Do You Need Medical Supervision for Effexor Withdrawal?
Even widely used prescription medications that can be beneficial for patients in treating or managing certain physical and mental health conditions can have unintended side effects, as well as lead to difficult withdrawal symptoms once the medication is quit. Effexor is one of the many available antidepressant medications on the market today. Unfortunately, quitting it suddenly can lead to Effexor withdrawal symptoms that can be distressing and take several weeks to get through. Because of this, it’s natural to wonder if medical supervision in a Florida drug detox program is necessary to get through Effexor withdrawal safely and more comfortably.
Table of contents
» What Is Effexor Discontinuation Syndrome?
» How Soon Do Symptoms Begin After Stopping Effexor?
» Who Is Most at Risk for Complications During Withdrawal?
» What Types of Therapy or Counseling Can Help During Withdrawal?
» Key Takeaways on Effexor Withdrawal
» Resources
What Is Effexor Discontinuation Syndrome?
Before we get into the symptoms of Effexor withdrawal, it’s helpful to have a better understanding of what this drug is and what it’s used for. Effexor is the brand name for venlafaxine, an antidepressant most often prescribed to treat depression but also prescribed to people who have generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, or panic disorder.
It’s one of the selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs, which work by helping patients increase the amount of the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, giving them relief from depression and anxiety.
Venlafaxine can cause many potential side effects, including:
- Fatigue, drowsiness, and weakness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Stomach problems, including stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, or feeling gassy
- Appetite loss and weight loss
- Nightmares or vivid dreams
- Headaches and body pains
- Sweating
- Urinary problems, such as frequent or difficult urination
- Sexual problems, such as decreased sex drive, delayed orgasms, and inability to get erections
- Sore throat
- Yawning
Some serious side effects are also possible, including:
- Rash or hives
- Chest pain and fast or irregular heartbeat
- Seizures
- Unusual bruising
- Coordination difficulties
- Feeling like it’s difficult to breathe or swallow
- Hallucinations
- Losing consciousness and comas
When someone is prescribed Effexor, they’ll gradually start to get relief from their depression and anxiety symptoms as the medication builds up in their system. However, if they suddenly quit taking the medicine, they can quickly start to suffer from venlafaxine discontinuation syndrome.
Why does this happen? Over time, antidepressants like venlafaxine help patients increase their levels of neurotransmitters, in this case serotonin and norepinephrine, and their brains adjust to these new, increased levels and start to operate based on those levels.
If the medication is quit, these neurotransmitter levels can begin to fall within a matter of just one to three days, and their brains will struggle for a while to adapt to the new normal. Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome is a common occurrence for all types of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
How Soon Do Symptoms Begin After Stopping Effexor?
Effexor withdrawal symptoms can start much earlier than you might expect after suddenly quitting the medication.
Why is that? Because, unlike some other antidepressants that have a long half-life of several days (meaning how long it takes to break down and be eliminated entirely from the body), Effexor has a relatively short half-life of just five to 13 hours.
Abruptly stopping treatment of SNRIs like this is shown to typically lead to more side effects than other antidepressants with longer half-lives.
The symptoms of Effexor withdrawal can include things like:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Fatigue or insomnia
- Appetite loss
- Feeling irritated or anxious
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Sweating
- “Brain zaps,” or the feeling of electrical shocks in the brain
- Burning or tingling in the hands and feet
- Tremors
- Vivid dreams or intense nightmares
These withdrawal symptoms can be distressing and can last for three to four weeks or even longer. It could make someone wonder if they should consider staying in drug rehab for treatment or if they need medical attention.
Fortunately, many cases of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome can be avoided or greatly minimized by slowly tapering off the drug over the course of several weeks or months, gradually lowering the dose along the way, to give the person’s brain time to adjust and get back to these normal levels of neurotransmitters.
Who Is Most at Risk for Complications During Withdrawal?
Like in the case of many other drugs and medications, people who have taken this antidepressant for an extended period of time, especially higher doses of the drug, are going to be most at risk of suffering from complications during Effexor withdrawal, considering that their brains are going to have to make a bigger adjustment to neurotransmitter levels.
That’s why medical professionals strongly encourage anyone on an antidepressant, including an SNRI like venlafaxine, to take their doses regularly and on time, and to work carefully with their doctors to come up with a plan to slowly taper off the medication if it’s decided they should quit taking it.
Even someone who has only taken the drug for as short a period as one week or longer could be at risk of withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly quit, and they’re usually advised to slowly taper off the drug to prevent withdrawal problems like headaches, nausea, dizziness, nervousness, and insomnia.
However, some researchers have argued that patients should be better informed about the extreme risks that withdrawal can cause and that missing just one single dose of this medication can lead to problems within hours, potentially endangering them and others.
One medical journal article from 2005 said venlafaxine can cause serious adverse effects in at least 5 percent of cases, and severe withdrawal symptoms are possible just eight to 12 hours after quitting the drug or missing a dose.
That’s why they recommended that patients be advised that they need to stick to their treatment plan, taking their medication on schedule every day as advised, or not to drive a motor vehicle because driving could become extremely dangerous as they suffer from withdrawal symptoms like poor motor skills and coordination problems that jeopardize everyone on the road.
The article looked at several patient cases, including one 35-year-old woman on a standard dose for depression who ran out of the medication on a Thursday and couldn’t see her doctor until the following Monday.
By Friday, just 12 hours after she would’ve usually taken another dose of medication, she began to suffer from mood changes, dizziness, nausea, brain zaps, vomiting, severe depression symptoms, and crying. Just a matter of hours or one to two days can lead to severe withdrawal problems that can make things like driving or even just trying to function in daily life extremely difficult.
What our customers are saying
What Types of Therapy or Counseling Can Help During Withdrawal?
While Effexor withdrawal is a very possible problem that can start just hours or days after suddenly quitting this medication, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be like this. Most often, patients are advised to slowly taper off the medication over four weeks or a couple of months by gradually lowering the dosage, giving their brains a chance to adjust rather than suddenly.
Therapy and counseling, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, can also be beneficial in helping patients handle the return of anxiety or depression symptoms as they get used to being off the medication and ensure their safety during this time of adjustment.
Key Takeaways on Effexor Withdrawal
- Effexor is the brand name for venlafaxine, an SNRI prescribed to treat depression and anxiety.
- This medication has a relatively short half-life, meaning it produces a quick response in the body and leaves the taker’s system relatively quickly once it’s stopped.
- Abruptly stopping treatment with venlafaxine can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms like dizziness, confusion, sleep problems, nausea, and struggling with motor control and coordination in as little as several hours.
- Withdrawal occurs because the person’s brain struggles to adjust to the sudden drop in neurotransmitter levels.
- Slowly tapering off antidepressants can help to prevent or minimize withdrawal symptoms.
If you or someone you love is struggling with drug addiction or needs help coming off a medication or substance that is known to cause severe and potentially serious withdrawal symptoms, WhiteSands Treatment can help. There are many benefits to choosing a private drug rehab center in Florida to help manage Effexor withdrawal. Call us at 877-855-3470 today to learn how to get started on the road to your recovery.
Resources
- MedlinePlus – Venlafaxine
- National Library of Medicine – Venlafaxine and Serious Withdrawal Symptoms: Warning to Drivers
- Drugs.com – How Long Do Venlafaxine Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
