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I want to increase my venlafaxine......

Posted , 4 users are following.

rachel45251
rachel45251

I have been taking this since the end of february having tried other AD before and them either interacting with medication I HAVE to take or just stopped working. I am currently on 150mcg but feel it needs to increase but not seeing the psychiatrist til June...I really dont feel I can wait that long and appts take a while to come through. should I just increase by one tablet anyway? There are plenty of horror stories about this medication but I do feel this one is actually starting to work.

What do people think?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

1 like, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • lorraine52317
    lorraine52317 rachel45251

    Posted

    Hi Rachel

    if you are in the UK your doc can contact your psychiatrist. My psychiatrist has given my gp authorisation to increase if necessary. Try that avenue ♥

    Wishing you better ♥

  • sharon12462
    sharon12462 rachel45251

    Posted

    Hia just go to your gp it will be fine for him to increase ..my pdr & Dr work together with this iv noticed because the wait for your nx app can be 6 months. .
  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann rachel45251

    Posted

    If you can't get hold of your doctor to see you sooner i would be a little wary of increasing just yet. 150 is a solid therapeutic dose for most cases - though it really depends on what you are taking it for etc. but in my experience with effexor it is a very gradual process. Major Improvements may take several months and you may only be able to see them in retrospect. I have taken it for 12 years for severe GAD. I weaned off in the final two years and have been symptom free for over 3 years now. It is an excellent drug. I despize the horror stories i read about it. Venlafaxine is hard to stomach going on it and can be rough going off it but all in all, it does what it is supposed to do. Just takes time and patience. All the best.
    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Hi purple

      that's a really interesting response and very helpful. I have been on ven 75mg for two weeks. It was added to the mirtazipine i was already taking. The first three days i noticed a huge benefit but then i went back to finding mornings difficult and anxiety if i go out. From your experience do you think i should give the 75 more time? I take 15 my mirtazipine too. Or is the 150 the way to go?

      Appreciate your views ♥

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann lorraine52317

      Posted

      Hi Lorraine. It is anyone's guess how ven or any other drug will affect each unique individual and what doses will give required results. This becomes even more tricky when combining drugs. I have not mixed ven with anything other than xanax and then only in the first 2 months until we established a solid dosage of ven. In my opinion, and i could be wrong, i would say that the improvement noted in the first three days was more likely placebo. The high you get when you hope the new drug will make you feel better. I would say that you can't know until at least 4 weeks elapse at 75mg. And even then, my psychiatrist would only up by 37.5 mg at a time to watch for my responses and to ease the adjustment disturbances, which with ven can be many including initial worsening of symptoms. Coincidentally i was bad at mornings as well and it took a few months until i was breathing easy in the mornings and able to go out without feeling panic smile I would wait a little longer. Especially because you are mixing with mitrazipine. Having said that, i was initially on 75mg for a long time and while it certainly took the edge off, indeed the real improvements came after starting 150. 4-6 weeks after reaching 150 to be precise. Hope this helps.
    • lorraine52317
      lorraine52317 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your response purple ♥

      It honestly helps a lot and I will certainly follow your advice. I hope you are well and your journey is a smooth one :-)

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann rachel45251

    Posted

    If you do still plan an increase without your psychiatrists evaluation please do not up by anything more than 37.5 mg...friendly advice. smile i hope that is what you mean by one tablet and not a tab of 75 or worse 150mg smile
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