2nd day on Venlafaxine :(

[Pipkin]

I started on the Teva tablets - there's no problem with them, I just think you should be on a divided dose but that's your GP's call. I'd make an appointment and discuss it with him.

The standard tabs are fine but, as ven has a short half life, you'll get high blood levels for 12 hours after taking it and then the levels fall until your next tab. The options your GP should give you is standard tabs with divided dose or the modified release, once a day. I specifically asked mine about this years ago and he was clear not to take the standard ones once a day. It won't harm you, it just means you'll be a bit up and down and may feel a bit nauseous when you take them.

Putting all that aside as it's only really a minor point, stick with it and you'll really see the benefits.

Good luck

Pip

[LostTomorrow]

Cheers Pip

Yesterday I feel back to normal, hardly any side effects

I still get anxiety....but it's not as severe. I think I'm gonna ask the DR to up the dose and see what it's like then.

[Pipkin]

I would stick with 75 for a good month before increasing. I was still improving after 3 months so don't rush things. Ask about the modified release though.

Pip

[LostTomorrow]

Well Iv'e just entered week 7, I was given efexor 75mg xl x2 just over 2 weeks ago.
First week was really good....1st day of 150mg was actually! 2nd week was back to feeling shitty and like as if I hadn't taken any meds at all and the anxiety was back in full force, actually that's not quite true. I felt lousy but not anxious, I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything, I wasn't depressed, I wasn't angry & I wasn't anxious but I had some strange feeling almost like anxiety.... but not, I don't know :S I'm putting that down to the meds!
Been feeling good for last couple of days though

I'm due to go back to DR in less than 2 weeks, I'm assuming he will keep me at 150mg for the next few weeks, I'd really like something to take the edge off in my dips and I don't really want Diazepam or any Benzo, is there an alternative that works quite well guys?

Take care all

[DAC]

This is my 3rd day on Venlafaxine and I feel awful. Never taken it before. Been started on 75mg. I've had no high. I feel anxious and tearful. I don't want a life on medication.

[LostTomorrow]

Wow, over 4 years ago I posted this. Venlafaxine for me worked well, sort of. I quit it about 8/9 months ago as I felt it was making me more aggressive and less emotional but worked really well for anxiety!
I went about 5 months med free, got myself a full time job after being unemployed for over 10 years due to anxiety, I'm working 6 days a week every week and yep.... anxiety came back with a bang a few months ago :(

I would of gone back on Ven, but now that I'm in work there's no way I could go through the first couple of weeks of taking Ven without quitting my job ( I'm self employed so can't take time off ) The start of Venlafaxine for me years ago felt like some kind of nervous breakdown.
Asked Dr for something else and he put me on Mirtazapine, helps me sleep but crap for anxiety in my case :(
I've now started on citalopram, day 3 on 10mg and holy crap it's like the hell of Venlafaxine in the early stages!!
Work tomorrow is going to be shite :(
I hope this passes soon??
Meh

[pinkdove]

Could have written this myself, like you i did so well on ven then decided to slowly wean off, that was in June, and i have had a major meltdown too, I have been back on ven for 8 weeks, now at 112.5mg, extended release, i dont work, so it's easier for me, but the side effects have been awful again, just hoping it works for me 2nd time around.

Really hope you begin to feel better soon xx

[LostTomorrow]

I hope it works for you again too.
Yea horrible side effects, during my few months of no meds I had a bad couple of days and took 1 150mg effexor.....it doubled my shityness and gave me withdrawal brain shock things for over 2 weeks! 1 effexor!
I've been in bed for a few hours worrying about work tomorrow, biting my nails, staring at but not watching TV etc, anxiety has lifted for now and your reply helped
Your still getting side effects 8 weeks in?
Hopefully gone soon and you'll feel good, or better again x

[pinkdove]

Not sure it's side effects now, it's probably the illness, and i'm not sure if i need an increase or decrease....I know that feeling well, staring at, but not watching the telly, hard to concentrate on anything when your anxiety is that high, the funny thing is i feel better in the evening, make plans for the next day, then wham, wake up feeling like crap again.

I know you are self employed, but your health comes first, you need to give your body and mind time to heal, maybe you could cut your hours down so you dont burn yourself out. We will get through this, we have before, and we will again. take care, and keep posting, we can help each other through

[LostTomorrow]

Yep know what you mean about waking up feeling crap, I thought Monday was going to be bad for me as Sunday I was an anxious mess, but weirdly even though I woke up anxious Work went ok and Monday evening I was very relaxed, even watched some TV! I thought great, Tuesday morning will be fine....... been so bad all day and am now worrying how I'll feel tomorrow, a vicious exhausting circle which really p*ss' me off that for years and years I can't get the tiniest bit of control over! I think writing it down on a forum helps though lol?
I know it's early days, 4 or 5, on the citalopram but I'm already thinking of maybe going back on Venlafaxine again, maybe.
Do you like reading? Are you able to at the moment? A year or two ago I took my kindle everywhere with me, beach, dr's, car, dog walks, I always had it with me and it really helped me through some bad anxiety spells! I haven't been able to concentrate on a book for months now though :(
I hope you wake up tomorrow feeling better, your not alone in this battle. Hugs x