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changing from sertraline to venlafaxine

Posted , 6 users are following.

julie12843
julie12843

Saw Doc today and wants me to change meds to venlafaxine, has anybody got any positives on this med because iI am so anxious about taking them

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lesley99443
    lesley99443 julie12843

    Posted

    hey julie have a look on the venlafaxine discussion groups lots of people get on with them fine...ive just started or i would give you some constructive advice..good luck
  • sarah20344
    sarah20344 julie12843

    Posted

    Worked really well for years no side affects was just left on too long everyone responds diff and they r known to b v effective
  • ian25191
    ian25191 julie12843

    Posted

    Hi.

    Effective for me to correct my illness with no problems at all for the first 2 years. However the side effects begun to kick in after, most noticably excessive weight gain.( 4 stone).

    I have recently learnt my physciatrist recommended 2 years only for me, i was on 225mg. Now almost 5 years on i have been gently weaning my self off to the point of 15mg aday but am finding it impossible to get off completely. The withdrawal symptoms are indescribable even if i miss 1 day.

    This is a powerful drug and in my opinion should only be prescribed as a very last resort after all other has failed. Given my time again i would not take it but we are all different so it may well by ok for you.

    Best wishes and good luck with it.

    Ian

  • KatyClarkey
    KatyClarkey julie12843

    Posted

    Please DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!!!! The worst decision I've ever made switching from

    Sertraline to Venlafaxine! Please please be careful, I'm on my 6 month of withdrawing from this awful Venlafaxine sad xx

    • lesley99443
      lesley99443 KatyClarkey

      Posted

      Katy do u think that ven are bad then....ive been on them for a couple months and not liking them already......was tried on that awful mert stuff too ...was hoping the ven would work but doubting it now!!!
    • KatyClarkey
      KatyClarkey lesley99443

      Posted

      Personally I've never been so ill, I've thought on many occasions of just ending it all and its all because of these horrid tablets! I'm currently in the process of Prozac bridging; since giving up I feel better and can see life is actually good and worth living / fighting for, Venlafaxine made me an a 2 stone heavier poor excuse of a life, I existed on this medication I didn't live! I hate my GP for putting me on this stuff, I had very mild anxiety and Venlafaxine turned me in too an absolute nutty fruit loop xx
    • lesley99443
      lesley99443 KatyClarkey

      Posted

      I agree katy not impressed with my gp either..never felt like this in my life........its deffo not living thats for sure..think i am going to throw them in the bin right now!!!
  • Guest
    Guest julie12843

    Posted

    Venlafaxine saved my life and continues to do so after nearly 20 years. I tried everything over a period of 10 years, including unorthodox combinations under a psychiatrists care,  that existed back then and this is the only one that worked. It was a new drug at the time and the psychiatrists were seeing very ill patients, including me, recover completely. I came off it a few months ago to see if I still needed them and the depression came back - hence why I started posting here. This drug doesn't agree with everyone, but none do. There was a thread a few months ago called something like "venlafaxine - the positives" - which is helpful. I'm back on venlafaxine and feeling well again. I've lived a normal good life, which would not have happened without this medicine.
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