Hello fellow Ven takers (and anyone reading this who is considering starting).
Just thought I'd share a velafaxine success story! So much of the information available online about the different types of medication focuses on the downsides and "awful side effects" of taking them so I thought I'd redress the balance by posting a positive story.
As someone who always considered herself to be a "strong" person, anxiety came on suddenly out of nowhere after a routine op and I went to pieces. To cut a very long story short, I tried 4 different SSRIs over a 9 month period which either made no difference to the way I felt at best and at worst made me feel almost suicidal.
Then my doctor retired and my new doctor prescribed me Venlafaxine. By this time I knew the name and side effects of pretty much every anxiety medication going and I was quite frankly petrified of taking the Ven - so many horror stories about side effects, withdrawal etc and on one site I saw it described as "the dreaded Venlafaxine".
Anyhow, after one of my very worst days I decided to bite the bullet as it were and give Ven a go. So glad I did! Venlafaxine has helped give me my life back!
I think I was lucky as my doctor gave me modified release tablets rather than the standard release ones so my side effects at start up were not bad at all - a lot of yawning for the first 4 weeks, increased sweating (still have that!), a little nausea and I've gained some weight but nothing as bad as the anxiety I was suffering and nowhere near as bad as what I'd read online.
Within 2 weeks anxiety was massively reduced and by 6 weeks, all but gone. I have had some setbacks along the way and have had to increase my dosage but 11 months on, I've just reduced back down again. I may have more setbacks yet to come but I won't be scared to take a higher dose again if I need to.
I wouldn't say that the Ven has cured me on its own (I have also had CBT and counselling) but it has calmed my mind, stopped me over thinking things and worrying and got me to a place where I can think rationally again. It has helped me accept that the anxiety was there but that I could still carry on my life and as I've done this and started to really LIVE again rather than just exist, so the anxiety has diminished. In fact I've recently been promoted at work. Not bad for someone who considered herself to be "weak and worthless" for most of last year.
Of course, what I have learned is that anxiety is not a sign of weakness but rather of trying to be strong for too long and much as I hated it, anxiety has taught me some life lessons.
Venlafaxine has also taught me a lesson - don't always believe the hype, especially when it's negative. People are very quick to report bad experiences (be that with medication or any other services in life) but you don't often read poitive feedback.
I'm still on Ven for now and will come off it at some point but I'm in no desperate rush. I realise that this medication may not suit everyone but if just one person reads this thread and feels reassured enough to start their Ven journey to recovery then that would make me very happy.
This time last yearI thought anxiety was with me for the long haul but thanks to Ven, the light at the end of that tunnel is getting brighter by the day.
Reply With Quote
