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Concentration - non existent!

Posted , 6 users are following.

emmalou80
emmalou80

I wonder if anyone can help.  I have been taking Venlafaxine for a while now, currently 150mg.  I can honestly say I have had a great experience on Venlafaxine so far, however.  I have started to feel a lot better mentally within myself I've got rid of a lot of stress from my life and have felt better than I have done in a long time.  The flipside of this is I'm now very aware of how my Venlafaxine is making me feel when I take it, all of a sudden I'm noticing when I take it I feel like I've had a caffiene fuelled drink and I really struggle to concentrate.  I've never had this previously, gut instinct I think I should be looking at speaking to my doctor to reduce my medication but I wondered if anyone else has experienced this?

em x

1 like, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • elaine92718
    elaine92718 emmalou80

    Posted

    Yes. Your body is used to you taking this medication at approximately the same time. How long have you been on it for? I'm currently withdrawing now from 150mg. My first 75mg today 😁
    • emmalou80
      emmalou80 elaine92718

      Posted

      Hi Elaine 

      Thanks for responding.  I have been on it for almost 2years, I was on 225mg but it felt too much for me so it was reduced, I felt really giddy and not like myself at all, I was lucky by all accounts, I had no withdrawal effect going back to 150mg I felt great again!  I've been on the 150mg for since January.  I'm pretty good at taking my medication at the same time every day as I had read this can leave you feeling rotten.  I definitely want to start reducing as I feel like my body is telling me it's ready.  How long have you been on Venlafaxine?  Have you experience this?  I hope your reduction goes well.  em x

    • elaine92718
      elaine92718 emmalou80

      Posted

      Hi. Been on them 15 years. I do feel this is way too long to take them. Hope the withdrawal process isn't awful. Gone from 150. Now on 75mg. Fingers crossed x
  • Guest
    Guest emmalou80

    Posted

    Yes, but for me the illness also causes anxiety at the same time of day so it could be that.  You could consider changing to controlled release to smooth out the peak in dose. If you've not been on the drug for very long your body will get used to the peaks and troughs.
    • emmalou80
      emmalou80 Guest

      Posted

      I'm on the modified release?  It's only recently I've noticed how it effects me.  Thank you for responding to me, I'm glad there are other people out there who know about Venlafaxine.  I don't know of anyone else who has been prescribed it.
  • kaye83979
    kaye83979 emmalou80

    Posted

    Hi, I've been taking Ven for 20 years and I'm slowly coming off at the moment! I did not realise until recently how much they have changed me! Basically I've lost my personality, I no longer laugh or cry! All my problems I have are the side effects of Ven ! I lost my only sibling in November suddenly, and I still have not been able to shed a tear! That's when I realised what this drug has done to me! Yes you are right, I cannot concentrate either, not enough to read a book! Also I have piled on 60 lb which I cannot lose however much I try! So that's when I decided enough is enough I'm coming off! 

    What ever you decide, good luck and I'm here if you want to ask anything else! 

    • emmalou80
      emmalou80 kaye83979

      Posted

      Hi 

      Thanks for responding Kaye, I'm sorry for your loss.

      I'm so glad to hear I'm not alone!  I haven't cried over anything in ages, I seem to have lost the ability! Good luck and I will keep in touch. x

    • emmalou80
      emmalou80

      Posted

      Hi Kaye

      How are you keeping?  Since I last post I have reduced my Venlafaxine down to 112.5mg.  Today I'm only going to take 75mg, I'm not sure how things will go but the decrease to 112.5mg was ok.  Not as bad as expected, I've been taking OMEGA oils and extra supplements other than tiredness (I suffer with two other illnesses so I'm blaming them!) I feel ok.

      I hope you're well x

    • elaine92718
      elaine92718 emmalou80

      Posted

      Hi. Glad your Withdrawel is going well. It's my first day today without Venlafaxine. Been halving the 37.5 for 3 weeks. So today's the day. I can honestly say been ok up to now. Noticed brain zaps a lot more but I'm sure they'll go in time. Best of luck x
  • Guest
    Guest emmalou80

    Posted

    I've been taking venlafaxine for 19.5 years. It saved my life. I decreased to zero over a great many years and was fine for 12 weeks, and then the depression came back  badly so I've had to restart in the last couple of months and am now up to 225mg. I have found that venlafaxine makes the depression go away and  gives me the emotions and life of a 'normal' person, it has also not affected my weight - other medications that didn't suit me certainly did. Some people don't cry after a major loss even though they are upset - my mum is like this and has never had a mental illness and she is not trying to repress her emotions. She feels bad because she doesn't cry except when frustrated. I am the opposite even on doses of venlafaxine up to 375mg. The great thing is that on venlafaxine when I'm upset the feelings go away after crying.
    • elaine92718
      elaine92718 Guest

      Posted

      I think your amazing actually recognising that you need this medication to continue your day to day life.

      I'm withdrawing at the moment. Currently on 75mg. However, if I had to increase again then it wouldn't bother me. Depression is an awful illness. I'd rather take regular meds than suffer. Best of luck x

  • emmalou80
    emmalou80

    Posted

    Small victory for me!  I'm down to 75mg smile 

    It's taken seven months to get here, I couldn't imagine doing this any faster!  Hope everyone else is well x

    • angela65121
      angela65121 emmalou80

      Posted

      Hi Emmalou, how did u find gtg down to 75mg side effect wise? Im also on 75mg, i have stopped reducing at the moment as im letting myself settle into using hrt patches at the moment!!

      I was on 112.5mg then my dr updosed me to 150mg due to feeling low (didnt feel like my 'normal' depression!) and crying a lot. Actually turned out to be that im going thru the menopause (which i had suspected myself). Anyway i found 150mg woeful, i stuck it out for 6 wks hoping i would even out on it but the side effects were horrendous-crying all the time, really low, suicial thoughts so i dropped down again to 112 5mg with same side effects. I went thru 2 1/2 months of hell. I know 37.5mg is too big a drop but i had to get off 150!!

      Then another drop to 75mg, side effects were still bad but no suidial thoughts thank goodness-they were very unwelcome and very disturbing!! (I dont want to be dead!!).

      So sitting at 75mg now not sure when i will reduce again? How much are u doing ur reductions by?

      Sorry for the story!!, good to say it to someone who is doing the same thing.

      Best wishes

      Angela, x.

    • emmalou80
      emmalou80 angela65121

      Posted

      Hi Angela,

      Aaaahhhh the menopause! I hope you're ok.  I've been medically placed into the menopause twice now as I have another condition x

      In respect of reducing, I honestly feel great.  I feel like I've 'woke up' from some kind of weird state from the last few years.  I had one blip where I was angry/agressive/emotional/anxious and my OCD was horrific (I'm lucky I've only ever had dark thoughts once or twice, I'm more anxious) however I should say my Mum was undergoing very invasive treatment for cancer, I was having problems with my inlaws so I think there was a lot of circumstantial reasons for it.

      I have been taking one of the tablets out of the 37.5mg capsule (I asked the doctor to prescribe these as I choked on the others previously! every cloud eh!) every month to six weeks if I feel ok.  The whole time I have been reducing I have been ensuring I get out with my dog daily, if I don't I feel a bit iffy.  I have tried to make sure I'm keeping positive people round me and I've been taking OMEGA 3 and a high strenght vitamin.  The last two weeks I have struggled with concentration, however I'm putting that down to a heavy cold.

      I dip in and out of this forum, it's good to speak with others who are in a similar position.  If I were you, I'd be kind to yourself.  Your going through the menopause, it sucks!  The HRT will help but why not just stay settled at 75mg? Just for a wee while.   We don't want to be here on this medication BUT, don't put anymore stress on yourself for a few weeks.  My next reduction is going to be around about the 19th of April but only if I feel good smile  I think the key for me having a smooth ride (so far!) is for the first time in my life just realising this is a slow process and it's not going to be super quick.  I hope none of this sounds patronising!

      Speak soon and be kind to yourself, you're awesome smile x

    • angela65121
      angela65121 emmalou80

      Posted

      Hi Emmalou

      Thanks for your reply, doesnt sound patronising at all. You are doing fantastically well in your reductions, you must be so pleased. Im gng to sound a bit stupid here!, lol, i am on immediate release tablets, so are you taking beads from a 37.5 mg capsule and counting them to reduce? I also take Omega 3, vitamin b complex and vitamin d3 as id read s"where that they all help a bit when reducing off ven.

      I had wanted to do the 10% taper but im on tblts with the lowest mg dose of 37.5 so i have bought a pill cutter to do smaller reductions. Im not in a rush to cut again, im enjoying feeling better (mentally) at the moment and dont want to upset that by reducing again! Still hvg lots of hot flushes and nite sweats, the joys women have to deal with eh!!!, lol.

      Im sure it will keep going well for you, take care, x

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