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Hi. I'm on venlafaxine 75mg. I've been on them for 3 months to treat GAD and depression. I'm struggling with sleep. Not sleepless nights but between 2 and 4 am EVERY night I'm waking up. I'm not waking anxious, just waking. I've been to the docs who said he can't give me anything for it.
Has anyone taken anything with venlafaxine to help with these annoying sleep patterns? Thanks.
1 like, 29 replies
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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Chris.
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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30mg mirtazapine...3 hydroxyzine....3 antihistamines and 2 differebt inhalers for my asthma ... A also bought a oxymeter of ebay to check my oxygen levels so that i can check if its an asthma attack or a panic attack
chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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daniela28689 RICHARDJ1985
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RICHARDJ1985 daniela28689
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betsy0603 daniela28689
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totallytiffy1 chris180477
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Guest chris180477
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chris180477 Guest
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I'm thinking of the increase but if I'm honest, I'm petrified of going through the side effects again. I find it really hard. I've been on fluoxetine and peroxetine and they sent me mad.
I now see me as damaged goods now I'm in that mental illness black box. I'm damaged goods. I want to increase. Just scared. My depression seems to have reduced somewhat but cus I'm totally mentally tired my anxiety levels are still quite high.
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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Guest chris180477
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I tried a number of antidepressants without much success way back before 1995; it took 9 years to find something that worked properly. Then venlafaxine was invented and I've never looked back and weaned myself off from 375mg over 10 years or so. I was so careful because I didn't want the illness returning. I was fine until 12 weeks after coming off the very last tablet, apart from not too bad withdrawal symptoms. Then the illness came back - depression with a bonus of anxiety which was truly horrid. It was the same as the original illness, but not as bad 'cos there was no lead up to it. Felt like my brain had broken. I started again the first day I was non-functional and worked back up to 225mg over a couple of months. Several months later I'm fine again - sleeping, having lots of ideas, able to concentrate, normal socially. Relapse feels like a bad dream. So nobody's going to advise me that we should try weaning me off it again!
Venlafaxine has kept me entirely well for 20 years (provided I take it).
Fluoxetine made me want to trash things, peroxetine didn't exist when they were experimenting, other stuff made the walls move round, the old-fashioned tricyclics helped up to a point. If you met me you wouldn't know I'd ever been ill. I don't think you are damaged goods. You just haven't found the right answer to the illness yet. The one thing I've learned in the last year is that my illness is definitely due to chemistry and not due to any other life issues. If you had a heart condition and the medication didn't work you wouldn't say you were damaged goods. You'd just say that the medicine didn't make it work properly!
chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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chris180477 Guest
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RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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Guest chris180477
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The first time I was on it I remember it giving me an itchy scalp and a nasty headache which would not go away but was told it was nothing sinister and my body got used to it. When I went back on it recently I didn't get these symptoms.
I'm a full-time mum by the way.
I didn't really care about the side effects because I could think, colours brightened up, I felt happy, I could sleep, I no-longer had episodes where I stopped moving. The people who don't get on with a particular medication tend to shout loudest on here and say it should be banned, but I think you would have had those problems on 75mg if it was going to happen. Good luck!
chris180477 Guest
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I've been on venlafaxine before years ago. I came off them this year. The worst mistake I've ever made. When I was on them last time I remember being fine. This time is all so different. I can't drink on them. I don't feel socially enthusiastic and I can't sleep although I'm not as depressed as I was back in April. This dose is a massive disappointment this time.
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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I live in hope but it's not brilliant at the moment. Not bad but not as good as it could be.
It's a shame you're in the situation you're in. Have you tried any social groups or anything? Are you from the UK?
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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RICHARDJ1985
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i had no anxiety for 3 weeks and i felt amazin but then it creped back in lol
chris180477 RICHARDJ1985
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Yeah I'm gonna up my dose. I tried nightnurse last night for a better sleep. Didn't do a thing. Still woke up.
I'd love to understand why this sort of sh*t happens to certain people.
I used to be well and after 1 event ie my separation, now I'm not! I've got a fantastic girlfriend that supports me with this condition, we have future plans but still it doesn't make me happy. Got to be the dose!!
betsy0603 Guest
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So, if you try again to go off meds, go much more slowly. The WD authorities recommend a 10% taper per month, much slower than the docs would have you do. It's a hassle, but when you have been on these drugs for a long time, your nervous system adapts to their presence and when they are taken away too quickly, a huge imbalance is created! The nervous system can change back but it is a very slow process, so slow tapering allows a more gradual adjustment.
Guest betsy0603
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very suddenly, as it was all those years ago. It took 10 years to find *anything* that worked. Another medicine combination that treated a combination of seritonin and nor-epinephrine also worked briefly, but had other problems. I will never be off the drugs and I don't mind because the alternative is permanent hospitalisation or no life at all. I enjoy my life on venlafaxine.
RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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RICHARDJ1985 chris180477
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betsy0603 chris180477
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Mirt works for sleep very well at low doses but is also one of the most cruel when it comes to withdrawal coming off, so think very seriously before acting on this one. Have you tried Benedryl?
Mirt has a very strong histamine block which is why it is so sedating. It might be safer to use an OTC antihistamine like Benedryl to achieve the same affect.
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