Experiences of Venlafaxine?

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I'm starting on Venlafaxine next week after being on every SSRI there is going over the years. They sort of work for a while then stop working.

Has this been successful for anyone? I've developed major depression over the past three years and nothing is helping.

I'm on it for menopausal hot flushes and anxiety and it is helping.

I'm on venaflaxine and have been since March. They began working for me quite quickly. I'm about to go up in dose. Everyone is different and will react differently to it. I was on Mirtazipine and they didn't work for me at all but others swear by them.

M most favourite one ever. Struggled with lots, but Ven is great.

I'm on Venlafaxine 337.5mg which cured my depression. Whenever I start to feel a bit down now it lifts me up.

However there are side effects at this dose.
For example it has affected the muscles in my eyes (i wear a prism in my glasses to stop my eyes getting tired); & the muscles in my bladder (I take Solifenacin 10mg to prevent urine accidents).
Also I need yearly bloods & ecgs.
It really is worth taking it though!

I started Venlafaxine in I think 2011 / 2012... after trying 2 SSRIs.
I had major depression and was suicidal.

I have since been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder bipolar type instead of Depression with Psychosis which my psychiatrist originally thought I had.
Basically I can get a bit manic at times and feel a bit 'high'.
However I think the anti psychotic I take makes me a bit flat and unmotivated so it all balances out.

I took high dose venlafaxine for years and it was effective but eventually, I had to stop taking it because it was causing twitchy movements which my psychiatrist said was because of too much serotonin in my system.

The withdrawal was the most brutal thing I have ever experienced and I ended up taking two years to come off it by using liquid when I got down to half of a 37.5 tablet. Even with tiny drops I still experienced horrific symptoms.

If you take it, make sure you don't miss a dose because the withdrawals can kick in really quickly.

I would never take it again.

Does anyone experience side effects? Weight gain?

Withdrawal same here. Genuinely thought I was dying. I was taken off it cold turkey after a few years on it, due to poor communication between the medical professionals...a week of pure, pure hell before a year of actually weaning me off it.

With regards to weight gain, this is what l found:

It both makes me overeat and reduces my appetite.

If you eat a lot it stimulates me to eat more. If l don’t eat much my appetite shrinks to nothing.

I've heard about the terrible withdrawal. I've been on paroxetine in the past as well and that was awful to come off. I've put off going onto venlafaxine for a few years now because of this.

I dread weight gain as well because I'm already working on losing weight and don't want to start putting it on.

I had no withdrawal symptoms coming off Paroxetine.

Ven is my ❤️