Ok for one switching AD’s really fukks with your brain & emotions. It’s horrible. Makes you feel horribly anxious & is highly likely to be contributing to how yr feeling atm, on top of the basic task of just trying to function. Nobody ever tells you that (GP’s wise) so you panic & blame yourself for the way you’re feeling, and spiral about all of the ramifications, when it’s the medication chemically messing you up, not you.
Venlafaxine is esp & notoriously hard to come off or switch from bcos it has a much shorter half like than others & so it rapidly departs from your brain chemistry leaving your CNS all over the place!
Plse if anything give yourself some grace for being doubly hit atm by these effects as well bcos that at least will give you some external validation that this is prob playing a huge part too & you’re not to blame.
Chemical withdrawal & tinkering with AD’s - GP’s IME have no experience or expertise in deprescribing & managing WD effects or side FX from AD’s.
I personally found Venlafaxine v mood boosting & motivating & anxiety alleviating. Unfortunately there’s no way of knowing what will work for you however & so it’s a horrible case of being subject to all the side FX’s while you trial. For me it was immediate so if I felt significantly worse on it then I’d prob have felt like you. Was it significantly worse or just different?? Some take longer to adjust to. Not saying to go back on it tho just my experience. Def don’t change again in a hurry til you see a professional.
But med side FX & withdrawal DX can be debilitating enough to prevent you from working (I’ve been there). I know that’s not possible in your mind RN but you may need time off work while you get stabilised on a new medication & a bit better.
The only way to request a review &/or be referred to the MH team is to express an increase in the severity of your symptoms, impairments to your functioning, sleep & ability to work & expressing thoughts of being unable to go on any longer. ie suicidal thinking.
You can call your local MH crisis team staffed 24hrs & express all of your distress & fears to someone who will assess & listen & make recommendation. You cld say you will be asking your GP for a referral for an urgent medication review & be completely honest about what you feel will happen to you if you don’t. I’m not suggesting you lie or manipulate - for me that was not difficult to report bcos it was the truth. Explain how the medication is not helping you & now that you’ve tried 2 you should be classed as being in need of more specialist input.
Also we’re conditioned to be good & take what were prescribed & try really hard & so it’s easy to get fobbed off by doctors who clearly don’t know what else to do.
Ask to see a different GP, state you’ve tried both x & y AD’s now & getting nowhere are v desperate & that you are asking to be referred to the MH team. Don’t say you’ve self referred bcos then the GP won’t bother. That there will be a record of you having called the 24hr MH team will show you’re in need & getting desperate. Any GP given you have trialled 2 AD’s now shld be referring you as a matter of course IME anyway.
BTW expressing suicidal ideation or dark thoughts will not have any negative implications for you or their opinion of you as a woman, parent, professional in w’ever role you do & is confidential. So there’s no judgement or risk to you for reporting these.
Sorry if any of this is obvious already. HTH x