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Beware of Venlafaxine - the evil drug

Posted , 10 users are following.

amy96363
amy96363

rI was a happy, determined, fit woman full of ambition but ran into a bad marriage and had one serious panic attack (I was a sceptic about panic attacks before it happened to me).  My GP put me on Venlafaxine.  Thereon my personality changed....suicidal thoughts, no drive, weight gain by 2.5 stone! Lethargy to the point that keeping fit was a chore for a girl who would run everyday and feel joy for life.  I hate my GP for putting me on this vile drug.  It has taken over my life.  I forgot to take it two days ago and just  decided that was it.  I want my life back.  Today I woke wanting to end my life....truly to just end it...hang myself or take a load of tablets.  Thankfully a friend saved me but what kind of grip has this evil drug gotten on me.  I understand I was not on a high dose (75mg once per day) and that what I am now experiencing is withdrawal.  This drug should come with a health warning as it will certainly change your personality, your life.  I will never take it again.  I want my old self back.  Please consider the above if you are about to take it as I hear nothing good about it and yet the doctors just dish it out to get you out their door.  Would my doctor care if I had ended my life today? No.  But he was happy to give me the drug which gave me those thoughts.  Totally irresponsible drug companies and doctors give this out because the truth is they do not know what the alternative is. 

0 likes, 37 replies

37 Replies

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  • Daisydimple
    Daisydimple amy96363

    Posted

    I am truly sorry you are going through so much pain right now. I too am desperate to come off the evil drug. I have put on 2 stone and feel fat and hideous. Every time I try to come off it I have the most terrible withdrawal symptoms and the weight gain is making me feel depressed again.
  • michael_37726
    michael_37726 amy96363

    Posted

    Hi 

    I totally agree with you it has ruined my

    Life to. I was on 275mg and ended like a hopless zombie. I am trying to taper off at the moment been doing it over the last 9 weeks it's really hard been dizzy had brain zaps been sick and so tired. It's getting better now though I'm down to 50mg a day, this drug is evil and destroys people in America there are 100s of law suits against the drug company's through the massive amount of research I have done I have found out that th drug company tampered with the test results on venal screw your life up faxine so as they could get it passed by the FDA also the GPs get get funding from these company's so it is in there interest to give them to patients. It's bloody discusting that they can get away with this I have meet heard a good thing about this horrable drug

  • michael_37726
    michael_37726 amy96363

    Posted

    I ment to say I have not heard a good thing about this drug 
    • Daisydimple
      Daisydimple michael_37726

      Posted

      I'm on 37.5mg now but as soon as I stop taking them, I have brain zaps and headaches and feel sick and incredibly panicky. I just want to lose the weight so much 
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 Daisydimple

      Posted

      Have you tryed taking Benadryl the hay fever  drug I looked on the US venalfaxin forum and there was a lot of talk about it helping with withdrawal symptoms. I thought I would give it a go two weeks ago and it does work to my amazement. I don't have a problem with weight as I'm a painter and decorator do am up and down ladders every day do I think that helps as it's like doing a work out on a daily bases 
    • jpm
      jpm Daisydimple

      Posted

      Daisy, Don't try to come of it suddenly!  Take it slowly.  Those feelings are withdrawal symptoms. Take it slowly coming off it. Don't worry about the weight. That will sort itself out in good time.  And worrying about that aspect won't help the depression.  Each week take a LITTLE less of the 37.5 Mg and this gives time for your brain to compensate. best wishes, john
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Michael, I thought benedryl was the same as nytol. It makes you sleep. and loses it's potency quite soon therefore to get the same effect you have to take more and before you know it You are hooked. and NOT sleeping.

       If you need to sleep properly it would be better to take melatonin. Split a 1Mg tablet into quarters. The less the better in this case. Cheers, john

    • Daisydimple
      Daisydimple jpm

      Posted

      Thank you jpm-so should I take the tablet every other day or cut it in half and take it daily? My doctor said to just stop!! Great advice from her! :-(
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      Yes it can make you sleepy but I find that when I'm busy working I don't feel tired its just at the weekends when I'm doing nothing I feel tired. I ran out if them 2 days ago anyway and feel fine so won't bother with them anymore but I'm sure they did help me get over the worst
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 Daisydimple

      Posted

      My doc said stop after a week what a bloody joke. I have lost my faith in doctors to be honest he didn't agree ith me when I said I wanted off the meds as my docs have told me I need them and must stay on them. When I first went on them 30 years ago I think I did need them then but only stayed on them because the docs convinced me that I needed also I have tryed to come of many times over the years and felt ill so I was convinced I needed them but I now know that I wasn't becoming ill again I was going through withdrawals and never stayed of them long enough to see how I would be withought them
    • jpm
      jpm Daisydimple

      Posted

      Daisy, Most  doctors  don't have a clue. They have a book of all medicines and they look up the benefits and just hand out to pills trhey don't atke any accopunt of the side effects or wothdrawal effects because they are not in the book ( courtesy of the Drug companies) The drug companies don't want people to know of the considerable p[ain people have to go through to get off these AD's. They don't want people to come off them. They would lose money then. 

      Michael 37726 knows what withdrawal is like and i am sure he will agree 

      with what I have said. Your doctor like mine hasn't got a clue. You can not not just stop an AD.  Sorry to tell you that ven IS the worst AD to come off. However, the way I have done it and I am on the last tiny crumb now.If you take it every other day (As my doctor recommended to me also). the day in between will be hell for you.  Cut it in half ( or bite it in half) . Take a half in the morning and half at supper , if you don't sleep very well ( a side effect of this AD) take the second half with food at teatime. Basically, you want them about 10-12 hours apart. And always take them with food!

      Each week take a little bit less of each half. Your brain has to adjust to the slow discontinuation. If you try to hurry it you will lose and will suffer. Slowly but surely the different side effects will diminish and change, depending on what side effects you have been getting. This is not easy but it is better than staying on them and allowing your brain to need them. Then it WILL be hell! Believe me. God bless, john

       

    • Daisydimple
      Daisydimple jpm

      Posted

      Thank you so much jpm. I truly appreciate your support xx
    • patricia85842
      patricia85842 michael_37726

      Posted

      Michael I thought this was the wonder drug.  \i was on 75 mg for ten years and never had any side effects.  Sometimes I would come off it but after a while the depression came back so I would go back on it.  I can honestly say I never had withdrawal side effects.

      However two years ago they stopped working..The GP tried Sertraline and Mirtazapine.  Now she has put me on Venlafaxine again and I am up to 225 mg.  It's doing nothing for me and I feek awful no energy no will to do anything only wanting too sleep all the time.  I am seeing the GP tomorrow and I am going to ask her can I stop them.

  • michael_37726
    michael_37726 amy96363

    Posted

    Sorry about my typos I'm very tired at the moment
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 Daisydimple

      Posted

      When you get off venalfaxine see how you feel and if you can Cope then don't go on another ad in my experience they cause more harm than good . When you have you energy and motivation back try things like exercise, healthy eating and supplements, vitamin B12 is good for depression s is omega 3 fish oil . There is also 5htp you can get it from health food shops it's a natural supplement for raising seratonin levels. And none of these things have any side effects 
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Michael, How did you manage to come off after 30 years of it?

      I have heard of this 5HTP but can you take it with a very small crumb of Ven? Does it not clash with Ven?

      Strange you should mention B12 and omega 3. I have had my daily dose just  couple of hours ago!

      How long were you taking benedryl for and how the heck are you managing to sleep now?

      Cheers, john

    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      I managed to come of because I was so fed up with how I felt on them meds and I just wanted my life back it was sheer will power I think. I have very strong will power I think as I have overcome alcoholism and smoking 40 a day. Also I have the most beautiful loving caring girlfriend and I didn't want to be a burden to her and end up losing her she is my life withought her I would have blown my head off after what I have been through. As for 5 htp it's not good to take it while still on ad's. my sleep it not a problem as I have a physical job 
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Hi Mike. I am puzzled. are you off ven? as you said earlier that you were tapering down and you were still on 50 Mg. Gosh coming off alcohol and fags must have taken a lot of willpower. Have you actually tried 5HTP yet?
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      I'm still on 50 mg but plan to cut that in half from Monday and see how it goes. I haven't tryed 5htp yet but have read a lot about it and from what I have learned it seems very good so got to be worth a try I think
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Hi Michael, I hope you will be ok dropping to 25Mg ( I didn't realise you could get them in that dose. I thought they only came in 37.5 and 75mg).

      I will get some 5HTP and see what they do. The trouble with this OTC stuff is: you can't be sure that you're getting the real stuff  or just some 'placebo' or rubbish. And i believe there are a lot of crap merchants selling stuff on Amazon and Ebay conning people.

    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      Hi

      Yes your right they do come in37.5 but I have been chopping them down to to what I think is 50 mg by getting two 37.5 and cutting one to what I think is about 10mg or so

    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Hi Mike, Yes, i did the same. Now I am on a just a crumb twice a day. I have been looking at the true facts about this AD. It appears that even after you managed to stop it can hit you again later ( protracted withdrawal the professionals call it)   This effect was not mentioned in the manufacturers trial reports and this is why they are being sued in the USA for deliberately witholding facts which would mean that it would probably never have been passed by the FDA. Interesting but extremely painful for those who are stuck on it!!
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Hi, I am still interested in your taking of benedryl to stave of side effects. Can you give me some more info please, Mike.     How much benedryl were you taking and for how long. Can you remember what dose of ven you were on then?
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      I have been taking 10mg 3 times a day as that's what people advised to take in the US forum. I was on 275 mg of ven
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      Sorry I meant to say 10mg 3 times a day of Benadryl 
    • michael_37726
      michael_37726 jpm

      Posted

      I took them for two weeks and ran out on Friday I didn't get anymore and I feel ok 
    • jpm
      jpm michael_37726

      Posted

      Mike, Which kind of benedryl did you take ? Sounds like a daft question but there are three Benedryls with different ingredients, Acrivastine,cetirizine and diphenhydramine. The last one is the one that is used in Nytol. So I presume it wasn't that one!   So it helped with cutting down symptoms.

      Hope it goes well for you tomorrow . Cheers john

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