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Venlafaxine - reviews please!

Posted , 14 users are following.

8484fran
8484fran

Hi, I have been trawling through this forum but most posts seem to relate to withdrawal and coming off Venlafaxine so not really what I'm looking for. 

I have been put on 75mg daily today after problems with other drugs:

1. Citalopram - worked amazingly for couple of months - if anything I think I was experiencing the 'manic high' side effect which was great, but didn't last and back to square one. 

2. Sertraline - didn't notice much difference and could not sleep at all which made my depression worse. 

3. Mirtazapine - cured the insomnia but nothing else. I felt detached, numb, irritable, constantly hungry so put on weight, sweating just to go to the shop 2 mins away. 

So now I'm on venlafaxine and looking for reviews from people on it or who have been on it? Did it make your mental health problems better? Did you experience side effects? How quickly did it work? etc. Any advice you can give me would help, like everyone on here, I'm just desperate to feel normal and be me again. 

Thanks 

0 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • t07646
    t07646 8484fran

    Posted

    I would strongly advise that you stay away from it. I've been on it nearly 5 years and it has been hell coming off. It will make you constantly tired, forgetful and listless. Horrible, awful drug. I've sleepwalked through 5 years and had no benefit. I'd rather be depressed than on that stuff. 
    • 8484fran
      8484fran t07646

      Posted

      Ok thank you. Do you mind me asking why you have been on it for five years of its had no benefits? Or is there some benefits it's just the other effects outweigh this? Thanks. 
    • froggy2
      froggy2 8484fran

      Posted

      +2

      I was on it since July 2011

      If you want to feel as if you have an aquarium permanantly installed on your head then go for it, otherwise, the suppression of "life" for want of a better word is personally not reccomended.

      I think the effects are different depending on how people think etc, but I emotionally react quickly.

      The VF slowed this process so I had more time to think before saying /doing / feeling something I'll regret later, but the downside is close to "Oh theres a car coming -- meh I'll cross anyway." so the self preservation was not there.

      You'll see in other posts that I went cold turkey a week ago and I almost physically feel as if I have walked out of the floor of ocean into the air and sunlight - its been that different.

  • rhian50438
    rhian50438 8484fran

    Posted

    Hi I have been on it now for about 3 mths after having similar to you in the past. I felt really sick for 2 wks and then ok, no other side effects. I feel quite steady in it now, not a zombie and not high but ok. Depressive symptoms have def lifted though still very short tempered and lacking in patience. Due a review in a few weeks missed last appointment due to family reasons. 

    Know coming off it might be hell have gone into it with eyes wide open. So far so good for me xxx

  • rhian50438
    rhian50438 8484fran

    Posted

    I think as long as you are aware you have nothing to lose. Give it a try. I was in cymbalta for quite some time until it too stopped working. I'm come to end of line so this was all that was offered x
    • rhian50438
      rhian50438

      Posted

      Everyone has a positive and negative to all antidepressents. I read avidly before I started to take it and came to the conclusion I should give it a go
  • kennybhoy
    kennybhoy 8484fran

    Posted

    For me it's worked the best by far, I've been stable for 2 years on it, after coming off citalopram.

    I have no intention of coming off it, 

    Good luck

    • meikakay
      meikakay kennybhoy

      Posted

      Hi Kennybhoy, I was wondering what strength of Effexor you were on 3 years  ago when this post was written, and what dose are you on now. Or if you are off and why?  Thanks for your help
  • t07646
    t07646 8484fran

    Posted

    The only benefits I derived from it is that it didn't make me depressed, yet it didn't make me feel anything at all. You don't have a care in the world and its like going on holiday from yourself. I got trapped in that state for a very long time and life passed me by.

    In all fairness it sounds like some people have really benefited from it and I'm pleased it helps people. I probably just had a really bad experience but please be mindful that it is a very powerful drug and it's very tough to come off. I suffered two seizures and was hospitalised when I took some strong painkillers to help with a tooth abcess. So be careful with mixing meds with it. I went down to 37.5 after that and even at such a low dose I really struggled to come off it.

    All I can say is that I got next to nothing from it but a 5 year coma but in all sincerity I wish you nothing but the best and I hope that, should you decide to continue to take it, it really works out well for you. 

    • 8484fran
      8484fran t07646

      Posted

      Thank you, this is really helpful. Sorry you had such a tough experience. That's how I felt on mirtazapine so I can empathise, sort of detached from myself. I didn't feel strongly about anything in particular I missed getting excited for stuff. I feel that's probably a good drug for going through grief but not when you're just trying to be yourself again. 
  • sue34151
    sue34151 8484fran

    Posted

    Hi I have been on this med for seven years, it was slow to work at first I was on 75mg and after two weeks I went back to the doctos and he increased it to 150mg and within a few more weeks I started to feel more like myself again, I didn't have any side effects other than extreme night sweats and always being hot even in the winter but that was bearable as I felt so bad before I could put up with those, I think I should have come off them when I fetl better but I was so worried that the depression would return. Just lately I have felt quite numb and would like to see if I can manage without them so I have dropped down to 75mg this last week and up to now I have felt fine but you never know after hearing some of the stories on here I was really worried but I have warned family and friends if they notice anything strange to let me know. There's a lot of worrying stories on here but everyone is different, maybe they won't work for you but you need to give them a chance I to had been on many different meds before but they worked for me and if I need them again in the future I will go back on them.

    good luck

    sue

  • charlotte2703
    charlotte2703 8484fran

    Posted

    I've been on it since march and had it slowl increased since then to 215mg daily and I can honestly say it saved my life. The side effects of starting them Weren't pleasant but the benefits outweigh them massively. I've heard that the withdrawals etc are horrific however as I'm only on the start of the recovery journey I can't think about that yet. 

    I do still suffer from excessive sweating and night terrors but you get used to them. Hope everything goes as you want it to x

    • 8484fran
      8484fran charlotte2703

      Posted

      Thanks this is really helpful. I'm worried about the sweating as that was happening on mirt and really getting to me but I will give it a go smile 
    • froggy2
      froggy2 charlotte2703

      Posted

      Hi Charlotte

      Something I asked myself was "did it save my life?"

      OR

      Did I think "I'm on meds so I'm ok, I'll get over this" and THIS is what allowed me to save my OWN life.

      The descision to lake your life is yours, not any med or doctor or anything smile

      As far as I am seeing, the pattern is these type of meds delays thought, and allows you to take a "helicopter view", before you make a quick descision.

      So hopefully off the meds, if I get into a bad situation again, I'll say "Yknow what? I got over it last time myself" and train myself to use the helicopter :P

      BTW the helicopter view was described to me in a confrontation course... The lady said what you do is pull back from "My Boss did this to me" to "This conversation has happened. This is what I'm feeling now.

      Pull away from "I am sh*te" to "I feel like I want to call myself names today - why do I want to do that? What started me thinking this way this morning?"

      Hope this makes sense.

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