Trying to go off Effexor gradually

Since my last epidsode with depression, now I feel much better and I want to lower my dosage. I am on, 150 mg, but when I lower it, I start getting a headache. And the Dr. I have is so crazy that I can't talk to her. If I tell her I want to reduce, she will tll me to stop taking them and then I will have all the side effects. She told me to stop once and I had severe withdrawals, and I am wondering if I reduce if it will happen again.

Anyone who has experienced it?

Hi Sad and Angry, I take 150mg effexor and when I get to the time of reducing it, my doc says its a gradual thing. If I were you, see if you can reduce to 100mg first for a week, then to 75mg. If you do get some headaches or other side effects from the reduction, they shouldnt last once your body gets used to the new dose as effexor has a pretty short half life. Slow reduction is the easiest option to take as it has less side effects. This is usually the case with most anti depressants. Take care

Hi Sad & Angry

I am currently weaning off Effexor - and I have to tell you, it is a very slow process!!

I'm sorry you don't have a good doctor who listens to you, Effexor is one of the hardest anti-depressants to go off, you cannot just stop.

The way I'm doing it, under my GP and psychiatrist's supervision, is by decreasing my dosage by 37.5mg at a time.  Which means a monthly script (annoying - but that's some stupid rule that makes no sense if you ask me).  I am doing it very, very slowly to make sure that at each stage I am coping ok and that my side-effects aren't too dramatic (which tends to happen with me unfortunately).  When I feel ready, I reduce to the next level.  At the moment I'm staying on the level I'm at because I have an awful lot of stuff happening and it's not a good time for me to risk there being a problem with my meds - IOnc'm coping well, so I don't want to risk it

Once I'm past this stuff that's happening, I will reduce another 37.5mg and so on, until I'm off them.  For me, I don't care if it takes over 12 months - I just want to do it carefully and reduce my risk of setbacks.

If you can't talk to your doc - or she won't go along with this as an idea, can you see someone else who will help you wean off safely?

I wish you well.

Cheers

Deb

Hi sad and angry, I have been on effexor for a year. I was on 225mg for a while and then reduced to 150mg. I didnt notice any side effects from the reduce. I have just swapped over from effexor to effexor xr which is the slow release capsule as i was experiencing increased tiredness so they thought switching to the modified release would help me. In about 6 months I will start to reduce, first to 100mg, then 75mg and then finally to 37.5mg. Good luck x