Fber

[fber]

Hi folks.

I'm taking venlafaxine 225 and it works beautifully EXCEPT 7-10 DAYS BEFORE MY PERIOD!!!!

It comes around every four weeks, obviously, and is making this time quite a nightmare for me, to give an understatement. I am desperately depressed during this phase. That scary lack of insight that you have when you are depressed gets me every time, and when I have (yet again) called my husband to a summit meeting of how miserable my life is/how unsupportive he is/how pitiful I have it, he points out to me that I am premenstrual. I know this, but each and every time feels unique and my little pity party is very real to me. Then I start my period and 'poof' it's gone. I'm left ashamed and embarrassed at my egocentric behaviour. I am alert, engaged, busy.

What is going on? Before I took the Venlafaxine most days were like this because I had PND. So three weeks out of four seems like a huge blessing but why does this happen and more importantly how can I stop it? I half heartedly mentioned it to my GP who basically said 'that's the deal' so not very helpful.

Does anyone have any advice?

Hi our kid. Any AD that works is a boon. An AD that only works 75% of the time isn't the right one. Print out your OP and take it to your GP and talk about it. Good luck.

Really? should I not just be grateful for the good times? I'm afraid that changing medication may make me worse :(

Don't you need to give it a bit more time maybe?
I feel shit every month for a week. I'm not on any medication. Maybe the doctor had a point but wasn't very understanding.
Try to see another doctor? Perhaps your medication is making a usual hormonal mood more intense if you see what I mean?

By the way, I spoke to a great pharmacist the other day.
You can call up any chemist and they can tell you all about how medicine works, side effects etc.
Sure you know this and I don't want to patronise you, but I loved talking to the pharmacists on the phone who weren't at all rushed. Far better than a rude ish GP who seemed bored with my questions!

Hope you feel better soon. take care.

What you could and probably should do is keep taking the Venlafaxine and combine it with counselling for the week you feel shite. If it's working most of the time it has to be worth considering other therapy. Good luck.