New to this drug

Posted , 7 users are following.

hi guys, iv been suffering with GAD, depression now for 6 months, i have suffered with this on and off for the past 5 years and i was taking sertraline which had always helped me but this time around the sertraline hasnt worked my go to dose for sertraline was 150mg but having gone up to 200mg then tapering off them i had no luck, the docs prescribed me venlfaxine last thursday 75mg, my anxiety is through the roof at the minute just wondering whether its because im adjusting to the new drug. willing to give this drug a good go as im at my wits end with my anxiety just need positive stories hehe

thanks aaron

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    hello, your anxiety will be up for quite a while, as you adjust from changing. your ate probably looking at least 4 to 6 weeks, before you even notice first improvements, you may need a higher dose in future, dont rush into increasing it though, take your time, no quick fixes. ven may work for gad up to a dose of 150mg. its highly unlikely to work above 150mg, as it then starts working mostly on noradrenaline, which at that level, is unlikely to work. take your time, wait at least 4 weeks before increasing, and only increase by 37.5mg at a time.

    • Posted

      ven is best started and changed by amounts of 37.5mg. 75mg starting or changing by that amount is too much to get used to in one go. much easier with 37.5mg.

    • Posted

      thats okay, no big deal a little quick, but you have already started on 75mg, so no point in going back down again. ideally, you want to be on 75mg for at least 4 weeks, then move up by amounts of 37.5mg, as required, with a minimum of at least 4 weeks between each increase. might seem a long time, but it should be easier in long run. if you need to go above 150mg, thats when you need to be careful. if you are not sorted at 150mg, if i was yourself, i would ask for 15mg of mirtazapine to be added instead of going above 150mg of ven. the two work well together. most people with anxiety struggle above 150. above 150 to 300 and more, works better for depression, than anxiety.

    • Posted

      ok thanks for your advice, i do have diazepam to take as well but i only have one of a night time to help me sleep any advice on when to take diazepam ? docs tell me only when i need it but i feel like i need it all the time lol

    • Posted

      i was in a state exactly a year ago, when i started on ven. i was already allowed 3 x 5mg of diazepam a day. like you, needed it all the time, i was really worried about taking it, so skimped and made myself worse. lois on the citaloopram page gave me best advice, take as much as you need, worry about now, not dependancy. soon as i did that, felt better straight away. found 5mg too much, so broke in half, and only ever taken 2.5mg, even at my worst. was taking 2.5mg 4 times a day. as i needed it regularly, discovered its best to pre empt anxiety, so always took 2.5mg on getting uo, and 2.5mg at night. i fitted the others in between. still taking 2.5mg morning and evening, dropped the middle 2, when i started feeling better, aa they made me too sleeping, once ven began working. idea of taking benzos with an anti depressant is they get you through the worse during first 12 weeks. uts going to take that long. when anti depressant is working properly, its easier to come off them. you will not crave them, but you do become dependent. its much worse coming off them with no anti depressant, thats hell, and why drs restrict them. still takung 2.5mg morning and night, as a family matter has cropped up, which is ongoing. cant imagine starting ven without them. if 150mg of ven doesnt work, as for mirtazapine, a sedatitive anti depressant to be added at 15mg. theres a good chance you will get to that point. ven works like a ssri up to 150mg, above 150mg thats when problems happen for anxiety not depression. you rarely recover from anxiety above 150mg of ven. know plenty of people that tried, but couldnt tolerate it. im on 267.5mg of ven for depression, with 15mg of mirt added, which is working much better. got uo to 337.5mg of ven on its own, but couldnt get rid of anxiety. thats why mirt was added.

    • Posted

      thanks nigel, iv cut my diazepam in half this morning as im going out want to try and keep my anxiety at bay, my sertraline always seemed to kick in around the 3to 4 week mark so im hoping this may be the same but that could be wishful thinking lol

    • Posted

      thats good. taking it first thing helps all round, stops you getting more anxious in the first place. keeps anxiety lower through out the day, even though you may need another. lowering it like that should speed up your recovery, and you will feel better. a lot of people and drs would say its wrong thing to do, but if you know your are going to need x no per day every day, cant see the harm. all the best.

    • Posted

      hi nigel jist a question is ven one of the best drugs to take for anxiety and depression ?

  • Posted

    hi aaron, your Dx should have started you off at 37.5mg for the first week, then 75mg for the next 3weeks, taken in the morning. this would have eased you into it better and given your body a chance to adjust. be sure to take it at the same time every day as the drug has a very short half life

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