Too high a dose?? Please help
Yesterday, after it had been 6 weeks of upping my Venlafaxine dose to 187.5 mg, I experienced a complete and utter meltdown at work. My panic attacks were unbearable; I had very severe depersonalisation and almost rang the ambulance from how bad it was. I'd not felt like that in a long time, and I just am so worried about myself.
I rang my therapist this morning. I'm seeing her on Tuesday for a therapy session, but she suggested I go down by 35.5 mg and see if that makes a difference. I'm scared my current situation isn't medication-induced, but I've not been well in a while and my panic attacks feel out of control whereas I felt like I could control them on a lower dose. Basically, I'm scared of lowering my dose in case it makes me panic more.. What if I need a higher instead of a lower dose??
:wacko:
Has anyone ever had a higher dose of medication create more anxiety? Please help!
Btw I'm 114 lbs in case that's relevant...
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
Hi sorry to hear about your meltdown :(
I just had a look at my old thread on Venlafaxine, around the same time as you, 6/7 weeks, my Venlafaxine was upped to 150mg, 2x75mg. I felt terrible for the 1st week of increased dose, but from 2nd week I felt really good.
I think upping or lowering dosage can increase anxiety :(
But it doesn't last for long, get to Tuesday and once you've chatted to your therapist hopefully you'll get a lift in mood x
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
Ana, i'm 8 weeks into ven slowly increased to 112.5mg, when i increased i had slightly increased anxiety, but only for a couple of day's, but i'm the same as you at them moment, son;t know if i need an increase or decrease, see my Gp on Tuesday, see what she thinks,
Really hope you get some help on Tues, this is so hard to get the dose right, and it seems to take forever, take care hun xxx
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
My therapist says she's never had a patient feel worse from an increased dose of Venlafaxine, though she says anything is possible, I suppose. Thank you for telling me about your experiences. :)
I'll let you know what happens tomorrow. I had a panic attack again at work this morning, but it wasn't nearly as bad as what it was on Thursday... I really hope my therapist has some answers as to what's going on. I'm moving next week, which I suppose could be causing me stress, but it's something I want to be doing, so I should be looking forward instead of panicking! :lac:
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
Ana good luck for tomorrow, hope you get something sorted out, and i always have an increase in anxiety with a dose increase, not as bad as start up effects, but i guess we are all different x
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
I am on 225 of Effexor XR. I have been on it for the last 10 years. I have not had a panic attack since I started taking it. I started at 75 mg and gradually increased as I have periods of clinical depression. When I went up on my dosage I know that I will be anxious and I take a benzodiazepine to take the edge off. It does go away.
My panic attacks started when I was 10 years old. Back in the 80's they knew very little about mental health -as a teen I drank beer to take the edge off. I am 59 now and no longer drink-Effexor has been very good for me. My only concern is that I have been on it for a long time.
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
Therapists and doctors are terrible for saying medication ups and downs don't create any symptoms when we all know they do!
I am on venlafaxine and had less trouble going on it than anything else I tried. Because I was anxious first as opposed to depressed I was determined to be on the lowest possible dose. Doctor insisted I needed to be on at least 150 to have any benefits. I stayed on 112.5 and haven't had any anxiety symptoms in over a year. So maybe the dose is too high for you?
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
For some people less is definitely more beneficial, particularly those on the more severe end of anxiety...yet the doctors continue to be unaware of this and blithely dole out increased prescriptions..
I'm so glad you are doing well, Shaz! x
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
Update....
I tried lowering the dose and was feeling really lethargic and down, and so I decided to go back up again.... Now I'm more panicky than ever! :weep:
My therapist witnessed me panic throughout the entire session last week, I could only sit there and panic; it was truly terrible. The whole of last week was bad, and today, I feel so anxious as it's Monday, the start of yet another working week.
I'll not fiddle with my medication anymore, until my therapist gets back from the holiday, on the 8th of January.
Re: Too high a dose?? Please help
I was on 112.5 for 5 weeks and having really good days, but then had a week not so good. I got scared and raised it to 150 which is when norinephren kicks in. I couldn’t take the increase the anxiety was worse and my body felt like it was vibrating. Yesterday I went back to 112.5 after a week on 150. My head feels a little foggy but knew it was too high for me. Someone on the forum said it can take 8-12 weeks to see a complete recovery sometimes 4 months>