Flu or Effexor withdrawel?

[barb6655]

I have been taken Effexor for 3 years but have begun to taper off. I am in the final stages taking 37.5 mg. I am now to take take it every other day. Today was the first day I have not taken it,

Is it possible to get flu  like symptoms just after skipping i day?

I was feeling okay this morning then within an hour  I developed chills so bad I could not stop shaking. It was hard to hold anything. My temperature  rose to 102.5  in that time . After almost an hour the chills subsided but I was extremely achy and feverish.  Advil helped lower my fever but it's wearing off and I'm feeling worse again .

My question is could this be a withdrawel symptom  or just the flu.
I have never experienced such quick onset of symtoms  or such severe chills and shaking.

[snippets69]

This doesn't sound like anything I'VE ever heard of or experienced.  I've withdraweled from SSRI's and SNRI's (including Effexor) more than a couple times... The biggest symptom (besides the depression possibly coming back) is "electric shocks" in your head.  It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it, but it sounds like you're tapering correctly, so possibly you haven't felt this at all...

IMO there's no way coming off effexor could cause these symptoms.  Especially fever and especially so suddenly after you've been tapering for a while.  Sounds like the flu to me.