Reducing meds

[lourah1989]

Hi guys I'm currently in the stage of reducing my meds from 300mg to 225mg is it normal to have side affects I feel propa shitty n sick x

[nomorepanic]

Yup it is I am afraid.

[nicola1980]

Hi im not surprised your feeling rough, that is a huge drop, you could try just dropping 37.5mg instead of 75mg, I'll be honest ven isn't easy to come off at all, I tried decreasing by 37.5mg but had to increase back up again, it is doable but it can be very rough, try and do it nice and slowly that's the safest way. Can I ask why your reducing? XX

[SADnomore]

I concur, with the "w word" coming on, are you sure this is the best time to reduce? Even if you don't have seasonal affective disorder, like me, you will definitely want to take it slowly, and in small steps as suggested. I have begun to increase now (days are beginning to get shorter), but just by 37.5 mg, with increases coming no more than 2 weeks apart. I have had some dizziness and a little nausea, but it's passing already.

Starting in April, I began decreasing from 300 mg for summer dose of 75 mg, and again, took it slow and steady, much easier that way. My doctor has left several refills for the 37.5 dose and I cobble them together with the 75 mg capsules as I go along.

The ladies are right, they are somewhat less onerous than startup side effects, but any changes to ven if they are made in big doses can be rough. You do get past them though, after a few weeks. The toughest part is from the lowest dose, 37.5, down to nothing, and needs to be done with lots of support.

I tell folks considering ven that it is best chosen only when regular SSRIs haven't worked well or been problematic. Partly because of the side effects during titration, but also because of the difficulty in withdrawing completely from them. I agree, the docs don't really seem to be aware of this at all! I am glad my doc prescribed them to me on the schedule he did, and that was he quick to agree to the small capsules as well. He really likes ven for his patients with SAD, and it is working so far very well for me. Worth all the tinkering up and down, which I had to do before with sertraline (Zoloft) and it didn't work out! :P It wasn't exactly the easiest to come off of either, as I remember ...

My motto is, if it's working, don't fix it! Especially with venlaxafine. Like Nicola, I too wonder why you want to reduce at this time? Are you on the same page with your doctor with the need for this? Will he give you the 37.5's as well do you think?
Best of luck! :flowers:
Marie

[lourah1989]

Because my mood isnt stable im having a lot of highs so he chose to reduce it i was on mirtazapine 45mgs clonaxapam n buspirone all at once when i was an inpatient i found thise not to bad but veneflaxine is troublesome. I will stay at 225 unless otherwise told to increase again my weight gain is also not good on higher dosage x

---------- Post added at 16:01 ---------- Previous post was at 15:59 ----------

Ven has worked wonders for me however all ssris just wasnt good for me i actually love this med x