Starting on ven 75mg slow release

[Ickleluce]

Hello lovely people,
I bit the bullet and went to my gp today and have hopefully started on the road to getting my life in order. I have been on antidepressants for years and tried all the ssris fluox, cit, sertraline and although when on them i am able to function better i have never felt that i am feeling better or "normal" whatever that is. I have been off sert for months cos i ran out and couldnt afford the perscription but i think i have pretty much hit rock bottom and need to do something to sort my life out. So gp has put me on ven 75mg slow release and im going to try really hard to stay on them and let them work. I have also been referred for another course of cbt as i didnt get on with my last therapist so wish me luck.
I am habitually awful at taking tablets but i wondered if i should start them tonight as i dont tend to eat breakfast or is it better to take them in the morning. I am a little scared of the side effects as although i dont currently work i am applying for jobs and i also have 2 small children that keep me busy. Sorry for long post but any advice and support will be very much appreciated as i hope to use this forum as a crutch to help me get my life back on track. Many thanks in anticipation
Love lucy x

[nicola1980]

Hi i take ven at the dose of 150mg a day, i too was prescribed this after many other ADs failed to work for me, i find it a very good AD and it has helped with my anxiety tremendously, there's a few of us on here that take it successfully. Definitely take it with food especially at the start as it can cause nausea, you might find your anxiety increases for a week or so this is totally normal and will settle, you may have a dry mouth and notice your pupils are dilated that's completely normal but totally freaked me out at first!! It's good you've been given the slow release as most us were first prescribed the standard release you need to take twice a day because it's cheaper to prescribe!! But after much persuading the majority of us including myself are now on the slow release, you get a much smoother ride side effect wise on the slow release but don't be surprised if you have nausea as this is very common at the start and does pass, I suffered headaches too but they passed, you just have to persevere through any side effects you get as they don't last long and it is a good AD. We have an active thread going called 'from citalopram to venlafaxine good stories only' if you want to have a look through at when we were all starting and feel free to ask any questions. Good luck. Nicola X X

[SADnomore]

Hello! :welcome:
I started on ven back in Mar/April this year, and have settled at 225 this month after slow increases of 37.5 mg, and now feel that "normal" you're talking about. Amazing, because I never felt that with antidepressants before! And without them, "normal" for me was always, well, depressed! Lol! In fact, I've been feeling pretty upbeat lately, and much more relaxed too.

Well worth riding out the side effects for. Some people notice very little. Like Nicola, I also had the transient nausea, and had to eat when I took my capsule, and often, after that, even if it was just a snack. This went away in 3-5 days, for the most part. I also had fuzzy brain (visual disturbance and feeling somewhat detached), massive dry mouth and constipation. I also had what's called muscle tonitis, which gave me a "knots-in-the-stomach" feeling, and legs that had muscles feeling half-engaged all the time in my legs, but with jelly legs as well. Had to be careful with stairs and getting in and out of the car. That bit was quite tiring, really. It all resolved (except for some level of dry mouth, and constipation still), within 5 weeks. Sounds like a long time, but it passes quickly, it really does. And if it turns out to be the right medication for you, believe me, it is well worth sticking it out! Recently I switched from taking it at breakfast to taking it at night, and feel better once I am up, with no lagging of energy later in the afternoon.
Good luck! Keep posting, you're among friends now :flowers:

[Ickleluce]

Right so took first tablet this morning. I hope i havent given myself paranoia about the side effects because this afternoon i am feeling lightheaded a little nausea a headache and jelly legs. Did anyone else have side effects so quickly or is it all in my head??

[nicola1980]

Yep I got side effects straight away it's normal hun so don't panic just try to go with it, I had exactly what your describing and more lol but they pass, I nearly gave up on day 3 as I didn't think I could hack it but I carried on and things got better X X

[spawn]

Hey Lucy,
The side effects you are experiencing are normal and will last 7-10 days until you settle?
It all seems scary I know, but it does get better, you need to give yourself lots of time.
We have all been through the same so there's lots of support on here! :)
Good luck.. Gav.x