I did a phone consult with Dr. Hain (you may or may not have heard of him) and he said he has lots of luck with Effexor. After doing a bit of googling it sounds like many people have lots of trouble getting off this stuff. Does anybody here have any experience with this?
Thanks!
I believe it varies greatly among people. I was on a very low dose of Effexor for a very short time, and had difficulty getting off of it. however, others do not have any trouble. Unfortunately, the only way to determine what will be for you is to try it.
Can you tell me what kind of trouble you had? I was on a benzo (klonopin - .5mg/day) and it took me 5 months to get off that stuff. Is it as bad as that?
I was much more dizzy than before I started the Effexor. I also just felt more unwell than even usual - hard to describe.
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Can you tell me what kind of trouble you had? I was on a benzo (klonopin - .5mg/day) and it took me 5 months to get off that stuff. Is it as bad as that?
— End quote
What did you experience when getting off of klonopin? How did you go down on your dose over the 5 months? Why did you decide to get off of Klonopin.
Thanks!
Lisa
— Begin quote from “MAVLisa”
I was much more dizzy than before I started the Effexor. I also just felt more unwell than even usual - hard to describe.
— End quote
Lisa,
How long were you on Effexor? How long did it take for you to feel back to your “normal” self after stopping it?
Sarah
I only got up to 25mg (but was on that dose for just a few days). I believe I was on Effexor for about 1month. It is hard to say how long the effects lasted, as I got pregnant after about a month after stopping Effexor, and the hormonal shift made my symptoms much worse.
Hi Lisa,
I was given Klonopin .5mg/day by a neuro-oto to help me sleep. After 2 or 3 years on it, I felt it wasn’t really doing anything anymore so I cut my dose in half and after 3 or 4 days felt like I was losing my mind. VERY VERY bad. I went back to .5mg/day and found a site that suggested a more gentle approach. I would crush up my pill with a pill crusher and mix it with 100ml of milk. Every day, I would remove 1ml of milk and drink the rest. Toward the end I held at the same level for a few days because it got harder on my symptom-wise. I feel this milk titration method was the only good way for me to do it. I made a couple of videos on how I did it:
Anybody else have any info about coming off Effexor?
Thanks!
Impressive video! Thank you for sharing. Good luck with your Effexor trial if you decide to give it a go.
Best,
Lisa
Hi Tekksan,
I was on Effexor for about 2 weeks and experienced no issues when stopping it. It was a very short time and I was on a low dose but I was surprised at how it had no effect on me when I stopped. I expected all hell to break loose. For some though, it is a nightmare with MAV and could very well seriously stir you up. There’s no way to know unless you just give it a shot.
Let us know how it goes … Scott
I’m currently taking Effexor, prescribed by doctor Hain, and I am having no luck with it. The only side effects that I am experiencing are lack of appetite, and sudden needs to sleep. Because it is doing nothing for me, I am going to talk to my regular doc about following doctor Hains recomendations and trying something else. I am hoping that because I have no real side effect issues that I will have minimal problems when tapering off of it. If I do have problems coming off of it, hopefully it will time with some of the disability stuff that I am currently going through.
Brian,
Let us know how coming off of the Effexor goes for you. Good luck with your next med.
Sarah
Hi Brian,
Sorry to hear you are having no luck with the Effexor. How long have you been taking it and at what dose? What will be your next med?
thanks,
Lisa
I’ve been on effexor all summer. The next med that Dr Hain recomended was verapimil. (sp?) We will see how that goes.
Klonopin is a benzodiazipine so any brain has trouble coming off of it. It must be done slowly with the dosage being lowered over time. Effexor is an anti-depressant and the brain cannot become addicted to it. But if you take anything, including tylenol, for a long time, the body can feel wierd adjusting to being off of it. Coming off of it slowly- weaning off of it- is best for any medication used long term. - Laura, a licensed mental health counselor and addiction specialist