1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Venlafaxine

tried in vain to go down to 150mg...

Posted , 4 users are following.

marcus34
marcus34

Well its certainly been a rocky road with regards to taking venlafaxine. I've had highs and lows along the way. As a result of the 225mg dose no longer working i tried to go down to the next level which is the 150mg capsule of efexor. Unfortunately i failed as the panic attacks hit me quite hard along with the anxiety. It was so debilatating to the point that i found it very difficult to even venture outside my front door and have had to rely on beta blockers to calm everything down. From my experience so far i just wish i had not discovered efexor in all honesty as it is so difficult to come off. Out of desperation I have been eager to have the 225mg increased to 300mg to get some relief but the psych won't budge as he feels it will make things worse as it increases risks the higher you go. To be in this situation is very disheartening as i just don't know where to turn next. Each dosage increase at the start of treatment worked very well for a time but not for long enough, infact just 6 - 8 weeks before pooping out each time. I often wonder if the pain medicine codeine might have prevented the efexor from working to full effect. Fortunately i have only taken the codeine three or four times each week due to chronic back pain. Anyway i'm now in a situation where i can only function properly if i take hi strength fish oils along with the efexor. It's called Pura EPA from mind1st which is a high grade fish oil and is thought to tackle depression and low moods which is a bonus. They give me a clear head which is great but the anxiety side of things i'm not quite sure yet. I've had a reducton in anxiety in the past as a result of taking these fish oils but i hadn't taken them with an antidepressant before. Without these oils i think i would really be struggling to be honest. It makes you wonder why some people experience the poop out effect with antidepressants and others dont. Part of me wishes that i had the efexor upped to 300mg to see if i would have benefited however its clear that its not going to happen as the psych thinks im not severely depressed or bed ridden i guess. I don't know where to turn next. Any personal tips or insight would be great...

p.s. If i can help anyone out on here or make suggestions i will certainly try my best. Hopefully together we can all try to help each other with encouragement and offer something different as a result of our own life experiences. smile

Regards,

Mark.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hello Marcus! Like yourself, I was on 225 mg of Effexor for years, but in the later stages, the drug was doing very little so I decided to come off. Also like you, I discovered that this drug isn't really designed for coming off given they only produce 75mg and 37.5mg tablets. Anyhow, I discovered a way to reduce your dosage by \"splitting the capsule\". Here's how to do it! If you want to go down from say 150 mg then the best way to do it is to get a bit of paper, draw a line on it, and mark the line every half inch.Do fifteen of these. Split your capsule, and let the balls fall into the crease of the paper with the marked lines on it. Gently use a sharp knife or similar to evenly disperse the balls along the crease. Each half inch is the equivalent to 10 mg of drug.So , for week 1 of withdrawal, scrape off 10 mg into the waste basket, and swallow the rest - do this for the remainder of the week. On week 2, do the same again, but scrape off 20 mg of the drug, and swallow the rest. I did it, and got from 225mg down to 75mg. Every four weeks, I would have a holiday, and not do any step down to allow your body to catch up. Honestly, Its the best way I've seen to do this!

    Good Luck

  • limlam
    limlam

    Posted

    Tailing it off over a long period may work.I am mid way through an 8-10 week reduction regime (self managed) aiming to quit by end of the period.Was on 150 now down to 113mg and seems to be going ok.You need 75mg and 37.5mg tabs to do it this way.
  • StuR
    StuR

    Posted

    Hi guys.

    Been on ven for nearly a year having failed dismally on prozac. Luckily because of the effects I was having ven seemed to kick in within a week! However it has now been increased to 225 slow release as it seemed to stop working early evenings!

    I was fine up until sunday when I was arrested! Real shock coz I hardly go out! Having spent 11 hours locked up police let me go, having realised I was 100 miles from where the incident happened! Think it had something to do with ex who had me wrongly arrested last year which started my downer! Has set me back and the ven doesnt seem to work, keep having to check I have taken it.

    Having missed maybe 1 tablet I know how I am affected, feels like that most of the time.

    Am finally seeing psych next week, waited 9 weeks just to get appointment. Just hope I can last that long. Am also having ECG next week because of ven, new GP said I should have already had it a few times on this dosage - is that normal?

    Lots of us in the same boat here, lets keep it floating!

  • limlam
    limlam

    Posted

    Venlafaxine should not be used in people with cardiac / blood pressure problems.I recommend that anyone starting it should ask their GP or Psych to do check fasting lipids blood test-to measure your cholesterol.After 2 yrs on it just found out my cholesterol is 6.4-it was 4.9 when i started.A cholesterol over 4 increases risk of heart attack / stroke.

    See it as a necessary evil -if it works for you to keep you functioning but keep an eye on the cholesterol and weight gain.

    Hang in there

  • limlam
    limlam

    Posted

    Venlafaxine should not be used in people with cardiac / blood pressure problems.I recommend that anyone starting it should ask their GP or Psych to do check fasting lipids blood test-to measure your cholesterol.After 2 yrs on it just found out my cholesterol is 6.4-it was 4.9 when i started.A cholesterol over 4 increases risk of heart attack / stroke.

    See it as a necessary evil -if it works for you to keep you functioning but keep an eye on the cholesterol and weight gain.

    Hang in there

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.