How long does venlafaxine take to work - still no improvement :(

Hi there when I first started taking this medication I was on 75mg and after 6 weeks I didn't feel any different so the doctor advised me to double up on this medication which was 150mg and within a week I started to feel a little like me again I know we want to feel better quickly but any medication like this takes a while to start to work we are used to taking medication and feel the pain lifting quickly but antidepressants take much longer, have you spoken to your doctor yet to see what they advise, I have been taking these meds for six years and at the moment I feel fine but still do have low periods you will see on here that people have different experiences with venlafaxine but at the time it was the only thing that eventually picked me up and enabled me to feel better so good luck

love sue

Hi butterfly what mg are u on?

Hello,

Thank you for you're replies. I started on 37.5 twice a day & now my gp has upped it to 3 times a day. I feel very low and flat & no interest in anything & i've not been dressed for days, i did feel this way before but no better at all. Also i feel very anxious & on edge.

I do hope this one works for me as i have tried others in the past with no effect. x

I've been on venlafaxine for two weeks now so it's too early for me to comment on it lifting my mood. The only side effects I have is feeling a bit dull and tired through the day I'm hoping this will wear off? 

Yes Liam i also have that & i just feel so tired all the time & have no energy.

Do you feel any less depressed at all? 

That's good to hear that it has worked for you in the past, it makes me more hopeful. What were you on before. I was on sertraline before this one. 

I've not tried that one myself.

Well i hope it does help you this time around & thanks for replying to my post.

Good luck & keep in touch x

Hi Butterfly, Venlafaxine worked wonders for me but only at high doses - I think the max is 225mg. I remember reading that high doses change the effect of the drug to work mildly on dopamine as well as serotonin and norepinephrine. May be rubbish but for sure you may want to be on extended release and high dosage.

Hello Ross,

Thank you for you're reply. And that's very good to hear. I'm on 37.5 3times a day. The gp did try to give me the s/r ones but there seems to be a manuf problem with them so i can't have them everytime i go back and ask he says there is still a problem with them.

What strength are you on and are you on the S/R ones? 

I know they really do sould like they will help me more, is my dose an unusual one?

Hi, im on 75mg once per day, slow release for last two weeks and in main feel very tired and if anything more "down".

Here's hoping things get better.

I switched to these from trying two different SSRI's but their side effects were too bad, at least side effects with these seem less, for me anyway