Ven diaries

[tommackent88]

Hi both

Debs is right, stick with it !

To answer your above question, unfortunately it took me a while to 'level out' after finding the right dosage. but thank god I stuck with it.

You will have heightened anxiety but please be reassured that this is the chemicals causing this and it's all normal!

T
Xx

[Debs21uk]

So plodding along is all I can say for now as its early days. Feels like I'm starting to feel the effects of the taper more now.

Day 5: tired, feel like I'm sleeping most of the day, jittery/anxious, headaches, chills, low mood.

[Debs21uk]

Day 6: increased sleeping, jittery/anxiety, chills, lightheaded when going from sitting to standing.

Nearly at the one week mark, have another week of the same then I drop the final 10mg cit and increase ven to 75mg. Fingers crossed once that happens I can start to make progress. Have diazepam for when the anxiety is bad but trying not to use it unless I really need to and even at that I tend to take half.

[Mermaid16]

Hi Debs! We are at polar opposites with regard to sleep. I am so tired, but my mind won't shut down (I had this also when I started on Sertraline). Which is actually doing my head in, because I wake at 4.30am wound up as tight as an elastic band with anxiety (which tends to ease once I get moving, not go, but ease). When I get home from work I'm exhausted, but can't sleep...aaarrrhhhgg). Thankfully with the Mirt it knocks me out for a few hours at night. Can't wait till this is over!!!

[Debs21uk]

Hi Tracy, I'm not sure if the sleep thing is partly because I have chronic fatigue as well and I was told the citalopram gave me a lift so it could be the transition is interfering with that. I have anxiety and jitters too so I never know if it's coming of the citalopram or starting the ven. We're only really going into side effect territory just now, once we're off the old drugs then hopefully we'll start to make progress.

I read somewhere 20mg citalopram and 50-75mg sertraline is equivalent to 75mg ven so we're not even at a therapeutic dose yet.

[dale12345]

Hope you feel better

[Mermaid16]

Hi Debs. I dropped from 75mg to 50mg on 30th of August and had no change in sleep at all (or any real side effects from tapering down 25mg), until I started taking the Ven. I was snoozing in on the weekends until about 10ish. By day three it had definately changed my sleep as I was awake at 4.30am and have been every day since with severe anxiety upon waking. It does ease though once I get up. I know you have only just started as well, but do you think when you updose with the Ven, the anxiety will get worse, or once it's in there, it doesn't make much difference. If anyone who is reading this has had experience, could you please advise. I get really overwhelmed with everything, my anxiety I guess is rampant at the moment. I did feel quite rational yesterday afternoon though and was thinking positive. Good luck Debs...you seem to be coping with it much better than I am. xx

[dale12345]

all of you

[Debs21uk]

I'm just thinking being on 10mg citalopram and 37.5mg Effexor I pretty much have two ineffective doses doing nothing right now. Roll on another week to get this switch done with!

[Shazamataz]

Hi debs you should have the same levels of seretonin with half and half but I expect each med works a bit differently so still needs adjusting. Hang in there!