Starting Venlefaxine

[Badgerdad]

I'm on day 11 of starting this med having previously taken Sertraline for many years. I'm taking it for depression/anxiety. I felt the sertraline had stopped working as effectively as it used to.

I'm having some debilitating side effects mainly acute anxiety reducing me to a wreck in the 3rd 4th & 5th day. Thats a bit better now but I've also got insomnia which hasn't gone away.

I'm taking 37.5mg am & pm with a view to going on 75 mg extended release in a month.

I have to say I'm very worried about the sleep problem, I know its early days but can anyone offer me some positive thoughts about the use of this med!

It's been brilliant for me for several years now. Admittedly, it didn't get really good until I got up to the horse-doctor's dosage range. Getting to sleep you have to treat as a sort of skill. Lots of relaxation exercises and breathing and so forth. The upside is you stop needing quite as much sleep when you're on high dose. Other than that, it re-sets your mind's idle speed to something you can function on rather than just tick-over. The increased energy can feel a bit like anxiety at first until you get used to it. You also start to freak out whoever you're sleeping with by going from deep sleep to fully-functional in mere seconds. No grogginess on waking, which is pretty cool.

It also improves your taste in music and makes you good at fighting*.

*Some or all of the foregoing may be utter lies.

Thanks Kisses thats given me food for thought! I had a much improved nights sleep (did take some night nurse though!)

Maybe I just need to be patient & hopefully some of your energy (and taste in music) Will rub off on me!

Like all Brain Candy*, it takes a few weeks to kick in.

*If you haven't seen this movie, you should.

Thanks kisses! Its on youtube so I will watch :)

it has worked brilliantly for me on a.medium dose (150) but do find prolonged release much more effective. I also moved to am only and sleep has been fine since (I'm pretty sure that was why I changed from eve to morning). hang in in there - from memory the side effects.reduced considerably in or after third week.
Take good care and I really hope it helps

Thanks Scarecrow it really does help to hear that!

Im nearly in to week 3. I'm seeing my gp next month with a view to going on the extended release ones (75mg initially) Only problem I will have is my shift pattern which is alternating days/nights. One to discuss with the doc I suppose...

Mood wise I'm not too bad just now (considering I've just started the 1st of 4 12hr day shifts :) )

I had very positive results when I took it years ago, initially I did suffer similar side effects but once they stopped it really did work, xx

when you are on modified release and you are more used to it, you might find it affects sleep less. Another option would be to try middle of the day time when if you are doing night work you can adjust slightly depending on when you are sleeping in day, iyswim. I find I can take it in a 2h window either side of my regular time and I'm fine, probably a bit more. If I'm too late I do feel it but there is some flexibility. It can be a great med so bear with it while you find your rhythm.

I was on 525mg per day and did not have any sleeping problems. But it did not work either.

guessmyname, since that's like 150mg above the manufacturer's maximum recommended dose, your doctor either has nerves of steel or a brain of turnips.

Lol at KissesBreakingWave

Wish there was a like button on here sometimes ha!

I was on them ten years ago. My then psychiatrist was very open minded, too.

think I was on 75mg a day. Felt good on it but my sleep was always poor.

Thanks all for responses!

I am going to persevere as I have been on it for 2 weeks today. Hopefully the sleep problems will subside, I'm getting by at the mo but could so do with more sleep working these damn shifts!

Early days still I suppose :)

I have been on 75mg a day for a couple of years now. Before that I was on Prothiadin at night which was good for helping me sleep.

Venlafaxine takes the edge off my anxiety but not much good for the depression. The only strange side effects it has produced are a total inability to cry no matter how much I want to and problems achieving orgasms.

Venlafaxine is atotal bastard to come off, the withdrawl symptoms are hellish. I felt ok when i was on it but i only had to be around 3 hours late taking atablet and i would feel awful. Nausea, dizziness, brain shocks. It is really hard to withdraw. I kept getting occasional brainshocks a whole year after stopping the drug. It is effective while taking it but i would never take it again before i felt so rough coming off. think it's something to do with it havinga short half life. Fluoxetine is much better to come off as it stays in your system for longer so not as bad withdrawl.

how are you getting on bagherdad?,
Venlafaxine is awful to come off by all accounts but you mighty not have to so focus on getting.well first x