Day 8 of Effexor. Anxiety is through the roof!

Hello , I am one to talk, as i posted yesterday desperate for info on how quickly I can expect to see improvements, after being on venlafaxine higher dose, for 9 days. You are probably looking at a min of 2 to 4 weeks for noticeable and sustained improvements. You are likely to feel very up and down for the first 4 weeks. Anxiety is an unfortunate side effect, that should eventuslly go away. I currently take diazepam for the anxiety, and it's a great help, stops it almost immediately. Your anxiety may fall over the coming weeks. If you find the anxiety increases and becomes unbearable, speak to your doctor about having some xanax or diazepam for anxiety, until venlafaxine is up to strength in your body, and it's doing it's job. Anxiety after starting a new anti depressant is a common issue. Hope this helps.

Hi I was on Mirtazipine for 10 years until I was moved to venlafaxine in January for anxiety. It just wasn't the right Anti-D for me as it did make my anxiety a lot worse and not better. From all that I read this seemed to be the case, it makes you either a lot better or it can go the other way. I gave it 5 months before coming off if it.I am now not taking any Anti-D for the first time since I was 13 ...I'm 35 now!! I'm going to try a period without to see how I get on. I  still struggle to leave the house etc but going to trail it for a while. If I don't cope without anything my next port of call is CBD... I have done a lot of research on CBD (which is worth looking at if you can afford it as you can't currently get it on prescription). I would stick at it a while longer to see if the increased anxiety tappers off, if not defiantly re-discuss it with your Dr. 

hi.. i am a friend of NIGEL45109,,  HE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD PERSON TO LISTEN TOO.. I AM ON 8DAYS OF VENLAFAXINE 75MG AND STARTING TO FEEL BETTER... ANXIETY COMES AND GOES.. I NEED TO TAKE A XANAX FOR THE ANXIETY...  nigel will give you great advice...  

Hi... I'm also on venlafaxine and have been for about 6 months, they recently upped my done to 225mg because it wasn't helping my Anxiety and I must say it's helied... I still get anxiety when going places but I'm more in control of it. When I first started venlafaxine it did send my Anxiety through the roof. It lasted about 4 weeks but like nigel I had diazapam to help me through that period and that was a massive help, maybe go talk to your doctor because ive been where you are and it's not a nice feeling being on edge all the time. Stick with it though as if it's already helped your depression chances are it will help your anxiety also. Leanne

Hi there. It's okay that you felt good almost immediately on this medication but don't forget that you're not taking the Prozac anymore. ... Which is more likely the reason you felt better. It does take a while for medications to leave your system. However Effexor is a very good medication. I've been on it for years and recently went back to it after a short stint with Lexapro. Lexapro left me absolutely 1000% more anxious even after 10 weeks. Effexor works differently than the other and anti depressants. You can research it easily on Google bye searching SSRI vs SSNI. Some antidepressants may cause some start-up anxiety but please be patient because that will eventually go away. Try to stay busy, try to be active, exercise a lot if you can, because exercise really does help boost serotonin levels in the brain. And the obvious things are to cut out caffeine and sugar. I recently have been doing a lot of research on how to boost serotonin levels for the brain and there's some good findings out there that have a lot to do with diet. I'm not one of those crazies that think everything can be cured naturally but I do think there's a lot of good information out there that can help.

Listen, I have been where you are and so many of us have been. YOU ARE NOT GOING CRAZY!!! I know that I'm in menopause right now and when are hormones drop, it has a major effect on our brain. And anxiety is sometimes the result. I just had blood work done and found out that my hormones are very low but that I am getting too much synthroid in my body from my underactive thyroid. So they dropped my dosage amount of Synthroid.... And that is also a major factor and anxiety. So besides taking medication, you should see your PCP and get a panel of blood work done. Always be in communication with your doctor.

The other thing that helps me tremendously is my faith. I'm Catholic so I Rely heavily on giving my worries and problems to God. It helps me to know that he's going to take care of me no matter what and I just really tried to go about my day finding joy in the little things. It takes practice though and a lot of prayer. I also see a therapist and she really puts things into perspective for me. This is something you should try if you haven't already.

So hang in there God bless you and wait for the medicine to work. It's going to take about 3 to 6 weeks and you've come this far already having been on Prozac and it didn't destroy you!!! I look back at my time on Lexapro and can't believe I made it through that which was pure hell! Believe me. Also your doctor can prescribe you lorazepam (Ativan) to help you get over the right spots. There's no shame in using it until the Effexor kicks in.

Good luck and God bless you.... Your going to make it!

Thanks for your help everyone! I really appreciate it. I’m going to stick with Effexor for now. It has helped my depression so much already. My doctor prescribed me a small dose of Xanax for when my anxiety gets really bad. Hopefully that will be enough to help. 

I started therapy about a month ago and honestly I hate it...I feel like I’m not connecting with my therapist. It’s tough, I never EVER talk to anyone about how i feel. And now talking to a stranger...it’s just really uncomfortable for me. But I won’t give up on it...