Help with venlafaxine

Hi Dawn

I have never experienced these electric zaps and thought you only got them when reducing the medication. Maybe I've got this wrong. But when I came off early last year, I didn't have any zaps but have read on numerous sites of people who did.

I don't think this anxiety ever goes away totally. It's more like we learn to live with it although it's controlled to a degree by the meds. I think we will always have blips for the rest of our lives as it's in our genetic make up.

Please let me know how you progress. June xxx

I agree June I think it will never go away

I will thank you June I'm so glad I found this site sometimes I think my husband doesn't fully understand as he's never had anxiety

Hi Lynn, this is my 5th day on 225mg I am dealing with a bit of nausea and anxiety but its starting to come pretty good hopefully it stays like this I dont think I will go up any further anyway, just hang in there I am sure you will start to feel better soon

I think you probably needed this raise to 150mg Lynn. You seem to think that you will suddenly feel alright but I have never found it works that way. In my experience, it takes as long as it takes for you to feel any benefit. Don't forget that tablets are only a crutch whilst your mind recovers from negative thinking but they do provide this necessary respite. Hopefully you might start to feel the benefit in a week or two, but we are all different and our responses to medication varies from one person to another. I don't think there is a hard and fast rule as to when the Venlafaxine will 'kick in'.

It is so disheartening when the anxiety rears it's ugly head again. It impacts on our lives so dramatically. I've been on 150mg for close to 5 months and still have anxiety most days, but at a more manageable level. At first, I would take diazepam most days but this tapered off over the months. Probably haven't had one for about 5 weeks now.

So Lynn please be encoraged by your progress to date. Think back to how you were when this started. Have you improved? From your posts, I would imagine the answer is 'yes'. You are getting there. The tablets alone won't do it - it is the healing time that taking tablets gives you.

Hope this gives you some hope. Whatever, keep thinking positively. I know how hard this is, believe me. We will overcome this awful illness and need each other's support. I'm always here Lynn.

Take care xxx

This is my 5th day on 150mg dealing with increased anxiety not bad side effects other than that. I take a .25 Klonipin if it gets bad. I think I worry about the anxiety and it makes it worse. How are you doing

Thanks June I am taking a .25 Klonipin to get me over the hump, mornings are the worst. 

Going pretty good now on the 225mg gosh I hope it lasts

The side effects have been more manageable. The anxiety is the worst when I first wake up in the morning? Take a low dose Klonipin if I need it. Thank you for being here June. Didn’t think I would be dealing with this at 67.

Glad you are feeling better Roger, hope my increase kicks in soon too.

Im very confident you will start feeling good soon too, whether this is the right dose or we just learn to live with the waves of depression and anxiety only time will tell, this has been the best dose for me so far, I dont want to go up anymore if I get blips or should I say when I get blips I will just have to push through them hopefully they get less intense and not so frequent

How many days have you been on the raised dose. Did it knock the anxiety and depression way down?

About a week now and yes its helped quite alot I still have a bit but much better

That’s amazing Roger today will be a week for me. Anxiety is bad when I first wake up laying in bed then when I get up and move around seems to get better.

My mornings have been horrible on every dose except this one

I am going to call the doctor today I think this dose is way to high for me horrible anxiety after eight days

How are things going for you Lynn ??

150 was to high for me bad side effects. Tried for one week, went back to 112.5. I had real withdrawal symptoms going down again for 3 days. I felt better in the pm

Lynn hows thing going for you

I am back on 112.5 for 5 days now. Went through a few days of that withdrawal they talk about when you go down.  Felt less anxious yesterday. Someone told me it can take up to 6 months to completely recover. With many ups and downs for some people. I am much better from when I first started. I was on 112.5 for 7 weeks so I’ll give it more time. Hope you are still doing well.

How long have you been on venlafaxine before getting better

2 months, I was on cymbalta for 9 weeks before that with no luck, but I have changed dose so many times, 225mg is good for me, I was also feeling terrible every time I increased, I was telling my psychologist it was too high, he kept saying it was not high enough,  I suppose in the end he was right

Hows things progressing Lynn ??

Going to see NP tomorrow. I can’t go above 112.00 with blood pressure. Maybe we can add something else. I am doing EMDR trauma therapy and it seems to bring up a lot of emotional stuff and I think it is causing more unstableness with my Meds for a couple of days after a session. I think I will just to talking and CBT with her for now. I am going to Texas for 2 weeks and my friend has set up an appointment for me to see a good psychiatrist. I have not been treated by one yet. 

Keep in touch let me know how you are going, I really hope you find the right combination for you

Hi June, I am wondering how you are doing ?? I have been on an increase all the time, go good for a while but then go bad, and raise my dose I am 225 now, i dont want to go up again, Ive been going ok for about 5 weeks now I am having 3 bad days but Im going to ride it out, its hard not to panic when you get them I feel I am going backwards I get all the symptoms I started off with, I am sure they will go away and return me to a good place not a great place but a good place just seeing if this pattern happens to you

Have gone back down to 75 mg after seeing a psychiatrist 2 days ago. Going back down is hard withdrawals are like they say. Don’t know if this drug is for me. I am adding Lexapro 5 mg while staying at 75 mg. and slowly going to taper venlafaxine. I have not improved getting higher dose. Will go down to 37 in a month and up Lexapro to 10. Feel better at 75 than I did at 112.5 or 150. Leaving for cruise to Caribbean on Sunday and I was able to fly down to Texas to meet a friend for the cruise along. Very slow progress. Keep in touch.

Thats good to hear I hope this works for you, let me know how you are going, congrats on going down to Texas thats a great effort, I hope you have some peace and fun on your cruise make sure you let me know how things are going for you, I will say a prayer for you

Hi Roger

I'v been reading your posts on this thread to bring me up to date with your journey.   You were very positive when upping your dose to 225.  It sounds like you're having one of the many downs we experience with anxiety.  Yes I do sometimes have 2-3 days when I feel quite flat.  Your first thought is that you are going back again but I find these periods of uncertainty do pass.  I find it helps to just accept these times and not fight them.  I'm still on 150 and have never felt I am remotely back to my normal self.  Don't particularly want to raise the dose as last time, I did get completely better at this level.  It seems to be taking a long time .  Been about 6 months now and I still get palpitations and think there is something seriously wrong with me.  The bottom line is anxiety is always  caused by a fear of something.  Mine is health anxiety and even though I recognise this, it is still difficult to deal with.  The cause of the anxiety always seems to be lurking around.  Be interesting to hear your thoughts on this.

Take good care Roger xxx

My anxiety is exactly the same, I have never been on anti depressants before so I am not to sure what to expect (but to be honest) the medication still scares me, this is my second break down I handled my first one medication free, but it did take a very long time to return to myself, I am also scared of health issues I just cant help it, I have a very aggressive psychologist, every time I have more than a few days of anxiety or depression, his approach is to increase the dosage,  I do have some better days and like you sometimes take a diazepam if I really need it, but that seems to be more seldom than often, like you I have yet to have a day where I am back to myself, I still suffer with nausea at times and when I run (I love training) i got some type of electric shock, not in my head mainly in my body, its like an involuntary muscle reaction its so weird but they do scare me. I have decided not to up my dose anymore and learn to get through these patches, sometimes I wish I never went on anti depressants but i have 2 friends who are very similar to me that I met in hospital in my first break down who have since turned their whole lives around being on medication, so I will continue and pray this may also happen to me

Hi Roger,

23 years ago when I had a breakdown I was put on sertraline at the starting dose of 50mgs. After 12 weeks on this dose I was amazed, no anxiety or depression never had to raise my dose and it worked beautifully for 23 years then it pooped out. I guess venlafaxine was not the drug for me. I hope the cross taper on to Lexapro an ssri works. Start 5mgs tonight with 75 venlafaxine. 

Fingers crossed Lynne hope it works out keep in touch let us know how your getting on xx

Hi Lynn, wow i would love to reach total remission I have no idea if this drug will get me there, I have no doubt improved from when I had my breakdown, but have never had a great day yet, i think it has to be close to 3 months or more I have been on this drug