will i ever be able to get off of effexor?

Question: i have been taking effexor for about 8 months. i started off on 37.5 mg and am now on 225mg. i am feeling normal again although i notice if i forget to take it even one day that i go into very bad withdrawl and feel like i am losing control and feel like i now need it in order to survive. if my dr weens me off of it and i cant cope does that mean i will have to take it forever?

Answers:
Interesting Stuff Your Doctor Probably Won't Tell You: Few, if any doctors, will discuss the possibility that Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride) could become a permanent part of your life, whether you like the results of Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride) or not. Granted that is a very rare adverse effect, but it does happen. It's hard enough to get them to discuss SSRI discontinuation syndrome., let alone get them to admit that Effexor's symptoms are the absolute worst and the longest lasting of all serotonergic drugs. The discontinuation from Paxil (paroxetine) is bad enough, it's much, much worse with Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride).
And the way Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride) works on neurotransmitters is very complicated. Your doctor may or may not explain this to you. Here's how it works: First it starts to work on your serotonin. Then somewhere around 200 mg a day it starts to work on norepinephrine. Then around 300 mg a day it starts to work on your dopamine. Mileage will vary for each individual, and there's no guarantee on getting all that much dopamine action.

Your doctor should be recommending that you reduce your dosage by 37.5mg a day every week if you need to stop taking it, if not more slowly than that. For more information, please see the page on how to safely stop taking these crazy meds. You shouldn't be doing it any faster than that unless it's an emergency. Yes, that means if you've maxed out at 375mg a day it'll take 10 weeks to get off of Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride). Believe me, it's better that way. Also, once you get down to that last 37.5mg a day, ask your doctor for a Prozac (fluoxetine) prescription or samples. Generic fluoxetine will even do. 10mg a day is all you need. Even with the proper discontinuation stopping the last 37.5mg can be hellish. Taking two weeks worth of Prozac (fluoxetine) will make the discontinuation a lot easier. So when you're off of Effexor and you cannot function, get on the Prozac for a week or two, then stop taking the Prozac. You'll find you'll have either no discontinuation syndrome, or it won't be nearly as bad.

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that or something like, probably. its nothing to be ashamed of. diabetics have to monitor their blood sugar just as diligently.

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