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Venlafaxine discontinuation

bananabas

Senior Member
Messages
133
I have been taking a low dose of venlafaxine for over a year and then stopped it abruptly around 8 months ago. I did feel quite bad for the first week or so but then that went away, leaving me with my usual CFS symptoms.

One of the docs I recently saw is now suggesting that these symptoms are not CFS, but in fact caused by antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. I somehow doubt that can last 8 months and produce such effects, but what do you think?
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Actually, withdrawal which is the old name can last for awhile, at least with benzos

When I was getting of Klonopin some people had protracted withdrawal from going off benzos cold turkey. Some over a year or longer.

I tapered off klonopin over 4 months and had problems for a year after I was off.

If you had CFS before it makes sense it could still be the CFS. why would an AD stop the CFS and now be something else. Where did your CFS go?

Curious.
 

bananabas

Senior Member
Messages
133
Well, my CFS was never officially diagnosed so this goes to the list of "things they say to explain my CFS symptoms as something else".
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
Effexor/venlafaxine is generally believed to be the hardest antidepressant to stop. It's really hard to come off it - I'm amazed you didn't have much worse symptoms than you are describing.

I'm not sure how long it can last - I've never been on it personally or experienced it. I wouldn't think it would persist after 8 months, but I'm not certain. People vary a lot - some people find it very hard to stop benzos, whereas others do not find it hard at all. It really varies.

Did it relieve your symptoms when you were on it? If so, why did you come off it? You could test if taking it relieves symptoms - although if it relieved your ME symptoms in the first place, that won't really tell you which mechanism is in play.
 

bananabas

Senior Member
Messages
133
It relieved some of my symptoms, but not so much the fatigue unfortunately. I'm not sure anything can be concluded from that. Anyway they were treating me for depression not CFS.
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
So did you just develop symptoms you had before you started it, or did you end up with new symptoms that you didn't have before starting it?
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
When you say CFS symptoms, that still may lead someone with cog issues like me to not understand.

Maybe say although I have not been diagnosed with CFS.

You need a diagnosis.
 

bananabas

Senior Member
Messages
133
Indeed, sorry about that :) My (undiagnosed) CFS symptoms is more correct. And yes, I do need one, definately - know where to get it? :D
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
Well, if you just have fatigue, then that's not ME. ME is mostly defined by exertional intolerance. Without that, I don't think anyone can be said to have ME (and CFS is just another name for ME that is accompanied by a less specific definition - but it's essentially trying to define the same disease - Ramsay just did it better in the 1950's than the CDC did in the 1980's).

Patients with depression experience fatigue, but not post-exertional malaise. On the contrary, depression improves with exercise.
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
It seems a bit late after 8 months for discontinuation syndrome to show up,its usually immediate,maybe its depression type fatigue coming back
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
I think he's saying it started immediately but has persisted 8 months - although that still seems long. Also, one would expect continued improvement in a withdrawal syndrome over time, not static or relapsing patterns of disease (and definitely not worsening after the acute withdrawal was over).
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
Ahh yes it can persist for 8 month easily,I do find it interesting as to why some people have such a terrible time coming away from antidepressants,do they have a different illness or just more severe,I speak as one who gets terrible discontinuation syndrome only way I beat it was move over to fluvoxamine 300mg(max) and step it down slowly over 8 months but that wont work for everyone as they are so varied another way is move to Prozac and slowly come away.
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
Were you on effexor? That is rumored to be the worst to come off.

Did you have a withdrawal last 8 months? It amazes me it could last so long, but effexor is notoriously hard to stop. No personal experience here, so 8 months seems very long to me, but I don't really know.

I do know some docs give prozac as it's the easiest to get off (it has a very long half life).
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
Effexor and seroxat meant to be worst,Ive been on all modern types and some novel types like remeron suppose you have to watch out for how many receptor types they work on as well like serotonin norepinephrine and dopamine.
I think relentless discontinuation syndrome might have something to do with cytokines.
Restarting the antidepressant gets rid of it quickly usually
 

bananabas

Senior Member
Messages
133
By the way, the withdrawal symptoms are temporary, right? I mean, even if they can last say, one year or so, there is no permanent damage being done, correct?
 

wastwater

Senior Member
Messages
1,270
Location
uk
I don't think its permanent damage more to do with oversensitisation and it usually calms down eventually
 

digital dog

Senior Member
Messages
646
Withdrawal can go on for years.
Most people peak in wd at the three month mark but some people feel worse at 6-12 months.
It does get better but it can take an awfully long time...much much longer than the documented amount of two-three weeks that the doctors like to regurgitate.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
By the way, the withdrawal symptoms are temporary, right? I mean, even if they can last say, one year or so, there is no permanent damage being done, correct?
There is some question about the longer-term consequences of suddenly stopping these kinds of meds. Frankly, I don't think they have enough research to know whether there are long-term withdrawal symptoms or permanent damage.

All information about Effexor from medical sources say it's not safe to go off it suddenly and that it's necessary to wean off it slowly. Going cold turkey with most ADs is a pretty big shock to your system. I've heard of cases where patients have been weaned off Effexor and onto another AD and then weaned off that.

I was taking Effexor for ME pain (and it did help), so my dose might not have been very high, but I had no problems at all getting off it by reducing the dose over time. It's clear, however, that that's not true for everyone. It may be dose-related, or perhaps it has something to do with physiological differences among people.

Have you tried going onto a similar, but different, AD to relieve the symptoms and then slowly weaning off that to give your body a chance to adjust?