I'VE BEEN ON VENLAFAXINE FOR 17 DAYS AND FEEL WORSE

Oh thanks lizzy.  I feel so awful each day and I am staying in bed most of the time.  Did you feel any improvement after 2 weeks.  I have ffelt no improvement atall.

Pat

Hi lizzy  I just hope I have the same expeience as you.  I feel sick most ofhe time too.  The worst bit is wanting to stay in bed all the time.  I will let you know if there is  any improvement

Pat xx

Hi Lizzy

I have just been to the doctor and she has increased the Ven to 225 mg.  Is that the dose you're on?  I didn't feel good on the 150 so I don't know how I will feel on the increase.  She has also referred me to a psychiatrist.

Pat

Hi Lizzy,

Please can you let me know how long it took for you for the venlafaxine to work for you and if you had the odd moments of calm that increased?  I was a bit calmer on Tuesday night and for about an hour yesterday morning, but not today so far.  I really would be grateful to know what to expect.

thanks

Hi Kat

I wondered what had happened to you.  It said you had discontinued the PM. I did try to post you but it wouldn't allow it.

I have just been to the doctor and she has upped the Venlafaxine to 225 mg.  She has also referred me to a psychiatrist.  I can't believe this is happening to me.  How are you doing?

Pat

I'm still very up and down. Eating a bit better. Have you finished your injections now and has it made any difference? I hope so. 

Hi Patricia, 

I was put on to 225mg by a psychiatrist.  I had the hard white slow release tablets when I got up to this dose and was told that it would take 4-6 weeks before they kicked in.  (I'm also on 30mg Mirtazapine and 2.5 of Olanzapine. Appartently a low dose of Olanzaopine is supposed to help with anxiety. I had been on them 4 weeks when I had a repeat prescription and these tablets came from spain.  on the 6th day of week 6 I saw a tablet in my stools as the leaflet said, but decided to investigate!  It was full of powder and weighed exactly the same as the the one from the pack.  I now don't know if the British ones were working.  I am now on day 10 of the soft gel slow release capsules, so hope they work. 

I understand completely when you say you can't believe this is happening to you.  I am normally a strong, cheerful, optomisitic person.  I have had this awful anxiety after 4 horrible things happening to me one after the other.

Are you feeling any benefit from the meds yet?

Lizzie

Hi lizzie. Sorry to come in on your conversation with Pat, but It's the first time I've found someone who is on the same medication as me. I'm on 150mg of venlafaxine,  45mg of mirtazapine and 10mg of olanzapine. I was on 20mg of olanzapine but have cut the tablet in half for 4 nights.  I don't think it's doing me any good. I'm seeing my psychatrist on thursday and want to start to come off of mirt. Venlafaxine has done me good in the past so I just want to concentrate on the venlafaxine. 

Depression is a horrible horrible illness. I just want to be 'me' again. 

I have finished the injections but they didn't make any difference to the depression.  I was never able to walk straight I would wobble and the injectins hav changed that.  I am walking much better and my balance is better.  That was one of the diwnsides of low Vitamin B12.  Keep in touch.  At least you're eating a little better so that's a start.

Haven't felt any improvement so far. The GP said that sometimes Antidepressants don't work (that really cheered me up) so she has referred me to  psychiatrist.  There isn't any reason for me to have depression.  I have never had horrible things happen to me.  I understood it was a chemical balance.  I'll let you know how I get on

Pat

I really thought that the injections were going to be the answer to your prayers. At least your balance is better. Your doctor hasn't got a lot of tact has he/she. I hope you don't have to wait too long to get an appt with a psychatrist. When I was first referred to a psychatrist they said I might have to wait a few weeks to get an appt! That's why I went private at first. If your appt is a long time in coming I would ask to see if they have any cancellations. You might be lucky though and get an appt quickly. All areas are different I suppose. 

Hi Kate,  It's lovely to hear from you so don't apologise.  I find the Mirtrazapine help me sleep at night, but I have been on them for 9 weeks and the olanzapine for nearly 4 weeks.  Don't feel any better.  I feel anxious about being anxious.  I think I feel more anxious and panicky since starting the soft gel capsules but have read on a post that they do make you feel worse before you feel better.  Did this happen to you?

As I said to Pat, I don't know if I was receiving any meds for the first 4 weeks on the hard tablet, but Believe I am starting Venlafaxine all over again whether I did or not

How long did it take for you to feel the benefit of Venlafaxine and did feeling better come and go for a bit.?  I would be so grateful to hear from you again as I'm feeling pretty desperate.

Your sentence I just want to be 'me' again is one I have used may time so know exactly how you feel.  It is very hard to stay positive when our days are filled with anxiety or depression.  I live on my own which I normally love, but I dont think that helps at the moment.

Hi Patricia, I'm so sorry to hear that you have not felt any benefit yet.  Me neither but I think I have to realise that I'm starting from scratch again whether or not I was gettng the meds for the first 4 weeks of being on the hard tablets.  How long have you been on it now?  I was told 4 - 6 weeks and I'm feeling really awful.  There are so many positive posts about this drug so let's hope they start to work for both of us.  I have read on some of the posts that it is normal to feel worse while they get into the system and start to work, but I'm desperate for some improvement as I have had this anxiety for just over 18 months now.  I need to get well and get back to work.

Dr's and psychiatrists can say the most unhelpful things at time and don't realise that they just make us feel worse.

Hope thing go well with the psychiatrist.

Sorry Kat, just realised I called you Kate!

Hi Lizzie. I originally have been on venlafaxine for a few years with a few bouts of depression while still on the medication. This bout is by far is my worst. The doctor decided to cut down on the ven and put me on mirtazapine.  Then olanzapine was added to help me sleep and give me an appetite.  Then, ven was upped as was mirt. I've been cutting down on the olanzapine myself. I put the wrong dosage in my last post. I've been cutting down from 10 to 5mg. I am on hard tablets. Nothing seems to be working at the moment. I'm very up and down. I've never been on more than one anti depressant before. As ven has worked for me in the past I would like to taper the others off. I tend to just come out of my depression but it's taking a bit longer this time. Perhaps the concoction we are both on just isnt worķing. I'm sorry I can't be of much help. 

I hope I haven't totally confused you with my long winded story.

why were you put on the 3 separate medications? 

Hi Lizzzie sorry to hear you are going through the same experiences as me,  I started on 75 mg for  weeks then another 3 weeks on 150 mg now 'm on 225 mg so watch this space.  Are you on 225 mg?  Have a read of my post to Kat and the fright I got.

Hi Pat,  that does sound frightening.  Are you OK now?  Are you suffering with depression or anxiety or both?  I think we just have to hang in there and give it the time we have been told it would take.  I had an hour feeling much calmer this morning, so maybe this is a sign that they will kick in.  It didn't last, but it was a little encouraging.

I've not had problems with my speech, but it could just be a sign that they are beginning to work and it may never happen again. 

Yes, I'm on 225mg day 11 after the debacle of the slow release ones not working!!

Hi Kat, I was put on three different meds because I have had this anxiety for so long and the psych said that I had been on the wrong meds.  She thinks it's biological and is 'treating it aggresively'.  I did have an hour of calm this morning, just want it to last!  Maybe this is a sign that they will kick in and work for me.  I hope so.

I also take 4mg of diaxepam twice a day.  Psych said I had been on them so long to carry on and we will sort this out when I'm better. (I hope that happens!!)  They aren't working so well now, but sometimes, it's the only bit of calm I get.

I think I have to give the ven the 4 - 6 weeks I was told it will take.

My counsellor said that this is how they work, you have moments of calm and when they go it feels worse than ever, but it's not worse.  Eventually the calm periods become longer until the drug is fully working and then you are calmer all the time.  Has that been your experience.  It would be so nice to know what to expect.

I hope that you start to feel better soon. 

The psych was a locum, so I will see someone different next time!!

You poor thing being told you've been on the wrong medication.  Doctor's don't really seem to know or care what all the medication is doing to us. I've never been on more than 1 anti depressant before. Now on two with olanzipine thrown in! I just want to be on ven on its own. It's got me out of my depressions before but this bout is the worst and longest. God only knows what all these tablets have been doing to me. its interesting to learn what your counsellor said.  In the past I've just come out of the depression all of a sudden. Not very helpful for you to see a locum psychatrist. I've seen two different pdocs and they both said and prescribed different things. I hope your calmer moments last longer and longer. Keep in touch. 

How is your appetite?  I lost over a stone at the beginning of this bout of depression as I had no appetite whatsoever.  It's a bit hit and miss at the moment but I wouldn't say I've actually got my appetite back thats why I don't think the mirtazapine is working as people say they're always hungry when taking mirt. 

I ddn't have a repeat of yesterday with my speech today.  I do voluntary office work at our local hospital and like you I felt much better this morning but then I felt sick this afternoon.  I dread tomorrow morning as when I don't have to go to the hospital i just want to stay in bed and I know this is the worse thinbg to do.  We have an open air pool here so if the weather is good I will make myself get up and meet up with a group of friends there.  It is good socially and for the exercise.

I forgot to answer your question. I don't have anxiety and I know I'm lucky as it must be horrific.  I have depression.

I too have lost over a stone.  All my clothes are hanging off me.  I am eating better than I was.  I used to take a sandwhich to the hospital but end up bringing it home.  Now I am eating it. 

My GP put me on 15 mg Mirtazapine and I'm not kidding it literally worked overnight.  As I said I had been taking a sandwhich for lunch and that morning I couldn't wait to eat them so I had my lunch at 11.00 am!  I was always hungry but after 2 months I had to go on to 30 mg and then 45 then back to Ven.    A funny thing about taking the Mirt was that I had lower back ache something I had never had and I coudn't turn my neck.  I just thought I had done something at the gym  Then I read on the forum someone had the same problem.  I never gave it another thought until several weeks after I was taken off them I suddenly realised the pains had gone.  The backache was terrible I could hardly drive and severl friends said should see a chiropracter.  I'm glad I didn't now.

Hi Kat,

I have no appetite and have to force myself to eat.  Since this statred I have lost nearly two and a half stone and was down to 7 Stone.  Managed to put on 4lbs, but have to force myself to eat.  This is so unlike me as I'm normally a real foody.  I've forgotten what it feels like to feel hungry! 

Still feeling awful.  I have an appt with a different psych tomorrow for my second appt of EFT.  It's a tapping therapy to help rebalance the body. I did manage to cry when I saw her a fortnight ago, which I haven't been able to do for a long time.  Just going to an appointment makes me feel so anxious so it,s a bit of a double edged sword.  Also managed to panic myself this morning as I have been on the Mirtrazapine for weeks and the olanzapine for 4weeks and don't feel any better.  I so hope the venlafaxine work now that I'm on the capsules.  It feels like a long time waiting for them to kick in.

Hi Pat,

I just lie in bed all morning, can't sleep and sit in front of the TV in the afternoon.  I so hope these pills start working for us.  No calm for me today so far!

Glad you are OK with your speech today.  I know I need to get out amd start gettingmy life back but I need something to take the edge of my anxiety before I can do that.

How did the tablets work for you when you were on them before?  Did you have good days and bad before they fully kicked in.  I had an hour of feeling calmer yesterday morning, and tuesday pm was a bit better but nothing today so far.  Anything info you can give me would be helpful.

Thanks Kat and hope you are feeling some improvement.

Hi Lizzie, I've been so see the psychatrist this morning at all the details are in a message replying to Pat. I've always just come out of my depression as suddenly as I went into it. While on this concoction nothing yet has helped and its going on so long! I sit sometimes and really feel sorry for myself. I hope you get some calmer times today. It's so frustrating isn't it as all we want is to feel ourselves again.

There have been a few times when I've actually felt hungry but it hasn't lasted. Not really cooking at the moment. My husband is cooking a bit but he's not a great cook as I've always done it. One thing I can't do is cry. I wish I could just have a good sob. I'm sure it would help but no tears will come at all!

Hi Lizzie, I hope you've had some improvement. I started on slow release capsules this morning.  Have you had any blood tests? I was telling Pat that after my blood tests about a week and a half ago I phoned the surgery for the results and they said they were fine.  After seeing the psychatrist yesterday she looked at them and my folic acid was low. This can cause low mood. Why my gp didn't pick this up I don't know! So I thought maybe you should have some bloods done. 

Hi lizzie, just wondering how you are.  Are you feeling calmer today? 

Hi Kat,

I thought I had replied to you.  I did it through going in via my email and I can't see my reply here!  Still feeling the same, but only on day 17.  I have read that when you first start taking AD's your seratonin levels drop.  I'm just hanging on hoping for some calm!

How are you doing?

Hi Lizzie, i'm about the same, not that great. I think I've just got to get used cutting down on one tablet and upping another one! Are you getting your appetite back yet? I'm eating but not enjoying my food. 

Hi KatI went to see the Psych today.  I was a bit disappointed as she has put me on 150 mg Ven and 15 Mirt.  I said that neither of these drugs had worked but she said I had taken them singly wereas they work better in combination  but you haven't found that have you?  So I will probably have to wait weeks now and then I will probably be back to square one.  I am a real pessimist aren't I/

How are you Kat?  Any improvement ?

Pat

Hi pat, thanks for letting me know how you got on. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for this combination to work.

Believe it or not I'm abroad now on holiday. Feeling a bit more settled. Fingers crossed xx

That's fantastic.  Didn't know you were going on holiday.  I do hope you manage to improve and enjoy your holiday.  Do you think the combination is working at last?  Hve a lovely time.  Where are you?

 

It was booked before I was ill. I was stressed with just the thought of it. We're on a greek island. I never say I feel well or better in fear of jinxing it! Hope you start to feel the benefit of the combination of meds soon x

Dave (my husband) won't book a cruise until I am back to normal.  I must say I always get in a state  going away so I certainly couldn;t cope at the moment.

I love Greece.  We went for years to Skala in kefakonia and Skiathos and Crete  before that.  We used to call it our slob holiday just sunbathed drank and ate.  I would go back to school feeling a new woman.  But then the kids would get to me and I could have done with another holiday LOL.

I hope you will let me know eventually as I would ike to know if the combination works.

Anyway put all this out of you mind and come back a new woman.

Regards.

Pat