1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Venlafaxine

Fed up of how 'dead' and unmotivated I feel?

Posted , 3 users are following.

jenny99721
jenny99721

I have been on Ven for 13months and life has changed dramatically since then. I seem to have gone into a 'nothing space ' and my life has narrowed dramatically. They helped initially with the symptoms of depression but now I appear to have no motivation for anything. Three stone later and with a bog loss of self esteem I want to come off them. I now wake up in the morning and when I say I can,t be bothered I really mean it and usually do very little. Before starating on Ven I would have the same thoughts but could with a bit of self talk do stuff and manage most day to day responsibilities. I have in a year become a kind of willing/unwilling? invalid? There is such a difference of opinion about how to come off this medication and I feel quite torn. I just cannot imagine my personality type being able to decrease slowlly and count beads etc etc but also worried about consequences of the alternative- any thoughts would be useful, thanks Jen

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • betsy0603
    betsy0603 jenny99721

    Posted

    It was ugly and incuenny, you have come to the downside of taking this and other ads chronically. I have lived through the consequences of tapering this drug too fast, especially since I had been on it for 12 years. It was ugly and included suicidal ideation and levels of anxiety, depression and insomnia like I had never experienced before. After 10 months I reinstated. I am now doing the 10% taper.

    Faster tapers fail all the time, ending with relapse which is actually withdrawal, and reinstatement. If you don't want that to be you, then you are going to have to be willing to take those painstaking steps to come off successfully. This is serious stuff!

  • jeannine41171
    jeannine41171 jenny99721

    Posted

    Jenny, Is it your intention to stop using antidepressants? Tapering off one med and slowly beginning another helps considerably with recurrent depression. I am currently dropping off Venlafaxine and on 50 mgs of Pristiq. I am at the last step before dropping completely off. The process has been dropping from 225 mgs to 150 mgs in one week then dropping 75 mgs each week until now. I am at 37.5 then next week I will drop off. The withdrawal period has not been to bad. Some nausea, flushing and sleepy. I hope you will take with your doctor about how this medication is making you feel and possibly try another. I wish you the best and know that this is hope. Be well.

     

  • angela65121
    angela65121 jenny99721

    Posted

    Hi jenny

    I am currently reducing venlafaxine due to feeling numb/no feelings so i know what you mean. I was on 112.5mg of immediate release tablets and dropped to 75mg as advised by my doctor. I was fine for 2 days then the wothdrawal hit. Severe headache, nausea, lighthead, feeling 'fuzzy', mood swings, wierd dreams, low mood. My mood continued to drop so i updosed by 18.75mg to see if it would help. What a horrendous day i had, suffered all of the above plus suicidial thoughts and uncontrollable crying!!! Next day i dropped back to 75mg again as i couldnt face going thru that again. I am on day 5 of being back to 75mg and hoping i will even out at that eventually.

    When i do any further cuts it will be by the 10% method to reduce symptoms. I wouldnt advice trying to come off quickly at all due to the withdrawal effects.

    This is just my own personal experience and feelings. Hope you come to the right decision for yourself and wish you all the best.

    Angela

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.