lasting nervous system damage due to longterm use of venlafaxine
Posted , 10 users are following.
Hi, I have been taking venlafaxine 300mg for well over 10 years, am currently on a withdrawal programme.
I was told that it was possible that there may be permanent damage to my nervous system as a result of taking this drug for so long.
Does anybody know anything about this or has anyone suffered lasting effects?
1 like, 18 replies
sarah20344 Riabird
Posted
michelle74414 sarah20344
Posted
Curious to know how your tapering went and if you had any lasting effects from Effexor.
Riabird
Posted
I've recently been advised by my latest psychiatrist that venlafaxine is not the drug of choice to use in bipolar as it could induce mania so they recommend i stop taking it gradually. I am in the middle of a 15 week programme to reduce by 37.5mg every other week for example last week I took 150mg one day and 112.5mg the next alternating all week, this week I take 112.5mg all week, reducing on alternate days next week
sarah20344 Riabird
Posted
sarah20344
Posted
Riabird sarah20344
Posted
Riabird
Posted
The help and support i have recieved from them has been overwhelming, have had more support in the last 2 weeks than I've had in 15 years of mental health problems, because I went through the crisis team my needs have been fast tracked, i will be allocated a care co-ordinator this week, something i have never had before
sarah20344 Riabird
Posted
Riabird sarah20344
Posted
jim48507 Riabird
Posted
elaine73067 jim48507
Posted
infestissumam Riabird
Posted
The only lasting side effect I've noticed is my jaw clenching more. I used to clench my jaw occasionally, but after taking venlafaxine it's just all the time and sometimes I can barely open my mouth That doesn't seem to be too common though. Good luck on your withdrawal. I didn't really experience withdrawal from switching as Cymbalta is also an SNRI, however I do occasionally forget to take my medicine and I get withdrawal as soon as it's 24 hours past when I last took it. It's so awful, it's like having the flu plus anxiety, extreme mood swings, and brain zaps. Hopefully you're tapering slowly and won't have to deal with severe side effects. Take care!
Riabird infestissumam
Posted
I get face ache from tension as a result of jaw clenching, didn't realise this was a side effect
Riabird
Posted
t03453 Riabird
Posted
All of the symptoms made sense. I had a previous injury to my ankle as a teenage and CRPS actually attacks previous injury’s when your body becomes too stressed to deal with it.
After losing my job, I had to go back on Venlafaxine because it is literally the prescribed medication for CRPS. Within 36 hours of taking Venlafaxine again, the swelling went down and the colour returned to my foot. I haven’t had another sprain like symptom since being back on them, other than a burning sensation in the front of my ankle. Since coming off the meds about a month and a half ago, I can feel my ankle being weak. I can feel a burning sensation and it is swelling around the front and outside of the ankle.
I’m concerned Venlafaxine caused this nerve damage.
It causes the worst withdrawal symptoms and I truly believe I have a nerve disorder because of it.