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New medication need help

Posted , 5 users are following.

michelle93286
michelle93286

Hi I'm new to the group and am nervous. It's day 4 of taking venlafaxine and reduced dosage of citalopram. I feel like they aren't helping. I can't sleep I feel sick. I keep going dizzy. I've got no energy. It's not making me calm I still feel so stressed. I've been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety. Please need advice

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann michelle93286

    Posted

    Hi Michelle. You will find a lot of support on these forums and certainly plenty of those in very similar situation. Please share what start-up dosage of venlafaxine you have been put on? I know there are a few people here who switched from citalopram to venlafaxine. Not sure what effects you can expect from taking them in parallel but venlafaxine start up is rarely pretty. It is a really good drug for depression with strong accent on anxiety. Will you be stopping citalopram or taking them in parallel indefinitely? At any rate, venlafaxine often initially makes patients feel worse before it starts to balance out. From my experience and what i read here as well, most people need about 10 days for the more extreme adjustment disturbances to ease up. As with all similar medication, it will take at least 4 weeks to be able to assess whether or not it is working. Therapeutic doses are minimum 75mg for depression with anxiety. With best results in the 150 mg range and many people take even bigger doses. Take your time. Sleeplessness is normal in the first few days as is nausea. If you are struggling with start-up you can ask for a sleep aid to take for a week or so. I was given xanax for a couple of weeks at first to help with venlafaxine side-effects during the adjustment phase, then weaned off it gently and never had trouble sleeping again afterwards. I was on 150 mg XR for about 8 years and taken Venlafaxine a total of 12 years. Treated for GAD. Best of luck. Let us know how it all goes.

     

    • michelle93286
      michelle93286 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      I'm on 35.7g. I'm taking it along side with citalopram 20mg till I finish the citalopram then they stopping my citalopram and them only taking venlafaxine. Yesterday my partner didn't help by trying to argue about everything and I had another meltdown. I cried alot yesterday and feel worse.
    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann michelle93286

      Posted

      sad you'll often find that your nearest and dearest are the least understanding when you are undergoing major transformations. Sad but too often true. Ignore your partner's insensitive behavior for now - focus on whatever makes you feel better or try to elicit some support from someone you can rely on. You should start to feel better in the next few days as far as venlafaxine start-up is concerned. Once you even out, after about 10 days, presumably you will be pushed up to 75mg Venlafaxine which is when you can start reaping its therapeutic benefits. Hang in there. You will feel better. Try to get your mind off the sensations as much as possible. Vent on the forums. Here there are plenty of people who know what you are going through. It sometimes helps if you can bounce off neutral people smile If your doctor is open to it, e may be able to give you low dose xanax or similar to take the edge off your tension for a few days and to help you sleep. See howw you feel and what they say. Hang in there.
    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann

      Posted

      as for citalopram withdrawal I see Lorraine has you covered with her answer. I have never taken it but safe to assume it can't be an easy deal reducing the dose of any psychotropic drug smile
  • lorraine52317
    lorraine52317 michelle93286

    Posted

    Hi Michelle

    You appear to be getting classic symtoms from reducing your dose of citalopram. It took me a month to get over withdrawal from cit. I cried buckets, got dizzy, despaired daily. It was an horrendous time. Give it another week or so and hopefully you will see improvement. Venlafaxine is a very good AD.

    Keep positive and hang in there a bit longer♥

    • michelle93286
      michelle93286 lorraine52317

      Posted

      Thankyou. hopefully I'll see a difference soon. Got the mental health team coming today.
  • Phil0860
    Phil0860 michelle93286

    Posted

    Hi Michelle,

    I made a transition from 40mg Citalopram to 150mg venlafaxin - it was hard but worthwhile. Stick with it. The hours seem like days and the days like weeks - but it gradually improves and I would recommend sticking with it. You will get there - I hope you feel better soon x

    • michelle93286
      michelle93286 Phil0860

      Posted

      I hope it gets better as hate feeling like this. Just want to get back to my normal self so then I can go to work and have a normal life again
  • mike12345
    mike12345 michelle93286

    Posted

    When I first took it I felt a lot worse for about three weeks but after about seven weeks I began to feel better and sleep becomes easy. After time I felt better.I remember even having trouble eating at first.
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