Venlafaxine 13 months later

[mishas]

Hello everyone


I started taking Venlafaxine a year and 1 month ago which is also when I wrote my first post, you can read it here. But if you are just starting out with Venlafaxine I would like to keep you on this thread for a while.

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and had panic attacks last year and was prescribed Ven 75mg + Trazodone 100mg. I will skip all the nastiness that went on in the beginning + I already wrote about it, I was a wreck, I couldn't walk alone, I sometimes couldn't move/get up from the couch out of fear and panic. A year later I can say that Venlafaxine helped me a lot to get rid of the panic and extreme anxiety. In the past year I have had the strength to not only walk outside alone but (for better or worse) pulled myself out of a very unhealthy marriage, moved out all by myself, now look after a dog, traveled halfway across the world independently, I started climbing mountains, I became fitter, managed to keep a strict diet so I could go on longer and more difficult routes, I felt strong and in control.

I think it's safe to say that Venlafaxine helps take the edge away from things and will most likely help you in your battle with whatever your monster is if you stick to it. Will it solve the primary issue? No. Will it help you pull yourself together so you can solve it yourself? Yes. Please, do yourself a favor and combine your ADs with therapy. You need to get things out of your system and re-assess situations so you can begin the actual healing process. I have been going to therapy before I was on ADs and only 4 months ago did my therapist tell me - this was the first time you had an effective session and talked. And it felt that way too.

I still feel sad, depressed, struggle to get out of bed sometimes, I'm still cautious about drinking and letting go, I wouldn't even call myself happy at this stage so I can't really define myself as a success story. But I have a choice. Even if I'm in crappy land for some time then I will pull myself back together. That wasn't the case last year.

I don't know when I will start to cut down the dosage, I don't feel like I am in a position to do so now but I'm working on it to get there. I just wanted to write this post, if it gives 1 person hope that things will get better then it would mean the world to me. You're not alone and things WILL get better!

[Mermaid16]

I think this is a great post/success story. For people starting out on medications, you read so many horror stories and unfortunately people like yourself that have had a positive experience, don't write on forums about it. I think another thing we all need to remember is that medication doesn't make us feel happy all the time. We will still experience normal emotions like people that aren't taking medication. We will still feel flat, sad, angry etc on some days.

I think you have done a great thing by coming back and updating and may give confidence to someone who is about to start on and AD. You sound like the medication AND therapy have helped you to make some positive life choices and to be able to enjoy yourself, rather than being a prisoner of anxiety. Thanks for sharing your story and wishing you every happiness on your journey of life xx

[Pipkin]

What an excellent post and well done. It shows that it takes a lots of effort, determination and support to turn things around but that it is possible. I agree completely about ADs - they are not the only solution but they can be an important part of it. I too take venlafaxine and my experience is similar. I can feel it working in the background, stopping things getting too bad but also giving me the space to help myself.

Take care and thanks for posting

Pip