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Venlafaxine experiences
- Thread starter Allein
- Start date
effie
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 13,583
Hey atm,
I feel like I'm stalking you from forum to forum, sorry
Have probably already told you and tis 5.30am (fckin insomnia..) but my experience of venlafaxine is:
- Overall really good, has pulled me out of a dark hole and several trials off it have proved to me that it really does work, I don't want to think about how I'd be without it
- Side effects were unpleasant initially (first few days - felt like I was coming up but in a really uncomfortable way, very jaw-clenchy, dilated pupils, jittery, sick, no appetite, difficulty sleeping) then eased over the next few days to residual nausea and insomnia (nausea didn't trouble me too much and insomnia was fixed by a week of zopiclone) until about 10 days later I had zero side effects and have remained that way since. I know I have insomnia at the mo, haha, but pretty sure it is unrelated as I was sleeping like a baby not that long ago!
- Increase your dose slowly and go for the ER version to minimise side effects
- If I skip a dose or two I get quite nasty discontinuation symptoms (brain zaps, irritibility, headache, generally feel crap) but these go after a day or so. I tend not to skip it though! It has a short half life so you need to be on it with taking your doses...
Obviously it varies a lot, but in summary it had more side effects than some but it was 100% worth it for me as it lifted me out of my depression so I can live my life again and I currently get no side effects as long as I take my dose each day! I'd forgive this drug a lot, it has really helped me enormously. I hope it does the same for you, and good luck for your up-coming CBT 
I feel like I'm stalking you from forum to forum, sorry
Have probably already told you and tis 5.30am (fckin insomnia..) but my experience of venlafaxine is:
- Overall really good, has pulled me out of a dark hole and several trials off it have proved to me that it really does work, I don't want to think about how I'd be without it
- Side effects were unpleasant initially (first few days - felt like I was coming up but in a really uncomfortable way, very jaw-clenchy, dilated pupils, jittery, sick, no appetite, difficulty sleeping) then eased over the next few days to residual nausea and insomnia (nausea didn't trouble me too much and insomnia was fixed by a week of zopiclone) until about 10 days later I had zero side effects and have remained that way since. I know I have insomnia at the mo, haha, but pretty sure it is unrelated as I was sleeping like a baby not that long ago!
- Increase your dose slowly and go for the ER version to minimise side effects
- If I skip a dose or two I get quite nasty discontinuation symptoms (brain zaps, irritibility, headache, generally feel crap) but these go after a day or so. I tend not to skip it though! It has a short half life so you need to be on it with taking your doses...
Obviously it varies a lot, but in summary it had more side effects than some but it was 100% worth it for me as it lifted me out of my depression so I can live my life again and I currently get no side effects as long as I take my dose each day! I'd forgive this drug a lot, it has really helped me enormously. I hope it does the same for you, and good luck for your up-coming CBT
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
- Joined
- Nov 3, 1999
- Messages
- 84,998
well effie knows my opnion, which is mostly clouded by a drawn out taper, started by an incompetent doctor.
lots of people seem to really benefit from it so its worth a try but please, give it time to work and don't let them ramp up the dose into silly territory unless you're really really sure. the taper lasted 6 months, of which the first 2 months had me in a far worse state than the state i went onto venlafaxine to get out of! the next ~4 months weren't as bad, but weren't nice, and were possibly massively helped by changing to a competent gps surgery and the emergency psychiatric care i was receiving.
my brain gets so stuck on the awfullness of coming off the drug that i can't really say if it helped before then. looking back on my life whilst i was on it, i had a load of shite going on and dealt with it terribly, was incapable of having healthy relationships with anybody etc. when my life situation improved drastically, i was fine. so i don't think it helped prevent the fallout of being incredibly depressed, even in conjunction with weekly CAT and counselling, and i suspect i'd have felt good without it after i'd got out of the situation that really wasn't helping me stay remotely sane.
lots of people seem to really benefit from it so its worth a try but please, give it time to work and don't let them ramp up the dose into silly territory unless you're really really sure. the taper lasted 6 months, of which the first 2 months had me in a far worse state than the state i went onto venlafaxine to get out of! the next ~4 months weren't as bad, but weren't nice, and were possibly massively helped by changing to a competent gps surgery and the emergency psychiatric care i was receiving.
my brain gets so stuck on the awfullness of coming off the drug that i can't really say if it helped before then. looking back on my life whilst i was on it, i had a load of shite going on and dealt with it terribly, was incapable of having healthy relationships with anybody etc. when my life situation improved drastically, i was fine. so i don't think it helped prevent the fallout of being incredibly depressed, even in conjunction with weekly CAT and counselling, and i suspect i'd have felt good without it after i'd got out of the situation that really wasn't helping me stay remotely sane.
^^^
Thanks chinup, I've a really crap GP's surgery but the phychiatric care people have been really good and their largely looking after me now.
Last years episode was at least in part triggered by work stress, but it had been something bubbling away for many years, now the cat seems to be out of the bag and despite my efforts to pull myself out of it the anxiety and depression seem to have gotton a grip on me despite my personal and work situation really not being bad at all. to be fair Mrs atm, whilst having been a bit cheesed off with me of late (and with just cause given i am a miserable git to live with most of the time) has been very supportive....I'm a very luck man in this respect and hope one day to be able to make it up to her in some way
This year despite stopping drinking and taking more exercise and like I say getting myself into a better place at work its all been going downhill so i really believe now ( my view has changed on this one over the last 6 months ) that I do need to be on medication most likely long term, its just finding the right one. That said I'm also committed to the CBT so maybe one day I can be AD free but for now I need both kinds of support and at last it seems I'm going to get it.
I'm starting on 37.5Mgs for a week then moving to 75mgs, which looks like quite a low dose from what I've researched already, what were you up to?
Can I also ask when you took them, morning or evening ? they just say take with food and there are indications that they can cause insomnia (I have Zopiclone) and drowsiness ?
Thanks chinup, I've a really crap GP's surgery but the phychiatric care people have been really good and their largely looking after me now.
Last years episode was at least in part triggered by work stress, but it had been something bubbling away for many years, now the cat seems to be out of the bag and despite my efforts to pull myself out of it the anxiety and depression seem to have gotton a grip on me despite my personal and work situation really not being bad at all. to be fair Mrs atm, whilst having been a bit cheesed off with me of late (and with just cause given i am a miserable git to live with most of the time) has been very supportive....I'm a very luck man in this respect and hope one day to be able to make it up to her in some way
This year despite stopping drinking and taking more exercise and like I say getting myself into a better place at work its all been going downhill so i really believe now ( my view has changed on this one over the last 6 months ) that I do need to be on medication most likely long term, its just finding the right one. That said I'm also committed to the CBT so maybe one day I can be AD free but for now I need both kinds of support and at last it seems I'm going to get it.
I'm starting on 37.5Mgs for a week then moving to 75mgs, which looks like quite a low dose from what I've researched already, what were you up to?
Can I also ask when you took them, morning or evening ? they just say take with food and there are indications that they can cause insomnia (I have Zopiclone) and drowsiness ?
Thou
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2007
- Messages
- 10,860
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/576519-Long-standing-Complications-due-to-SSRI-SNRI-Treatment.
I have a long history with this particular "medicine."
See the above thread for detailed information.
I have a long history with this particular "medicine."
See the above thread for detailed information.
Thanks thouart_that, I've experinaced soem fairly severe side effect from a number of other ADs including internal bleeding.
If you don't mind me asking (feel free to PM if you prefer or not answer at all) what were you put on the Venlafaxine for in the first place and how much of the symptoms you now have do you think are directly related to this substance.
If you don't mind me asking (feel free to PM if you prefer or not answer at all) what were you put on the Venlafaxine for in the first place and how much of the symptoms you now have do you think are directly related to this substance.
^^^
I've had varying results from a number of different ADs mostly unpleasant side effects which has lead me to stop taking them. However despite by best efforts my depression persists so i have decided at this stage to persist in trying to find an AD that does at least improve things for me.
Discounting all SSRIs and SNRIs from one bad experience, however severe doesn't feel like it stands up as a reasonable reaction, don't get me wrong its your body and your choice but YMMV from one treatment to another quite considerably even of they are from the same group.
I've had varying results from a number of different ADs mostly unpleasant side effects which has lead me to stop taking them. However despite by best efforts my depression persists so i have decided at this stage to persist in trying to find an AD that does at least improve things for me.
Discounting all SSRIs and SNRIs from one bad experience, however severe doesn't feel like it stands up as a reasonable reaction, don't get me wrong its your body and your choice but YMMV from one treatment to another quite considerably even of they are from the same group.
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
- Joined
- Nov 3, 1999
- Messages
- 84,998
i think you're wise not to rule out medication, even though the prospect of subjecting yourself to it again must be really difficult. lets hope this one doesn't cause internal bleeding....
i think i was on 225mg, i can't precisely remember but i had a feeling it was that, its consistent with what i remember taking at the start of the taper, and looking online suggests thats possible. i had the extended release tablets in the morning, the others are a right fiddle and not for absent minded people like me. can't really say i noticed drowsiness and insomnia which couldn't have been accounted for by other stuff going on, it did have an effect on my appetite for the first few months. it also did make my head just feel plain weird for the first few weeks, i can't really describe it. the only thing i noticed as a side effect for the entire duration was sweating way more than is needed, its quite gross and embarrasing really and hasn't stopped despite me having been off it for 2 years. i think i actually need to go to a gp and sort it out soon cos i have v sensitive skin than literally can't cope!!
good luck man and you know we're here if you need anyting.
Just upped to 75Mgs a day, so far not to bad a bit of nausea but nothing to bad, could do with loosing a few pounds (lost a stone from not drinking for the last 8 weeks)
Head feels OK nothing like the weird effect I got from Midspan which felt like I was coming up on acid all the time...and not in a nice way that in between bit were your neither up or down.
Can't say its helping my depression at the moment but I seem pretty stable ( same scores on my weekly tests with the CBT people), knocking back a few blues here and there but not silly amounts and managing work with no more problems than i had before.
So all good at the moment, just hoping it doesn't set off another internal bleed like the Sertraline as its listed as a aide effect on Venlafaxine as well, but since I'm off the booze I'm hoping not.
Head feels OK nothing like the weird effect I got from Midspan which felt like I was coming up on acid all the time...and not in a nice way that in between bit were your neither up or down.
Can't say its helping my depression at the moment but I seem pretty stable ( same scores on my weekly tests with the CBT people), knocking back a few blues here and there but not silly amounts and managing work with no more problems than i had before.
So all good at the moment, just hoping it doesn't set off another internal bleed like the Sertraline as its listed as a aide effect on Venlafaxine as well, but since I'm off the booze I'm hoping not.
delphinen
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2007
- Messages
- 991
It's the only antidepressant that worked for me, and I have tried a lot. The side effects at first are some nausea and low appetite, but it goes away in some weeks or a month. Also thanks to the way it is metabolized, I was able to stop taking Tramadol (an opioid drug) and switched to Codeine, which is more "natural". I'm on 75~100mg Venlafaxine with 5mg Diazepam.
One word of advice: if you ever want to stop taking Venlafaxine, never, ever go cold turkey. I tried, and literally almost died. It is worse than benzos withdrawal, and that's saying A LOT.
One word of advice: if you ever want to stop taking Venlafaxine, never, ever go cold turkey. I tried, and literally almost died. It is worse than benzos withdrawal, and that's saying A LOT.
Legerity
Bluelight Crew
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- Jul 29, 2010
- Messages
- 2,965
I'm pretty sure that Effexor has been helpful for myself. At first when I started taking it I didn't think it was really doing anything for me, but when I quit it for a few months I noticed my mood get worse and it was harder to go into work in the morning. When I started taking it again these problems seemed to resolve themselves. Now I think I will be on it until my life situation changes enough that I don't need medication to help with my outlook