Question by Slowpokie: Purpose of gradually going off Effexor?
I’ve been on effexor for about 6 months now. Started at 50mg, then 100mg, 150mg, and currently 300mg per day. From the start, effexor had no positive effects for me. And as the dosage got higher, it began having negative effects. (I was better off not being on effexor at all.) In my past, I’ve been on illegal drugs that I’ve been “told” are addictive, (ie cocaine), and just quit it cold turkey without any problem.
What is the point of gradually going off of effexor that I can’t even afford anymore when other “addictive” drugs gave me no withdrawal effects?
2 days now that I’ve not been on effexor. I hate to say that psychiatrists are wrong as well as whomever does the studies to say what will happen when you stop taking a drug… But I’ve not felt this great since starting effexor. Now that I’m off it, I have improved mood, my libido has returned, I’m being active in things other than sleep, and I’m actually having bowel movements daily instead of once a week. So having a slight feeling of vertigo is nothing compared to all the negatives that I had while taking the drug. So to anyone that just doesn’t believe a psychiatrist because he/she says something, I highly encourage you to just stop taking effexor cold turkey instead of weaning yourself off of it. I honestly would love to know what else the people that are having such horrible withdrawal symptoms are taking and if they are a hypochondriac to begin with.    Read more...