Advice??

[roxy46]

Not sure if anyone is still around but just lookind for a little advice if possible. After a relapse in anxiety/panic attacks 8 weeks ago i increased my dose of venlafaxine to 75mg from 37.5mg which i had been stable on for about 4 years. Had a really tough time with the increase (really bad increased anxiety). I started to feel a bit better by week 6ish. I am also taking proprananol.

So this is where i am now. I feel 'ok' im plodding along day to day, managing to do everything i need to, go to work, look after the house, look after the kids etc. Ive put some things in place to give me some 'me' time, yoga, mindfulness, bit of running. Im going to CBT therapy (again) once a week and attending a peer support group for anxiety and depression.


Problem is I still don't feel quite right. I feel like i have background anxiety a lot of the time. Its not crippling like it was but its there and makes me feel a bit down. I have a doctors appointment today. Im wondering if i should increase my dose or is it still early days? I'm a bit reluctant considering the increased anxiety i always get when I increase.

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated

xxx

[ana]

I don't think it's early days to increase your dose yet. An increased anxiety is a very common side-effect of upping the dosage. 75 mg is a very low dose, remember.

[roxy46]

Thanks Ana. The doctor was really pleased with my progress from when she first saw me and suggested I stay at the same dose which I was fine with. However this weekend I went away for the weekend and had a major setback, feel like I’m almost back to square one. How quickly things can change! Not sure if this is my queue to increase, or if the venlafaxine has stopped working for me after so many years or if it’s just the stress of being away from home and out of my routine/comfort zone. I get so scared I’m always going to be this anxious person, it’s just not the real me 😢

[ana]

Sometimes medicine does fail us, unfortunately. I feel like it just stops working at random times. I think you were probably very anxious on the day, which is what made it bad. The medication, I believe, is still working, but maybe you need a higher dose.