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Upping my dose?

Posted , 3 users are following.

chris180477
chris180477

Hi all. I've been on Venlafaxine 75mg since September last year. I see no constant improvement in my health at all. I have 2 good weeks out of the month then 2 bad ones.

I suffer badly from GAD and Panic Disorder which in turn has dipped my mood quite badly.

I have much to look forward too in reality but in my head none of this excites me.

Has anyone been on the 75mg dose and upped it? My psychiatrist stated to me that 150mg is the recommended adult dose so maybe the 75mg isn't touching the sides??

I have real issues with taking meds of this type as I panic and convince myself that the side effects will get a whole lot worse and I'll be worse than I'm actually feeling and then I'm stuck on them.

If I was to change my meds, would I have to come off the Venlafaxine first or can another drug be issued with no break?

I'm petrified to do this. Any suggestions or feedback would be welcome. Thanks.

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Kit1981
    Kit1981 chris180477

    Posted

    Hi Chris, I was on 175mg ven for a few years and I've just recently came off altogether. It sounds to me as though you do need a higher dose. I won't lie, it's not easy to come off but certainly not impossible! I've done it and I feel great! It's been a tough 3 weeks getting off it but definitely achievable. I didn't have any bad side effects whilst on them apart from the sweating. I will say, that this drug saved my life, i was suicidal on a different drug and then got put on ven and started to feel better pretty quickly. I still needed a higher dose though to get myself feeling 'normal' again. For me personally it was about feeling good again and not thinking about how and when I would come off them until I felt like my life was back together. My advice to you would be to take whatever dose you feel you need at this time. Don't think about anything else other than making yourself feel good now......the rest can be figured out and dealt with later. If you worry about everything before it's even happened you're going to drive yourself crazy with anxiety! I'm just wondering, are you having any side effects from the drug now?
    • chris180477
      chris180477 Kit1981

      Posted

      Hi. Thanks for your message. In all honesty it's a tricky one. Complicated. I was on ven 75mg for 5 yrs. I spent a year coming off them and took my last pill in feb 15.

      I was on them for my moods more than anything. I came off them because that stress wasn't in my life anymore. Worst thing I did!

      My first experience of ven was spot on. No side effects and took effect quickly.

      In April 15 I relapsed and fell severely depressed with GAD and panic disorder rife within me. I tried staying off meds for as long as I could but in September I had to give in.

      Since being on them I've had episodes of feeling really good and not worrying about anything then it'll hit me and knock me back 8 months or so.

      I've spent the last 2-3 feeling great but yesterday and today I feel awful. I'm not sleeping which is making it worse. Anxious and panicky. More doom than usual too. Very strange.

      Alcohol and poor diet is the root cause I believe. I can't think of anything else.

    • Kit1981
      Kit1981 chris180477

      Posted

      Oh dear......my personal opinion is that you need a higher dose! The whole point in taking an anti-depressant is to stop you from feeling depressed! The current dose isn't working for you so you either need to increase it or try another drug. I know that in my experience 75mg wasn't enough for me. I upped the dose until I felt better, full stop. You are right in thinking that your diet will affect your mood, maybe try to eat more healthily and stay away from alcohol. I couldn't touch alcohol whilst on ven, I got asian flush! It was awful! Alcohol is a depressant and you should think about not drinking any at all, certainly whilst feeling like this.
    • chris180477
      chris180477 Kit1981

      Posted

      Yes you are right. I'm just really afraid with taking medication full stop. They make me more anxious and paranoid. I was on this dose before and they worked but they was treating something completely different obviously.

      I've taken fluoxetine 10 yrs ago and they sent me crazy and I had peroxetine in July and they made me ill. They are the SSRI drugs which may not agree with me. I have no choice in upping my dose I don't think. It's going to be hard and scary.

    • Kit1981
      Kit1981 chris180477

      Posted

      Try not to be scared.....it's necessary! You can't go on like this. The side effects that you may or may not get are a small price to pay for feeling good and healthy.......you will get there so stay positive! That's the key, get rid of all that negative thinking, I know it's easier said than done but little by little you can achieve it. Stay positive! You can do this 👍🏻👍🏻
  • pixie22
    pixie22 chris180477

    Posted

    You really need to get together with your doctor/psychiatrist to decide what to do next. I take 225mg venlafaxine, so there is plenty of scope to increase the dose if necessary. Also, my psychiatrist added on mirtazapine so I've been on both together for several years, that's been very successful in keeping the depression at bay. But you do need to consult with the doctor before changing anything.
    • chris180477
      chris180477 pixie22

      Posted

      Hi pixie. Were you on Venlafaxine for anxiety or panic disorders? These are SNRI drugs. Have you ever taken SSRI's? If so, how did you get on?

      My main fear is that they are the wrong medication for my condition.

  • pixie22
    pixie22 chris180477

    Posted

    Hi Chris. I was put on venlafaxine for depression and anxiety. I have taken SSRIs in the past, with mixed results. I was on Seroxat for a while, which worked, but a previous one I tried (can't remember the name) made me feel drunk. I came off the Seroxat when I felt better, but then when I had a relapse and took it again, it didn't work so the doctor gave me venlafaxine.
    • chris180477
      chris180477 pixie22

      Posted

      Hi pixie. I just wish I had never come off them first time around. I probably wouldn't feel like this.

      If you can picture a graphic equaliser on a stereo in how the levels move up and down with the different sounds. Well that's what my brain chemicals feel like. One min I have a smile on my face and my mood is up, the next it's in the gutter and it's all doom and gloom.

      I believe I have GAD. That's what I've been told but there are so many traits and behaviours that they are also linked to other conditions. I've thought I have bipolar 2 or a personality disorder. If one drug did the lot it wouldn't be so bad but it's not like that and I'm worried there's something underlying that I haven't been diagnosed with.

    • pixie22
      pixie22 chris180477

      Posted

      Hi chris. When you are worrying about being anxious, then it drags you down. I recommend you talk it over with your doctor, be honest and explain how you've been feeling. There are many different medications, and it might take some experimenting to find the right combination for you. Our brains are so complex. As well as venlafaxine (225mg) and mirtazapine (30mg) I also take a low dose of haloperidol as necessary for panic attacks. I hope you and your doctor can find what works for you.
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