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Increase yesterday of venlafaxine to 225mg help

Posted , 4 users are following.

Dawn1208
Dawn1208

Hi I have been on venlafaxine since July and had been feeling ok on 150 mg until 3 weeks ago when I started to notice my anxiety symptoms reappearing and the tiredness all the time. Went to the gp yesterday and she has increased me to 225mg. I feel like I have adrenaline running through my body and my arms and shoulders ache. Will this get any better please looking for advice as I've been like this for a year now and was on citalopram before this.

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • elaine92718
    elaine92718 Dawn1208

    Posted

    It will stop. It's your body adjusting to a higher dose. I remember the aching and I had slight nausea. Hope it settles soon for you x
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 elaine92718

      Posted

      Thank you for replying feel like I'm going out of my mind sometimes it's reassuring to know it will hopefully pass.xx
    • elaine92718
      elaine92718 Dawn1208

      Posted

      It will pass. Just crap feeling this way. I'm on the opposite side off the scale. Day 4 without veneflaxine. 😢😔😢
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 elaine92718

      Posted

      Hope you feel better soon. I was on cotalopram for 7 years then came off a year past in May and was really unwell by the October again. Went back on citalopram and it didn't work so changed to venlafaxine in July this year so I have my fingers crossed that this is going to work for me.xx
  • angeltarot
    angeltarot Dawn1208

    Posted

    Hello Dawn1208, 

    Almost 3 weeks ago i went from 75mg twice daily of Venlafaxine to 75mg morning and 150mg at night, taking me up to a total of 225mg a day. I must say i have been feeling so tired. I find it hard to go to sleep at night. I have also been finding that i get a lot of pain down my right arm and my upper arm starts to twitch. I absolutely hate this medication. I was origianlly on Citalopram 60mg but was taken off of it because the GP told me it could cause heart problem, when they decresed the Citalopram my depression came back with a vengence, hence why i was put on Venlafaxine. I have two young children, my youngest being One years old, and it is hard sometimes to stay awake during the day. I am hoping the tiredness will pass very soon. Hope it works out okay for you too. 

    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 angeltarot

      Posted

      Hi I was on cotalopram for 7 years also at 20/30mg I felt better in May last year and came off it. By October I was once again very ill they put me on citalopram increasing it up to 30 mg but it would work for a few weeks after increase then I was back to square one again they introduced pregablin also which I still take with the venlafaxine the last few nights I have slept great but have weird dreams. I have 2 kids also I try to hide it from my oldest who's 11 and struggle on by with my 3 year old I wouldn't wish any of this on my worst enemy it's so debilitating and I find people who haven't experienced it first hand don't understand what it's like just getting through a hour never mind a day. Keep in touch and let me know how you are getting on.xx
    • angeltarot
      angeltarot Dawn1208

      Posted

      I will certainly stay in touch, and let you know how i am getting on. I see the psychiatrist again next month, i will see what he has to say as it was him that increased my dosage. 
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 angeltarot

      Posted

      Hi how you feeling today? I am shaking like a leaf and sweating was ok this morning but since getting in from work I've felt spaced out a bit and I feel like I'm having hot flushes surely not I'm only 35 lol. Xx
    • angeltarot
      angeltarot Dawn1208

      Posted

      Hi, tired again today. Dropped my eldest to school this morning, came home had something to eat then took a nap with my youngest. Had the twitching in my arm again today. I can also relate to the hot flushes, i only have to walk around the corner and i am sweating like a pig. At night i still have to have a fan on. I am 40 so i totally relate, and was recently questioning whether or not i was going through the change. But again i think its the medication. It's just not right is it. My mood is certainly better as i have not been feeling down during the day like i used to before the increase. But i do not like the side effects. The first week i had the increase my stomach was all over the place. I must say though the only good thing is that my appetite has gone down some since the increase, so that's a good thing for me. Lol. Keep in touch, hopefully we will start feeling better soon, but i doubt it because the sweats, and aching arm was already there before the increase, its only the twitching and sleepiness since the increase. I just don't like having to rely on these horrible tablets. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing tomorrow. x
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 angeltarot

      Posted

      Hi was wondering how you are feeling now? I am so tired I have been sleeping from 8 at night and still struggle to get up in the morning this morning I cried for over an hour and I don't know why I feel so flat and anxious and my thoughts are running riot again I just want to be me again.xx
    • angeltarot
      angeltarot Dawn1208

      Posted

      Coming to the end of last week my mood was all over the place, my sleep is still a bit weird. Since going up in dose also my bowles have been playing up. I didn't put it down to the tablets, but all weekend i have had such a bad stomach and back ache, all on the lower left side, it's been driving me mad. I am going to look up whether this can also be a side effect, i still get the twiching in my right arm. I don't know what is going on, i just don't know how i am going to be from one day to the next. I am seeing the psychiatrist next week so i will certainly be discussing everything with him. I know what you mean by wanting to be yourself again. I have not been me for years now and some days i find it extremely hard. We just have to keep pushing forwards. Keep me updated, and good luck with the next few days agin. Nova. xx
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 angeltarot

      Posted

      Hi was wondering how you are doing I'm now 3 weeks into increase was doing ok then yesterday BAM worst anxiety ever I have chest pains sweating feel very overwhelmed with everything I feel shaky and sick and my head feels almost numb I swear yesterday I thought I was carrying bricks in my head. I feel at a dead end and when I saw the psychiatrist not my own he wanted to increase the venlafaxine or add another antidepressant Help please advice needed!!!!!
  • natalie_35027
    natalie_35027 Dawn1208

    Posted

    My doctor told me it would do more harm than good increasing the dose aswell as making it even harder to withdraw from. So now I'm currently reducing the venlafaxine (which had stopped working for me after 4 years) and my gp is going to introduce 5mg escitalopram to try help ease the withdrawal from the venlafaxine. But I suppose everyone is different and I wish u luck x
    • Dawn1208
      Dawn1208 natalie_35027

      Posted

      Thank you. I'm just hoping it will work I spoke to a pharmacist friend who told me that up to 150mg it's the serotonin level that is effected and from 225mg it effects the serotonin level and the norepinephrine levels which is why most gps don't prescribe the higher dose unless you have seen a mental health consultant. so I'm hoping she could be right and this will pass. I hope you find something that helps you soon.xx
    • natalie_35027
      natalie_35027 Dawn1208

      Posted

      Maybe it'll take a couple of weeks then for the increase to take effect I hope it works for you! Yes I hope i find something soon it's horrid going through this especially when you have young children to look after. I just want to feel normal and happy again x
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