Duloxetine vs Venlafaxine

[Dawn1331]

Did anyone do better on either for anxiety/panic?

Following as I’m on duloxetine but would like to try the other

I took duloxetine, but had to stop as it caused heavy periods and bruising. I'm now on venlafaxine. I prefer venlafaxine overall. It took a few weeks to get used to, but I definitely think it works better.

I haven't tried duloxetine but i've been on Venlafaxine for around 10 years and it's been the only one that has helped me. It gives me a 'normal' life.

I'm on mirtazapine and about to add duloxetine in

I am so grateful for the mirtazapine

I preferred Duloxetine as it had less physical side effects for me.

How funny, I'm just tapering after 20 years from 225mg Venlafaxine to 60mg Duloxetine. Mine is for nerve pain. Apart from that, I think pretty similar SNRI's. Venlafaxine scores higher a lot for anxiety than Duloxatine.

I meant funny in that I was going to start a thread. I hate Venlafaxine and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy due to it's half life and withdrawal symptoms. Other than amicyprtaline (can't spell it!) Duloxetine is my only option.

I would exhaust ALL avenues before starting on Venlafaxine.

Funny how it affects people differently. I came off Venlafaxine cold turkey without too many issues.

I’m on 225mg venlafaxine and wish I’d never started it .
only reason I started it was I started getting really bad depression & anxiety during menopause, it was that bad I saw a psych who was the one that suggested venlafaxine
I was previously on Escitalopram for years but at top dose.
it was until I went into forum for people on same Med , I realised all the SE it came with and how very very hard it was to actually get off. People could wean down and get to 0 but to later start to get bad SE again having to reinstate it again.

only my opinion
I would never recommend this to family member or friend

I think I just expected relief from the relentless torture of anxiety than I'm currently getting. 5 weeks in with duloxetine and no great improvement x

What dose are you on? I think it can be increased quite rapidly x

Was on 150mg Venlafaxine and just been increased to 225mg. Been on a year and I can still say it hasn't helped that much - so much so the drs are trying to get something else prescribed on top.

@Larabelle6 I started on 30mg and have been upped to 60mg. Venlafaxine seems to do better in reviews for helping with anxiety but I'm not sure overall x

I took duoloxetine for a couple of years and it was fab. Then it stopped working and have had a hellish few months weaning myself off and onto venaflaxine- which appears to be doing nothing apart from making me feel suicidal. It literally feels like a lottery. Hopefully you'll find something that works OP.

@Greedybilly I'm holding on hope it's just a slow grower because I feel the same as you do with venlafaxine. Can't see a Dr only phone calls and it's just so grim x

Venlafaxine for depression but have found aripiprazole better for anxiety disorder

I looked at it - how did you get on with it x

I have just come off venlafaxine, having been on int for years, as I am pregnant. Not sure if that is relevant to you but should you be considering having a child Venlafaxine seems to carry far more risk of birth defects than others. The withdrawal is awful - have a look at Reddit, under Effexor (brand name) and you will find so much info. That being said, if i could have stayed on it indefinitely then I would have as it seemed to help a bit (unsure if it helped anxiety though, the be honest, depression moreso)

I too had to come off (then go back on post birth 🙄) when I was pregnant. I was like a crackhead and I was only on 75mg. I'd have half a tablet, and another day I'd HAVE to nibble on the tablets.

My midwife was my Aunt, she said stay on them - happy mum etc... BUT do read the stories, babies come out floppy, blue, cannot breathe and then have to go through that withdrawal themselves.

I really detest this drug. Even my crisis team wanted me off it when I was hospitalised. I said you give me 6 weeks on my own to withdraw and I'll do it. As it is I'm a single parent, so I'm stuck on this shit. Excuse my French - worst drug ever. Don't ever run out, it has a half life of 12 hours, miss one pill and you are in withdrawal.
My baby girl now 15 has seen me crying, harming, head whizzing, thumping, zapping over the years. It's not worth it. I'm only on Duloxetine now (similar) because it treats nerve pain. I actually feel brighter already, moreso than in a long time considering I'm struggling to walk!

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope you are off it now.
Look out for post natal depression, I know you will, and if you need something different try sertraline or similar. Don't be like me because it will be lifelong and in the end I think it stops working - my next step was to go up to 375, supposedly max dose - I wasn't getting any better!
All the best, I know you know what you are doing X

That was so badly worded 🤣
*Blaming withdrawal 😉

@JanglingJack away we all understood. Its 50/50 a lot of people think for panic venlafaxine is best but it seems to have more side effects.
Patience is what I definitely need x

JanglingJack
how did you manage to get of Venlafaxine?
was it really bad ?
I really want to come if this shite but I’m scared stiff petrified of the SE you get when starting and coming off it. If I was a lot younger I’d have more self confidence but 66 I can’t really afford to go back through all the start up suicidal issues I had, I really thought I was going mental and loosing the plot

Has it given great relief on it? X

Following this. I'm tapering off sertraline with hope of starting on one or other of these

Did anyone have issues with weight gain on duloextine?

Coming off sertraline has sent me a bit haywire. Really wild. It's horrid as I think my toddler must know I'm not normal.

Does anyone else feel that the mental health runs in their blood? Like I feel it's so intrinsic to who I am. I'm so worried my daughter will grow up to be like me

@desikated for me duloxetine In the beginning had the opposite effect and was more an appetite suppressant. I guess they all have different effects on different people but mirtazapine is the known one for weight gain. Having been on most ssri’s and a couple of others I consider duloxetine one of nicer drugs.