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Side effects

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Dannie1989
Dannie1989

Hi all, I was taking venlafaxine 150mg for about 3 years or a bit longer, decided to come off of them with my DR.

Tapered down (75mg then 37.5mg) then started taking them every other day then every 3 days until I just forgot to take them and now don't take them at all.

I have only suffered with minor side effects but anxiety is generally at an all time low with the exception of a depressed feeling maybe once a week.

I suffer with generalised anxiety, depression and generalised panic disorder (I hate 'generalised' makes it sound like they don't have a clue so they just put it in a catagory)

I'm currently taking 40mg propranolol as an when needed in case of an inevitable panic attack which, touch wood, isn't that often.

Now to my question, I have NEVER suffered with migraines until I started taking venlafaxine and propranolol but I get them now maybe once a month, I told my doctor about it when I was on propranolol XR and 150mg venlafaxine XR and his solution was to take another 80mg propranolol whenever I had a migraine.

Now I've come down on the doses of my Meds I thought the migraines would dissappear as suddenly as they appeared but they haven't.

Can this be a common side effect of reducing doses of either meds and if so what can I do to either stop them or reduce the effect they have on me or do I need to visit the GP again?

Thanks in advance.

D x

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann Dannie1989

    Posted

    Dull headaches at the onset and culmination of treatment are common. Migraines are not as common but can be seen in sensitive individuals and should subside over time - Provided they are a result of medication to begin with and not caused by something else or a natural condition brought about by age and hormones. It is really difficult to pinpoint the cause:

    One common cause of migraines is birth control pill. If you have recently started or discontinued it it could also be the culprit.

    Hormonal changes in early to mid 20ies are pretty rough for example. Changes following child-birth. Various medications. Various underlying conditions. Chronic tension even. Or they can be idiopathic - no detectable cause.

    If these are related to medication you are on you can expect the migraines to become lighter progressively over the course of about 6-9 months from the time you finished medication.

    You say you get them about once per month - does this coincide with a specific point of your monthly cycle? Do you have any children?

    I would follow up with GP to check other possible causes: blood tests to rule out thyroid problems, perhaps a hormone screen for other imbalances, blood sugar levels, iron - basic work-up. I would also check blood pressure at the time you get a migraine. Finally, an eye check-up would also be pertinent, including a depth check for occular blood pressure. I believe the above are pertinent for anyone experiencing migraines for the first time.

    All the best.

    • Dannie1989
      Dannie1989 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for the response, I'm only 27 so I hope nothing to do with age and I haven't taken any form of birth control for around 7 years and have no children.

      I've not noticed them occurring during my monthly cycle but I will keep that in mind thanks.

      It shouldn't be anything to do with my eyes, I've had laser eye treatment about 6 years ago, my vision has remained at 20/20 since then an I'm not having any issues with sight.

      I may have to go to GP and see if there is another reason for them.

      I know it's only once a month but it's pretty awful to go through.

      Can I ask if you know if anger issues are a side effect also? This is the second time I've tried to come off of venlafaxine, the first time I was a little over confident and came off too fast and experience massive anger swings, this time I've come off over the course of 4 months and today I just can't shake the anger and irritation, everything is just making me so mad it's unreal!

      Like I want to just F**k it all off and go off somewhere by myself, drop all my responsibilities and just go.

      I just need to know if it's a possible side effect because my doctor said it might just be my natural disposition but I've never been disposition Ed to anger in my whole life, it's so intense I just feel like I'm going to explode!

      Please tell me this passes?

      Thanks again

      D x

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann Dannie1989

      Posted

      My psychiatrist insisted that the anger had nothing to do with taking or stopping the medication but that it was a sign of underlying depression. I had some escalating anger/irritability issues in the first lap of my therapy and after stopping it the first time. However no issues after my very slow taper. The anger you describe has crept back in recently after some notable increase in my daily responsibilities and worsening of my personal life conditions/family problems. So doctor's theory appears to have been correct.

      You mention wanting to f**k it all off and go off somewhere by yourself....i can identify with that. So i think the word 'responsibilities' is the common denominator. Think about it and see how you can simplify your life, regardless of whether anger is a medicine discontinuation side-effect or not smile Whatever the case it is clear you are tense and some adjustment is needed.

      As for migraines, is your diet healthy? Try to find a trigger. Some migraines will come from severe tension (start as tension headaches and then trigger a migraine fall-out). Real migraines are usually difficult to manage in that the cause and trigger are often elusive. Start by cutting out the usual suspects like caffeine, orange juice, chocolate maybe?

      If it is drug related it could take, as mentioned, 6-9 months. Migraines are rarely caused by some serious underlying condition but it is good to have a check-up. It really could be something simple.

       

  • Purpledobermann
    Purpledobermann Dannie1989

    Posted

    smile Btw, the term generalized means the disorder is not triggered by a specific stimulus but reactions occur randomly. It is not that they don't know what you have - it is that you are shooting off in various directions like all of us with the  GAD. I had GAD and panic disorder. Frustrating stuff. I do hope you continue to feel better and improve on your own now that you are done with the medicine. I was on venlafaxine for a total of 12 years, though only the last 6 were properly managed and successful. The last 2 years I tapered off slowly (from 150mg XR) and i have been off medicine for 4 years now. I was not allowed to come off the medicine until I was stable and without a single panic attack for 2 years. Once that was achieved, reduction was uneventful and first days and weeks after medication were fine with some fluxes of emotion and some readjustment on my part smile I wish you a smooth transition as well. x

    • Dannie1989
      Dannie1989 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Sorry lol it just seems like a category they put you in because they can't be arsed to pin point the reasoning behind it.

      I know I have Thanatophobia but if I say that to a doctor they look at me like I'm talking jibberish.

      My doctor didn't give me any criteria to meet before I could come off of mine, I said I wanted off and he set me up a tapering plan 😕

      I hope I've not done it too quickly again 😔

      Everything else is going fine, I'm still getting the odd days of major depression and some spikes in anxiety but I'm not concerned by them....is that OK?

    • Purpledobermann
      Purpledobermann Dannie1989

      Posted

      hahaha well...thanatophobia is just so difficult to address. And when you say 'doctor' I am assuming you are talking about GPs? Then no wonder...they are not interested in philosophical aspects of health smile I mean...there is nothing you can do about it and nothing anyone can tell you that will make you feel better. Some therapy may help but not for all cases. Fear of death is normal. It is what keeps us alive. In cases of thanatophobes the muscle is just stronger than normal smile

      One thing I can safely say is to give yourself a few more years and fear of death will start lessening considerably. It becomes much easier to stomach the notion the older you get.

      Ideally, the taper should take quite a while. My doctor insisted on minimum 3 month gaps between each decrease and that is counting from the first day any disturbance felt upon decreasing has stopped. One drop took me about 9 months i remember. He also said no drops in case of any new life changes or difficult patches. He did this with all his patiients and has had great success.

      But faster is possible too. You will know, a few months down the line if it was the correct time and speed of taper. I hope you will swim through, readjust and also feel better soon.

    • Dannie1989
      Dannie1989 Purpledobermann

      Posted

      Yes sorry, GP/Doctor, same same.

      I'm awaiting CBT but it's been months since my initial consultation and we agreed a more in depth course was needed rather than doing it all at home.

      I honestly wish this whole thing was a muscle that I could have removed and just get on with things, it holds me back in everything I do and makes me constantly worry I'm not doing enough!

      That's a long wait between drops 😕 but I get where your doctor is coming from, I so desperately want to be off the tablets but my life is up in the air right now, I hate my job and it's making me so miserable, I'm applying for other work but no one seems to want me, applying for college again but who knows how that will turn out or if it can help me gain that sense of achievement.

      I hope I've made the right choices but only time will tell I guess.

      Thanks for all the help.

      D x

    • linda73099
      linda73099 Dannie1989

      Posted

      Headaches are a side effect of propanol, print that out and take to him. It should also not be taken if you are suffering from depression. It will also drop your blood pressure hence my falls. So getting up quickly becomes problematic. I'm a big girl and doctors never believe my BP sits low naturally, hence drinking largish amounts of water.

      CBT you can do some of it online. Worth trying while waiting for appointment. I've turned into a people watcher, watching how other people react/ say in certain situations. I have chronic depression and anxiety. Nobody ever believes me because I can be the life of the party when I'm out. All act, I'm actually very shy and unsure of myself. I also have been back to uni to assure myself that my brain is ok.

      Don't forget you can always find another doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist. You may not like one for some reason you can't name. Find another. I've had too because I moved about 400km away. But now not everything that happens revolves around my breast cancer.

  • linda73099
    linda73099 Dannie1989

    Posted

    Propranolol is often used as a prophylaxis against migraine. I have suffered migraines my entire life. Was on propranolol for a while but it dropped my blood pressure significantly and I began fainting etc, so took myself of it. Yes headaches do seem to be a common side effect. I've not had a full fling migraine, halos auras etc.

    Again keep hydrated, plenty of water. If it doesn't help your head at least it is good for flushing out your kidneys. Otherwise I've been sticking to strict protocols with panadol.

    • Dannie1989
      Dannie1989 linda73099

      Posted

      Thanks Linda, when I told my GP about the migraine and never having them before he suggested I take more propranolol! I told him I think it might be the cause, he told me it made no sense because propranolol is used to relieve migraines.

      I've had to be careful with what pain relief I take due to my other medication, pretty much paracetamol is the only safe option which does actually help for around an hour or so but then I'm back to square one and have to wait another 3 hours before I can take any more.

    • joey1987
      joey1987 Dannie1989

      Posted

      Hey Dannie im also having anxiety happened back in 2012 when my niece passed away. And out of nowhere it came back like 2 and a half weeks ago. Please message back
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