How Long Is Effexor Withdrawal Posts

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How long do Effexor withdrawal symptoms last? I am coming off of Effexor after 2 years, following my doctor's program to come off of it over the course of several weeks. The withdrawal wasn't too bad - the occasional "brain shivers" thing but not too often. Last week I was down to less than 20 mg (half of a 37.5 mg pill). For the past three days, I have been totally off of it, and suddenly the withdrawal, especially the brain shiver thing, has been terrible. It's like a shock running head to toe for a split second, pretty much every time I move. I'm at the point where I can barely stand it. How long does this side effect last? I have been totally off it for abt 48 hours now - will the brain shivers keep happening for weeks, or can I expect that they'll end soon?

gurlieak replied: "You can really get into long term withdrawl problems if you are not careful. Severe withdrawal symptoms can develop from patients on any level of dosage, so if you're taking a low dose don't think you're necessarily safe. Effexor withdrawal symptoms can easily last two months or more, and some people don't feel back to normal even after a year of discontinuation. Because effexor has a 'half-life' of about five hours, withdrawal symptoms can develop from missing only one dose. (The half-life refers to the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize one-half of the drug.) Five hours is a frighteningly short half-life for a drug of this nature. It almost guarantees problems. One Harvard study found 78% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing effexor xr making it the only drug worse than paxil in this regard.... ... Edit for your update on question: As withdrawal time increases, so does the frequency of the shocks, before they wane completely. At their peak, "brain shivers" have been associated with severe headaches. They may last for a period of several weeks after the last dose, but usually resolve completely within a month. However, the effect may only last a few days. There is hypothetical and anecdotal evidence that Omega 3 supplementation can be very helpful to alleviate the symptoms of brains shivers. Best of Luck!"

Penny from Heaven replied: "Call your physician and report the symptoms. I have gone off Effexor twice and it took nearly half of year, however we all react differently. Your experience is exactly the same symptom wise as I had. PENNIE"

How long will Effexor withdrawal symptoms last? I've been taking 75 Mg of Effexor for about 7 weeks now. The past two weeks, I've been it taking it every other day. The last week, I took a 35 mg, just to hold me over, its been 3 days since I've taken any of it. But I'm getting the "brain shivers". Any estimate on how much longer they should last?

gurlieak replied: "You can really get into long term withdrawl problems if you are not careful. Severe withdrawal symptoms can develop from patients on any level of dosage, so if you're taking a low dose don't think you're necessarily safe. Effexor withdrawal symptoms can easily last two months or more, and some people don't feel back to normal even after a year of discontinuation. Because effexor has a 'half-life' of about five hours, withdrawal symptoms can develop from missing only one dose. (The half-life refers to the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize one-half of the drug.) Five hours is a frighteningly short half-life for a drug of this nature. It almost guarantees problems. One Harvard study found 78% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing effexor xr making it the only drug worse than paxil in this regard.... ... As withdrawal time increases, so does the frequency of the shocks, before they wane completely. At their peak, "brain shivers" have been associated with severe headaches. They may last for a period of several weeks after the last dose, but usually resolve completely within a month. However, the effect may only last a few days. There is hypothetical and anecdotal evidence that Omega 3 supplementation can be very helpful to alleviate the symptoms of brains shivers."

xytus3 replied: "MANY MENTAL HEALTH DRUGS HAVE LONG EFFECTS, THE WORST OF WHICH IS VALIUM, WHICH TAKES 28 DAYS TO CLEAR YOUR SYSTEM. IN YOUR CASE COMING DOWN IN A CONTROLED FASHION , IT WILL STILL TAKE ABOUT 14 DAYS TO BE "FLUSHED" OF IT, BUT YOU SHOULD FEEL ABOUT RIGHT IN 3 TO 5 DAYS!"

searching_please replied: "I went off it cold turkey (long story) and went through two days of hell. But after two days I was ok. It shouldn't last much longer. Good luck! :)"

happylobster replied: "AKA "Side-Effexor"... I remember it taking a week for me before I was clear of side effects. I applaud you for moving to something else. Have you reported your symptoms to a psychiatrist or are you self-medicating the withdrawl? Hopefully, it's being professionally managed. Good luck to you."

kristi replied: "I was on effexor so I know what ur going thru. I think after I was done tapering off completely I think the symptoms went away after about a week. If you feel really terrible, talk to your doctor. There's no reason you should walk around feeling crummy all day. Hope you feel better soon."

Marcjc replied: "I recently tapered (although too quickly) and discontinued Lexapro, 20 mg. The withdrawl symptoms were "moderate" in severity -brain shivers, headache, dizziness, night sweats and an overall achy feeling (simliar to a bad hangover). The moderate stage lasted about two weeks. It was never so bad that I needed to take off from work, but I certainly was miserable. I did the bare minimum at work and home. Now, about three weeks out, I still have all the symptoms, but they are improving. I actually feel rather good today - no Advil so far! I wish you the best of luck. If you really start to feel worse, please consult your doctor. Hang in there!!"

How long until Effexor withdrawal effects will stay in my system? Have been doing this with my doctor, now i am off, i am getting a few shocks however its better over the last few days. I have stopped like 4 days ago. It is a lousy medication. It made me a different person, sleepy, and fake on the outside! Yes. It's not good to go cold turkey especially on effexor.

mia j replied: "when i was taking it i was always feeling sick but i had no with draw symptoms but i would say that it would be out of your system in a few weeks"

Doc replied: "Took me about a month or so. That was a miserable medication."

Steph replied: "I think I had withdrawls from it for 2 or 3 weeks. But my doctor cut back my dosage to wean me off, so I had some side effects from the cut back before I even got off the medicine. It was really lousy for me. Good luck to you."

Kayla B replied: "I had a horrible experience with Effexor. It made me pass out and get seizures. It was one the worst experiences ever. I also had withdrawal for about two weeks after. I got shakes and really bad headaches. I am so sorry that this is happening to you. Just make sure that someone monitors you. If you do not have someone dependable to help you bad things could happen. Good luck."

Baba Yaga replied: "Effexor made my life worth living. It SAVED ME and I was on it for many years: it's an option for those suffering very hard-to-tread MDD. Anyway, I was just weaned off it and onto Celexa. You should have been weaned down to 75 mg per day from your usual dosage and been on 75 mg for about 2 weeks until you started your new antidepressant. Effexor has the nastiest withdrawl symptoms of ANY and EVERY antidepressant. This is one drug you never, ever quit "cold turkey". If you are feeling a bit better now as far as symptoms go that means you're over the hump."

justme replied: "it has been the only drug to help me so far but it works diffrently for everyone I guess but it takes a month to get into your system propley so maybe the same to get out"

sweetvalenciagirl replied: "I went off of Effexor cold turkey and my nurse told me that it was not a good thing to do you actually have to be weaned off of it. I actually didn't see any change in my lifestyle after taking it unitl about 3-4weeks later I went back into my depression stage (it was out of my system). I do think Effexor was a bad medication for me personally because I had a lot of trouble sleeping @ night and it effected me in a weird way (but I found out it's because of something else I have). So bottom line it'll take anywhere from 3 weeks to a month to full get out of your system mentally and phsyically. Good Luck."

How long does the severe depression of Effexor withdrawal last? After a 2 week tapering off program (by my doctor) I was able to stop taking Effexor. I have been off of it fully for about 10 days now. I have taken antidepressants for 8 years and am finally taking nothing. While I am glad to be finished with them, the depression is killing me. I hope that this is just a withdrawal effect that is going to get better. Has anyone else gone through this. If so, how long does it last? Thanks so much for any information!

Simon W replied: "Effexor is one of the most difficult drugs to come off, things will slowly get better."

River Euphrates replied: "You need to be careful. Anti-depressant withdrawals are very dangerous. If you have thoughts about hurting yourself - you need to talk to your doctor right away. Most of the things you are depressed about are probably not as bad as you think - try to focus on the good things in your life."

sparrow replied: "It's incredibly difficult to come off of these kinds of drugs. Your poor brain is going to suck up the serotonin for quite awhile. Remember when you first started taking it, it took awhile to kick in- about a month. Make sure you are eating/sleeping right and drinking lots of water. Exercise to keep your metabolism moving. Take vit B,C, D with calcium citrate. And prop up your outlook- remember, it might seem hard, but being happy is a choice you make. Good luck!"

How long does Withdrawal effects from Effexor XR last? I was on 300 Mg of Effexor XR for a while and than I was raped last week and I stopped taking it. The rape has just shattered me to pieces and I am going through hell withthe withdrawal symptoms. I am just about ready to kill myself, the symptoms are making me feel like I am dying. How long does it last and how can I deal with it ? The withdrawal effects are so bad .. I am on the verge of overdosing on every single pill I have around me

Corvidae replied: "Why have you stopped taking it? I don't think it's a good time for you to be dealing with withdrawal, and to avoid the severe symptoms you need to slowly wean off the medication with the help of a doctor. If you're going to go through with it, try to distract yourself as much as possible. Focus on things outside of yourself. Exercise, eat, talk with a friend, etc. Good luck and please go to the doctor if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts."

How long does EFFEXOR withdrawal last? (after discontinuation)? I discontinued my effexor from 75mg to 0mg on Monday 4th Feb (at my doctor's advice - i'm manic) - I've been feeling really agitated, brain zaps, getting no sleep and getting headaches. I know the drug has a short half-life, but how long until these symptoms go?

Marriedgirl replied: "Did your Doctor wean you off them? I take effexor xr I have been on it for a while now. You cannot just stop taking it. Good Luck"

How long does Effexor withdrawal last? Personal experience preferred

Schnurrbart replied: "I had flashes for more than a month, and was down to opening the capsules and taking a few grains a day in the last weeks of it."

here2help replied: "not personal experience- but im in a very good health class. usually lasts a few days - a week. you may see allusions, haulucinations, shake, etc. weird thigs happen to you. thats why in rehab they go in a white padded room, so they cant hurt themselves."

I know, I know!!!! replied: "I know you are asking for experience with Effexor, but I took Zoloft for 5 years and it is very similar. I have been withdrawing from it for literally almost a year! It's alot better now than at first but I am still not completely over it. At first I honestly thought I would die or something, it was horrible. I didn't stop taking it all at once either, I weaned off it very very slowly. Good Luck coming off it. Hopefully it's not as bad as what I have been through."

Alllrriiiight replied: "personal experience. I was on depression meds for 3 years and effexor was the last one I was on when I made my final decision to stop the meds altogether. It was cold turkey with barely any withdrawal. The only real "withdrawal" were the challenges of having had deferred my issues to medications."

KARA replied: "I am on effexor and have been on it for 11yrs I am on the extended release now .....you just cannot stop you need to be taken off graduallyby the Doctor who prescribed them ...just call and he will tell you kara"

Dyan replied: "I have been taking Effexor for many years and I tried coming off all at once and that was a trip. What I did was cut back one a week for about a month, the one every other day, then one every two day, so on, so forth. Your Dr. can tell you how to do it, but different things for different people."

Poetgirl76 replied: "For me, with the regular release tablets (I don't even know if it still is sold this way) it was a couple of weeks. With the extended released form, I didn't have any noticeable/memorable withdrawal symptoms."

plasticmd2b replied: "It is best to go off of effexor with the help of your physician. He/She will help minimize the possibility of withdrawal from the medication. Withdrawal does not occur in all cases but does happen about 75% of the time. Even though you may be going against your doctors advice by going off of the medication it is still best to include him/her. Your physician is not there to force medication on you but to be your partner in improving your health. The withdrawal process can be as short as a few days to about a month depending on dependency and other factors."

Evil Ameba replied: "I didnt have any bad effects. But you shouldnt just stop it abruptly. Your doctor can tell you how to wean off of it. Like you take a little less each day till you are off it. That way if you do have any effects they wont be as bad."

Effexor withdrawal, how long to endure? Coming off effexor from 75 to 37.5 to nothing in the next couple weeks. Just want an idea of how long I have deal with the withdrawal symptoms? I do currently have withdrawal symptoms, headaches nausea ...the "brain bounce" and yes under dr's supervision...worth enduring, I just want off because of this.

mlgable replied: "Using the step down method like you are you probably won't feel any effects. I do hope your are doing this with your doctors supervision. Good Luck."

g m replied: "when I got off effexor I dont remember having any withdrawl I know I gained a lot of weight on the stuff. put in a search on line for that medicine, maybe on web med.com they have drug interactions etc so you might be able to ask them"

Jemima replied: "Going cold turkey in NOT a good idea. You could begin to experience a lot of bad side effects like dizzyness, nausea, headaches- to the point of being incapacitated. I would have to know what type of Effexor you are taking to know how long the withdrawl will continue- extended release, or regular? Please talk to your doctor and tell him/her that you want to stop taking the Effexor- and find a way to gradually wean your body off the medicine. There are tons of forums and Q&A sites on the web you might want to check out. Here are 2 to start with. Hope this helps! "

none replied: "75 mg is close to smallest clinically-effective dosage used in medicine, I wouldn't expect it to last that long or be too bad. I take 375 mg of Effexor and have gone without it before for a while, felt spacey and sleepy but wasn't so bad."

oddball59 replied: "I'm on 300mg of Effexor and I know how that brain bounce thing feels that you describe. I get this even if I am late taking my tablets so I've been worried about the time when I start coming down off them. I'm sure it can't last for too long otherwise doctors would know about it being a big problem. Stay with it, and I hope things get better soon. Good luck"

SNAP! replied: "the last antidepressant i was on was not effexor...but i did go thru withdrawl (after stopping cold turkey) and was sick for about 6-8 wks...hopefully it won't be so bad for you tapering off"

chill'n replied: "take 37.5 everyother day for 2 weeks then every 3 days. I am also having a problem titraiting off of effexor and that is what my Dr. told me to do. I've been trying to get off of it for about 4 weeks now but have been having too many w/drawl symptoms to stop it. It sucks!!!! good luck"

Geoff replied: "I've come off of Paxil twice and have tried unsuccessfully to come off of Effexor numerous times. Paxil was bad. Brain shivers abounded. Effexor is 10x worse. The brain shivers are constant. I have a constant throbbing headache too. My temper is shot to hell. I have no patience. My eyes hurt. What on earth can stop this madness?"

Effexor withdrawal - how long does it last? I discontinued my effexor from 75mg to 0mg on Monday 4th Feb (at my doctor's advice - i'm manic) - I've been feeling really agitated and getting pumping headaches. When will these symptoms go? No dosage advice plz, I'm OFF the drug at the request of 2 psychiatrists.

VoicesOffCamera replied: "Have been on it, I did not have any bad side effects after quitting. I think a lot of times people get it in their head that their body is going to fall apart after stopping medication and almost talk themselves in to worse side effects than they really have. Have a positive attitude, excersize, stay busy you should be fine in a few weeks."

Samara H replied: "i disagree with voices. Everyone's body has a differant chemical make up which is why we have the probelms in the 1st place. my mom was on it for about a year and stopped due to her doctors orders. she stopped and within 2days she was shaking uncontrolably, stuttering, and couldnt think straight. She lost what she was trying to say, and just didnt have her mind right. she went to the doctor and he said give it about a month. it took 2!!!!! but it calmed down and everything is fine. Everyone's differant, as long as you cna still function. If not, he might need to prescribe something esle to help the headaches"

babyrost replied: "There are side effects to not taking it that has been proven in many studies. I currently take it and if I miss my dose of 300mg by more than 2 hours I get these crazy brain zap among other things anyway to answer your question, it takes about two weeks. They usually give you something to help the edginess like xanax or Klonopin maybe you could ask for it. Good luck"

redmartin83 replied: "Maybe the could of gave you a 37mg dose. I find it hard moving from 225mg to 150mg so good luck. For agitation maybe xanax? Its addictave though"

neofish42 replied: "I'd like to know that myself if i miss the dosage for mine- i feel horrible- strong fatigue, light headed, emotional, and headaches my doctor's have told me that because my body is really sensitive to medication that it could take months for my body to adjust to it. the way i see it- it took 6 months for me to take the dosage that i am on now- so, it should take 6 months for me to get off the medication."

Gard23 replied: "Possibly a few weeks, with symptoms abating over time, give or take surges of withdrawal symptoms coming and going (e.g. you might find you have a noticeable one at the three-month point). But there's no fixed period, it can depend upon the time on-drug, the way your body reacts to the reduction. Some people come off with no/few problems, others have severe withdrawal after a short time on-drug and are still experiencing problems months after the fact. Otherwise? Anecdotally? Very individual. Best to take it as it comes, armed with the knowledge which will allow you to recognise and deal with the withdrawal effects, rather than fix a time period on it. Mood swings, hypomania, and manic-like reactions are all possible withdrawal effects, so do be very aware of this. If you've been cold turkeyed off, and had it replaced with another SSRI/SNRI antidepressant, then you may find the new serotonin booster 'replaces' the old one, and after a switchover period, that things settle down. Here is a list of withdrawal symptoms, prepared as a daily checklist. It has been designed so that individuals may follow and monitor their antidepressant withdrawal. You rate each withdrawal effect that you encounter on a daily basis, so you can see what is happening and note the progression over time. Some symptoms crop up swiftly - headache is a usual one, so is agitation/anxiety/irritation, and nausea - others can pop up later, or come and go. If you wish to read a book on the subject, so you can understand the various withdrawal symptoms and their presentation, and read others' experiences, then I've linked to it below. It is clear, factual, easy-to-read, and comforting to be able to understand the withdrawal process."

I am going cold turkey on effexor withdrawal? How long does it take? I have been off a week now and I am? still feeling dizzy, emotional, extremely tired and generally weird, blank headed and confused

Darksuns replied: "OMG, I feel so bad for you! My sister did the exact same thing. She went through hell trying to get off that stuff!!! She's been off of it for a couple of months now and she's doing alot better. Her doc actually sent her to an herbalist to get some help with the withdrawl symptoms. I wish i knew exactly what it was she took so i could tell you.(I just called her, but she's at work ....) I wish you luck! It'll get better, just hold on!!!"

SarahMorgan replied: "I was totally on Effexor and I tried to wean myself off of them. I eventually just had to quit taking them and I had the same feelings. In another week or so you will be going to bed and realize that you didn't feel any symptoms that day. Believe me, you'll be ok. Just stick with it. You don't want to go through it again!"

latrailera2000 replied: "Not a good idea to go cold turkey ,just for that reason better to cut down gradually. I'm trying now don't like the "brain shivers"bgood luck"

chinapossum replied: "maybe you could wean yourself off it slowly. Reduce the dose a little at a time. If you only ever took one pill at a time you could either take one every second day, or you could try opening the capsule and swallowing only half of the little white bead thingys inside."

jopaterson07 replied: "iv been on them for nearly 3 years, can i ask why you have decided to come off them? iv lowered my dose but dont want to be on them forever!"

tom a replied: "Nice to hear that you are back to your old self already.lol"

kwistenbiebel replied: "You should not withdraw from effexor without a doctor. Do not experiment alone with doses. If you have been off a week, congratulations, you are probably stronger than you thought. Hold on, there is still so much to do and to enjoy. Read the article in wikipedia on effexor."

LOU-LOU replied: "i should imagine it can take up to 2 weeks or more. but you've done ONE WEEK already...GOOD FOR YOU !!!WELL DONE mate it's not easy. my friend was addicted a while ago...it was a very emotional time for them..and your head will be feeling scattered...that's pretty normal too.....keep at it, and you'll get there...keep getting lots of support too...thats really important...you can email me if you want....i'll try and help."

Michael S replied: "WTF is Effexor?"

jason h replied: "on some meds its important to TAPER OFF. dont try cold turkey. the drug companies design those drugs to be hard to come off of when you do get the monkey off of your back try to find other ways to cope with depression besides going back to the drug pushers imho"