How long after coming off Venlafaxine

[reidmet]

I recently came off Venlafaxine after 20years, I did it over a period of four months as I was on 75mg morning and 150mg at night, and getting zapping noises like electric noise you get when combing your hair a lot. Now after coming off it, I am still getting a zapping noise in my head, can you tell me if this noise will go and when; as I have been off it for 8days now? Thank you

[Paxiled]

Since this was going on while you were on the drug, it's hard to know if going off of it will help any because who knows if the drug was causing it?  Many people complain of "brain zaps" when they stop a drug as a withdrawal symptom, and it can happen even when a dose is missed, so it's possible the drug had pooped out for you or your body was just tapped out on it after so many years of it that it wasn't being absorbed as well anymore and so you were suffering withdrawal even while still on it.  But that's just me trying to throw something out there.  I only say it because if it is a withdrawal symptom nobody can tell you how long it will last as everyone's experience is different.  Usually, the longer you're on a drug the more likely it is to be very hard to stop taking, but as this is one of the most difficult of all antidepressants to stop taking I'd assume if you were going to suffer a withdrawal it would be a lot more severe than just this one symptom.  8 days is a very short time to know how stopping a drug will affect you.  But I guess what I'm saying is, it could have been something other than the drug.  It's possible.  

[Paxiled]

One other uncommon possibility but one that people have reported -- did your pharmacy by any chance change manufacturers of the drug just before the zaps started?  Some people find that when the maker changes, and pharmacies change generic suppliers frequently if they can get a better price, that the new product isn't as good for them, which could also cause a withdrawal symptom.  But again, that's assuming the drug was the cause of the problem.