Life without Venlafaxine

[Discotastic]

So in November I stopped taking Venlafaxine after roughly 15 years of taking it constantly in differing doses. I had decided enough was enough and it was time to live life without ADS. Taking the advice of the GP I tapered the dosage between June and November I took my last tablet. The physical withdrawal was unpleasant; sickness, diarrhoea, brain zaps, disorientation to name a few! Since then a series of unfortunate events have happened. And by December I started suffering with terrible anxiety. I'm now in a place where I spend most of days feeling panicked by health issues. I'm unable to sleep at night anymore and feel scared about EVERYTHING. I can't cope with anything and not really functioning as a mother, wife or employee. I'm going back to the Dr this week to ask for new medication. I just wanted to know if anyone experienced anything similar after stopping this drug after so long?

My DH has been on venlafaxine for many years now. A few years ago he tried to come off it, gradually tapering the dose, but the brain zaps and anxiety were horrific and he went back on to venlafaxine after only a few weeks of being off it (sorry I can't remember the exact time period now, it was an absolutely horrific period in his life, and consequently in our family life, that I think I've blocked out some of the details!).

One suggestion from his GP was to switch to either seroxat (paroxetine) or Prozac (fluoxetine). He went back on the venlafaxine because his brain needs the noradrenaline which venlafaxine provides; I don't know much about other SNRIs (seroxat and Prozac are both SSRIs) but might be worth discussing with your doctor?

Best wishes and to you, it's not easy but you will get there.

Mrs I'm hoping I won't have to take venlafaxine again, but if I need to I will. The anxiety has been horrific; but life has also been cruel and that's why I've persevered hoping things get better. But my recent miscarriage and problems with breast pain have nearly finished me off.