Lowered Effexor dose... anyone with experience?????

[Jjd7755]

Hi Everyone, I have been taking 225mg of effexor for about 18months. My MD has just decreased the dose to 150mg to try to stop some side effects. The first few days I felt nothing, now I have been feeling a constant nervousness in my stomach & it feels like my head is racing a bit, like time is going by very fast. This is to be expected, I have been through worse in my life that some nervousness in my stomach, i just hope it dosen't last forever. It is the Racing feeling in my head I am more worried about. I have read the horror stories from others about tapering off this med. i pray its not the case for me. I also take Klonopin, buspar, & topomax. So perhaps the topomax isn't helping the racing thoughts.Who knows maybe a nights sleep will do more than i imagine. Any experience is appreciated, thoughts & prayers go out to all struggling with anxiety/depression.

[jennl224]

It sounds to me that you are going through some withdraws.  I was on 150 mg the dr took me off cold turkey they were the worst withdraws I have ever been through.  And they seem to last at least a month. You will feel they will never will go away.  Honestly I would suggest to speak with your dr and come off them all together.  There are many other antidepressants that will work But you will never want to go through effexor with draws again but you will when they decide to take you off the 150.  Please speak to your drs.  I have even been through pain pills withdraw and effexor was for me much worse!

[BluCrystal]

I tried effexor awhile ago, found that it simply did nothing, and tapered off in one week intervals.  I had no side effects.  I take klonopin, also, plus zoloft and vistiril, ultram for pain, and sertraline for sleep, ambien as needed (i havent need to take the ambien yet).  You may want to talk to your doctor about possibly raising your dose of klonopin and/or adding vistiril, as doing so might ease your nervousness. - Blu