from citalopram to venlafaxine, good stories please!!!

[scrivens12]

I was on Venlafaxine 300mg(SR) for several years. The finest thing I ever did was to stop taking it

It increased my Anxiety, and resulted in a manifold increase in Panic attacks.
It gave me tics & twitches. It also made me self-harm
gave me serious constipation with stoppage of peristalsis...to pass any sort of motion I had to use 2 different laxatives and enemas

It also caused Anorexia & sexual disfunction

All of which would be bearable if the drug worked for me, If anything it increased my depression.

[missie777]

Hi all- day 6 of ven- not feeling too good today guys, after waking up drenched again i have felt sick and weak all morning.

Pink- so glad getting ur hair done made you feel better. x

Scrivens- reading ur thread wasn't probably very wise due to me feeling so ill but i appreciate ur experiences and must admit it does concern me. however that was such a large dose so may be that was why you were so affected. hope your ok now. x

Pip- you've got a valid point on looking into our meds too much as it can easily enhance anxiety. but its so hard when you can feel so ill especially when you know its down to medication ect. I'll continue to have faith in this med as you said it must work as it have helped you and others on here. Hope the puppy training is going ok, its such a mission hey!! just got out of that stage thank god but it takes time. I used the doggy drops from "pets for home" approx £5 but it worked great. you sound like a very patient guy so you''ll do fine. good luck love. x
Ill try a take my little monsters to the park now, at least Ive got me doggy bags if Im sick, honestly my mouth is like Gandi's flip flip. love to you all. maria.xxx

[rockbottok]

Scrivens.....this post is about helping each other and giving support. What part of ur stupid comment did u think ud be helping anyone? The only thing that post will do is worry ppl and give thm MORE anxiety.

On a positive note......I take 112.5mg a day and I have NEVER felt better. I've got my life back. I managed to get out of a unhealthy relationship and be happy and content on my own with my 2 kids. I've got next to none anxiety, never get any panic attacks anymore and I'm really upbeat about life. Best thing I ever did was take ven. I LOVE IT.

Please everyone stick with it and try and relax as anxiety is only a feeling it won't hurt u. When I do get anxiety I stop and think is there any point in worrying about it as worrying is not going to change the outcome.

Sorry I havent been on for a while. U kinda forget when ur feeling well. X

Lou x

[nicola1980]

Well said lou that post was completely uncalled for and really should be deleted x x

[missie777]

Hi to you lou and a very big thankyou!! I must say when I read the negative and frightening thread I got so upset. The fact that my depression it at a very low point and having a few bad symptoms it all felt quite black, especially when im on my own- kids in school and hubby work ect. Im new to the site and felt that the last couple of days i havent felt as lone as the people on here are so amazing and kind. So a big virtual hug is sent to you for bringing such postive thoughts back into my head.

scrivens- I lost my beautiful little sister to depression this past year and my life and my mum's life as been devastated. Since this have had a nervous break down and battling every day.If you do contiue partipate in this forum please consider what you have offer as your points can be very damaging

Im still going to climb up that mountain.

[haz]

Hi haz there tablets and are called venlalic xr x x

Thanks Nicola. Sorry to hear you felt worse after increasing your dose again though. Are you still taking them?

Hope you're feeling better.

Haz. x

[nicola1980]

Thanks Nicola. Sorry to hear you felt worse after increasing your dose again though. Are you still taking them?

Hope you're feeling better.

Haz. x

Hi Haz, yeah im still on them but still only 75mg and 37.5mg i can't seem to tolerate any higher dose than that! xx

[Pipkin]

Hi all,

Well said Lou - we are here to support each other and comments like that are not helpful at all. We would be naive to think that any medication works for everyone and that they are free from side effects but comments like that need to be taken in context. Human nature makes people more vocal about the negatives.

Just to reiterate, ven has helped me to feel better than I have for years and I get very few side effects. I still have some bad days but show me someone who doesn't. We're not stepford wives (or husbands) with no emotions. I've seen enough evidence to know that the positives of ven by far outweigh the negatives, once you get through the first few weeks. One final point before I get off my high (and indignant) horse, the maximum recommended dose for ven is 225mg a day. Clinical trials showed that above this, there was no further decrease in depression or anxiety and that some side effects were far worse. Doctors shouldn't prescribe 300mg but, instead, should prescribe an augmenting drug.

On a far more positive note, I've had a great day and am looking forward to the weekend. The sun is shining, the puppy is chewing everything and I'm feeling a thousand times better than I was a few days ago.

Missie - stick with it and focus on the positive. Lou's comments are spot on and I hope you'll be able to post something very similar about the improvements you've made very soon.

Take care

Pip xxx

[Catya]

Yes, Maria, please concentrate on getting yourself well. Depression is a debilitating illness and for you to have lost your sister in this way, it is far too near to home for you.
I think that the medication is as good as it can be and that, for all of us, the main thing is getting the correct dose... And that can take some time. Keep persevering along with the rest of us please. If we weren't all plagued by depression and anxiety we wouldn't be on here or needing medication. I guess most of us would choose to be meds free, but we need to live in this world and we need a reasonable quality of life. xxxx

[Sober2000june]

Hi all,

I’ve been watching this post with interest as I am currently on Venlialic xl 225mg (3x75). I started the Med go round last September, when advised by a group member (I’m a recovering alcoholic - 12yrs sober next month) who is also a NHS counselor that what I was describing was anxiety and depression. I was absolutely terrified to take meds as I took amytryptoline during 1993 for 6 months and had a terrible experience on them. Anyway i went to the GP and was prescribed Citalopram, 11weeks later we agreed i was not getting anywhere and was referred to a psychiatrist who suggested Sertraline(have never felt emotional destitution like it in my life). 3rd time lucky was to be Mirtazapine( major weight gain acompanied with serious agression. So my friend who is the counselor suggested I try what she is on ( Venlafaxine) and that I would probably need 225mg. I stated 37.5 on 30th March and have pretty much been ramped up by my GP every week until my current 225(now on day 9). Ive had a few good days on lower doeses (75xl mornig with 37.5 std release in evening) the fisrt day on 225 was good and last Friday was fantastic – I was focused balanced and was on I high when my middle son and I went to pick fish for his aquarium. Couldn’t even sleep that night and I wanted to stay up as I felt so good but I took some diazepam a prescribed by my doc to sleep. Any way I have continually been slipping since Sunday and today was an abyss, and I ended up having to resort to diazepam to slow my head down to a tornado. Anyway sorry about the moan, but reading your posts I can greatly identify with what you all have to say about your experiences on meds and was looking for some encouragement as my wife just does not get it.

Kind regards,
Paul