jove
28-04-12, 20:03
Hi,
I found this site after googling venlafaxine and have spent a few hours reading various posts so have decided to join and introduce myself.
Well where do I start.... I have suffered anxiety of various sorts and depression for the past 30 years or so. I have been told to pull myself together for probably 24 of those years!! I sought medical help about 6 years ago and was initially given propranolol which helped with the physical symptoms of my panic attacks and anxiety.
I eventually had CBT (as I also have health/medication anxiety and would not take ADs),I had CBT for 2 years and was eventually discharged because my counsellor beleived that I am so 'used' to being in this state that getting better was too scary, and that unless i took meds my mood wouldn't improve enough to take the CBT in.....
After a particularly scary panic episode and the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer in my dad I decided to try ADs. First came Fluoxetine (liquid due to swallowing anxieties) and diazepam, Fluoxetine was very quickly discontinued as my anxiety increased ten fold and I broke out in a rash everywhere, switched to Citalopram 20mg, then 40mg, then 60mg - no real side effects but no effect on my depression. On a medicatio review saw a locum GP who informed me that GPs werent allowed to prescribe 60mg Citalopram anymore (since sept 2011) becuse of reports of heart arrythmias and sudden death - not something you should say to someone with health anxieties!!!!! She suggested Venlalic modified release 75mg, so I started on this new journey. I suffered blinding headaches for the first week, had a review after 4 weeks, no improvement so upped to 150mg. During this time I have also been diagnosed with high blood pressure and am on 2.5mg daily ramipril. Back for a review last week and have been upped to 225mg.....
I feel a bit like a guinea pig as I have had an ECG and blood tests to try and find out why I have such high blood pressure (was 170/120 last check was 155/110) and all came back clear, apart from having tachycardia (I think that being constantly anxious is the culprit here), anyway she upped my venlalic on the thinking that maybe my high blood pressure is also caused by my anxiety and mybe the upped dose would lift my mood and lower the BP.
Sorry this has been so long, but this is where I am now, taking 225mg terrifies me, especially reading many people are only taking 150mg. I am so tired of all this and just want to be normal - I can remember what that was like - none of my family really 'gets it' as they cant see whats going on in my head and I feel they have lost all patience with me....
This was supposed to be just an intro but has ended up being an essay - apologies.
J
I found this site after googling venlafaxine and have spent a few hours reading various posts so have decided to join and introduce myself.
Well where do I start.... I have suffered anxiety of various sorts and depression for the past 30 years or so. I have been told to pull myself together for probably 24 of those years!! I sought medical help about 6 years ago and was initially given propranolol which helped with the physical symptoms of my panic attacks and anxiety.
I eventually had CBT (as I also have health/medication anxiety and would not take ADs),I had CBT for 2 years and was eventually discharged because my counsellor beleived that I am so 'used' to being in this state that getting better was too scary, and that unless i took meds my mood wouldn't improve enough to take the CBT in.....
After a particularly scary panic episode and the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer in my dad I decided to try ADs. First came Fluoxetine (liquid due to swallowing anxieties) and diazepam, Fluoxetine was very quickly discontinued as my anxiety increased ten fold and I broke out in a rash everywhere, switched to Citalopram 20mg, then 40mg, then 60mg - no real side effects but no effect on my depression. On a medicatio review saw a locum GP who informed me that GPs werent allowed to prescribe 60mg Citalopram anymore (since sept 2011) becuse of reports of heart arrythmias and sudden death - not something you should say to someone with health anxieties!!!!! She suggested Venlalic modified release 75mg, so I started on this new journey. I suffered blinding headaches for the first week, had a review after 4 weeks, no improvement so upped to 150mg. During this time I have also been diagnosed with high blood pressure and am on 2.5mg daily ramipril. Back for a review last week and have been upped to 225mg.....
I feel a bit like a guinea pig as I have had an ECG and blood tests to try and find out why I have such high blood pressure (was 170/120 last check was 155/110) and all came back clear, apart from having tachycardia (I think that being constantly anxious is the culprit here), anyway she upped my venlalic on the thinking that maybe my high blood pressure is also caused by my anxiety and mybe the upped dose would lift my mood and lower the BP.
Sorry this has been so long, but this is where I am now, taking 225mg terrifies me, especially reading many people are only taking 150mg. I am so tired of all this and just want to be normal - I can remember what that was like - none of my family really 'gets it' as they cant see whats going on in my head and I feel they have lost all patience with me....
This was supposed to be just an intro but has ended up being an essay - apologies.
J