Effexor XR withdrawal-Please HELP!!?

Question: I have been taking Effexor XR 150mg daily for well over a year. I would like to get off of these meds, but I am having EXTREME withdrawals when I miss just one day of the medication. Can anyone tell me what I need to do and is there ANY way to get off of this medication WITHOUT withdrawals?

Answers:
Go back to the doctor who prescribed them to you and let them answer all your questions. THEY ARE THE PROFESSIONALS HERE. Not like some of these idiot's. In the mean time DON'T stop taking them.

Other Answers:
There really is no way to get out of the withdrawal affects. I went off of my Lexapro cold turkey after taking it for a year and I had such bad side effects I almost started to take it again. I was told by the doctor that I should have cut back to half the dosage I was taking in a day for 1 week and then after that for one week to take one every other day and then I should be able to stop taking the meds for good.

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you have to decrease your dose gradually you can't just stop taking meds like that. talk to your doctor about smaller and smaller doses until you can stop correctly.

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I have been taking two seperate medications for four years and it has similar withdrawls to effexor. Here is the healthiest and safest way to do this. Drop 50 mgs on your medication for two weeks and still take it, then if all goes well drop 25mg for 2 weeks and if you feel fine after that continue to another 25 until you can successfully bring your dependency all the way down. If your body cant handle any level of this start taking your dosage you left off at and start over. The only way is to ween yourself off this medicine and it can be dangerous. So be safe.

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As someone who took effexor on a regular basis for several years now, I know several things about the medication. The best way to go off of it is to do so gradually. If you go off cold turkey, you would feel pretty miserable (I would know. About a year ago, my doctor accidentally turned down my refill and I was off of it for about two weeks). I'm pretty sure, since you took Effexor for about a year, that if you go off you get these weird "shocks" and your vision turns funny. Those _MIGHT_ go away in a few days, but I heard somewhere that they could stay with you for years. I would highly reccommend to talk to your doctor to get your dosage reduced to 75mg, and after a few weeks, less, and so on until the withdrawl is manageable. Good luck!

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You need to go off the medication slowly. It can not just be stopped. Consult your MD.

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