Help please. Feel like I'm sliding backwards!

[Poppy Girl]

Hi

I'm new to this site but it's been recommended by my doctor so just wondering if anyone out there can give me some help or advice?

After suffering from severe GAD for 6 months trying out various medications, I finally started taking Venlafaxine 75mg modified release tablets mid July. Within 2 weeks I was starting to feel better and by 6 weeks was back to the old me - happy, content, relaxed etc. - I had my life back!

Suddenly mid September the anxiety came back out of nowhere. I stuck it out for a week or so but then went back to the doctor who suggested slowly increasing my dose (2 tablets 1 day, 1 the next) for a couple of weeks and then 150mg daily. I've now been on the full 150mg for just over 2 weeks and last week had 3 days of feeling back to normal again. Since last Thursday though, things have been going steadily downhill until I find myself today feeling almost at rock bottom again. Spent half the day crying as all the old feelings are back - tight chest, shaky hands, feelings of being unable to cope and that this is how I'll be forever.

The doctor also gave me lorazepam 1mg 2 x daily but this doesn't seem to help at all.

I'm trying to do all the things I've learned over the past months - be nice to myself, keep busy, accept the feelings etc but the bad feelings are so intense I can't seem to get past them.

Has anyone had experience of this with an increase in medication or is it possible it's just stopped working for me? I didn't have any side effects at all when I first started taking it.

Thanks so much in advance :unsure:

[lior]

I haven't experienced this myself, but welcome to the site.

My uninformed opinion would be that maybe it's stopped working for you... the human body can get desensitised to things. Also I think that side effects might develop at different doses.

I'm sorry you're having a hard time at the moment x

[SADnomore]

Lucky you! I am afraid I had a time with startup s/e when first on ven, some of which hung on til 5 weeks. Since then, my increases have been only 37.5 mg at a time, and over 4 weeks, so it may have helped minimize their recurrence. I feel most positive by the last week of the increase each time, as I note the "physical tension" symptoms are really absent right about then. That tight chest I can relate to eases off.

That said, I haven't had your other symptoms, the shaking hands and anxiety, although I know some increase in anxiety for awhile is normal because of the SSRI effect. Mainly I felt my increased tension in a physical way and was able to relate it to changes in my gut, where 90% of our serotonin receptors are. I felt some muscle tonus/involuntary stiffening of leg muscles in the first month or so, and strong knots in my stomach for most of the day. After awhile I noticed it had been weeks since I had dissolved in tears, and that gave me hope. With some effort, I have been able to maneuver my mind past the helplessness, despair and utter sadness I used to have. I have been able to push away the thoughts and feelings that used to pull me under. I think this has been achieved through a combination of the venlaxafine and positive thinking, to be honest.

I found this site when looking for positive stories from people who had tried venlaxafine, and it is due to their successes and support that I have made it through the tough times and now am feeling good about this choice. There is an old thread started by Pinkdove that I found particularly helpful, and I'll bet you will too.

Also, since as you say your GAD is severe, you may want to consider asking for propranolol to help to quiet things down a little. Some folks report that it helps with heart rate etc. and that is very calming. Just knowing that all of this is normal for some time, and that I can always keep moving up in dose to involve other neurochemicals that may be helpful is reassuring to me. By mid-winter, when my depression has always been at its worst, I have enough faith in this medication to titrate up further in dose if recommended. As for decreasing my dosage later on, I will cross that bridge when I come to it, but won't be rushed because I know that slow and steady is best for changes with this med.

I am rooting for you that venlaxafine eventually works for you, sooner rather than later! But if it doesn't pan out on its own, then don't be afraid to try a combination with an adjunct medication, before trying something else, okay? Especially since you didn't experience side effects on it, it would be amazing if you are able to stay on it!

Glad you have found us, keep posting! :hugs:
Marie

[Poppy Girl]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I need to give the medication a little more time to work this time around. It's just that it worked so quickly last time, I was expecting the same.

It's just great that I've found somewhere I can really say what's on my mind and know that people will understand.

Friends and family have been great but none of them have experienced this and so can't really help, other than be there for me and try and take my mind elsewhere. :)

[spawn]

Hi there..

I'm afraid that you will most likely experience a up and down with Ven, I did!
I know it's easier said than done, but you need to not panic and worry to much.
Just say to yourself that you won't feel like this forever and it's a blip!
I was taking diazepam when I was on Ven to calm me when needed.
I'm currently taking propanolol and it's a much nicer calming drug to take, and doesn't knock you out like diazepam.

Hope this helps, Gav.