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Venlafaxine rant

Posted , 13 users are following.

laura43429
laura43429

Hi all, 

I need to rant a bit and hope my experience will help anyone who is in two minds about wether or not to take this drug.

I've been prescribed venlafaxine because I was very depressed and anxious after a series of tough life events and workplace bullying. 

I thought it would be a good idea as it would give me the strength to fight. Bad idea... really, really bad idea.

Here's what happened:  

I had all the typical symptoms of strarting up like nausea, zombie feeling, panic attacks, night sweats. After a couple of days on it I stared to bleed heavily, despite it wasn't the time for it. 

GP advised to immediately stop the medicine. Here is when it got interesting. 

I got a number of aweful problems. None of these have ever happned even remotely to me before. Today is day 4 after stopping: 

My head starts to twitch and shake uncontrollably out of nowhere, same as one side of my face. It's seriously scary.

My brain makes crunching noises (sounds weird, I know)

I have sudden urges to hurt myself that I can only resist because I know it's the medication causing it. These stop after 10 -20 minutes. 

Crying spells and anger

Constant headache, painkillers don't help

I can't concentrate at all for most of the day. 

I'm guessing this is temporary, right? Did anyone experience these selfharm impulses and the muscle contractions in the neck and face? I almost called an ambulance because it was so scary. 

Learning from this: I think I should have tried to get two weeks off and see if I can recover instead of taking a drug straight away and being sick for two weeks anyway. I wish the GP had come up with that idea. Now that I read all the withdrawal horror stories, I'm kinda glad this happened and I'm getting off the drug again. 

Stay strong!

Laura

 

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  • si675
    si675 laura43429

    Posted

    Hi Laura

    i tried it twice and never again the first time my throat closed up within a hour of taking it and the second time I tried it I had the worse suicidal thoughts ever. 

    When my throat closed up I managed to get to the local doctors as its a few minutes walk away and quicker than waiting for an ambulance. They said it was possibly a reaction to being only just off Mirtrazapine. So I gave it a two weeks drug free and the new tried again. The suicidal thoughts the next morning where so intense I'm sure I would have done it if I had a gun. I talked myself out of the normal overdose or hanging thoughts as I've been there tried that and failed. 

    Im now 19 days drug free and having good and bad moments throughout the day. I paid to see a shrink as I can't see one in my doctors till 6 Feb and she told me I had suffer a mental breakdown not depression what my doc said I had and why I had been put on drugs in the first place. So I'm now seeing the shrink once a week and working through my issues drug free. 

  • rachelli
    rachelli laura43429

    Posted

    I have been on venlafaxine for 3 years now. I kept at it to try and make a positive change in my life. I dont feel it has done anything apart from making me feel emotionless, numb and just carrying on but not seeing the point and damn the feeling has made sex totally pointless too. Sorry just saying. I tried tocome off them but the head spinning i just cant seem to get past it. Hence i need advice too if anyone can.

    I have decided just to quit the venlafaxine and just ride out the withdrawals. Does anyone know of anything that can take that spin away.

    From my experience i would say avoid but everyone is different.

    Thanks x

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