sweating on venlafaxine

Thanks for replying I have took it four months and that was the first effect of it with night sweats and day sweating. The night sweating has gone but I am still sweating a lot in the day

Thanks for replying I have been on it four months and sweating is a constant thing since I started it

I was on it for 7 years, had night sweats for most of that time, especially when things were stressful.  I don't get them anymore since I've been off. 

The doctor said it could be anxiety related but it was never a big problem before I started taking the tablets.

Exactly true, Mike. I am convinced the meds made stress on the body at the same time altering how the brain responds. While I was on it I went through a divorce, lost my job and had to cope with changing location... I believe for me the Ven did not allow me to work through things properly and messed a lot of my body functions up. I am still in "recovery" from it, but can tell that things are getting healed, albeit slowly, but healing is evident. 

I really don't think doctors have any idea what this med does to people and give it out too freely. I really feel to should only be used in dire circumstances only. 

Hi hiphi.  you mention 'hellish' withdrawal symptoms. What symptoms are you getting and at what stage of withdrawal are you. I have been off Ven 3 weeks now and sometimes feel as if I am having TIA. Blurred vision.  the well known sudden electrical zaps. dizziness. vagueness round the head, light headedness..I do not know how long the discontinuation symptoms last but I can understand why some people just have to take up ven again. What is your experience?

The date I quit it completely after a long weaning period was May 17, so 9 weeks and 5 days. 

I understand how the mind does everything possible to battle its way back to the drug. Its like heroin, if not worse. 

Day one I was experiencing a deep gloom, headache, anxiety, paranoia, flushed face and a bunch of other symptoms.

Day two, much worse of the same symptoms, but add vertigo, brain zaps, loss of appetite, inability to function at all. I stopped driving at that point. I could barely walk upright, never mind focus on driving. 

Day three, all of the above, insomnia, sweating profusely, shakes, and a massive headache. 

Days 4-7 were a little bit lighter, but then again I began taking Omega 3-6-9 as well as multivitamins, magnesium/calcium and potassium at increased dosages as well as Benadryl to assist with the brainzaps. Paranoia was still present. My chiropractor made house calls to me 3xs a week as well (for 3 weeks). 

After day 7 things evened out, nothing changed for the better except vertigo and the mad sensation that I was falling. 

Oops, pressed send prematurely....

Throughout the next week symptoms began to weaken, very very slowly, and the brain zaps would get a bit lighter

Today I don't have paranoia, insomnia, vertigo, falling sensation, headaches, etc regularly. I have occasional days where I experience a few symptoms still, though. It mostly happens when I wake up in a startled way. 

Wow, I have all this to come!!!  Just been reading about the discontinuation symptoms in " advances in psychiatric treatment: Recognising and managing AD discontinuation symptoms" Google it.  Says a lot. Shame prescribers don't read things like this. My GP said that it would only take 2 weeks to come off Ven.   One of the few jobs where you get paid a heck of a lot for pushing drugs and talking rubbish!!

Did you find that  the instant you woke up there was a second of cold fear?

I can tell you that I believe we all respond differently, so you may be spared from many of the symptoms.  I will certainly look up your suggestion, as I will be writing a paper or book on this at some point. Thank you for that. 

I don't recall cold fear, and it sounds horrible!! Paranoia may be my version of it and I had lots of that. 

We are all so different and our bodies respond in the way they individually need to in order to coax back the drug and battle inwardly and outwardly. If we remember that its a war, each day is the battle, be sure we are going to win, we can conquer! 

Highest legally paid drug pushers.... That sums it up for the most part, most of them have no clue what they are handing out 

I do wonder if the length of time of discontinuation symptoms is proportional to the time spent on the drug. I can't find anything anywhere which mentions it but I would assume that there must be some correlation. What do you think?

Ever heard of anyone having shortness of breath /dizziness as a discontinutation symptom of Ven?

Anything's possible going off that. But is switched from that to cymbalta in one day. Brutal going off others.

Judging by how some who have been on it for many years can sometimes go off of it without too much issue, albeit rarely, and then others who have been on it for a relatively short time having major symptoms, I "guesstimate" that its all individual to how people respond. 

For example I have anaphylaxis to airbourne latex, and ingested peanuts, most people do not. Here in Canada we have poison ivy, many people have terrible reactions to it and others never show symptoms. Others can smoke cigarettes till they die at a ripe old age of 90 (I knew quite a few elderly people) while their peers die young of diseases said to be caused by smoking....  

Studies forget to include the level of stress, the emotional well being of people, as well as their environment. I tend to take studies of the narrow focused with a grain of salt, and see that they are generally used for political or pharmaceutical gain, tweaked on the most part for the monetary gain of business or the twisting of society. .... Not many see it this way, I'm aware. 

So that is where my opinions are formed, having been a care giver, a parent, a medical assistant, a researcher, and a patient. 

Yes, as a panic attack as well. 

I've heard of others who get suicidal, still others who become frightfully violent even though they never had been either in the past. 

I had chronic dizziness, so bad I felt I was walking sideways and needed to hold onto walls. 

Been there, hiphi!    Twice just fell to the floor at home and once in the Supermarket!!

How horrible... And we didn't even get to have a few pints of beer to enjoy before falling over! Not fair at all! 

Even today, I have issues if I drink even just one beer, and I didn't have much sensitivity to a few drinks ever before. 

Hi hiphi,

I've been having a glass of wine in the morning just to help with the anxiety.Keeps me getting out.

 

Perhaps I should try drinking in the AM!! Hmmmmm sounds very brilliant!

Go for it, life is short.

 

I have certainly experienced sweating symptoms especially from the scalp. Most embarasing. Have been on the medication for years and other than a slight taste in the mouth and sweating I seem to suffer no other side effects. Hope that helps.

jpm, I've been having electrical zaps. Are you experiencing a feeling that things are firing in your head? You are the first I've found that is experiencing this as well. Did you talk to doctor? Did the doctor tell you what was happening?

I'm also on Ven and everytime my adreniline goes up (even walking across the room) my head sweats so bad it is embarrassing.

Hi 1KMG

I have those exact same zaps in my head. You described them perfectly. If I'm ever late taking my tablet it's the first symptom I have strange electric shock like zaps and dizziness. I'm just about to start my second attempt at withdrawing from 225mg ven and I'm dreading it. It's terrible. I've been on 225mg for 3years and the only side effect I had while taking the ven was sweating. Omg the sweating!!! It's been so embarrassing and it's the only thing that is spurring me on to withdraw from these tablets. I can walk up a flight of stairs and my head is wet! It's so bad, I have literally spent the last 3 yrs living in an ice cube for a home because I can't bare getting warm, the sweating is just too much. It's embarrassing.

Hi Leanne, did you end up getting off the meds? I wake up drenched every morning. Sometimes my hands are pruned from being in that much water for that long. It's bizarre. I'm also thinking of getting off of it, but it has helped so much I'm afraid to revert.

Hi there

No I haven't I'm afraid.

But no due to side effects.

In fact when I was reducing I had minimal withdrawal symptoms i feel lucky. My sweating would slowly decrease and the dizzy spells/brain zaps/sleep issues would die down after 2-3 weeks.

I managed to get down to 37.5mg in the morning and 37.5mg in the evening and I was on that for about 12-14 weeks.

Unfortunately I have just increased the dosage. Now back on 75mg in the morning and 37.5mg in the evening.

I was not coping well I had all the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety creeping back, and after an emotional chat with my dr we decided to increase. Perhaps I'm not as ready as thought to come of the tablets. She has also referred me for talking therapy.

My sweating therefore has increased again!!! It drives me insane but I need to mentally get myself to a better sustainable place, the sweating will have to be my friend for a little longer.

Thank you for sharing. My oncologist suggested effexor with my first cancer, as I was still going through menopause. Helped enough, that I took it for 1 1/2 years. By the 2nd cancer I was finished with menopause. Third time, after a radical mastectomy. they put me on letrozole. All hell broke loose, so I requested effexor. 

This time it has not helped, rather things got worse. 2 of my pharmacist friends said their customers are going off both regularly.

So after stopping the letrazole, I weaned myself off the effexor, the same as before, 3 1/2 weeks. I have been experiencing everything you did. I did not get most of these the first time around. This week was extremely bad and I was going to make an app't with the doc. However hearing what you went through, I will keep on for a bit hoping things eventually stop.

Always helps to talk to others. 

Thanks

I was in two serious car accidents in the late nineties...and the doctor put me on ven.....for years I had a myriad of health issues....though the doc repeatedly said ohhh you can't go off ven....its too hard to get off...etc..

I changed doctors twice due to this...my new doc said...

sure if you think you''d like to try....lets be gradual ...I said, I've already over two months tossed two 75 mg....he said super lets do the last !!

honestly.....this drug is poison in so many ways...I realize it given

for depression....though the side effects I had were crippling. 

Profuse sweating that kept me inside.....anxiety that was just horrible...

insomnia....and the list goes on. These doctors. Need to think before prescribing these things....pure poison...I feel like a million now that its gone !!