Venafalaxine withdrawal

[Trooperslane2]

Been on VF since January - can't eat, barely functioning and after discussion with my GP coming off it.

I want to use this thread just to vent, to remind myself there was someone there before anxiety took over my life several years ago and to convince myself that I will be ok and DH will get his wife back again.

I've recently left a massively stressful job and I'm studying from September - I've just had another chat with a lovely Mum at nursery drop off and realised I haven't regretted this change for a minute!

Feel free to join in if you're weaning off too.

Today: probably a 6/10 but the sun is shining and I have nice plans - for me. Self care is the new medicating in our house.

I was just about to start a thread with this title! I've been on venlafaxine for 4 years. It was the wonder drug that saved my life. I've been stable for probably 3 years, took 75mg throughout my first pregnancy with no issue. Second baby on the way and I decided it was as good a time as any to try and kick it since I've been stable for so long. Took 37.5mg daily til I was 15 weeks pregnant then 18.75mg daily for the past seven weeks. I have been talking to the GP throughout. Because of the half life I have to take half in the morning and half in the evening and I can't cut the 37.5mg tabs any smaller, they start to crumble! I'm not sure what to do next. I get such terrible headaches and brain zaps if I miss my tiny 9.375 mg dose! Shall I just try and brave it for a few days only taking it once?

somebody well done.

I'd brave it, but since you're pregnant I'd really advise speaking to your GP/Midwife.

The brain zaps are horrific and even as short a time ago as last Friday, I didn't feel able to drive. Especially with DD in the car.

Day 12

I keep wanting to say that in a Big Brother Geordie voice

Weekend better but have had terrible insomnia and I have totally unreasonable rage, again shouty Mum has appeared. Poor DH is also walking on egg shells. It's like raging PMT.

Anyone else found this?

I had a bit of a revelation yesterday when I realised I haven't been working since mid January and have been spending lots of time alone, which I'm fine with. Friends are about now and again during the day and I can always jump into town and meet DH at lunchtime - normally I don't.

But this weekend we were away. DD never sleeps well on the first night of holiday and this was no different. So, instead of having space and time for reflection, I had 4 full days of being the three of us and then we had party invitations on both weekend days too.

It has felt overwhelming. It has BEEN overwhelming.

Positives: DH says he's hearing me laugh like he can't remember
Friends are telling me I look great
I am genuinely very excited about my course, starting September
I can feel my concentration coming back a bit

I have a list as long as my arm for supplements - thank you PPs! And watch out Holland & Barrett - I am coming to get you!

I'm going to #keeponkeepingon

Thanks Troopers . The GP just sort of shrugged and said well it doesn't come any smaller so I think she's just left it on my hands.

I totally relate to the raging pmt. The tiniest thing can set me off and my patience levels for DD are much lower. I know it's more likely to be withdrawal than pregnancy hormones because it's a very familiar feeling I've had when coming off other ADs or changing doses.

I hate myself today - we've had such a shouty morning and both been in tears twice.

for someone.

If you want to come off it you have to just ride the storm of brain zaps/dizziness/vomming/scoots etc......you can take the smallest doze every other day and then every 3rd day etc.
This feeling is relatively short lived and bearable if you've been on them for life saving measures for a long time!

Somebodys - is that the XR or the regular version? I imagine weaning off with the XR version has to be easier if you're not on that already.

I can also relate to the extreme irritability. It can come out of nowhere sometimes, or other days it's just there permanently in the background. That said, I do have it to a certain degree before I ever took an anti-depressant, but it is also a symptom of depression, so..

It's a month since my last crumb, and as well as the irritability, I'm still getting the weird laggy tingly feeling. It's worse in the mornings, and worse if I'm tired. I do wonder how much longer it will last. I feel that once that goes, I'll be officially withdrawn, but until that point my body is still clearly recovering so I can't trust any state as being "normal".

Amazon is a lot cheaper than H&B by the way, and the quality of the supplements is often better! Look out for Swanson and Solgar in particular, although there are others that are good too. Swanson do a brilliant "activated" B supplement that every woman should be taking, with just bio-available versions of the various B vitamins.

I actually had a proper laugh over something yesterday. I can't decide if it would have been funny anyway, or if I wouldn't have laughed like that when I was on the Ven.

My doctors won't prescribed the modified release anymore due to cost. It was very annoying when they switched me but now that I have to cut them up it doesn't matter. I feel like a bit of a tit still taking 18.75mg a day, like it's such a small amount I should be able to let it go? Surely it can't still be helping me.

I'm worried that if I do get down to nothing, then I won't know which feelings are withdrawal, which are pregnancy hormones and which are symptoms of long standing depression and anxiety returning. I'm trying to do this all with the oversight of the GP and midwife but they seem to be leaving a lot of it in my hands. Which is good really, I'm not a child, I just wish I had a bit more direction.

My lovely DP is suffering from anxiety at the moment which is making things harder. He came of VF last October cold turkey from 75mg. He was awful to live with but that was his decision. His anxiety came back about a month ago so he's started on 75mg again. He had three weeks off work and the doctor has just signed him off for another month. It's all a bit fraught in this house at the moment!

God what a ramble, sorry for that.

MR can be much cheaper in different manufacturers.

Anyway , just alternate your days of 18.75mg and stop it! Bite the bullet! Whip the plaster off!

So glad I found this thread (I think!) I've been on it for a while after struggling with depression, anxiety, no self esteem, childhood issues and undiagnosed PTSD along with a whole host of work related shit. I'm just finishing a 16 week course of psychotherapy and for the first time in forever I actually feel like a person again.

I'm happy (I think) and I'm progressing. I've had a complete career switch and am creating a new me. For the first time ever, I actually looked ahead to me no longer needing my ADs. I'm currently on 150mg and hadn't considered any effects from coming off, I stupidly assumed it would just be simple.

I prob should have know it's not going to be that easy, I'm another one who suffers if I'm even a little late taking it, the head zaps are the worst! And the feeling like your brain and eyes are a few seconds out of sync with each other and everything around you is awful!

Maybe I'm not ready to have this discussion with My GP yet 🤔 maybe I'll leave it a while longer.

So happy for you though OP, keep going. You've come so far already!

Somebodys - wow, that's crap they won't prescribe the modified release version! Venlafaxine isn't actually that expensive in the grand scheme of things, and if it gets you off quicker, then that's going to be a saving.

You're probably right in that 18.5mg is doing nothing for you now. It's partly why I said "sod it" when I got to 37.5mg and really sped things up. I figure I'm having the side effects anyway, so I'd rather have a few days of pretty bad ones, than a few weeks of bad ones. I don't have anything to compare it with, but I think I might the right decision.

Funnily enough my psychiatrist said you can get Venlafaxine in liquid form now, to help with coming off. I'd not heard of that.

Booble - Good luck! It does sound like a chat with your GP might be in order, despite what you say. You'll want to come off at some point, I guess it's picking the right time. I invested in a pill cutter so you could just do it really really gradually over a year if you wanted to - I hear most people are fine with that method. I dropped from 75mg to 0 in two weeks but I did feel it as you've probably read.

I came off due to finally being on the right medication (my anxiety and depression was tied up in untreated ADHD) I can't say I'm now completely full of the joys of spring as I still have a lot of situational things to deal with, but the ADHD medication gives me the ability to change those things now which I'm in the process of doing.

Couldn't agree more about the out of sync stuff. That has been my number one persistent withdrawal symptom. It's getting better, but I wish it would be gone!

Guys - we're all doing so well!

Day 14.

I never believed I could feel as normal as this - I'm seeing myself in the mirror again

Review with Dr this am and --I

If you need a laugh (and I really hope this isn't triggering for anyone) I had tears pouring down my face - proper belly laughs - looking at the weird birth stories on the front page

Hi all
I am so glad I found this thread.
I have been to the Doctors today to start reducing my venlafaxine in the hope I can get off it and try to get pregnant.
I am going from 225 doze to 150.
You are all doing great!
Fingers crossed I will get there too.
I hope the numb feeling I often feel disapears.

I’m doing university exams at the moment and my concentration span is just non-existent. It feels stupid because I’m okay with practical tasks, like cooking/cleaning, but just cannot seem to function properly with the academic side of my life at the moment. I feel like it’s really going to have a negative impact on my degree, which is hard to come to terms with as I know I am capable of excelling under the right circumstances! Does anyone have any guidance on increasing my concentration span, or even just my motivation?

Three why do you need to come of vf to get pregnant?

I take 3 x 75 mg a day
I’m hoping to begin to reduce...its been a few years
After reading this thread I’m anxious !!!

I've come off it several times , it was not great but not impossible

I think we should not try to put folk off on here !

Day 16

imsconequeen

I don't think anyone has said it's impossible

It's important to understand the side effects and that these are normal

Me: very foggy and awful dreams. But yesterday I woke up feeling so amazing I'll take it today.

Busy weekend and week coming up :)

Have a good weekend, y'all

imsconequeen I was on the 225 doze. I feel like now it's slightly too strong.
It's not impossible to be on venlafaxine but ideally I would like to either be medication freeor if not, to have reduced my doze to a comfortable level.

I was on 225 mg s/r throughout my pregnancy and then upped it after baby was born x

imasconequeen thank you. It's great to know it us possible to stay in venlafaxine and fall pregnant. Do you know if you are able to breastfeed on vf?

Yes you can bf on it......it's "risks" are the same as during pregnancy.......

Thank you so much for the info.
I feel a bit less under pressure now.

Three

I was on citalopram when going through IVF/ICSI, pregnant and breastfed until DD was 7 months old.

The hospital team said that I was much better on rather than coming off because my mental health was so important for the baby's health.