venlafaxine/Effexor

kmiller2528
kmiller2528 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My Doc recommended this medicine for hot flashes. It is an anti-depressant. It helped with the hot flashes but getting off of it is a nightmare. If I had known how awful it would be, I never would have started taking it. I should have done more research and asked a lot more questions. If you are considering this medication, please make sure you are fully informed.
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Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    Do you still have hot flashes?
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.
  • kmiller2528
    kmiller2528 Posts: 17 Member
    I have been weaning down for several weeks and then I started feeling pretty bad daily so now just off it completely. My hot flashes have not returned, so I may be on the other side of that part. This medication is great for some people and uses, it’s just hard to stop taking it if/when that becomes the best course of action.

  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    kellimiller2528 wrote: »
    I have been weaning down for several weeks and then I started feeling pretty bad daily so now just off it completely. My hot flashes have not returned, so I may be on the other side of that part. This medication is great for some people and uses, it’s just hard to stop taking it if/when that becomes the best course of action.
    I feel like the real moral of the story is, research the medication that you take and titrate off of psychotropic drugs very slowly. It's not really a debate (or at least I see no debate). Effexor (which I have been on in the past) is also far from the only psychotropic medication that needs to be titrated down from. Most if not all of them share that trait despite being different classes of drugs - SSRI, SNRI, MAOI, tricyclics, etc. You should also titrate up when taken it depending on the dose (basically if you're on anything but the smallest of doses).
  • kmiller2528
    kmiller2528 Posts: 17 Member
    I totally agree. I may have posted this in the wrong place. My intention in posting was
  • makkimakki2018
    makkimakki2018 Posts: 414 Member
    I got off of that stuff about a year ago. All i remember is that i was very tired all the time for about a week or so. it would behoove you to ask questions about any medicine a doctor prescribes you.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.

    I know. I forgot the pills, I didn't do it on purpose.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    Fuzzipeg wrote: »
    Well done on posting this information anywhere. Who knows how many others you may help because they may now have the head space to think before they grasp the pills themselves. I hope you are able to get on top of your other health issues. Possibly try reading about them, keeping to information with scientific references, may help you find ways to help yourself. Wishing you all the very best and most of all Take care of Yourself.

    Is this to me? Sorry, I'm a bit confused because you said "I hope you are able to get on top of your other health issues." I'm the one who has other health issues, not the OP. Anyway...I'm doing what I can. Thanks.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.

    I know. I forgot the pills, I didn't do it on purpose.

    I read that part. I wasn't suggesting anything regarding you forgetting them. I mentioned it because you said you were concerned about coming off them.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.

    I know. I forgot the pills, I didn't do it on purpose.

    I read that part. I wasn't suggesting anything regarding you forgetting them. I mentioned it because you said you were concerned about coming off them.

    Ah...well, I see no reason to get off them now. I feel fine and they're working for me.
  • josette06
    josette06 Posts: 119 Member
    This was a hard one to wean off of from side effects of lower to no dose. I felt ill for 2 weeks after stopping
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.

    From experience, even a very slow taper resulted in those nasty discontinuation effects that Effexor is notorious for. The only way I was able to get off of it was with a cross taper with Prozac.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited December 2018
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.
    Absolutely agree with this. Wean off very slowly. It took me around 3-5 months to wean off, and I still had side effects. Brain zaps stayed with me for months after weaning off. Never again!
  • liltortillaboy
    liltortillaboy Posts: 31 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.
    Absolutely agree with this. Wean off very slowly. It took me around 3-5 months to wean off, and I still had side effects. Brain zaps stayed with me for months after weaning off. Never again!

    The brain zaps are TERRIBLE! Never again. I remember I’d forget to take them before going to school and I’d be sitting in the back of the classroom trying not to rip all of my hair out from the sensations. Truly awful.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.

    Even weaning down, coming off Effexor was really awful for me. I weaned over months with a doctor's supervision and still had brain zaps and other symptoms. It was hideous.

    I'd never go on it just for hot flashes and think there are other medications that can handle anxiety and emotional ups and downs without the problems involved with Effexor.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    liltortillaboy wrote: »
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    0somuchbetter0 wrote: »
    I’ve been on it for over a year. Not only does it help with hot flashes, it also got my anxiety and emotional ups and downs under control. I forgot my pills on a long weekend we went out of town and going cold turkey was a total nightmare. I couldn’t get back on it fast enough. I’m afraid to try and get off it now...but I feel fine and I have plenty of other health issues to worry about, so I’m staying on it for the foreseeable future.

    It's advisable to wean down, not suddenly stop.
    Absolutely agree with this. Wean off very slowly. It took me around 3-5 months to wean off, and I still had side effects. Brain zaps stayed with me for months after weaning off. Never again!

    The brain zaps are TERRIBLE! Never again. I remember I’d forget to take them before going to school and I’d be sitting in the back of the classroom trying not to rip all of my hair out from the sensations. Truly awful.
    They truly are! I’ll never forget opening up the capsule and counting out the tiny beads to wean down.
  • rkcampbell
    rkcampbell Posts: 188 Member
    Effexor has been a life saver for me. I’ve been on it for over ten years for depression and it gave me my life back. The withdrawals are bad if I forget a pill but the positives for me definitely outweigh the negatives.

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