I have been on Venlafxine for about a year and a half. My dosages have ranged from 75-125. My shrink has decided to take me off Venlafixine and go back on Fluoxetine. I used to take Fluoxine for 20 something years but went into a BIG depression about 1.5 years ago so I was switched to Venlafaxine. The reasons I am being switched to way too long to type here but this is my question .... My shrink told me to stop the Venlafaxine one day and start Fluoxetine 20mg the next day. Shrink said there would be NO side effects. How can this be? I know Fluoxetine takes time to build in systems and Venlafaxine goes out of your body quickly. Wont I have withdrawals and then start to feel bad as the Fluoxetine builds up in my system? Today is day 2 am I'm feeling shaky and weak and just awful. Any thoughts or advice on how I was switched from 1 med to another - Thank you
2014-10-30 10:47:07
Venlafaxine is a very difficult drug to withdraw from without feeling bad. I was on 150mg a day for years and it took me months to withdraw. I know you have only been on it for a year but I think you will still get withdrawals. It must be withdrawn from very slowly and by small increments. I am surprised your doctor did not tell you this. This is a devil of a drug to stop. What you are experiencing now is withdrawals. As you have stopped I suppose you feel you cannot go back on and withdraw slowly. Hopefully going onto the other anti depressant will help but of course that could also make you feel shaky when you first go onto it. The withdrawals may last a time and you will not know exactly what is causing you to feel as you do withdrawal from one drug starting on another or a combination of both. You will find a lot of posts here about withdrawing from Venlafaxine. I wish you had got better advice from the psychiatrist about this.
2014-10-30 10:47:43
