Venlafaxine :: Getting Off After 10 Years
Aug 26, 2014
I have read a lot of entries about this drug, and I do agree with many that at first it did its job. To pout you in the picture I have been on 225 mg for 25 years now and like some have been very apprehensive about stopping due to extreme withdrawal.
Yes some may criticise my deciding to go cold turkey, but I do feel that venlafaxine is like any addictive drug with one exception, it is fear of withdrawal that stops many from even trying. I am now on my 5th day and yes the symptoms are shocking in more ways than one (srry bout pun). My reason to decide is simple.. Do I need venlafaxine anymore? Simple answer No! I just got to the comfort and routine of taking it every day. Don't get me wrong cold turkey is not necessarily the right way unless you have an iron constitution, and willpower. I am no expert so please do not take all I say as gospel.
Whilst the withdrawal is bad at the moment, I have noticed a clarity in my mind growing as time goes by, it almost as if I a getting part of myself back and it is no longer negative or suicidal as of many years ago that I lost to venlafaxine (My faith is a big part of this too.).
So what is happening this early in cold turkey? Brain zaps like mad I also have slight nausea, I have decided to consult my GP to request some anti withdrawal medicine I am aware that this prob will not stop the zaps etc but poss offer a cushion. Maybe I am stubborn but I will not do the weaning off method, I have stopped illegal drugs and alcohol without weaning off, and even though venlafaxine is legal, for myself would be like having dope or a drink to solve the problems, but in fact I consider doing that a step backwards. I would be very interested in any one especially who did cold turkey to share what they found out with me, and of course any other comments you may have.
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As it says Venlafaxine for 4 years '' not good '' been reducing to one a day for a week '' not to bad '' know second week 37mg once a day ; and so it starts '' bad head'' sickness ''and every thing else that comes with coming of this drug '' its bad '' crying all the time god help me please i think i will go mad ''been to Dr and this is what they want to do to help ''
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I have been on venlafaxine 225 for 4 years now and I am currently coming of it slowly every month down by 37.5mg, I am now on 75 mg and feeling so awful with all the normal symptoms.
Can anyone advise me as to which antidepressant to go on next as unfortunately I can not be without one and can I start taking it alongside the 37.5 which I am about to go on.
I was thinking of trying Citalopram which my son is on.
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i finished my last tablet about 5 days ago after weaning off then i started to get a whooshing in my ears a slight headache and i keep crying and i'm convinced im going to die, is this normal or have i something else wrong with me.
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Anyone recommend a supplement to help me calm down and relax, as I'm withdrawing from Venlafaxine and I'm really having a difficult few days!
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I've been on it for years and it's been brilliant. I was tired all the time and it gave me new energy.
The downside is that if you miss a couple of doses the withdrawal side-effects are quite horrendous. Venlafaxine XL (time released ones) are gentler with the side effects than the ordinary ones.
They've definitely worked for me.
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I've been diagnosed with depression for over 10 years now. During that time I've had a few antidepressants. Last year I had a breakdown partly caused by a good friend committing suicide but mainly due to my mother and as a result, my medication was changed. Without any information or guidance, I was put straight onto 150mg of venlafaxine capsules. I've never been happy on this, there's always been something not quite right but I've trusted my doctor. Recently I've started to have like a heart rush feeling. I'm constantly tired on it as in I wake up more tired than when I went to bed, I have severe constipation, I've started to sweat a lot (I've never been one for sweating), I've had brain zaps and body judders and suffer with headaches. Since June, which is when I was put on it....I've gained a whopping stone and a half (I've never had a weight issue ever!) and my sex drive is none existent. I feel very out of it and have became very distanced from making any sort of effort. I'm desperately worried about being on venlafaxine but I'm even more worried about coming off of it. I feel I've been fobbed off a bit by the medical professionals and when I go to discuss my symptoms all I get is "well it's a side effect of depression". I absolutely HATE feeling like this, it's actually worse than ever. My husband works away on a two on two off shift and I have 2 boys aged 12 and 10, I also have 3 dogs. It's an effort to do anything, even getting out of bed or cooking is such a thought. I would really appreciate your advice on how I should go about coming off my dose.
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Has anyone had a sore throat on venlafaxine, on 75mg 5 weeks in , started a week ago, been to doctors today see has given me gaviscon for a week ?
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Any one else have increased sex drive?
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I have been taking Mirt now for just over three weeks for PND however it wasn't really helping my depression but helped the anxiety and sleep problems I was having therefore I saw the consultant two days ago who prescribed me Venlafaxine 75mg to take with the Mirtazapine. This is my second morning of taking the Venlafaxine and I feel my anxiety has come back and I feel all wide eyed and jittery! Just wondering when will these side effects ease? As I have a 7 week old baby to look after thank you! And I'm wondering when I will feel the benefit of this combination?
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Hi I have been on Mirtazapine 30 mg and Venlafaxine 75mg now for a good few weeks with the Venlafaxine being introduced 4 weeks ago! Initially when I was on the Mirtazapine alone I didn't see any difference in my mood or anxiety but once the Venlafaxine was added into the regime I felt great and back to my normal self was so happy with zero anxiety! However the past week now I have had the anxiety come back and the low mood also and I can feel myself going back to the way I was before the Venlafaxine was added in! I have had a terrible weekend with crippling anxiety and have had to take diazepam which I haven't done in a long time! Do you think I would benefit from an increase in dosage of the Venlafaxine? As I am so desperate because this drug made me back to who I once was but I can slowly feel myself slipping away!! I have just left a voicemail on my psychiatrists telephone number asking can I be seen tomorrow regarding my medication! I'm not sure whether the dose I am now on is low and I would benefit from an increase? I am desperate you see as I have a 10 week old son and I am unable to look after him when feeling like this my mother has had to take him overnight for me!
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I've had social anxiety / gad since highschool and I am now 25. I first took citalopram at 17 and took most other ssris trying to find one which helped, it was only when I took sertraline at around age 21 that I really felt benefit from a med, I noticed a feeling of content I'd not experienced since my childhood days, and soon got a job and began to socialise a bit after years of being a recluse. Anyway, the good feelings only lasted a year and I found myself asking for meds again, so my doctor put me on cymbalta which I took for 6 weeks and felt no benefit. I then went back and was put back on escitalopram which I felt had been somewhat helpful and I stayed on that for a couple of years.
Again I found myself suffering anxiety on a daily basis, so I needed a new med, so I went to my doctor again and was put on venlafaxine in late 2014 at a starting dose of 37.5 twice a day. I took my first and felt completely out of it and suffered worse panic attacks at work, so I tried to come of meds altogether but found myself taking half a tablet every other day to prevent the horrible withdrawals, when I completely stopped I felt more anxious and depressed so went back to my GP who recommended mirtazapine which I refused, I explained I didn't want to keep taking more meds for them not to work, as I didn't want to end up on last resort meds such as MAOI's when I am not clinically depressed or a risk per se. So i agreed to give Venlafaxine a try at 75mg a day and go back in a few weeks.
I am now on week 3 of venlafaxine and the positives are decreased anxiety at 'work', although this med makes me so tired I have no energy to be anxious, and a feeling of content, although I could sit in all day and not feel compelled to do anything as I feel 'ok' if that makes sense, which is a bad thing really. The negatives are a feeling of emotional numbness, no desire or motivation to achieve goals, tiredness all the time and no desire to socialise which suggests no improvement in social anxiety, and teeth clenching which happens with all meds for me.
So my question is should I keep taking venlafaxine, should I go back on sertraline in the hope it might work like the first time, or should I go on mirtazapine even though I don't want to feel even more zombiefied and don't want to feel hungry all the time. Or should I stop meds?
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Can anyone help? My GP is reducing my Venlafaxine from 75mg to 37.5mg as i am in a good place right now. However, he has not given me a precise regime for reduction in explaining properly the best way to do this.
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My doctor put my on Venlafaxine HCL for depression and i have to say this is the worst medication i ever took! Lately i been getting sleepy in the morning ,this is when i took the pill and i told my doctor and my doctor told me to take it at night ,now sometimes it takes me awhile to get to sleep , i have no emotions anymore ,i always feel hopeless in the morning and suicidal. but later in the morning ,i feel fine ,and sometimes i feel like someone is avoiding me but they are really not ,or they are mad at me but they are really not ,their wave back to me and i waved to him ,can venlafaxine cause thinking things but the things are not really there ?
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My husband uses this for pain, he's on 75mg in mornings and 75 mg at night,he's been on them for a few weeks. He's in lots of pain today with headaches, nausea, he's not wanting to eat.
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been on venlafaxine for 17 years. dr.took me off in three days. i think i was taken down to fast. been off since oct. still feel real depressed is my main concern. i am taking prozac for the last three weeks. anyone have any suggestions for me
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which supplements to buy to help me with withdrawal of Effexor!
I've read that a good quality Omega 3 supplement will help and maybe 5 htp?
It's day 3 of withdrawal and I'm feeling so so tired and in need of some energy!
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So frustrated search for posts containing burning mouth click on them and it doesn't take you to them. Does anyone know of any links between BMS and venlafaxine.
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After 5 good months of taking Venlafaxine and getting my life back together, being back at work etc my depressive symptoms seem to be creeping back in along with increased anxiety levels, i feel like I'm back on that downward spiral to go back to where I was 12 months ago!
I've had to take some more time off work as I feel so bad these last few days, got a Dr's appt next Monday couldn't get in any sooner unfortunately.
Is this an early poop out from the Venlafaxine? I don't know what to do I didn't think I'd be here again so soon. Currently on 150mg XR with 10mg of Abilify I know they will be reluctant to increase the Ven as I suffer from bipolar disorder and they are worried about mania but I've never had mania.
Has anyone else had any experience of Venlafaxine pooping out after so little time? Would an increase help me?
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Yes it's me again, last few days I've felt agitated and on edge now this afternoon I'm full of tears!, is this part of withdrawal? I feel very very isolated and I just need to know if this is to be expected!
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My psychiatrist has just agreed that I can try reducing my antidepressant medication. I'm on 225mg venlafaxine and 30 mg mirtazapine, and he's suggested I gradually reduce the mirtazapine first, and see what happens He's warned me that i might notice less sedation, so sleep less well. Are there any other withdrawal symptoms I should know about? Anyone else tried it?
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