?

Keep fighting the good fight. Hope to hear from you soon.

Best,


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