Venlafaxine Withdrawal

Like a number of other antidepressants, venlafaxine is known to cause withdrawal symptoms in people who quickly stop taking their medicine. A few of these withdrawal symptoms include irritability, tiredness, dizziness, and a burning or tingling sensation. If you are planning on discontinuing venlafaxine, withdrawal symptoms can be prevented by gradually weaning off the medicine.

Venlafaxine HCl

Venlafaxine Withdrawal: An Introduction

Venlafaxine hydrochloride is a prescription medication used to treat depression in adults. It is sold under the brand name Effexor^®. It is also available as a generic, sold as Venlafaxine tablets. Finally, there is an extended release form of venlafaxine available as Effexor XR^®. There is no generic Effexor XR available.

This article will discuss venlafaxine.

(Click Effexor Withdrawal or Effexor XR Withdrawal for specific information on the other medicines mentioned above.)

Venlafaxine Withdrawal Symptoms

Venlafaxine and a number of other antidepressants are known to cause withdrawal symptoms in people who quickly stop their medicine.

Venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Irritability
Agitation
Dizziness
A burning or tingling sensation
Anxiety
Confusion
Headache
Insomnia
Tiredness.

In most people, these venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms improve with time, without the need for any treatment.

Limiting Venlafaxine Withdrawal

When a person is going to be discontinuing venlafaxine, the doctor will wean him or her off of the drug slowly to minimize the risks of developing venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms.

If withdrawal symptoms do occur, the doctor may return the person to his or her original venlafaxine dosage and then wean him or her off even more slowly.