Frightening myself about taking vanefflaxine/effexor

[Peckarolloveragain]

Can anyone tell me their experiences of this drug?

I am being weaned off 40mg citalopram and onto 150mg of this

Thanks

[mommycat]

I preferred citalopram. But i had these at different times for different situations. I don't know if i needed effexor. the citalopram was definetly PPD and definetly needed.

That's not much help... Why are they changing what you're on? There must be a reason. If you trust and know your GP then it should be fine.

I didn't have a bad experience of effexor; it's just that i think i started self-weaning almost immediately, so wasn't on the full dose for very long.

all of those things have a lot of withdrawal symptoms. but as i said, trust your GP - and it you don't, ask to see another GP.

[expatinscotland]

I'm on 75mg of Efexor and I love it!

PND here, characterised by mucho anxiety.

I've had issues with fatigue, but I've had that with every AD I've been on, which is a lot.

I couldn't take fluoxetine because a) I found it ineffective b) it was so hard for me to surface from sleep, which is a no-go when you have three little kids 5 and under.

[expatinscotland]

I'm on 75mg of Efexor and I love it!

PND here, characterised by mucho anxiety.

I've had issues with fatigue, but I've had that with every AD I've been on, which is a lot.

I couldn't take fluoxetine because a) I found it ineffective b) it was so hard for me to surface from sleep, which is a no-go when you have three little kids 5 and under.

[ActingNormal]

My bro took it for a couple of years and it REALLY helped him. When he didn't take it for a couple of days he had dizzy spells and fell over but when he came off it properly - really gradually lowering the dose a bit at a time, he was fine and is now off it and had no bad side effects. He believes it saved his life!

[giraffescantdancethetango]

Same as expat - I love mine too. Am down to 75 now. Helped me greatly. Just remember to take it every day and dont stop it suddenly.

[nickytwotimes]

I tried it but was better on sertraline.
It wasn't scary though!
Why are you swapping? Is the Citalopram no good for you?

[Lulumama]

i took 175mg of effexor initially and then 150 mg, and it was the only AD that had any long lasting, positive and pretty much immediate effect on me

[ahedgehogisHibernating]

I have been on this for about 5 years, throughout PG and am still on it and BF. It is the only AD that has worked for me and I am now only taking 37.5mg per day from 225mg prior to falling pg

[Peckarolloveragain]

I am being put on it because despite regular upping the dose of citalopram I have been getting worse and worse until the last couple of weeks I was barely functioning/plagued by intrusive thoughts/very very anxious/unable to be alone etc etc

Just a very sudden and awful crash

Went to see psychiatrist who said that I wasnt responding to it so the decision was made to move to this.

[jealiebaby]

I am on 150 mg of Efexor and I think it is great.

Have been on Fluoxetine and Sertraline in the past but I kept needing them increasing cos they stopped working after a couple of months.

I started on 75mg of Eflexor then was upped to 150mg. It has def helped alot but if I miss any I get a tingling in my lips and my mood drops rapidly.

[GooseyLoosey]

I share your anxieties and when I was prescribed Venlafaxine I went away, read about it and decided I could not take it. I asked if there was an alternative (was taking sertraline at the time) and was prescribed Fluoxetine instead. I have found this helps a lot (at the moment).

I think that different drugs help different people but if you have only tried citalopram (which did nothing at all for me), you can ask for alternatives before trying venlafaxine.

[sarah76]

I loved venlafaxine, took it for seven years in varying doses (as much as 225/day at some points). Withdrawal from it is really difficult though. I was lowering the dose while trying to get pregnant, got pregnant and was down to 1/4 of a 37.5mg tablet, then miscarried at 7 weeks. I decided to quit in preparation for another pregnancy, and it was two weeks on the couch feeling dizzy, anxious and generally unwell. Once that was over I thought I was ok, but got pregnant again a few months later and now at 13+4 am suffering horribly with antenatal depression. GP has put me on fluoxetine but it doesn't help. Would love to go back to my venlafaxine, but it's not recommended in pregnancy.

I think some have already said, but make sure to take it every day--I always noticed very quickly that I felt dizzy/anxious when I missed even a day. The first time I took it, within two days it was like a light switched on and I was suddenly alive again. Honestly, it worked like magic for my recurrent major depression.