Experiences of venlafaxine and concerns about blood pressure side effects

[MissDinah]

Hi,

I have just switched to Venlafexine 75mg from Sertraline and am on my 5th day.
At the moment I just feel spaced out/extremely tired and have less of a appetite. I've noticed I do feel calmer.

Just worried though about the effects it can have on blood pressure and wanted to ask other people's experiences.

I've been on 5 different antidepressants over 20 years and am hoping this one will help.
I do have slightly high cholesterol from either being overweight or the sertraline which is making me worry more about the possibility of high blood pressure.

But I've also read that on the lower dosages of venlafexine high blood pressure is minimal?

I'd be happy to monitor and check my BP regularly if there is no risk of serious issues and I'm hoping to lose weight and lower my cholesterol.

Any experiences on venlafexine?
I'm going to book in to see my GP and discuss this further as they didn't mention anything about blood pressure etc at the time when I was prescribed the venlafexine.

Thankyou

Hello OP

I've been on Venlafaxine for more than 20 years and I will never come off it. It saved my life. I’d almost given up on medication having tried and failed at all the first line ones prescribed by the GP.

I take 150mg per day and my BP and cholesterol are fine. I went up to 225mg at one point because I thought my anxiety was getting worse, but that sent my heart rate through the roof, so I went back to 150mg.

The drawbacks are that the side effects you describe are horrible for the first few weeks. They do fade, but are replaced by feelings of “withdrawal” if you are late for a dose. The brain zap feeling is not very nice.

For me, the massive improvement in my mood and ability to function is worth it, but AD’s are very much horses for courses, and it won’t suit everyone. Do give it a chance though.

All the best 🤗

Thanks for the reply 😊
That's brilliant it's helped you so much ☺️
I think I'll definitely give it a go and hopefully it won't give any bad side effects etc

Healthy fruits and options make the difference in life.

It was a game changer for me too. It can take a while for initial side effects to settle and find the right dose, but once you're through that, you should be able to lead a relatively normal life. Hang in there, it should make things much better.

…uh wut?

This sounds like something from a fortune cookie

Venlafaxine can affect blood pressure in some people, so it’s sensible to keep an eye on it, especially if you’re already concerned. The tiredness and spaced-out feeling can happen early on and may settle, but definitely mention everything to your GP before making any changes.

How long does it usually take to notice a difference?