Venlafaxine experiences?

[youngandbroken]

Has anyone had this before? I've just had my medications changed yet again and I'm nervous about the side effects.

I'm on it and no side effects yet. I had been on Sertraline and that was awful for nausea and increased appetite.

I hated venlafaxine as did my wife, but everyone is different. It did something really weird to my head, I felt like I could hear my eyeballs moving in my skull. Like a weird grinding noise/sensation. If my wife didn't take it exactly at the same time every day she got horrendous migraines. We both ended up stopping taking it.

I'm on venlafaxine. It's working well for me. I'm on 225mg and take it in the mornings. No side effects and I've been on it for a few years.

I had horrendous insomnia & couldn't cope at all. DH took it for ages & was fine, no side effects & found it very effective.

I've been taking venlafaxine for about eight weeks. I've had a couple of increases in dose and I'm currently on 225mg. As far as I can tell it has no effect on me - I feel no better and I have no side effects. I'm aware there's still time for it to kick in though. The only thing I can think that might be different is that I'm sleeping well.

Best one I’ve ever taken after years of horriblenes.

Thank you for all the replies I've been at work, I was on sertraline before this but the nausea was awful and even on 200mg it wasn't very effective so I am hoping this one will work better for me.

I was fine while taking the venlafaxine but the withdrawal was horrible so bear that in mind if you're ever coming off of them. I had vertigo and brain zaps and felt generally rough. The brain zaps were particularly frightening because no one had ever told me I might experience them during withdrawal and I genuinely thought I had something neurologically wrong with me. They're harmless but it was scary.

hi my son is on venlafaxine (17 years) and it helps him. his psychiatrist is talking about reducing the dose. what are the side effects and any advice on how to manage them?

I'm on ven, it helps but gives me sexual dysfunction.

I've been on it for years, and it's made me feel so flat and apathetic that it's almost like having a medication-induced depression. I also have sexual dysfunction from it too.

Please can I get some advice?

I was on Venlafaxine for a good couple of years, 150mg a day. All was great.
Then a GP (not my usual one) suddenly rejected my on-line request for more meds in April. She rang me to say I should be reducing my dose, with a view to quitting it.

I was taken aback, was apprehensive but went along with it. I put in my next prescription several weeks later, only for that to be knocked back as well by another GP, who tapered me down to 75mg and then told me to just stop. "You shouldn't have any problems."

Famous last words... I took my last 75mg seven weeks ago and I was fine for five weeks, but the last two weeks have been horrific; bursting into tears, waxing up anxious, not eating properly.

Thankfully, I managed to speak to my usual GP this morning and she was lovely. She told me to start taking the 75mg again straight away and said she will ring me in two weeks to see how I am doing.

Has anyone else gone back on Ven? Might it kick in a little quicker because I have been on it before? I asked my GP about side effects and she said that as I have been on it before, they should be minimal (maybe a small bit of tummy) and shouldn't last long.

I just feel like I am back at square on again, after doing so well on it! My GP sounded really pissed off at the other two doctors when I explained everything.

Thank you X

@Bookworm13 can't believe they did that to you! They are supposed to work with you on reduction, not just tell you without any consultation 10! That's really shocking. I crashed badly after stopping (my idea to stop) and in my case it took several months to get the benefit of restarting, with unfortunately the same side effects as I mentioned in an earlier post. Good luck!

Some doctors don't understand that some people need to take antidepressants for life. The same thing happened to me, after 2 years the dr tried to get me off them, but after a few months I was depressed again, so I went back on the medication.

Thank you Touty.
Can you remember how long your meds took to kick in the second time?

I was hoping that as I only stopped them seven weeks ago, they might take effect a little bit quicker this time!

@Bookworm13 hi there, the second time they worked quickly again and I felt better within 7 - 10 days. I'm on a low dose 75mg. I probably need to increase dose though.

I think I'm one of those people that had to take meds indefinitely, depression is chronic since mid 20's.

I was on 150mg but my GP has started me off on 75mgs this time.

Thanks for that. That makes me feel a bit better!

I also recommend not drinking alcohol, I found that the medication didn't work as well when I drank.

For those of you who've mentioned venlafaxine gave you sexual dysfunction, did this mean it suppressed/removed your libido? I'm currently tapering off Citalopram in order to go onto venlafaxine and would be interested to know.