coming of venlafaxine
Posted , 1 user is following.
hi i am a 42 years old male only been on venlafaxine for maybe 5 months started on 75 then 150
then upto 225 a day still didnt seem to be helping went to see doc and she said she wants me to now come off venlafaxine so from 225 i have been taking 150 every other day since this i have been getting very bad headaches ans also my eyes has had like a blind spot with these headaches which
in the end goes i also seem to be crying a lot and today i have woken up with the feeling of one side of my head feeling sort of numb and my ears feeling blocked stuffy i am so confused dont know what is going on with me i just want to get off these tablets any help would be very much appreciated
0 likes, 5 replies
bigcheese
Posted
I have been through some of what you are experiencing. I think the most important thing here is to consult your GP before you change anything and particularly with the symptoms you describe. If you don't trust him / her or feel you cannot approach them, consider changing and finding someone you can. I did and it worked for me!
For them, dealing with depression is very common and, being human just like us, they get into a routine and are sometimes unable to see the wood for the trees. I eventually took the bold step of changing GP (bit of trial and error but I dropped lucky) and now feel I have someone who is prepared to think outside the box and I have made good progress.
Next, be aware this drug disappears out of your system quickly, which is why the 75mg is 'controlled release' - i.e. slow to dissolve. The 37.5mg is not, meaning you get a 'hit' shortly after taking it and withdrawal a few hours afterwards. Your body gets a roller coaster ride! When I was on 37.5mg per day, I cut the pills in half (they have the score line for this) and took one half at breakfast and another lunchtime. That worked much better.
After a bit of time on 37.5mg and still struggling to get off it, my new GP took the bold step of prescribing the liquid form of the drug so I could taper it off even more. I say bold because it is not licensed in this country for some obscure reason, so she had to trust me a lot! I measure this out with an oral syringe and mix it with glass of water. After 3 weeks on it, I am down to about 10mg a time, once or twice a day depending on how it's going. That means I have reduced my dose by 50-75% in 3 weeks. I am looking forward to not being on it at all but I'm still having to be patient.
Hope this helps and good luck!
ken72
Posted
The gp I have seen is a locum and she is the one that wants me to come of venlafaxine she seems to think they are doing me no good I feel no different really on them but I didnt realise there was such so many side effects coming of off venlafaxine the headaches are terrible my gp did say I would have withdrawal symptoms like dizzy and shacky I could handle that but wanting to sleep and the crying is not nice
bigcheese
Posted
Sadly, I was likewise put on this drug without a full explanation of what I was letting myself in for. Looking at other posts, many people share varying degrees of withdrawal symptoms and many say it takes a long time. So be prepared to be patient. I'm sure it will be worth it.
I feel compelled to repeat my recommendation that, with such severe symptoms, you should go see a GP ASAP. If possible. try to see the one who advised coming off the drug - that seems much better advice than prescribing it in the first place. Maybe go to your local walk-in centre if you're struggling to get an appointment?
Your post indicates you are taking 150mg every other day? That is giving you a roller-coaster ride - even more reason to see a GP.
Stick with it Ken, all the stories I have read say it's not easy but you will get there. I very nearly have - down to 15mg a day at the mo.
ken72
Posted
My partner doesn't understand why im of 150mg every other day will lokk at going to docs on mon
judy1959
Posted