Venlafaxine success stories-treatment resistant depression

[Chimpannazee]

Hi everyone
I just wondered if anyone had any stories of success with Venlaxafine? I am struggling badly with depression and anxiety, have done on and off for most of my life really but it’s taken turn these last few months due to outside events and nothing else seems to work after trying a variety of other antidepressants over the years.
I know the withdrawal effects aren’t good. But in all honesty if it works for me I won’t have any intention of coming off if it makes me feel better than the hole I’m in at the moment. Any stories greatly received xx

Anyone? X

Yes me! It took 8 weeks to feel better but it was night and day, as in I went to bed one night looking an absolute state with glassy eyes and hadn’t washed in weeks to I woke up bright eyed and bush tailed, I looked completely different. It was like waking up after being in a fog. I wouldnt here if it wasn’t for venlafaxine

I'm on 225g venlafaxine daily plus Quetiapine and mirtazapine

Works for me !!

I'm not lying on floor in hysterics everyday like I was

I've still to wash though. That's a difficulty.

Although I do my teeth so that's a start.

Started cooking from scratch again which is more effort, rather than not eating or eating crap.

Don't think about death all the time.

Fairly settled and glad I'm on it.

Previously was on 60 mg daily citalopram, didn't work.

Ariprazole. gave me . Facial twitching, dry mouth and extremely restless legs.
I would pace round kitchen table 100 times and then start again.
So aripiprazole didn't work for me

I've been on Venlafaxine for over 20 years. I have no intentions of coming off it unless I need to get for health reasons further down the line

It did/does help stabilise me but the main change in my mental health has been through long term psychotherapy. I guess though it depends what has caused your problems. For me, there have been identifiable issues with trauma and abuse that I've been able tin therapy.

Venlafaxine has saved my life. I’ve been off and on it for years. I’ve tried most other meds and it’s the only one that really works for me.

I've been on it for nearly a decade and it has really helped me. There was a time when I decided to try coming off it and I didn't have any bad withdrawal symptoms at all. All in all a positive experience.

After trying a few, it works very well for my DH. He’s been on it about 7 years now.

Yes. It takes a while to get the full effect and the first week was brutal with nausea, but it was life changing for me. It enabled me to function fairly normally. I no longer need it and if you withdraw very, very slowly, it's not too bad.

Goodness me these reviews have finally given me a little bit of hope 🥹 thankyou everyone.
I only started yesterday, moving from Mirtazipine so I am having to take both at the moment to taper the Mirt down.
I am so desperate to feel better. Did anyone else try lots of different antidepressants and actually felt like nothing could help them? I’m so hopeful

Im in the difficult place where I know I’ve got to try to help myself a lot more. More of a positive mindset etc. But I’m in that much of a hole at the moment that I can find the motivation to give me that step up to start helping myself..if that makes any sense at all?!

Been on venlafaxine for years, maybe 15yrs. I never want to go off it.

Have you found it really successful?
can I ask how long it takes to kick in?

I've been on it around 15 years and it's the medication that has definitely suited me best. Citalopram and sertraline never did much.

My main problem is really anxiety rather than depression though.

I went onto Venlafaxine when mirtazapine led to my anxiety increasing!

Hi OP, I'm 36 and have been on Venlafaxine for the last 4 years after a traumatic birth and several days old DS ended up in hospital caused me to have a breakdown. Prior to that I was on basically a revolving door of antidepressants and truly V has been a revelation. I first went on Prozac at age 19 and until I started V had always had an underlying depression that wouldn't shift (of varying degrees over the years)

Now several years in I feel stable and in control of myself for the first time in my life. I truly hope it has the impact you need from it, it took me about 3-4 weeks to really feel the improvement but it's worth the wait (and tapering off my old ones at the time was particularly horrific)

Best of luck and well done getting this far

Thankyou so much for this.
Ive taken two so far only 37.5mg..I have a headache but feel strangely calmer..surely that can’t be them working already. I have been on Mirtazipine for 4 months and really think it contributed to the decline in my mental health

It could be psychosomatic- the concept of a placebo has evidence in psychiatry so if it feels like it's working go with it!
Positive thinking will hopefully bridge the gap and then the true effects of the meds will kick in

Oh also I am on 225mg but did start on a lower dose so make sure you see your GP regularly (every 4 weeks) to start with as if it plateaus or doesn't seem to be working they need to up the dosage pronto

I totally agree, thankyou for this xx

please try it I’ve been on it for 20 years plus. It has literally saved my life. I take a 75 and a 37.5
dose it changed my life x

Thankyou everyone. I’m currently on 37.5 mg daily..I’m guessing I might need to increase my dose but day 3 so far. I’m so desperate to feel better xx

Mirtazipine I think has contributed to me spiralling into a big black hole..I don’t think it has helped me at all..meant to help you sleep but I haven’t been sleeping. I am in such a mess 😥

Yep, it was an absolute game changer for me. I can do things now that I definitely wouldn't have managed before.

But you must be consistent and not miss doses, or the side effects are not fun.

l ❤️ Venlafaxine.

Been through most of them. It’s the best. Very easy start up. Felt it work from literally the 2nd day. Odd day of crying and bits of anxiety. By day 14 felt sparkly inside.