Coming off venlafaxine
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've found the forums on here to be very useful and people supportive.
However one gripe I've always had and not been shy to post comments on it, is the fear factor that people here use against certain drugs, and coming off them or side effects.
I've already posted my feelings on some other medicines. But at the moment I'm coming off venlafaxine. Unfortunately not because I'm better, but that's a different story.
Now in case anyone feels I'm not qualified to comment. I've been on huge dosage for a long time. Several years.
Anyway, i wanted to post this for several reasons. For those potentially going onto this drug, for those thinking is stopping, they are the main reasons.
So to cut a longer story short I've recently made another jump downwards from 112mg to 75mg. After a number of days, i think i have withdrawal symptoms. Now i could be wrong and they could be unrelated. But at worst, they are pretty minor. I have the classic had shocks. But not much. They are minor. I've a headache and feel abit sick.
But these are not bad at all. I can continue to work and my belief is they will get better day by day.
To put in perspective, a cold or flu would be a hundred times worse than what I'm feeling.
So again, i want to emphasise that alot of comments on here can be misleading and scare mongering. Something like this done right can and will work.
Oh - and yes I've to had the stupid times, twice, where i gave up hope and stopped cold Turkey. And both times nearly ended up in hospital with the severest withdrawals ever so i know definitely what I'm talking about now.
Ted.
0 likes, 14 replies
wayne1962 ted46777
Posted
wayne1962
Posted
ted46777 wayne1962
Posted
Fully accept that point thanks Wayne.
But my point is, there is too much scare mongering on this site and i want to show the other side of it. Particularly for people who might be just diagnosed and looking to be put on a medication.
If id listened to some stories here i would never have agreed to be put on another type of medicine for something unrelated to depression, but in fact, I've gained so much, and gotten control of my life. I'm not going to go into that medication cos it's not the right place.
Ted.
phyllis11904 ted46777
Posted
I take 15 mg mirtazapine and 300 mg venlafaxine, and have since July 2015. These meds saved my life. I'm happier than I've been in years. I read aloof the horror stories too, and just smiled and was grateful that my experience has been so positive. I fully agree with you Ted. Some people don't do well with some medications, but that does not necessarily mean the med won't be effective for someone else and that tapering off, when and if necessary, has to be horrendous.
laurie82758 phyllis11904
Posted
My first few years of Venlafaxine were great. But I just kept taking the pills for over ten years. No monitoring from my Health Centre. After 10 years, I had problems peeing. I would set off to do a job and not know where I was going. I then had constant suicidal thoughts.
So... Phyllis. Make sure your doctor monitors the drug. And you keep an eye on yourself.
Trouble with depression is that we often think we deserve it.
We don't!
phyllis11904 laurie82758
Posted
laurie82758 ted46777
Posted
There may be scaremongering but there are also very good reasons why someone should monitor any new prescribed drug. I was on Venlafaxine for ten years without a review. So..... Take the meds but be very aware of possible side effects. They do exist and I'm not here to scaremonger.
Th only person who can actually monitor your condition is you.
I went from happy with the meds to suicidal and demented because nobody bothered to check my condition.
It was coincidental that my big Brother went down with chronic dementure. He went from OK and running around the Continent, fishing and hopping around with his fellow Masons to dead in 4 years. I didn't think the memory loss was due to the drug, but that I may have Dementure. It may be that the medics find something that works and then just leave you on it.
Scare mongering? Or could it be a path through a mine field?
Just remember, Mental Health is lower in the pecking order of things than anything else.
Take a look outside most British Hospitals and you'll see people on drips hanging around outside smoking with smoking related diseases.
Depression isn't a lifestyle choice.
laurie82758 ted46777
Posted
Brain Zaps were the worst thing coming off Venlafaxine. You may find your memory takes time to improve. If you haven't had Brain Zaps, then you're lucky. I took a month to come of Venlafaxine and onto Sertraline and Lithium.
karen30791 ted46777
Posted
Came off Venaflaxine myself recently no withdrawal I did it all myself ,no doctors advice and I totally agree with you should not read the scare mongers side. I feel fantastic after 10 year's of different anti depressants and loads of big black holes while still on meds I totally feel like the old me ,female,47,2 kids,ex husband and new partner and drug free. Great.
ted46777 karen30791
Posted
Thanks for the replies. I know there are probably other threads going on here with the exact opposite opinion.
Im still continuing my journey to no venlafaxine. I've not experiencing anything i cannot manage. Maybe the odd difficulty with things but not the dreaded brain zaps. I've had those before when i changed dosage and when i stupidly stopped cold Turkey. But no, not getting them now.
Not sure what the future holds but i can safely say i have started, used it for a long time, and now almost off venlafaxine with zero unwanted effects.
laurie82758 ted46777
Posted
I've been on 800 mg of Priadel, 150mm Sertraline and don't know what of Mirtazopene for three years. They seem to have kept me in a totally depressed state. I'm sick of being a Zombie so I'm doing 'Cold Turkey'. Death can't be any worse than living dead. You'll probably hear of me swinging from the bell ropes of a local church shouting "ESMERELDA".
There, I cracked a joke and I haven't stopped taking the drugs yet.
Good luck Ted.... Tell me what you find and I'll tell you what I find.
ted46777 laurie82758
Posted
Laurie... Definitely do not go ahead with that idea.
I'm having a good time coming of the drug because it's being done by a psychiatricst in a controlled way. Please do not stop cold Turkey.
Let me give you an example of the bigger hell you will face. I stopped taking venlafaxine on 2 occasions cold turkey. The first time after about 3 days i was in a living hell. I would have killed for some medication. I ended up getting a taxi to the middle of nowhere with no money. I did not know what i was doing. I was basically fit to be tied down. I could not stop moving and shaking and brain zaps. I didn't know who or where i was. I managed to get an emergency appointment and got back on but it took weeks for the symptoms to go away.
Second time same stuff happened. This was worse. I knew i needed hospital but i felt embarrassed to go. Eventually decided i had to go to hospital but i was so sick i couldn't walk or do anything for myself. Then i thought id ring for an ambulance but felt i didn't need one. Then i decided the only thing to do was to cut off my arm and ring an ambulance then. I don't mean cut my arm, i mean i decided to clean cut it totally off. I started.
Anyway long story short i was saved. Had to be heavily sedated and again it took weeks to get back to normal.
So if depression is bad, cold Turkey is a million times worse.
Please read my examples and do not do it. This is 100% true of my experiences
Ted
laurie82758 ted46777
Posted
Thank you Ted. I'm three days into it now. Bit shaky and a bit tearful. Strange really I started to cry again after years.
I'm sick of being a 'patient'. Admittedly, I've been stuck with this persona for years but I have to try to improve.
I used to be someone, with a dip every now and then. Now, I'm nobody and I'm living in a dip.
Best of luck Ted.
ted46777 laurie82758
Posted
Hi everyone.
I might have to eat some humble pie. After a while going good on my coming off venlafaxine, everything got really bad. Stated to have severe migraines, dizziness, nausea. I was dying. Had to go to bed daily straight after work just to relieve the migraine.
Started on pain killers and anti nausea tablets and eventually things kept getting worse, so I'm back up on a higher dose.
Im not sure I'll ever get off this drug now. I guess it doesn't bother me that much. I'll stay on it if it means i don't go thru withdrawals like that again.
I think had a been on a lower dose id have managed. Something to think about if you go on this, maybe try to stay on the minimum amount.