from citalopram to venlafaxine, good stories please!!!

[LAURA48]

Hi Tracey

It is very early days on Venlafaxine but feel a good vibe about it - Citalopram made me so ill - 9 weeks of hell tbh and coming off it was just terrible - worst experience in my life. I cried everyday I was on it 9 weeks! and last Saturday had an emergency appoint with the psychiatrist who could see how downhill I had gone - the depression was just hell - he said start Venlafaxine 75mg and double it in a week to 150mg - with a view to going to 225mg - think the reason it is not prescribed that often because it is a 3rd or 4th line drug when SSRIs have not worked and that it is so expensive, but at the moment I have felt better on it. My thought (have Pure O) have not been as bad - so that is positive - but with any change or increase there are a few side effects but so far these have been copeable.

Sertraline is good for depression and anxiety but better than Citalopram - the latter is usually prescribed because it is cheap but a lot of people do well on it - but I am not one of them!

Laura xx

[joy]

You could always PM Mr ww but know hes busy with moving and then having a few days away but usually has his blackberry with him and I know he wouldnt mind if you contact him

Love joy

[TJSMITH]

Ah Laura
Fingers crosed for you i was ok on Cit but after 14 weeks i still wasn't myself so was guided by my gp it was time to change as Cit apparently better for depression but Sertraline was the better one for anxiety so im told its early days and already feel alot better chatting to you guys as sometimes i think thats all i need some understanding lol...
Joy mr w has replied to me a few times he said 3 months for him and like me worried if done the right thing so holding onto his words.
xx

[pinkdove]

hi guys, laura its quite normal to feel a bit tired when increasing your dose, you done the right thing to have a weenap, just go with it hun, it will pass, you are doing so well.

nicola, you are doing great this time, ive got a good feeling for you, this IS going to work xx

tracey, i know how hard it has been for you too, but you are doing great, it is still early days for you, but any improvement is a good sign, keep at it hun, one day at a time.

maria...how are you doing ?

pip and paul, hope you have both had a good day x

here i go again, but i want to reassure all of you that are still struggling, that it will get better, i have never felt this calm in years, i know its a long, hard, slow road, but believe me when it kicks in, and you feel yourself again, you come out the other side stronger for the experience. dont want to babble on, but it has been weeks of good days for me now......and it will be for you all, one day at a time to all of you xx

[TJSMITH]

Pinkdove its nice to hear when people finally doing well.
I am a bot worrie done right thing as the fear of being on my own is back and worry something bad will happen i have not had this a while but missed 3 cit pills on gp advise this week do you think thats possibly why??
Back to gp morn im going to say i want to just stop cit now and increase sert??

---------- Post added at 21:02 ---------- Previous post was at 21:00 ----------

ps how long you been on ven now??? you were on cit before if i remember right??
Sorry my mind all over the place lol

[pinkdove]

hi tracey, yea it sounds like cit withdrawal, and maybe it would be a good idea to finally stop the cit with your dr's approval, speak to your gp tomorrow and tell him your concerns, i hope you start to feel better soon.

tracey just looked at olivers website, oh what a brave wee boy, with such caring parents, made me feel quite choked, certainly puts things into prespective, im not surprised have been suffering, you are a brave strong lady, and i wish oliver all the best for a happy healthy future. take care hun xx

---------- Post added at 21:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:06 ----------

tracey i started ven in february, and was on cit before that, just stopped cit one day and started ven the next, i have been feeling really good since end may/ june, so all in all took 3 months or so, and a couple of increases to 150mg which i take now x

[TJSMITH]

Ah thank you he is a brave boy.
Im on my own s hubby on nights trying to tell myself not to be silly just thoughts im only hoping is withdrawel and not relapsing more but my plan is to ask gp to up the Sert and cut cit as was doing well with both but they cant give me both permantly plus in on less sert than i was cit.
It gives me hope to hear people finally getting there i just hope im on the right med but only time can tell that. xx

[Pipkin]

Hi Tracey,

I guess the hard thing is that we can never be sure if the med's the right one until we've given it a good shot which can take a while and be really hard. Loads of people do really well on sertraline and it's the number one AD in the US. Pink's right to say it can take ages - it took me a good 2-3 months on ven before I got to where I am now. Stick with it and I'm sure you'll see the benefits soon.

Take care

Pip x

[TJSMITH]

Thanks Pipkin
I was on cit before for 4 months and worried about the change my gp said that i should not be analysing myself all the time though so wanted to change its all so hard but at least i have support of people on here who been or going through it x

[Pipkin]

Tracey,

I totally understand the over-thinking things and dwelling on how we're feeling. When I'm at my worst, I can barely do anything else. Now that I'm settled on the right meds at the right dose, I hardly do this at all. Things that would have sent my anxiety through the roof before don't really bother me anymore. I have occasional downs but, like you, I find the support on here invaluable to get me through.

Everyone here is so much stronger than they realise and, corny as it might sound, it really does help to know I'm not alone. I don't know what I'd have done without some supportive words over the past few months.

Take care and I'm glad you've found our little thread started by the wonderful Pinkdove.

Pip x