Venaflaxine

[anon990]

Has anyone been on these for anxiety? The withdrawal/ vertigo I’m experiencing weaning off them is horrific . I went down to 75mg for a week and then 37.5 for a week. Stopped Sunday and I can’t do anything today from vertigo

This sounds awful OP.

Could you ring your surgery and ask them? or drop by Boots to check with a pharmacist?

Sorry I have nothing more practical to suggest.

I took this but many years ago and I also had an awful time coming off them. I had to taper much much slower than was officially recommended. Even then I was struggling to walk in a straight line I was so disoriented and had horrible brain zaps that didn't fully stop for a long time afterwards.

Sorry I don't mean to alarm you, it was fine in the end, but maybe it might be better for you to taper more gradually. Good luck x

Just editing to add that I wasn't on a very high dose as far as I remember.

I ended up taking one of the white pellets out of the 37.5 for relief lastnight and I’m semi normal today. My god it was horrific and my mood has plummeted to zero and feeling just terrible , they can’t be good for the body if they make people this sick

Oh the brain zaps! Had those when I forgot to take my meds one day. On 150 mg/day. Woke up sweaty in the night with a nightmare that continued while I was awake all while having brain zaps. Truly horrific !

My sympathies - it's absolutely brutal. I hope you are out the other side as soon as possible.

They seem to be given out quite easily. I was offered them again recently, for hot flushes as I can't have HRT, and in this context no one would have been monitoring me on them at all and no mention was made of discontinuation symptoms. I know some people find them life saving. I have a friend taking them now and it was like night and day from a previous medication she was on. But I guess they just weren't a good fit for me - either on them or trying to come off them.

It sounds like a good idea to take the beads out to take individually if it's too much to cope with and to taper more gradually like this.

I had a nightmare coming off this damn stuff. Go really slowly - do it over months not weeks. Awful stuff - nobody warns u about this!

Yes if I was told about the withdrawal side effects I would have never of took them

I’m on 225mg and I ran out last week and missed 2 doses, it was absolutely horrific, I felt like I was on a merry go round constantly. I contacted 111 for an emergency supply and when I got to the pharmacy they were telling me I should see a doctor cos I looked that bad! I didn’t, I just took the meds and went to bed. Before this I was considering trying to come off them but not anymore 😫