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How long is Effexor withdrawal supposed to last?

A little over two months ago I stopped taking Effexor after slowly weaning off of it.  I had horrible withdrawal symptoms: nausea, fatigue, and dizziness.  After two months I don't feel any better.  Needless to say, I'm really scared.  I can hardly function at my job and am very frustrated and angry.  This medication has ruined my life.  Waking up in the morning is the worst part of my day.  All I have to look forward to is dizziness, fatigue, and attempting  to function.

How long did you symptoms last?  Are they supposed to last this long?
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your post.  I'm going into day 6 of withdrawals.  I weaned myself off of a 37MG/day dosage over a two week period and my withdrawal is certainly  not as bad as a lot of folks seem to have experienced.  I have the brain zaps every now and then, the hot flashes, and every now and then feel like crying but not out of sadness but out of looking at a great painting and feeling I might want to cry because something is touching or beautiful. I feel emotions slowly stirring again.  The venlafaxine did help me but the increasing memory probelmes, summer sweating to excess and a fast heart rate made me want to quit.  I am hoping that using food as medicine and starting to walk again will help.  I have had lower back and hip area pain along with strong thigh and calf muscle contraction son my left side for the last 2 months.  Can' t really determine a cause.  PT is helping somewhat.  This started prior to ending my relationship with Venlafaxine.  I notice one other person had had these symtoms, anyone else?
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5570684 tn?1370102095
I stopped going to the doctor who prescribed these pills to me he was my family doctor for many years but when I ran out of pills and he was on vacation and  I had to stop cold turkey I decided to just get off them all together without his help .. a week later I called him saying I felt like I was going to die !! I was only on  a small dose 75 mgs for about 2 years but the withdraw was like trying to kick a serious drug habit !!!! I told him how I felt he did not believe me and said u don't go through with draws from Effexor you will be fine just get some rest !!

I have never gone back to him again and never will I am outraged that a doctor who has been in practice over 40 years would have this type of opinion on the subject .. he is the one who prescribed it he should have warned me of the possible side effects and real not fake with draw that u go through !! it's been 3 weeks now I am over the upset stomach and brain zapps but now I have constant stomach cramps and my legs ache soo bad I can't walk .. I wish I knew what to do for this ??
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Avatar universal
yeah darkhorse!

at least you give us all some hope.

this drug should be banned and everyone ever subscribed should be heavily compensated....its like a bad concentration camp experiment.

it is garbage.

lives are being destroyed here.
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Avatar universal
Hi there, thanks for your comments. Oh, yes I forgot we were at the same stage... I hope you're doing better now :)  Yes actually that was one of the first things I purchased and I have taken the Omega 3 continuously but maybe need to invest in a good multi vitamin!  I have found exercise is definitely helping, some days are better than others for sure.  I have been on the natures own complete sleep and I have definitely been sleeping better and waking without the fuzzy head, I think it also helps with anxiety.
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Avatar universal
For trouble sleeping, the best help for me has been NativeRemedies Pure Calm, which I buy on Amazon. It has lemon balm, lavender and passionflower. I also take additional Passionflower because my major issue is anxiety, so I need more help with that.
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Avatar universal
Day 7 of Effexor withdrawal. I thought I was feeling a bit better on Day 5, but Day 6 was horrible and so started Day 7. I kept trying to figure out what I was missing. What did I take on Day 5 that made me feel semi-ok that I didn't take on Day 6 or the start of Day 7?

I remembered wanting to try to boost my nutrition, so I had mixed up some Amazing Grass SuperFood that I had in the cupboard but hadn't taken in a few months. And then I looked on the label and realized that it has barley grass in it. I remember reading somewhere that barley grass helped with Effexor withdrawal (I've been scouring everything I can on this subject). I went back to the supplements store and bought more of the SuperFood mix as well as some tart cherry capsules which are to help reduce inflammation.

I'm hoping that the extra nutrition boost will help. the worst part of this withdrawal for me has been how angry and nasty I am. Someone mentioned in a previous post that they felt like lighting the world including themselves on fire. That is exactly how I feel. I'm angry at everything and everyone and I feel sorry for anyone who has crossed my path over the past few days. I've been raging and yelling, and I feel like I should just lock myself in a padded room and stay away to ensure I don't unleash this wrath on anyone.

I have been taking passionflower supplement to reduce the anxiety that is probably the root of all the anger, but maybe I haven't been taking it often enough. I'm open to any other suggestions for quelling the anger.
Helpful - 0
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