Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To please give me your experience of Venlafaxine

67 replies

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 09:44

I have recently started taking venlafaxine. I was prescribed 37.5 mg once per day to increase to 75mg. I felt fine on the lower dose anxiety wise although had some withdrawal /change symptoms.

So much so I just started taking half a 37.5mg tablet per day. But I was becoming irritable and overwhelmed. So I thought I'd go back to 37.5mg yesterday. Unfortunately last nighti had the worst nights sleep of my life. I'm exhausted today I got maybe 3hrs. Also the higher dose makes me constipated, make me nauseated and kills my sex drive. So feels like it's a choice of be irritable of have the other crap. But might it get better?

Anyway I'm posting to ask about others experience of venlafaxine. Particularly dose related. I've got an appointment with my GP on Monday. But just want to hear from others with actual experience. Did your side effects get better in time? Particularly any insomnia. As I can't function on this much sleep.

OP posts:

everybodysang · 22/04/2021 09:50

My experience was quite a while ago, but I do remember the side effects being rather brutal - particularly withdrawal when I finally came off them, that was a very horrible few weeks.

However - when I increased my dose initially, and I think like you I was eventually on 75mg, I know it was two weeks for side effects to settle each time as I was on a training programme at the time which coincided with each time I increased the dose! The insomnia was very difficult, but it was also the first side effect to fade off, after about a week I seem to remember? My head felt a bit 'swimmy' for a fortnight, and I quite often felt sick (I was training to work on a bloody boat at the time too, it was a nightmare!) but once it stopped, it really stopped, and the venlafaxine helped a great deal with my mood.

I have to say the withdrawal was so horrible that I'd never, ever use them again, but I don't think it was managed very well. I left that GP quite soon after and my new GP said it should have been done much more gradually.

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 09:57

@everybodysang

Thanks for your reply. I've read that the withdrawal is brutal! So I'm reluctant to go any higher as it makes sense it would be harder to reduce or get off it eventually the higher the dose my body is used to.

I'm also not sure if the low dose (half a 37.5mg tablet) irritability and feeling overwhelmed is my anxiety returning or just withdrawl. I'm certainly not having some panic attack type symptoms I've had before or intrusive thoughts.

Just to clarify I took half a 37.5mg tablet for the past week. Then yesterday took one 37.5mg tablet. So haven't got up to the 75mg yet. I'm aware I'm on a low does as yiu can be prescribed up to approx 300mg. So god knows what the side effects are like of that dose.

OP posts:

bunglebee · 22/04/2021 10:13

How long have you actually been taking it? Side effects usually settle after 2-3 weeks, so I'd give it that long on the dose you've been prescribed before messing around with it. If you really can't tolerate the side effects for that long you could talk to your doctor about titrating up.

My experience is that venlafaxine really really helped me with my depression and made me a lot more stable. It was long ago enough that I can't remember what the initial side effects were like. I made the horrible mistake of going cold turkey off it and the withdrawal was awful, but that was largely my stupidity and with a managed withdrawal you can minimise that. It has a rep generally for being well tolerated and effective IMO, with the known bad withdrawal the major downside. But everyone is different.

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 11:01

@bunglebee I think you're right I shouldn't have messed around with my dose. I have a really good relationship with my GP too. I've been on citalopram for about 7 years despite having a fairly good life. (I do know depression and anxiety don't work like that!) it's not nice to feel I need something to just be normal. I swapped to venlafaxine as my acid reflux from citalopram was really bad.

So any hint that I might be able to function on a very low dose of meds or get off them it's tempting to try it. So it was probably silly!

I have been on it since 12th March I was on a low dose of citalopram and directly swapped to venlafaxine. Then in the past week did the half dose thing.

I've got some other health issues including migraines which feel related too. So it's all just feeling difficult to know what to do for the best.

OP posts:

Maggiesfarm · 22/04/2021 11:02

Dreadful.

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 11:08

@Maggiesfarm

Dreadful.

Your experience was dreadful? Can you expand?

OP posts:

Maggiesfarm · 22/04/2021 11:12

Shaky, sweating, sleepless, more depressed than before. Felt terribly ill, had pain in limbs. I really persevered too because I know the first few weeks can be bad and then it 'kicks in'. It didn't kick in for me.

Never again.

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 11:40

@Maggiesfarm

Never again.

Urgh sounds awful. It's so hard because it really does kick in and work for some people. But then for others you get the side effects but no help!

Right now I'm lucky to be working at home as yesterday I needed to lie down I felt so sick.
Did you find a medication that worked for you? Or did you come of medication?

OP posts:

Maggiesfarm · 22/04/2021 13:39

I had and have no medication, none suited me. You name it, I've tried it. It was many years ago though.

bunglebee · 22/04/2021 13:52

OP I'd suggest you book in for a phone call with your GP to discuss the best way to work towards having you on a therapeutic dose you can tolerate. Good luck.

Flambola · 22/04/2021 14:02

I’m on 225g and I bloody hate it. I had hoped to speak to a GP about changing it but unfortunately got ill and missed their call.

God forbid you ever miss a dose!! I get brain zaps, shakes, nausea. It also appears to give me horrendous night sweats.

RiojaRose · 22/04/2021 14:06

It worked fine for my depression once I got up to the maximum dose. No issues with sleep (no worse than the usual insomnia). Side effects included ‘brain zaps’ and feeling too hot all the time: I was walking about in winter with just a jumper and no coat I was so hot. Summer was awful. Eventually I came off it and the withdrawal was not good. But it worked quite well for me for a few years.

If it’s not working for you, there are many other meds to try.

PaddleBoardingMomma · 22/04/2021 14:13

I didn't have any of these horrible effects, I'm sorry and surprised to read about them here.

I was on XR, which is the slow release version and it you look online it seems that the slow release is much more tolerable for most.

For me, it changed my life for the better. No more panic attacks, no more worry, more energy and better sleep. I lost weight and felt great. I'm off it due to pregnancy but the minute baby is out I'm going right back on it

PaddleBoardingMomma · 22/04/2021 14:13

Oh and I was on 75mg XR

Craiglang · 22/04/2021 14:16

Please stop messing around with your dosage as Venlafaxine, like many others of the same type, can take a month for you to see how/if they're working for you. If you're chopping and changing the dose constantly you won't find out. Any side effects will also be worse if you're upping the dose then coming down again without letting your body adjust.

I've been on 300mg for over a year. I started on the lowest dose and worked up to that, it works amazingly well for me. I'm not longer overwhelmed by anxiety every day and can function well. Yes, the withdrawals are awful if I miss a dose - I'm just extra careful to make sure I don't after the first couple of times. Other than that, I don't have any side effects nowadays. I remember in the beginning feeling awful but then the anxiety/depression/PTSD made my life so unbearable that as things improved it was like coming out of the darkness. I'd been on Citalopram before that which worked well for ages but then suddenly stopped working for me.

If you're not coping with the side effects or it's not the right drug for you, please talk to your doctor and see what they can do to help.

WhoWants2Know · 22/04/2021 14:21

I'm on 225mg slow release, and have been for years. It's been a lifesaver for me. I don't remember having side effects with it, but I learned quickly that you don't dare miss a dose! But I think that may be why it's been so successful.

ViciousJackdaw · 22/04/2021 14:22

Venlafaxine is the only reason I haven't topped myself. I'd been on seven other anti-depressants previously, none of which made much of a difference. This stuff is the absolute dog's bollocks. Extended release tablets are the best - you'll need to ask (and probably ask again) for them as they cost the NHS a little bit more than standard release.

One thing I would say - don't tinker with your dose. That's basically an express lane to side effects.

I really do hope you start feeling a little more at ease soon. Am happy to answer any questions

We are all different though. There are drugs I really cannot tolerate yet they have no ill-effects on others.

MoonlightFlitwick · 22/04/2021 16:28

One of the worst for withdrawal because of short half life.

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 19:03

@MoonlightFlitwick

As you say the half life is really pretty short compared to others. I missed a dose last week or took it quite late I suppose. Which is why I thought I'd Tey taking a half dose as I didn't feel too bad.

This is also one of the reasons I tinkered with the dose as my logic was with such a short half life (5/7hr) I'd feel the effects of the dose fairly quickly. Which I think is true to an extent. But I don't think it is what I need on terms of getting used to the medication.

Yesterday after the nausea had worn off I was feeling emotionally great. But obviously there's the side effects. What I'm hoping is the side effects will fade and I'll be left with the positive impact on my mental health.

I've got a gp appointment on Monday so will speak to my GP then about the side effects. The insomnia was like nothing I've ever experienced in terms of going to sleep my body was just having none of it!

OP posts:

JokeTheCoalman · 22/04/2021 19:42

Been on it for a few years, has been a game changer. Felt weird at first, sweating, crazy wild dreams. I'm on 150mg, wd recommend the low release and take in morning works for me. If I miss a dose I can feel myself getting irritable and get mad brain zaps. I'm moving on to setraline next week though as I've been experiencing side effects not sure if it's venla related though

Original poster

Neonprint · 22/04/2021 20:42

Thanks for sharing everyone.

I tried sertraline briefly and had huge increase in anxiety. I did about 3 months on it I think. Also the acid reflux and indigestion were awful. Citalopram worked quite well for me mostly but the stomach issue side effects were getting bad so I decided to change.

What dose are you on? @ViciousJackdaw

OP posts:

ConcreteUnderpants · 22/04/2021 20:54

I’m on 300mg.
Have wild dreams/nightmares which I can solely put down to the XR (slow release).
Other things like tiredness etc, I’m pretty sure is the depression.
In my experience, the benefits far outweigh the side effects. If I miss more than 2 doses, boy do I know about it! I return to crazy!

Quite simply I would not be here today without my Venlafaxine.

ViciousJackdaw · 22/04/2021 20:56

@Neonprint I'm on 225mg but apparently I class as having 'treatment resistant' depression. I fully expect to be taking it for the rest of my life and that's absolutely fine by me.

heidbuttsupper · 22/04/2021 21:06

I've been on these since Oct. 37.5 a day. These have been life changing for me. I finally feel positive. Yes l did have side effects at the start but the guidance does state this

iloveruby · 22/04/2021 21:59

Best medication I've ever taken - has massively improved my quality of life. Im on 300g.
Agree with others to stop mucking around with your dose and give it a few weeks.

Flip

1 2 3