Side effects please help!

What side effects did you have? 

Headaches and dizziness. Got worse before it got better

Hi was your headaches bad? Mine are really horrible and I have to spend a lot of time in bed as I can’t function with them. Did you have it daily? As Mine seems to be all the time. Did it go gradually or suddenly at 6 weeks? Sorry for all the questions x

It is ok.

I had jeadaches before i went on ven. They stayed about the same but at the six week point they got unbearable for 3 days then just went. I still get them a bit but it is ok.

Hi Sarah, at what time did the 150mgs help your depression? Was that at 6 weeks? 

Yes 6 weeks on 150mg

Have you just started venlafaxine or been on it a while and increased? I’m concerned as my headaches and tierdness leave me in bed most of the time and I’m 4 weeks on 225mgs! I can’t understand why they haven’t gone yet or maybe it means they don’t suit me. I’m so stressed with feeling rubbish! I do think if the side effects went I’d feel a little better but they just won’t leave. Then obv staying in bed a lot just makes me feel more low! 

I've recently increased to 225, been on ven for nearly a year in total. Before that I'd been on citalopram and sertraline over a period of 14 years. I'm nearly at 4 weeks on 225 now and am mostly headache free but the headaches I had for the first 2 weeks were debilitating and I often spent a huge part of the day in bed or laid on the sofa! Are you taking any pain relief? The reason I ask is because I took paracetamol for 3 weeks when I changed from citalopram to sertraline for the headaches I was having and I ended up with rebound headaches from the paracetamol. Once I stopped taking pain relief the headaches stopped after about 3 days x

I take paracetamol but not all the time only when I can’t stand it anymore. But they are debilitating I have to spend time in bed most days due the them and feeling depressed. Has the increase kicked in yet for your anxiety and depression? Or do you think it needs longer? I’m 5 weeks today on increase and still depressed! Not sure how long to give it. I’ve been on it in total 9 weeks 

You've gone up from nothing to 225 very fast! My doctor wouldn't increase until I'd been on each dose for 8 weeks apart from the 37.5 to 75 which he did after 4 weeks. I'm confused as to why your doc has let you go up so quickly as you haven't had the chance to see if a lower dose would have been ok for you... I'm not surprised you're suffering with headaches with the speed you've gone to a full 225 x

My pysch increased it fast as I’ve been very deeply depressed plus was on it years ago but on maximum dose. So they knew they had to give me a certain amount but I agree with you that it could be why I’m suffering so much and will need longer to stabilise. I’m going to give it a few more weeks. Just don’t like waiting to see if something will help me or not when I still feel rubbish each day! 

Are you having any good days? I would be tempted to speak to someone just to put your mind at rest and maybe you could get a stronger pain killer to give you a break from the headaches. I always suffer with headaches on a change of meds or an increase

I don’t have good days as such as I either feel tired or have a headache. I did speak to pysch in the week who said to give it another week or two to see if head ache goes. I just wanted to know if others had it. But as I increased quickly maybe that is why mines hanging around longer than yours did. I will give it another 2 weeks max but can’t live like this if it’s going to continue! 

I agree, it was bad enough having the headaches for nearly 2 weeks! Nothing I tried would take the pain away. The only thing that eased it was sleeping