Venlafaxine :: Long Term Health Implications And Side Effects?
Nov 24, 2008
I suffer from recurrent moderately severe depression. I've been on Venlafaxine for about a year now. Previously I was taking the "Californian Cocktail" of Citalopram and mirtazapine but the weight gain of 3 stones and sedation to the point of regularly falling asleep at my work desk and whilst driving convinced me it was not for me - though it did relieve my depression.
My current dosage of venlafaxine is 375 mg per day (that's five 75 mg slow release caps) having read through most of the posts here I cannot find anyone on this level of dosage.
Am I a lab rat for an experimental psychiatrist?
My depression has largely been under control for most of this last year on Vn and the worst side effect, after the first two weeks, has been in the bedroom department but I am concerned at the long term health implications of this medication. Also and over the last 2 months my depression has slowly been returning which has prompted me to return to my psychiatrist.
Has anyone else had a similar experience of using Vn for a long period at this high dosage?
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I suffer from bipolar and sleep disorders. My dr. prescribed many different things and nothing worked until the dosage of Seroquel was up to 600mg per night. Even at this dose I'm not sleeping more than 2 hours at a time. My weight has soared from 130 to 195 over the past couple of years. I'm afraid to try something different but am also scared of long term side effects
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My husband has been suffering with unbearable headaches for 15 years. Over the last few months they have become so much worse to the point that he is in a ball, crying in pain, he can't see, can't walk, he was ranting during one attack that he was going to take all of the tablets he could find. He has no memory of saying these things when the headache has eased. He tells me the headache is there constantly but gets worse really quickly. He usually wakes up with the headache although they sometimes come on during the day. They are usually at the sides of his head above his eyes but swaps sides and sometimes goes down his neck. He gets them everyday for a week then has a few days to a week then they start again. He has had a number of GPs all of which have said he doesn't need to be referred to a specialist it is migraines as if it was anything 'serious' we'd have known by now ie nOt a brain tumour. He has had many preventative medicines but none have helped. His latest GP has prescribed gabapentin which was prior to his last and worst attack so far. When we explained what happened she merely raised the dosage and gave imigran for pain relief. I just wondered if anyone has been prescribed gabapentin long term for migraines and if there are any long term side effects as I've heard there are a number namely vitamin B 12 deficiency, pulmonary problems, long and short term memory loss.
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My son is diagnosed with ADHD so obviously he needs some medications to treat his condition. Doctor prescribed him Adderall. Since we have no experience with this medicine I would like to hear some info about it. Are there some negative effects of this medicine, as one friend of mine warrants me? Can you tell me something more about Adderall long-term health effects?
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I would like to start an honest and frank discussion as to the possible effects of impotence drugs such as Cialis and Viagra.
Do you feel that since using these medications your erections have improved or deteriorated?
If you have been prescribed these long term, do you now need to take a higher dose to achieve the same effects or has taking the medications improved matters so that they are no longer required?
What unrecorded or additional side effects have you experienced?
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Are there any side effect of taking vitamins(e.g. vitamin D+calcium) for long time as 3 months or more.
Does "Omeprazole 20mg" cause any harmful effect in long term use ?
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Just into my second week of taking Citalopram, feeling a bit better, but am worried about my libido, especially long term effects, don't need anything else to worry about.
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I have been on Gabapentin on and off for about 7 months (since approx January). I was taking it for chronic pelvic pain, and it worked well, but it made me very emotional and made higher cognitive functions difficult. After 4 months of semi-regular use, I got off it quickly, but kept it around in case of a severe pain flare up. As of now I have gone through 2 "100 capsule" bottles of 100mg pills, so not too much. Never took a higher dosage then 300 mg and never took more than 300 mg in one day.
I've used it a few times recently (in July, just a few weeks ago) when the pain really flared up, thinking it would only have minimal side effects, but it has resulted in continual severe depression and dark thoughts even though I haven't taken any in two weeks. I took it occasionally because I thought the depression was predominantly from the chronic pain, but now I realize the gabapentin was the root of it. I'm terrified because I know the drug has long since left my system but I can't shake the side effects. Doctors and psychologists won't listen to me. They say I'm just depressed and it isn't the medication, but I'm positive it is. The pain is finally improving, I'm going back to school, and things are looking up. But there is this unshakable aurora that is plaguing me. No matter how hard I distract myself and push through there's this cloud that impairs my ability to emotionally and physical function (feelings of detachment, separation, depression, and some suicidal thoughts). Words come slower, it's harder to focus, memory is very dull. I wasn't concerned within the first few days, but it's been a few weeks now and I'm alarmed that it doesn't seem to be improving.
Do the side effects ever go away... How long does it take and what can catalyze the healing process? Is it possible to incur permanent damage from a low dosage, or does it take months to heal. Can anyone explain the biomechanics behind how gabapentin can affect patients weeks after usage.
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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 recently been put on venlafaxine 75 mg to help with my anxiety panic disorder with agoraphobia. i already take 400mg quetiapine daily for bipolar disorder. since starting the venlafaxine i've had really bad nausea sometimes with vomiting, vivid dreams, and hot n cold flushes ...
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venlafaxine 375 mg a day withdrawn to mirtazapine awful side effects from one to the other anyone else like me
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What are the side effects of taking 450mg Venlafaxine? Can't find much information online or anything and need to know!
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Just wanted to hear people's journeys, advice etc of taking sertraline. I myself have been on 50mg for 5 weeks and 1 day. My side effects lasted for 7-10 days and included loss of appetite, heightened anxiety, tense jaw, fatigue. I'm still not feeling where I want to be but much better than I was. How long did it take other people to feel like the old them?
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I have been taking Tibolone for 7 years, and there has always been fors and against taking them. I would like to share my personal experience, I was told by my Doctor to try and wean myself off them as I had hit that crucial stage of 5 years where they do not recommend that you take them any further! I did what they asked and for three months I reduced to half per day, recommended rather than one every other day, I have to admit I managed well, didn't really have a huge impact, so I thought I would try half every other day to reduce it further, within a week, my symptoms came back with a vengeance, I felt generally unwell, my bones hurt, headaches, mood swings and panic, it was horrific, so on that basis I spoke to my Gp and I have restarted my Livial, one per day, to say that these tablets change my life is an understatement, for me personally the benefits far outway the supposed risks, I am happy I will take them for many years to come as long as you are checked I really don't see why you should suffer if you don't have to? Good Luck to you all and I hope that this post will at least make you feel a bit more relaxed. My Gp said that some women can manage after 5 years of HRT but some need it up until ten years depending on the severity of your symptoms, All Gp's are different, I think they just have to stand on the side of caution as with any drugs, For me, no-one knows my body like me, and if it makes me feel well and able to function normally then I am all for it, Tibolone for me has been a lifesaver and long may it be prescribed for us Girls.
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I have been on Omeprazole for about 3 years (40mg once daily.)
A few days ago I had an episode of biliary colic (Painful), which is caused by gallstones.
I had a liver ultrasound about 4 years ago, which was clear. This means that the gallstones have formed more or less since I was put on Omeprazole.
I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that long-term use of PPIs can cause gallstones (Cholelithiasis).
Has anyone seen any scientific research on this topic? If true, it is such a major side-effect that anyone taking PPIs for any length of time should be advised of it by their doctor.
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If a patient has long term generalized edema (pitting in the legs), what are the other possible diagnostic alternatives, after heart, kidney, liver and protein abnormalities have been ruled out? I've been struggling with this edema nonsense for several years, unremitting, and yet my docs are stumped when it come to diagnosis. I also have some GI motility and hormone stuff happening but they claim there's no connection between the two, although I do tend to get rid of excess fluid (through urination), on the rare occasions when my GI system seems to be functioning correctly
I'm 45 yr old male, no diabetes, thyroid usually normal range but flagged as mildly hyper at on few occasions, and low BP. I was very thin prior to the fluid retention, which averages between 20-30 pounds, by my estimation. I was also otherwise very healthy and active prior to these symptoms, but since becoming ill, I am often very fatigued and sleepy most days.
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