Those who take venlafaxine

[luckywinner]

I've just gone back onto this after being off it for 6 months. I am slowly increasing my dose but I definitely feel worse since starting it. I can't remember if this happened last time. I'm hoping it did so I know my mood is temporary. Has this happened to anyone?

Yes I felt horrific for the first week or so, hopefully you'll feel better very soon :)

Can I ask how you found getting off it and why you think you didn't manage to stay off? Currently debating the pros and cons of reducing my dose but not sure whether it would be easier/better to just stay on it?

Actually being honest it was probably more like three weeks. I was on something else and I swapped quite quickly but took a while to feel better. Hopefully it wont be long for you now though.

I have now been diagnosed as bipolar, so now take drugs for that. When I first started on those meds my life literally turned around. My dr got me to reduce the dose of my venlafaxine as my mood had changed so considerably. I had been on 375mg and it wasn't really helping much. Since being off it, I have started to slide down again so he has put me back on it, as well as my other meds. He warned me that I might have to take it again if my mood started falling. Which it has.

When I did come off it I came off it really really slowly. I would reduce the dose by 25mg every 3 weeks, I think. The withdrawal effects weren't half as bad as I'd read about. I had a headache for a few days everytime I lowered the dose, a bit like the one that starts when you know you've forgotten your meds.

Great that you feel well enough to come off it. I know venlafaxine gets quite a bad press, but it literally saved my life.

Ps. So glad to hear that you felt worse when you started it. I had completely forgotten this bit. I think I just need to keep my head down, and wait for things to pick up.

Thanks luckywinner. It's hard isn't it because you feel better but you can't predict whether you will feel better forever. Not to mention the horrible parts are truly horrible and I would do anything to avoid them! Totally agree about venlafaxines life saving properties!

I'm currently on 225mg but it comes in 75mg tablets. Did you have to cut them up or do they come in smaller doses?

I did do some cutting up but it comes in 75mg and 37.5mg so you might not have to do much chopping. I never used to cut them very straight so I probably had a few uneven doses.

Trying to get off 37.5 bd it has taken some time down to 37.5 once a day - tried to go to 37.5 once everyother day - but after a week was in a state (banging headache, rage, etc) so back on to one a day might try halving the 37.5. Was really worried that the depression was still underneath as I experienced these symptoms dont know whether they are just withdrawal.

Deepest, when I originally came off it, I cut up my 37.5mg, and took those for about a week, then cut them up again following week, and then nothing for week after. Did have a bit of a headache but nothing like when I went from 37.5mg to nothing.

Also Deepest, I also got raging headache and temper when coming off. I know it's scary when you have suffered with depression, got better, and then feeling like you're going to relapse. It's where I am at the mo. I'm trying to practice my mindfulness tricks I learnt last time. It's working a bit.