Topic: Help with Effexor Withdrawal

Weaning off of Effexor XR needs to be under a MD's or NP's supervision. It can be dangerous to do alone.

I was actually in the process of weaning off the Effexor 1 1/2 years ago ( for some family-related situational anxiety) when I received my diagnosis and promptly went back on it. So right now, I'm following the instructions my physician set up in the past. I'd really prefer to do this without adding any more prescription meds to my daily routine. If gets to be too much I'll consider it.

I took the weaning process very slowly as directed by my oncologist.  I dropped down to 37.5 mg (had been on 75 mg for 10 months) and kept it there for 2 weeks, then started skipping a pill every 3rd day, did that for 2 weeks, then every other day for 1 week, then only took a pill every 3rd day then stopped.  The weaning process took a while, but was easier that way, I guess.  When I stopped taking it I didn't notice any major reactions.  Is this similar to the instructions your physician set up for you in the past?

Dear Kathy,

Thank you for posting this thread.  My doctor gave me a prescription for Effexor - then, I read this thread and other information on the internet.  Have decided to not start that drug at all.  I can just learn to deal with these hot flashes (I hope and pray).

Will be thinking about you - and will try to keep up with this thread as you wean off this drug.

Good Luck to you, Kathy.

Liz

So far, so good. I'm already feeling like the blanket I've worn over my whole being is being thinned out. I thought I'd share with you what a friend told me over the weekend. She works in the insurance industry and deals with physicians and  medications. She told me she heard getting off anti-depressants is as difficult as getting off heroin! I don't know if I'd go that far.....but it certainly is unpleasant, especially if done the wrong way. And on a totally off-topic side note, I just finished reading Carrie Fisher's book "Wishful Drinking". You can read it in an afternoon. But it's hilarious for anyone who has dealt with depression, substance abuse or mental illness. As the daughter of a mentally ill (yet wonderful and loving, now  deceased) mother I found it irreverant, funny and enlightening. Thanks for all the information and words of encouragement.

Kathy

There are several websites about the problems of withdrawal from Effexor.  It is a known problem, much more difficult than stopping other antidepressants.  All the advice I've read so far is summed up in above posts.  Slowly, slowly, slowly with GOOD Doctor you can be in contact with to discuss any medication for withdrawal side effects.

If you were taking the Effexor to reduce hot flashes, there are other medications, and especially if you were taking it to deal with depression, there are SO MANYnewer and better choices.

Still don't understand why so many bc survivors are given Effexor.  I hope you have an increasingly easier experience with your withdrawal.

Kathy:

You can be weaned more slowly.  TALK TO YOU DOCTOR.  There are so many newer, and possibly better antidepressants without the harsh, KNOWN se's of effexor withdrawal.  It sometimes takes a while to "find" the right one - but it is WORTH it when you do find it, and you will.  If you aren't yet seeing a psychopharmacologist, who specializes in this, that might be a good choice too.

revkat,

I've already decided to cut the capsules if necessary. I used to work in health care and know if I have to I can purchase empty capsules to fill half-way. IIRC, they usually don't want you to cut or chew capsules. This is my 2nd post-non-"happy pill"-day. Still feeling a little icky, but not quite as bad as the first day. It didn't help that I had to take my osteoporosis drug 1st thing and wait awhile to take my Effexor, but I'm hanging in there. On another note, last night I experienced my first Night Sweat. Ugh! I hope it's related more to the withdrawal than the actual menopause. I guess I'm o.k. if it only happens at night. Otherwise, I'm going to start bringing extra tops to work! . I may even start to bring holiday decorations up from the basement. Last year, I didn't even put any out. We have to take notice of improvements no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential. Hope you all enjoy the holiday you want(or don't want, as the case may be!).

Kathy

Kathy

I am so sorry you are having such a rough time.  I also took Effexor, but only for about 7 months.  I had increased the dose, and they gave me capsules.  When I tried to wean myself off, it was horrible!  I had this crying episode.  It started with me going to Wal-Mart, and not finding what I went there to get.  Then I forgot why I went there.  I rushed out of the store, and got in my car, and drove home.  While driving home, I started crying and could not stop.  I parked the car in front of my house, and ran over to the neighbor's house.  When she opened the door, I just collapsed into her arms!!  

I'm glad I read this thread, because ...  to think, I was actually thinking of starting Effexor again.

What WAS I THINKING???

Thanks

Harley

kareylou,

my onc says (and I did some reading which also suggests this may be true) that Effexor DOES interfere with Tamoxifen.  My reading showed that Effexor DOES interfere with Tamoxifen, but to a less degree...  It may be fine for some women to take it, and they may not worry that they aren't getting the full benefit from taking Tamoxifen, but I decided that even a less degree was too much for me, and that is why I stopped taking Effexor.

Just passing on the info. I was given...

Harley

I take effexor but only half a 75 mg tab a day, some days I forget ( hot flashes return) and I notice I'm much moodier and less tolerant in general. Overall with a big dose I imagine the med would be hell to break away from and would have to be done slowly over a long time.

At this point, I feel the benefits from the effexor outweigh the problems of wothdrawl as without the pills I just sweat and sweat like I have a fever, which is most uncomfortable and does not add any enjoyment to the chemo experience to be sweating like mad.

In anything sometimes there is no right or wrong but a matter of weighing the matter as to which choice will be of the most benefit.

For me its to take the effexor now and worry about weaning later. I hope my doasge does not need to increase as the half a 75 mg tab a day seems to keep the hot flashes at bay.

Glad I found this thread.  I am sitting here in a major funk and just can't get around it. 

Let me start with the timeline in 2004 (after Bob's Mom passed away, & one of my berther's decieded to eat his gun rather than live broke - and he tried to make it look like it was my fault!)  the doctors thought I was having heart problems, NO - stress from work.  Winter of 2004/05 we thought the Island we worked on was going to flood so we had to fill and stack sandbags.  Lucked out that time!

May of 2005 I had to have knee surgery - whooopeee.  A couple more of our friends from our Marina passed away.  November 2005 I was diagnosed with cancer.  Lumpectomy in November and Effexor was presecribed at 75mg (gradual ramp up from  37.5), and another in December. The Island flooded, our house flooded and we had to evacuate New Years Eve - just a few days before I started radiation. We moved back to our house a week or so later, it stank, stuff was damaged, it was damp - but the Effexor helped.  Another dear friend from the marina passed away.  Shoot I thought I was just tough!

May of 2006 new management took over the Marina - and hired a twit a third my age (who knew nothing about boats or marinas) to take over my job "to take some of the load off 'poor me'".   By June I'd been fired, had to move from our residence to a 200 sq ft. boat.  I guess the uptick in Effexor (for the hot flashes) to 150mg helped?????  The management at the Marina made it difficult to live there - and no other Marinas wanted liveaboards.

We sold the boat and moved to a house.  Our landlord lost that house and we had to move again.  Now we were closer to good friends, the house was nice.  I was there for the birth of my great granddaughter.  My doctors sucked big time.  But we were okay.  In 2009, just a few days a few days after my birthday I was in Washington - my Mother passed away.  My moods were ok, the hot flashes stank and the doctors didn't care.

A few weeks later my husband lost his job!  Well shucks, we'll take our friends up on the offer of a double wide mobile on their farm in North Dakota.  OMG - beautiful.   I expained to my Doc that I wanted off the Effexor - it wasn't doing any good - all the side effects from all the drugs over the years (arimidex and femara are history but the side effects they left will be with me always) were driving me nuts and I wanted to live "clean".  He wrote a script for 75mg Effexor - take the first 15 daily, then one every other day and you'll be done.  Oh, did I mention my best friend in the world passed away???  Just 3 days before we said goodbye to all the kids and moved 1700 miles.

The doublewide was a joke.  Every single water pipe underneath had to be replaced.  We flushed the toilets with buckets filled outside from a hose.  There was no running water in the house.  Birds had taken residence along with the mice - so there was bird and mouse droppings everywhere.  To wash dishes we had to boil pots of water - washing up was with cold water heated the same way - showers were not an option (the neighbors had some running water, but their drains didn't work.  They couldn't flush!  Then the insulation had to be dealt with.  Oh, did I mention cold and snow.  The hot flashes helped.  The cutdown in doseage on the Effexor didn't - I started getting cranky.

The last Effexor was last weekend.  Now here I sit, 2 days before Christmas - in tears.  We don't have a doctor here yet - the brain zaps are horrible, the hot flashes are miserable (never show up when I need them).   I just can't get my stuff together - I just want to launch the Christmas tree out the window and crawl away.

There has to be some alternative care available for hot flashes other than a drug that can destroy your mental health if you quit taking it.  I am so angry - Sometimes I think it would have been better to "deal" with the hot flashes and tough it out.  After the Holidays I'll try to get a Doctor's appointment and see what can be done - before I wind up owning stock in Kleenex and sending my husband to live in the neighbor's farmhouse.

I have to say one thing - the mobile is coming along, we're warm and cozy, have running water, and most of the critter stuff cleaned up.  Most importantly - this is the most beautiful place I've ever lived.  The quality of life, the integrity of the people who grow the food here, and the friendlyness of the people is outstanding.  Leaving here would NEVER be an option for me. Once I get my head squared away and my body cleaned out of all the chemical residue  this will be heaven!   (By the way camisoles and flannel shirts are my good friends here - I can always pull of the shirt as needed, and keep flip flops and fuzzy slippers handy - takes care of the hot flashes - along with big glasses of ice cold ?????????)

I have been taking 37.5mg since August - was never told to up the dose...works fine for me although my hot flashes started to get worse after three months. I just started Tamoxifen Dec 1st and have found my hot flashes DECREASING...my family always said I was strange! I am 38, in chemical menopause and the the person I was before Effexor was UNBEARABLE and just plain NASTY.  I have missed a dose here and there and haven't really noticed any SE's but I do thank all you ladies for your input! As we all know, things can change on a time with these treatments and the more informed I am the better I am able to process this stuff when it happens.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Harborwitch....I didn't know if I was to laugh or cry at your post!  With all that you have been through....you have maintained a wonderful sense of humor...in your writings at least! 

I started the Effexor after 2 months on tomoxifen because the hot flashes were getting bothersome.  I was told to up from 37.5 to 75 after 2 weeks, but I didn't just because....

 The hot flashes have decreased, but are not eliminated...I can live with it.  I was having a hard time sleeping well...was taking both drugs at night in the hopes that I would be fine in the day, not get groggy on the Effexor, and manage that way...but the sleep disturbances had me feeling quite tired.  So now I take my T in the AM and my E at night...and seem to be doing OK.

 I want to thank everyone who posted here...I know it is the drug of choice with T but was NOT aware of the withdrawal issues.  this will certainly help me when I get to that point!

Harborwitch...please keep your sense of humor....you are my hero of the day!

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

I originally went on Effexor for hot flashes....after 8 months of constipation I decided that not having a BM was the worse of the 2 evils.  I was on half doses so hard to cut a half into 2 pieces.  I did the everyother day thing and then went cold turkey.  It was a rough weekend (I developed a terrible head cold at the same time) with the head zaps and such but I got through it and felt fine by Tuesday.  I am now on Clonideen(HBP meds..1.5) for my flashes.  It really helps...I still have a few of the hot flashes but they are not as severe.