Positive story and a couple of questions...........

Hi Guys

I have been on Venlafaxine for just over 22 days and Citalopram for 3 weeks before this.

The first 14 days on Venlafaxine were a little tough (the 3 weeks on Citalopram weren't particularly nice either!) with increased Anxiety/Depression, headaches, nausea, feeling zoned out and exhaustion etc. Most of the side effects have now passed and I am starting to feel some real benefits:yesyes:.

I'm presently on 75mg instant release taken at 9.00am and my psych wants me to increase to 150mg slow release.

My questions are; has anyone else changed from 75mg instant to 150mg slow release and if so does (a) the increase to 150mg come with side effects and (b) does a change from instant to slow release come with side effects.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by Redwatches

Hi Guys

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:welcome: to NMP,

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I have been on Venlafaxine for just over 22 days and Citalopram for 3 weeks before this.

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Why the change?

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I'm presently on 75mg instant release taken at 9.00am and my psych wants me to increase to 150mg slow release.

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You were taking venlafaxine instant release only once a day? :unsure:

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My questions are; has anyone else changed from 75mg instant to 150mg slow release and if so does (a) the increase to 150mg come with side effects

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There might be a return of some of the initial side-effects, though hopefully moderated by the slow trickle into your system instead of the whole 75mg of the instant release dropping into the bloodstream within a very short time.

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(b) does a change from instant to slow release come with side effects.

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Provided the doses are about the same, no, not usually to any significant degree, although, as with everything about antidepressants, YMMV. :sad:

Thank you :emot-blink:

I was prescribed Cit by a Practitioner nurse, but I managed to get an appointment with a psych who considered Venlafaxine a better fit, so to speak

Yes, 75mg in the morning. I didn't know you could split the dosage across the day!

Thanks and good to read!

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Originally Posted by Redwatches

I was prescribed Cit by a Practitioner nurse, but I managed to get an appointment with a psych who considered Venlafaxine a better fit, so to speak

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Psychiatrists often favour one or two antidepressants (ADs) over the others for pretty much everything. However, no AD is intrinsically more effective than the others either generally, or for specific disorders, but one or two will be for an patient. The hard part is finding it/them. While researchers have long been looking for the 'holy grail' diagnostic test to guide AD selection so far there isn't one. It still mostly comes do trial and error.

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Yes, 75mg in the morning. I didn't know you could split the dosage across the day![

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Venlafaxine has a very short half-life, 5 hours +/- 2, so almost of it is metabolised and eliminated within 25 hours which means immediate-release tablets are usually taken at least twice daily.

Thanks for coming back to me. I’ve taken my first 150mg slow release today so I’ll see how it goes 😊

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Originally Posted by Redwatches

Thanks for coming back to me. I’ve taken my first 150mg slow release today so I’ll see how it goes 😊

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Well, 3 days in on the upping to 150mg.

Tiredness has come back and anxiety & depression has increased quite a lot :weep:.

I hopeful these will pass quite soon, but it's really disheartening to seemingly go back to how it was before I started!

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Originally Posted by Redwatches

I hopeful these will pass quite soon, but it's really disheartening to seemingly go back to how it was before I started!

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This is normal. It is caused by the increase in serotonin activity. It is usually short-lived.

Thanks for the reassurance 😊