wil i make it out alive???

Posted , 6 users are following.

Soo ive been off ven 6mths now and beleive im still been affected buy withdrawl or somethink..i felt better before goin onto ven now i feel brain dead since stoppin..can any1 help or hav the same time frame experince..fightin to stay here n goin bak on ven aint an option due to side effects..stuck between rock n hard place..hav had improvements very little one over 6mths..please write me

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Posted

    Can I suggest you go back to your doctor and ask to try another antidepressant? If you feel worse than you did before you took the venlafaxine, you might be suffering depression and anxiety again? Try to keep calm and work your way through the problem. I do understand, I know how hard it is, I've been there too but got through.
  • Posted

    It is 17 months since I stopped Venlafaxine.  I was on anti depressants for 20 years and Venlafaxine for 9 years.  I did not get any withdrawals as I weaned myself of very slowly over 10 months.  I know when I did it cold turkey once I got bad withdrawals, so know what it is like if you withdraw too fast.

    I do not want to go back onto anti depressants either.  I think as you and I have been off for a while we should be OK now.  I get ups and downs, but am coping.  I take supplements, which I believe help.  I definitely do not feel like you do.  You say you feel brain dead.  I feel better for having stopped the medication.

    Do you get side effects with all anti depressants?  I know some gave me side effects, but others suited me fine.  It is just a matter of finding the one that suits you.

  • Posted

    I have found that the venalfaxine makes me feel brain dead, that's the main reason I want to come off it.
    • Posted

      Just reading that word venalfaxine makes me feel ill. That is something I will never take ever again, I felt like hell on it and I went through hell trying to come off it. Infact I don't want to ever take another AD of any kind I'm off them now but still suffer bad with anxiety and depression but I find its far better than being on them meds and having to cope with all the horrible side effects that made me into a zombie
  • Posted

    Just felt I had to chip in with the other side of the story. Venlafaxine has been very effective for me, with minimal side-effects. It's given me back my life and sanity. That just shows, each drug suits some people but not others, and you can't know until you've tried it. Also It's very difficult to tell the difference between withdrawal effects and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety coming back.
    • Posted

      I totally agree with you as some people do very well on ADs but unfortunalty for me that wasn't the case. To be honest it makes me I bit jealous that some people can just take pills and be symptom free. I tryed in vain for 32 years to find the magic pill that would work for me but it never happened. I just have to put up with the way I feel. My doctor suggested ECT ( electric shock treatment ) as a last resort but I turned it down as I feel that my brain is destroyed enough already with all the years off having them drugs in my system. Also when I was hospitalised I saw people that were having ECT and they were like cabbages. Maybe one day I will find a treatment that works for me I hope. But you name it iv tryed it and nothing ever worked for me
    • Posted

      Well I can report that I've had ECT. It was about 30 years ago when I wasn't offered any alternative drugs to tri-cyclics which I couldn't take. I can't say it cured my depression, but it certainly didn't turn me into a cabbage. Since then I've graduated from university and I'm still studying free online courses!
    • Posted

      Hi pixie

      Well that's great news and I'm happy to read that you are doing ok. I guess ECT works for some and not for others, it just put me off when I saw the state of a couple of people having ECT when in hospital, maybe they were in the early stages of treatment at that time and most Likely sedated on drugs as well and perhaps they are now good and well too

  • Posted

    Since stopping Ven@ 7months ago, I had an issue where I needed to do a bit of brain re-training with some physical stuff.I seemed to have more problems with taking the top off jam jars, Cola bottles etc.

    I haven't felt "brain dead" do you mean something like not being able to make a descision like I will go shopping now.

    Or another eg. go to shops to get bread and get 3 other things but not the bread? cause I've done that :P

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