Effexor · Active · Sep 10, 2026

Tapering: Effexor

active

12 posts

United States

I wish I would have been more informed and educated about this drug!

Posted in:

Effexor (Venlafaxine)Finding Meaning

September 10, 2026

I wish I would have known the consequences of stopping this drug and effects would have in my body. I don’t think I would have taken it and would have requested a different drug at the time.

Effexor — 70mg 150mg — 3-4 years — actively tapering | other — 10mg |

14 Replies

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CatinaSep 10

Community AnchorEffexor

"I wish I would have known the consequences of stopping this drug and effects would have in my body. I don’t think I would have taken it and would have requested a different drug at the time." — @Lety

I'm sorry. I am in the same boat as you. I didn't do my homework first about Effexor. However, that doesn't mean we can't get off of it. You just might need to slow your taper down and give your body time to stabilize. You're not permanently damaged and are not alone.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.28 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

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BasedStaffSep 10

Community AnchorEffexor

Ya many people feel this way. Its really a shame informed consent isnt done properly , otherwise lots of damage would have been spared. Especially in people who had mild issues

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

Maria A.Sep 10

LighthouseZoloft · active

Absolutely- had I known I would have never touched this medication for my post partum anxiety. All I needed was support and a good therapist.

Zoloft —50 mg to 15 mg — 8 years with a cold turkey and reinstatement in between— was liquid micro tapering, crashed at 14.275 mg and now holding at 15 mg.

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CatinaSep 10

Community AnchorEffexor

"Absolutely- had I known I would have never touched this medication for my post partum anxiety. All I needed was support and a good therapist." — @Maria A.

I hear you Maria. Many of us would do things differently if we could turn back time. At least we're in a supportive community and are receiving the best tapering advice we can, so we're very fortunate.

WolfSep 11

Community AnchorProzac · researching

It is super weird when you did not need the drug that much in the first place, really.

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

WolfSep 11

Community AnchorProzac · researching

Yep, they are overprescribed, in many places.

Flyguy10Sep 12

LighthouseProzac · supporting

Agreed. The doctor putting me on the majority of the drugs I was on didn't warn me about anything. I was attributing symptoms to my physical condition rather than the meds. Finally getting off gabapentin felt amazing. I had no idea how bad it was making me feel. And the risks of duloxetine discontinuation are so great, had I known I would have never taken it. I only did it to prove I had physical injuries and not fibro. Figured when it did 0 for pain she would have made the connection, but no, her answer was always to just up the dose. My own stupid mistake. I refused to for a couple months, should have stuck to my guns. Knowing what I know now I would have never taken it.

Valium — Started 02/2025, max of 20mg — current 10mg - holding | Lexapro 5mg - Started 9/25 | Prozac 10mg — Started 8/13/26 — Ended 9/2 | Cymbalta 20mg - 1 month, 40mg - 6 months, 60mg - 1 month, 90mg - a few days, 60mg - 1 month, 40mg - 15 days, 20mg - 3 weeks, discontinued 8/13/26 | LDN 4.5mg - 1 year - discontinued | with clinician

LetySep 13

Effexor · active

Thank you all! I don’t feel alone in this journey anymore.

Effexor — 70mg 150mg — 3-4 years — actively tapering | other — 10mg |

AJSep 18

NavigatorCelexa · active

I never would have touched a drug either (I was on Prozac from 17 and stopped it a couple of years later with no issues so considered medication a short-term support thing). In hindsight, I needed real, practical human support through adolescence and my early 20s. Guidance in figuring out life. Not just to numb myself. All I can do now is forgive myself, focus on giving my kids the support I lacked, and maybe one day create something positive out of this mess.

Celexa — 3.6mg — 15+ years — actively tapering | without clinician

Sea JulesSep 19

""I wish I would have known the consequences of stopping this drug and effects would have in my body. I don’t think I would have taken it and would have requested a different drug at the time."" — @Catina

When I found out the effects of stopping this drug has been out there and yet in 2025 they did a 3 week taper on me, I shook my head and wondered how it was they didn't think that was a bad idea. Did they just not tell me that protracted withdrawal could happen or were they that ignorant? And starting the drugs? I had no idea I would spend 30 years in a chemical fog, in and out of hospitals as I struggled every day to do anything, thinking it was me. Every day trying to fix myself while continuing to ingest the things that were causing the problem.

SERTRALINE 3 week taper | At least 19 different drugs in a 30 year period

StuartSep 19

LighthouseEffexor · supporting

Ugh, I hear ya. Probably how most people here feel.

Historic experience tapering off: Citalopram 20mg | Zyprexa 2.5mg | Effexor 75mg | Valium 20mg

LetySep 19

Effexor · active

Any of you been successful withdrawing from Effexor?

Effexor — 70mg 150mg — 3-4 years — actively tapering | other — 10mg |

WolfSep 25

Community AnchorProzac · researching

Even more so that quitting the drug sometimes feels like removing a thorn from your mind. I understand why you would like to prescribe something this strong for a serious and dangerous problem but you can't even measure the effects of what you are applying. It all makes sense as a last resort and last line of defense kind of thing.

anne noni mossSep 29

NavigatorPaxil · holding

"In hindsight, I needed real, practical human support through adolescence and my early 20s. Guidance in figuring out life. Not just to numb myself." — @AJ

totally agree AJ!!! So sad. That's all we humans need during our entire lives!!!!

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

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