Venlafaxine (Effexor)

[Jimbo]

This is a continuation of my other thread about Paroxetine and coming off it:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17243

A nightmare coming off that stuff but I'm over the worst of it now and have started on this. I guess this thread is more for my benefit, a kind of diary of how I'm feeling on it.

I started on 37.5mg in the mornings last thursday. It didn't seem to be doing anything at that dose except eliminating some of the withdrawal symptoms I had coming off paroxetine. Still getting the odd muscle / nerve shock type thing, but only very occasionally. The deep depression I went into after stopping paroxetine has lifted slightly I think over the last few days. My modd still swings rapidly all over the place tho.

My psychiatrist wants me on 150mgs eventually, so my GP increased it today. Now I'm taking a second tablet in the evening, so 75mgs in total a day now.

I took it at 8pm and I'm definately feeling something from it now. A kind of weird hyper yet drowsey feeling together, hard to explain. A bit like the feeling you get after you downed a shot of strong spirits but it hasn't hit you yet, lol. I can only describe it as 'weird', slightly similar to how I felt when starting some of the other SSRI's like paroxetine / citalopram but different somehow.

I feel quite detached and everything seems very unreal and dream like, a kind of out of body feeling. Feels strange that I'm even typing this right now, almost like my body is on autopilot but my mind is elsewhere. I'm having trouble getting these sentances out without putting a lot of effort into thinking what I'm writing. I guess I feel a bit confused, slightly hard to get my thoughts in the right order. I've been back over this post and keep adding sentances here and there and correcting typos, lol.

None of this seems disturbing tho, I don't feel frightened or freaked out by it, fairly tranquil really. Odd is the only way I can describe it!

I don't really feel like sleeping, I kinda feel like just chilling and listening to some music or something, a bit restless like I should be doing something, but I don't know what.

I've got my first therapy appointment tomorrow and when I think about that it sends a pang of panic and anxiety, so I'm not going to think about that. I know I'm ready for it and I've done my worrying about that for today, so I'm shelving all that in the back of my mind till tomorrow.

I guess it's only day 1 at 75mgs and it's all to be expected.

Gonna get ready for bed and try to chill down a bit so I might be able to get some sleep.

Jim

[jo61]

Hi Jimbo, hope it works for you. I came off Paroxetine years ago with no trouble. I went onto Effexor last summer and it didn't work so I'm coming off that now. I have to say it's not an easy one to come off but I'll persevere. I'm on other medications as well so they should take up the slack. Let us know how you get on with Effexor.

Love Jo x

[Cassie]

Hi Jim

Good luck with the Effexor. I've been on it for nearly 9 weeks now and have found that it is helping - i upped my dose to 150mg last week so i'm having some further start up effects, but this is the dose my psych wants me on too.

Try not to let the therapy worry you too much. They've seen it all and probably more.

Cassie

[tam]

hi jim i take 75mg effexor and have never felt so good,i can do alot more things,i can probally do almost anything now,i get my moments but nothing so bad that stops me,just hoping it stays like this,i have taken them for about4-5 months.hope they work for you.tc tracy

[Jimbo]

I seem to be doing ok so far. They seem to be working quite quickly. I've only been on them for a little over a week, and 75mg for a couple of days, but I definately feel some sort of effect already. Definitely less down and depressed. I'm feeling a little more hopeful that these might work for me.

Since 75mgs I've been getting a lot of lethargy and yawning, a kind of unpleasant tired feeling and slightly dizzy and nauseous at times. Something I never got with any of the other SSRI's. They often made me feel totally 'wired' and hyper while increasing doses.

I actually fell asleep while watching tv this morning for a couple of hours. I haven't just fallen asleep naturally like that without conscously trying for ages.

I'm getting a lot of anxiety and panic still, almost jumped out of my skin when the post came through the letterbox a sec ago! Took me a few minutes to calm myself down. Also the scary 'out of control' rushing thoughts feeling I get is still there at times too. Also this kind of confused feeling where I have this nagging feeling there's I'm sposed to be doing something but can't think what.

I seem to be at my worst in the evenings, so I'll see how tonight goes.

It's still early days tho, I think I need a bit more time to get used to 75mgs before moving up the dose again.

[ConfusedByLife]

Good luck with the effexor. Wait till you find out the "joy" of coming off them which im experiencing now. Read the horror stories on other sites. I thought this drug was the answer to all my problems. without wanting to repeat myself like on my other posts, this drug is like heroin, and the longer you stay on it the harder it is to come off. Just think very carefully if you really need it before you stay on it for a period of time.

[Jimbo]

I am certain I do need to be on medication at the moment. I had some periods without meds and the depression and suicidal thoughts hit me big time. I'm certain that without medication I would not be here now. I'm just trying to find one that deals with the panic / anxiety disorder side of my illness too.

I guess I am a very pro meds, I mean if you had an infection you would take antibiotics, without them you could get very ill and they too have side effects. Mental illness is no different imo.

I am starting therapy at the moment so hopefully that will help me with the underlying causes and maybe in the future I will be able to be med free.

I honestly don't beleive the withdrawal can be as bad as heroine. I'm sure it's not great, Paroxetine withdrawal was pretty awful for me but you can get through it. I think there's a lot of hype and exageration about withdrawal from AD's... I think a lot of the withdrawal from Paroxetine was worse for me because I'd read so much bad stuff and was constantly looking for symptoms. I'm sure my mind created a lot of the feelings rather than the withdrawal itself.

Just my opinion tho, It can be difficult, but I know you can get through it.

Jim

[Cassie]

Sorry Confused by Life but i don't think its really appropriate to be trying to frighten someone about withdrawal effects. Yes YOU have had a bad time and YOU are experiencing a nasty withdrawal - it doesn't mean to say Jim will or that everyone else will.

People need to be aware of the potential of withdrawal difficulties but not frightened off the med all together. I'm sure that for every ONE person who has a bad experience with meds there are TWENTY responding well - its a shame we only hear the bad stories and not the good ones. Bit like the news i suppose.

Cassie

[Jimbo]

Wise words Cassie,

AD's affect individual people in very different ways, the same with the withdrawal. People should be aware of the potential for 'discontinuation syndrome' as it is technically called, but this doesn't affect everyone in the same way.

You're exactly right about only hearing the bad stories. I came off Citalopram 40mg at one point with no bad withdrawal effects at all, I didn't go round telling everyone, lol.

Often I think a lot of it are the symptoms of the underlying illness returning instead of withdrawal effects.

I'm sure you're having a bad time ConfusedByLife so I don't want to make you feel any worse or critisise what you are saying. I just hope you feel better soon, I'm sure you will.

For now, I know they are helping me, I'll worry about all that when I have to come off them, not now.

Peace,

Jim

[Cassie]

I didn't mean for that last post to sound so harsh. I just get annoyed sometimes by people who are anti-medication, seemingly projecting their opinions on to other people. Personally, i am pro medication, but when posting here and on other forums, i'd never dream of telling someone to start taking meds - i try to give advice which includes the pluses, and the minuses.

I'm with you on the 'discontinuation syndrome', jim. I'll cross that bridge if, and when i come to it. I came off Paroxetine after 6 years without any problem at all. I have been worse then ever, since then, but thats more to do with my original condition and huge life changes than a 'withdrawal phenonemon'. Its too easy for us to blame drugs and doctors for all our troubles.

Cassie