Venlafaxine withdrawal (this is me very well stated)

[steve2470]

11. same source, continued

Most selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and SSNRIs are reported to cause serious adverse effects in approximately 5% of patients, according to its manufacturer.[1] Venlafaxine is no exception. Among the adverse effects are a number of withdrawal symptoms that form "discontinuance syndromes," sometimes mistakenly identified with what Sternbach in 1991 proposed as the "serotonin syndrome".[2] Venlafaxine's half-life is only 4 hours. Its primary metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine, has a half-life of 10 hours. In the past 10 years, a number of clinical reports of severe venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms have been published, and for the most part these effects are duly reflected in generally available information. Widely consulted drug information services, such as Medscape DrugInfo, American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information, and First DataBank, list the following withdrawal symptoms as "serious": agitation, anorexia, anxiety, confusion, impaired coordination, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoric mood, fasciculation, fatigue, headaches, hypomania, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, sensory disturbances (including shock-like electrical sensations), somnolence, sweating, tremor, vertigo, and vomiting.

Don't take this med unless you feel it's worth it. It worked well for me for months, but now I'm paying for it.