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Week 3 of Venlafaxine 75mg - Not feeling much benefit - Advice needed?

Posted , 8 users are following.

sam49289
sam49289

Hey, I've had social anxiety / gad since highschool and I am now 25. I first took citalopram at 17 and took most other ssris trying to find one which helped, it was only when I took sertraline at around age 21 that I really felt benefit from a med, I noticed a feeling of content I'd not experienced since my childhood days, and soon got a job and began to socialise a bit after years of being a recluse. Anyway, the good feelings only lasted a year and I found myself asking for meds again, so my doctor put me on cymbalta which I took for 6 weeks and felt no benefit. I then went back and was put back on escitalopram which I felt had been somewhat helpful and I stayed on that for a couple of years.

Again I found myself suffering anxiety on a daily basis, so I needed a new med, so I went to my doctor again and was put on venlafaxine in late 2014 at a starting dose of 37.5 twice a day. I took my first and felt completely out of it and suffered worse panic attacks at work, so I tried to come of meds altogether but found myself taking half a tablet every other day to prevent the horrible withdrawals, when I completely stopped I felt more anxious and depressed so went back to my GP who recommended mirtazapine which I refused, I explained I didn't want to keep taking more meds for them not to work, as I didn't want to end up on last resort meds such as MAOI's when I am not clincially depressed or a risk per se. So i agreed to give Venlafaxine a try at 75mg a day and go back in a few weeks.

I am now on week 3 of venlafaxine and the positives are decreased anxiety at 'work', although this med makes me so tired I have no energy to be anxious, and a feeling of content, although I could sit in all day and not feel compelled to do anything as I feel 'ok' if that makes sense, which is a bad thing really. The negatives are a feeling of emotional numbness, no desire or motivation to acheive goals, tiredness all the time and no desire to socialise which suggests no improvement in social anxiety, and teeth clenching which happens with all meds for me.

So my question is should I keep taking venlafaxine, should I go back on sertraline in the hope it might work like the first time, or should I go on mirtazapine even though I don't want to feel even more zombiefied and don't want to feel hungry all the time. Or should I stop meds?

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • andrew531
    andrew531 sam49289

    Posted

    Hi! I went through several antidepressants, including Prozac, Welchol and Venlafaxine. To be honest, I was not at all impressed with Venlafaxine. I stopped taking anything for depression once I started facing the sources of that depression. Some went back over 45 years. But by facing them and sorting them out, the depression lifted. Not all things were resolved. Some, I just had to accept as unresolved.

    I don't recommend this for everyone. But, I am saying that you can look at your past to see if there is a pattern to what has bothered you and be prepared to accept responsibility for some of it. Also, review your diet, exercise and sleep.

    I hope that this helps!

    • sam49289
      sam49289 andrew531

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for your reply. I agree that avoiding issues can prolong anxiety and depression, and ideally taking responsibility and facing them is key to getting a grip, but I am in no doubt that medication is helpful and that I need something at the moment to keep me stable and the anxiety can be unbearable.
  • pixie22
    pixie22 sam49289

    Posted

    You are actually only on quite a low dose of venlafaxine. I take 225 mg with 30 mg mirtazapine too. My suggestion is that you give it another few weeks to see how things settle because these medications can take 4-6 weeks to have their full effect. But it really is your decision to make, to balance up the pros and cons. I hope it goes well. Pixie
    • sam49289
      sam49289 pixie22

      Posted

      When my GP gave me venlafaxine he said he'd start me off on 75mg and then look to increase it to 150mg if I 'do ok'? I think this is a pretty high dose for someone suffering with anxiety and not depression. I just don't feel my GP's are being responsible prescribing me these particular drugs. 
    • pixie22
      pixie22 sam49289

      Posted

      Well I don't know you, but some of the things you are describing, like not wanting to socialise, lack of motivation and emotional numbness, do sound like depression to me. But you really need to discuss it with you GP if you are worried about it.
  • emma1605
    emma1605 sam49289

    Posted

    Dont go on mirtazpine, i dont how anyone takes that. When i first took venlafaxine i was so desperate and at the lowest point ever, on 37.5mg twice per day it took a few weeks but it really works for me altho ive just increased my dose to 75mg as my anxiety started to come bk. Id def say give it another week x
    • pixie22
      pixie22 emma1605

      Posted

      I've been on venlafaxine 225mg and mirtazapine 30mg together for 6 years and they've been a success, very effective (eventually) with few side-effects. Mirtazapine is proving difficult to reduce now I'm better, but I don't regret taking it. I'll stay on it (as my psychiatrist has suggested) if necessary, it has given me back my life. Inevitably we read more negative stories than positive ones on these forums.
  • anne240
    anne240 sam49289

    Posted

    I have been on many diff anti depressants.  Venlafaxine took away my anxiety and depression.  I was on 150mg.  Your doctor will up your ose gradually if you need it.  It will take at least 6 weeks before you feel better.  If after 8 weeks you feel no improvement, tell your doctor.  We all react differently to different drugs, what suits one person may not suit another. 

    Do what you feel is right, because, as I say, we all have different experiences of medication.  Only a doctor should advise.  If you really feel anti depressants are not helping you, and you have tried quite a few, then the decision is up to you whether you stop taking them.  You know best how you feel, no one else. 

  • Hollyworrier19
    Hollyworrier19 sam49289

    Posted

    I too took sertraline for 1 and half years and really helped me but after six months of not being on it I got the feelings of anxiety back and went back on it but I had terrible side effects from it so it didn't work the second time round. Doctor then put me on Venlafaxine and it has worked for me muxh better than sertraline, only thing is I get really tired but can deal with that. I have only been on it 3 weeks like u. Everyone is different but I would wait another 2 weeks and if u still feel the same go to the doctors. Or maybe try cbt or hynotheraphy to help alleviate your symptoms. X
    • sue1898
      sue1898 Hollyworrier19

      Posted

      my doctor upped my dosage to 150 and im having bad side effects. its been 2 weeks but ive been told it could take 4 weeks or more to get rid of side effects. could someone let me know how long it took them. Feels like knots in my stomach and off and on nausea plus poor appetite.

      Thank you.

  • pauline79505
    pauline79505 sam49289

    Posted

    i would stick at it. i rang a doctor yesterday to change my venlaxafine to fluoxetine, he has left some out for me to change in one weeks time, i have been taking 75mg for 10 weeks, now i am going to have to ring up begging to change it back because later that same afternoon it started working, so it took 10 weeks for me to feel any good effects at all. i only have 2 weeks supply left and it has been taken off repeat. please give it up to 12 weeks.

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