Did Venlafaxine change your life for the better?

I've always said I wouldn't wish it my worst enemy.

That's good.

I'd say they stole my life. I am a slave to them and their side effects now. Especially excessive sweating for years. High blood pressure and dental problems.

I can only say how it has affected me, like everyone else can.

For me too, it was the only option after trying all others.
The crisis team called it a 90's drug that's very hard on your system, and it is, if you forget one dose.

I just don't think it's the one to go straight on to.

I take them for Health anxiety, OCD and intrusive thoughts/magical thinking.
They work better than any other for me.
They gave me my life back

@Crispsmakemehappy I have had periods of no medication and have tried a whole range of different types. I'm currently on citalopram and propranolol. This works for me at the present time, it hasn't always.

Just wanted to make sure you had a balanced view and I'm so glad to read the positive stories around venlafaxine. I just know I never, ever can get those lost years back.

I worked up to 225 before they started working then slowly reduced after about a year. Took them for about 5 years and off them altogether for about 5 years now. I had already tried sertraline which was a disaster for me.

All that said, it hasn't changed my life for the worse.
I've still got stitched up in hospital through SH. I've still behaved like a depressive arsehole.

I'll not post more. Sorry. I do hope it works for you.

At least if you have the hard tablets you can come off and nibble a bit everyday to ward off the effects.

I was on 75mg for 10 years, 150 for 5, and now 225.

I do think your body becomes used to it and you need to up.

I've been on 225 since lockdown.

If it's anxiety and intrusive thoughts - definitely not.

These are prescribed for major depressive mood disorders.

No, no.

Have you tried Sertraline? That wasn't around before I had Venlafaxine.

The crisis team wanted me to try it but no, I can't even face trying to get off these.

Crispsmakemehappy

My DW was so so depressed to the point of suicide. She had been prescribed Sertraline, Citalopram etc. Nothing had helped.

When she started taking Venlafaxin, she felt better so quickly.
She has been taking them for several years and this, along with some psychotherapy, has changed her life for the better.

She asked me to tell you this and urges to try them.
Don't run out of the pills, you will need to maintain the dose.
Good luck.

Saved my life, not a question. Been off them about 5-6 years now.

I would say no.

20 years on.

Be prepared of the withdrawal side effects that will start as soon as you have missed a dose.
They are SO hard to get off.

I had a meltdown in the pharmacy as was 1 day into withdrawal.

I've always said that I wouldn't wish the drug on anybody.

Crisis teams have asked me to get off. GP has asked me to get off.

Once you are on you are on.

Do not take them.

225mg daily.

They keep me stable, because the withdrawal makes me very unstable.

I don't even know a true calmness now.

They started me on 75mg and just kept raising the dosage. I believe 375mg is as high as you can get. Please don't let this happen to you! It was only when I googled it that I came across all of the (anecdotal) stuff which I know I'd been feeling but wasn't made clear to me.

Just for balance.

I was on 375mg and I've absolutely no memory of about 4 years of my life after my daughter was born apart from looking at photographs. I constantly had compulsions to steal, to my knowledge I didn't but I was mortified to feel like that. My family were so worried about me they didn't know what to do. My exH called my DM once at 5pm when he came home and found me delirious.

Coming off them was the worst thing I've ever experienced. The brain shocks were the worst.

I'm glad to read that others have much better experiences. To this day I can't bear thinking about it and feel so bitter that they threw these drugs at me - 8 stone and 5 ft - at the highest dose with no warnings.

Ooh @Crispsmakemehappy I thought of another thing that helped - I found the capsules quite tricky to swallow, particularly the larger ones / bigger doses. Venlafaxine also comes in tablets (which I much prefer - you don’t get the weird sensation of the stuff inside the capsules rolling about as you swallow <har, that’s a terrible description, it’s the only ‘sensory’ thing I’ve ever got the ‘ick’ about) 👍🏻

I'm on 75mg I'm on other psych meds (including another AD) but it's definitely helped a little

YES!! Venlafaxine saved my life. That's not an exaggeration. 5 years of nothing else working and finally my life went back to normal. That was 20 years ago and I'm still well now.

@ThatCheeseIsMine anxiety and intrusive thoughts. And maybe a bit of depression too for good measure

That sounds very like mine. I hope although not everyone has liked it, you will try it because it can really help with these things. The anxiety is probably making you worry about it now more than you need to IYSWIM.

Re taking it, I have mine last thing at night after a snack.

Against everyone else - Venlafaxine almost made me end everything.
It made me totally unable to function.
I'd had a breakdown, and was prescribed it alongside Amitriptyline.
If it makes your brain stop being able to comprehend anything, please stop trying with it.
Currently taking Duloxetine. I'm really good right now.

Yes