Effexor increase 187.5 to 225

[Hemps]

Hi I am struggling again. I have just increased my dosage about 13 days ago and feel horrible. Really anxious, sick (keep dry retching) and absolutely no energy. I have also increased my quetapine from 25 to 40 mg.

I sometimes just don't think I will feel normal ever again. I have been struggling for over 2 years now. I have successfully weaned off diazepam and zoplicone and my physiactrist promised me I would feel a lot better. I feel better for knowing I have weaned off these addictive drugs, but I don't think my anxiety is better. He is positive I will get better and the quetapine will also help. From what I have heard it is meant to help straight away, but not for me.

Could I just be feeling worse because of the increase or maybe my dose is too high?

Anyone been through something similar?

[nicola1980]

Hi when I increased my dose from 150mg to 187.5mg I had a terrible time for about 3 weeks, my anxiety rocketed to a level that scared the life out of me, I'd spend my days curled up in a ball in bed crying praying it would stop, i was prescribed Diazepam to help me but I've read you've just successfully withdrawn from that so I don't suppose you want to use that again but a huge well done for withdrawing off that and zopiclone, that's a huge achievement. Give the new dose time to settle into your system, your experiencing the typical side effects when you increase and yes their bloody unbearable but they do ease off in time, it's been mentioned about me increasing up to 225mg but I'm absolutely petrified to do this due to the side effects I experienced last time. If you can stick with it for another week then if your still feeling the same ring your physc up XX

[MyNameIsTerry]

Same here and I suggest you read Nicola's thread about it so you can see how it affected her but she is much better than that now.

When I went onto Duloxetine I didn't have too many side effect issues on the 30mg starting dose that you begin the taper on.I even remember feeling better for a few days before it seemed to dip again. Then I went onto the standad 60mg dose and my anxiety went through the roof.

The reason for me and for Nicola was because we were both crossing over the threshold where the epinephrine effects start. Until this threshold, the drug only works with serotonin. The side effects of this increased adrenaline can be increased anxiety and its noted by our clinical excellence body, NICE, that SNRI's are worse in terms of side effects than SSRI's as they have noted more people quit them early on.

I think you have done a hell of a lot of hard work getting off those addictive meds you had been on. I also remember your threads about how those withdrawals were making you feel terrible so if you can do that, I reckon you can bare this out too.

[Hemps]

Hi, thanks for your replies. For some reason this feels worse than withdrawal from Diazepam.

It is so weird, I didn't feel this bad last time I increased, or maybe that was because I was taking diazepam? who knows.

Will definetely ring my physicatrist at next few days if this doesn't subside. Just worried I will go into relaspe if I have to decrease my dosage.

[Hemps]

rang my physciatrist. he wants me to stay on this dose of 225 mg for now. he is unsure why I am feeling so bad.

I feel worse today. Just have to wait it out.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It seems to me that it has happened shortly after an increase of a med so its very likely going to be side effects. He should know that really.

Given what Nicola went through, it sounds similiar. On that basis, it should disappear once the side effects level out so its wise to see how things go but give you temporary support.

If it gets worse though, keep contacting them because they will want to monitor you through this.

[nicola1980]

Hi it sounds very similar to what happened to me, my side effects kicked in on day 5 I think and honestly it was unbearable, i was phoning my crisis team, Gp etc as I felt so bad, all they said was it's a common side effect and to try and stick it out....easy for them to say!! My side effects lasted about 3 weeks and then things started to calm down. The people on here got me through so keep posting XX

[pulisa]

OMG the pysch is "unsure" as to why you're feeling so bad?! That must give you heaps of confidence in him?!

Honestly if it wasn't so serious it would actually be funny. These "experts " haven't got a clue as to how drugs like venlafaxine work...

It must be a really horrible time for you, Paula but follow the advice from people on here who have weathered the storm of ven increases. They certainly have more knowledge than your psych apparently ,his no doubt long list of qualifications!

[Michelle1]

Hi how are you feeling today any better?

It's surprising how a small increase of 37.5 can affect us so much!
I've been off and on ven about 15 years (since the birth of my daughter when I was diagnosed with post natal depression). Never had anything before that.

I've tried being off ven 3 times over those years and have managed to stay off between 3mths to just over a year. But symptoms always come back plus more so this time I'm staying on them indefinitely. I can't go through a breakdown again. I've settled on 37.5 and staying put.

Question for you? How did you manage your diazipam withdrawl, can you give me any tips?

I was on a low dose only 2mgs but over 5 years. To be honest the pills haven't done anything to help for years and I've built up a tolerance but never increased because I knew I'd just eventually build up a tolerance again.

My pdoc said I'd eventually feel much better once off benzodiazepines and a lot of my issue are se of being on this drug. I've got down to 1 mg (wasn't nice) I've still got se but manageable ones. Bit worried about the last drop.

Any tips appreciated x

[Hemps]

Hi everyone thanks for your replies. Still feeling yucky, but could be due to extra stress I am under at the moment, sick kids and stress at work.

Just have this knot in my stomach and feel shaky. I am seriously wondering if this dose increase will actually achieve anything.

Michelle, you are right - it is strange that 37.5 mg can cause such problems, but I think last time I increased I was taking diazepam so it may have helped.

In regards to easing off the diazepam, I reduced 1/8 mg of a 2mg tablet once a week, so the side effects were very minimal. My physiastrist started me on quetapine or serqouel (sorry my spelling is hopeless). This was to help with the withdrawal effects.

Reducing by 1/8 is extremely hard as I had to cut a quarter of a tablet into half, which sometimes ended up in a crumbley mess. But I did find this way a lot easier. It is extremely hard to get off but I was really determined to get off it because I need to feel better, and I feel it wasn't helping me anymore, probably making me worse.

I think the best thing to do is wean in your own time and drop when you are ready. Even if you dropped 1/8 tab every two weeks or once a month. A drop is a drop and each time you do it you feel good about yourself.

I am a bit like you, I had severe post natal depression and have been on medication on and off for the last 11 years. Two years ago I decided to come off citalopram and fell apart. Tried to go on it again and it failed. Been on 3 antidepressants over the last 2 years. Still not convinced that effexor is the right one, but also like yourself know that I need to be on this medication for life.

Paula

[Michelle1]

Hi Paula,

Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.
It's so funny that a lot of us women first get our illness after the birth of a child. I sometimes wonder if my anxiety issues were caused by hormones rather than a chemical imbalance. I often read the same story, no signs of depression/anxiety and then give birth and wam bang get all these feelings/thoughts/disorders that were never a part of your life previously. Wish maybe I'd got my hormones checked first all those years ago rather than going down the route of antidepressants and anti anxiety meds but I think it's too late now. Anyway on a positive note my side effects seem to be reducing daily.

I think a 50% cut in my diazipam was a bit ambitious for my first cut :-)

I'm at my Drs this afternoon and going to ask for liquid diazipam for the last 1mg cut. Can't wait to be benzo free, first time in 5 years Yey!!!!

I hope the ven increase works real soon for you, you are doing a great job still working through it and bringing up children.

OnceI get off this last 1mg of diazipam I am happy to hopefully just stay on a low dose of ven for life. No more trying to go it alone for me as I've learnt my lesson 3 times now.

I've got Pregabalin on my prescription if I should ever need it, my pdoc told me it's a great drug for gad and helpful to substitute for diazipam, I am first going to get of the diazipam see how I am just on the 37.5 of ven and go from there. If I find myself slipping I may try ven and Pregabalin but I'm hoping I won't need to.

I took time out to read the Ashton manual from start to finish and found it fascinating what benzodiazepines actually do to the body. I was going to just skip to the tapering off section but read the whole thing and I really wish I'd read it before starting diazipam all those years ago. I never knew the impact it has on so many organs in the body and like you I was getting no benefit just se. Think it just became part of my daily routine to take a 2mg tablet each day and I thought it won't be doing too much harm its such a low dose and I'm not addicted I don't feel the need or urge to increase. But I didn't understand the implications of taking this each day for 5 years and what it's been doing to my body and mind.

I've successfully come off ven 3 times and paroxitine once which my pdoc told me are the 2 most difficult ad to come off, so I thought diazapam would be similar and the se would be similar but my discontinuation se were much different from my de from coming off ven and Paxil. I think that's why it scares me so much.

You have done so well to successfully wean off them so a big pat on the back to you.

Hope I can report back soon to say I've managed it too.

Take care
Michelle xx

[Hemps]

Good idea going for the liquid diazepam Michelle! It will make it a lot easier for you.

When you take that last bit of diazepam you will find a lot of relief. Make sure you give yourself a big pat on the back.

I found every time I was feeling a bit over whelmed after reducing my dose, I would just tell myself it was the side effects of the drug that was making me feel this way and if I want to get better I have to continue. I think you are amazing for dropping a large dose all in one hit and staying there. I tried it once and had to go back up to previous dose. So stay at it you will succeed.

You are so lucky that you can cope on 37.5 mg of ven. I am up to 225 mg and really don't like to be on such a high dose, but I know I have to do this if I want to get better. Maybe one day I will get down to a low dose again who knows.

And yes I think those female hormones are extremely nasty, they have a lot to answer for!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Michelle,

There are a similiar group of people supporting each other on the Preg board as on here so it might be worth asking them what they think since by the time you get onto preg you've been through all the 1st & 2nd line stuff. I know some of them are on SSRI's alongside it.

Hanshan is very knowledgeable and is on most nights with him being in Japan.

---------- Post added at 07:24 ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 ----------

Paula,

You've got a lot of strength in you to look after kids and maintain a job with all this going on. It must have been a real test coming of these things so I'm sure you can weather this one.

Hopefully soon it will level out. Mine was very intense but didn't last long but I remember Nicola's was a bit up and down and lasted longer, so take each day as it comes.

---------- Post added at 07:26 ---------- Previous post was at 07:24 ----------


I am up to 225 mg and really don't like to be on such a high dose, but I know I have to do this if I want to get better.

Thats what I was telling myself everyday when it hit its worst. That and the fact it could break any day and things would get easier.

When I relapsed I was dreading going through all this again with meds and I just had to keep this in my mind because the alternative was things stay the same or worsen anyway and I was sick of that too so taking action was better than taking all of this.

[pulisa]

As you know I've got my daughter off venlafaxine from the mighty heights of 225mg. I was really shocked to read No Poet's claim that people with Asperger's/autism should never be prescribed SSRIs/SNRIs. I just hope that in time she will feel better mentally and physically. I had put my trust in mental health professionals but we are all at the mercy of the prescribing physician at the end of the day..

It's horrible not knowing whether we are doing the right thing. Is there a right thing? I suppose we just manage as best we can under difficult circumstances and we must always have hope.. All very well for me to say that and it's so difficult sometimes to put into practice.

Hope everyone has a decent day!