Heart pounding

Posted , 7 users are following.

Please could anyone tell me if the heart pounding is part of withdrawal? I take fish oil in the morning, should I be taking any more during the day! I'm so fed up with all this! When will it stop?? :-(((

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi. Everyone is different but I took Benadryl also while going off this drug, same as going on any new one as it really helps side effects. For me anyway.do you have any ativan they gave you ? That helps
  • Posted

    Could you please provide your history, in terms of how long you had been on venlafaxine, what your highest dose was, how fast you came off of it, what the last dosage was before you jumped off?  How long have you been off?  And how long have you been having withdrawal symptoms?

    Yes, the heart pounding is a symptom.  I had heart pals, higher blood pressure and faster resting pulse.  80% of our serotonin receptors are outside the brain, affecting the whole body.

    If you answer the questions above it will be easier to give you information and guidance.  

    • Posted

      Hi Betsy, I am weaning off and have been since July! I was on Effexor 75mg XL X 2 at night and have been on this for 20 years! I first reduced to 1 cap a night then my gp switched me to 37.5mg tablets X 2 and I'm now down to 1/3 of 37.5mg tab in morn and the same in the evening! I am taking fish oil as I was told by someone on here that it helps with the brain zaps! I hope you can understand my story!
    • Posted

      Oh, I totally understand, Kaye!  Congrats on getting where you are!  I had been on for 12 years!  Funny thing is, I can't remember how high I went (somewhere over 225 I think), and I can't remember making cuts, but I know I did because in 2014 before I went off, I was down to 75 and then 37.5 mg.  Memory is a real problem, and that was true ON the med, not just in WD!

       I never had brain zaps, thankfully, but I did have body zaps at times, especially in my neck.  Fish oil, especially DHA, is supposed to be good for healing the brain and nervous system.  And another good one is magnesium glycinate, helps with sleep and anxiety.  Some recommend taking B complex while others say they can be activating, negatively I would imagine, so that's a play it by ear recommendation.

      All I can say is take is slower when you get to the lower dosages.  As I replied to Damian, below, cuts at the lower dosages can have a greater impact on WD.  I got a jeweler's scale that weighs milligrams on Amazon for about $22 and actually weigh 90% of the previous dose (reduce by 10%).  On the tablets, you'd break off bits to get the weights.  Having been through horrid protracted WD, I am about taking it nice and slow!

  • Posted

    How long have you been off the mediation? I tapered from 275mg over 4 weeks, it was until the 1st day without anything that I started getting the heart pounding/ body shock sensations along with dizziness and nausea (at first actually vomiting).

    My fiancé looked on forums and found most people's suggested taking antihistamines and strong omega 3.

    I've been taking 1 Benadryl & 1 Omega 3 with each meal since the 3rd day med free, as well as a Multivitamin with Iron in the morning and the sensations have definitely improved.

    I'm still getting dizzy & shocks but not as bad, also no longer nauseous. I am pretty mood swingy still.

  • Posted

    Yes I get heart pounding. Done 7 weeks and still experiencing this. Has to stop sometime. Just not sure when. How long you been on the Ven for. Mine was 15 years x
  • Posted

    i was at 375mg and as i was getting side effects ive had with antidepressants for years including brain fog. its maybe taken me 3 months or so to get from 375mg to 150mg, i've had no side effects apart from minor brain zaps and a ringing in my ears that it may have caused. i'm reducing another 18.75mg tomorrow, half of a 37.5mg.

    i'm so fed up of being on meds and wish i never took them as things have got worse the past 3 years anxiety wise. 

    have quickly have you guys been lowering the dosage.

    • Posted

      Hi Damian, 

      congrats on getting down to 150 mg!  That's an average of 75 mg per month, or 23% of your starting dose.  That is a pretty steep reduction but one we can get away with at the higher dosages.  I read somewhere that at 37.5 mg the serotonin receptors are 70% occupied, so that is probably why coming down from the higher dosages isn't quite so hard. I think we can still get into trouble with large cuts, though, because the brain remodeled to adapt to all the receptors being occupied at those high doses, by pumping less serotinin and by reducing receptors.

      So, go carefully from here.  You are about to cut by 25% and could start having some more severe withdrawal symptoms.  Are you taking the capsules that have the little beads?  Though painful to go slower, AD withdrawal sites recommend a 10% reduction every 3-4 weeks.  That would be 15 mg.  You can count how many beads are in several of your capsules, take the average, and then remove 10% of the beads from that amount.  Just a suggestion.  

      As you get to the lower dosages, below 37.5 mg, it really will make a difference to cut by 25% as that will be a very noticeable change to your nervous system. 

      I went off way too fast last year after being on ven for 12 years, and had very protracted WD over 10 months!  Finally reinstated, not realizing I had been in WD - long story!  Had I known I was in WD, I might have been able to tough it out . Just know that at any point if you are suffering unacceptable WD symptoms, you can always reinstate your last dosage and then do a slower taper from there.

      I wish you success in getting off this junk!

    • Posted

      i have had the capsules but recenty i've had the normal pills. im on 131.25mg a day now from 150mg. i think my anxiety has been a little worse, can't tell for sure though. i bought a bottle of cod liver oil as people say that helps. im wondering if i'll have the same anxiety back i had before taking this stuff. it was gad, i had months of really awful anxiety then after that went down i've had lingering anxiety which is very off putting.
    • Posted

      I have read on withdrawal forums that people usually feel better than they ever had before or during meds once they are off.  Just know that anxiety and depression are WITHDRAWAL symptoms, so feeling anxious during the taper is not a sign that your original problem is coming back.  

      Keep a journal of when you make your cuts and how you are feeling each day so that you can identify if withdrawal symtoms occur so many days after the cut.  That way you will be prepared when it happens again.  Withdrawal tricks our brains and the anxiety and or depression we feel due to withdrawal makes us believe it is really "us," not a WD symptom.  I can tell when it is wd now because it has a more "organic" feel not related to anything real or rational.  

      I am focusing on tapering off of mirtazapine right now, and about 5-10 days post taper I start having waves of anxiety for no reason, but they are minor and I remind myself "it's just withdrawal."  It is important not to ruminate over how you are feeling and get more stressed out about it.  Stressing over stress causes more stress!

      Yes, fish oil is supposed to be good for recovery, and I hear it is particularly good for brain zaps.  Fortunately, I have never had them.

      Magnesium glycinate is a good supplement for anxiety and insomnia.  I take 200 mg in the AM and 400 mg at bedtime.  You can take epsom salt baths as well; magnesium absorbs through the skin.

      If you start to have trouble with the bigger cuts, you may have to get a jeweler's scale that weighs milligrams and measure chunks of your tablets to get the right dose.  You can get these on Amazon in the states for under $25, and I think folks in the UK have been able to find them.  The Gemini 20 is a popular one.

       

  • Posted

    Hi, yes I've found heart pounding/palpitations are the worst part of withdrawal for me. I am making 10% reductions of very low amounts (down to 7.5mg now) and it is because I got heart palpitations and convulsive shaking and had to go to A&E when I tried to go from 37.5mg every day to every other day (thanks for that doc). I still get heart palpitations even at these small reductions though. I've started to take magnesium at night which seems to help a little in getting to sleep.

    I hope things improve for you.

    • Posted

      It does get better. I'm week 8/9 free of veneflaxine. Very hard to come off. Best of luck x

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