Starting Venlafaxine for anxiety tomorrow!!

[KCMummy]

Sooo I’ve been dealing with crippling anxiety for the last six months.
I’ve had CBT but it didn’t help at all.
SSRI’s (Prozac & Zoloft) don’t agree with me (make me have constant panic attacks and dizzy).
So after the last five days of feeling like Im going mad, a racing heart, and sobbing (my mum has had to take time off work to do the school run for me).
I went to the GP and she prescribed me Venlafaxine 37.5mg tablets, I’m so terrified to take them as I don’t want to get worse then I am.
I’ve also been having suicidal thoughts 😢 which added to the anxiety.
Can someone please give me their experiences or even advice on this medication, I would appreciate it very much !!

@KCMummy Hi, I take the same dosage as you but for different reasons - I finished treatment for cervical cancer earlier this year and it has put me into the menopause.

Whilst I am trying to make a decision over HRT I was given Venlafaxine by my doc. They help massively with hot flushes and they do make me feel on the whole far more calm and happier - more able to deal with the ups and downs of every day life.

I can be very anxious over my health and my mind run away with me but much less so while I am taking the tablets.

My experience has been very positive x

Thank you so much for your response, I am trying to hang in there x

You are welcome, I hope they help x

I am on Venlafaxine for anxiety as SSRIs made me so much worse. I started on 37.5mg and I’m now on 187.5mg. I also take beta blockers which have helped immensely. Hope it works for you too.

Thanks for your message. Did you ever try the 75mg slow release capsules. If so did they work ? Also how is your anxiety, and how long did it take to work ? (Hope you don’t mind me asking).

I’m on the slow release ones.

They worked fantastically.

Until June when something happened and I had a breakdown; I’ve been on Diazepam and Amitriptylene as well since then although I am now weaning off them and replacing with Quetiapine.

Venlafaxine can be amazing if they work for you. Sadly for me they didn't. I was on 300mg daily and decided to come off them. Withdrawal symptoms were hard but I feel no better or worse for not taking them.