View Full Version : should i take venlafaxine?
I have suffered from panic attacks/social phobias etc for 15 years. At 15 years old i was put on seroxat initially followed by about 10 years of citalopram. Was not monitored by the doctor at all during this period despite. In November i decided that it was pointless being on the tablets as they did nothing for me and my life continued to be restrictive despite the medication. After an awful weeks washout period i stared taking moclobemide which did nothing but make me tearful and depressed (im not usually a depressed person - except about the anxiety). With doctors advice i have stopped moclobemide and once again am in the washout period - wish this time is going ok. i have been prescribed venlafaxine which i am due to start tomorrow. I am feeling ok cold turkey - so should i stay off the tabs for a while and see how i feel? This is the first time in 15 years i have not been on an antidepressant. So nervous about venlafaxine due to awful side effects - is it better to be in nothing or should i take the new tablet in the hope that it could be a wonder drug for me??? any advise would be much appreciated? just found this website and looking forward to speaking to new people on it. thanks.
This is a hard one to answer really, as any decision needs to be entirely your own. There are pros and cons in either direction. You say that you are 'feeling ok' without any medication at the moment, yet you have also been crippled by social anxiety and panic attacks for many years. Do you think that those social phobias and panic attacks have gone or are you just coping at the moment and they are in the background ?
To be honest, the medication that you have stopped, you stopped because 'it was doing nothing for you'. It is entirely possible that this new medication 'might' do something for you (I know it did for me, I've taken venlafaxine for 12 years very successfully - although I have had absolutely NO side effects of any type from it and tolerate the medication incredibly well - be aware in withdrawl/reduction it can have lots of annoying side effects for many people, as I have discovered in taking mine down to a minute dose)
I think that if you want to 'try it alone' you should request some Cognitive behavioural therapy if you've not already had some, and some counselling from your local mental health team. However, if you feel you have nothing to lose from trying a new medication, then give the venlafaxine a go.
Sorry, doesn't seem like I've helped much really.
Spoke to soon, having a terrible panic attack. Totally freakingout,rapid heart rate, shaking, sickness, restless. Can't relax or settle. Frightened of being alone when myhusband goes to work. The prospect of starting venlafaxine tomorrow isn't making me feel any better-dreading it. Feel so stuck.
OK listen, your panic attack WON'T kill you.....people don't die of panic attacks. The one you are experiencing now will pass, as long as you try not to 'feed it'. Try saying 'Ah, what a surprise a panic attack, how typical.....ah well, I'll go and make myself a cup of tea and walk around the house and it WILL gradually disappear.' View it as an annoyance rather than something that will lead to collapse or worse.
I don't know if this will work for you...but I found when I was as anxious as you are now (going back a good few years)...it helped if I just carried a phone in my pocket even walking round the house. I had my husband's number on quick dial, and it was my insurance policy, it gave me a security feeling and just knowing that was enough...and meant that I didn't even dial it. When he now goes away for work for a few weeks at a time, I still now have the mobile by my bed at night 'just incase'.
Thanks for your mail. Calming down now, feel knackered! So are you still on the venlafaxine? Has it been effective for your anxiety/panic? What dose are you on now? I'm due to start on 75mgs.
Hiyer, I started on 225mg daily !!! That was nearly 12 years ago and before that I had tried other medications, but they did not deal with my anxiety/panic and (to a lesser extent) depression. For the last 5 years I have only been taking one 37.5 mg tablet daily, and although I've tried to reduce even further, withdrawl has been very hard due to some irritating symptoms. Yes, it has made a difference to panic and anxiety, I have no doubt of that. I was a right mess before taking it and it gave me my life back, I had every type of anxiety going lol and was at times totally incapacitated. I would wish for you that it does the same, but there are of course no guarantees as different meds are more successful than others for different people.
I would not say though that they were the total answer to my problems, I also had to work very hard on retraining myself and teaching myself positive coping strategies and ways to reassure myself. I suddenly realised that 'I', had to take control of the situation, otherwise it was always going to control me. I think ageing helped too :winks:, as years went on I became more blase about panic attacks and anxiety and they no longer held the fear they did. I get them very very rarely nowadays, a handful a year. I no longer have Health anxiety, and infact I am quite the opposite...there are reasons that I should go and see a GP and I don't as I just leave things to see if they resolve. Infact, and I'm on a ramble now....lol...I've been having ectopic beats for the last 3 months but haven't even seen the GP about them as I'm pretty sure they are nothing much and just related to some family problems. I am realistic, I know that stressful life circumstances can still give me anxiety symptoms, but I generally recognise them as physical reactions to stress rather than harbingers of doom. My anxiety is now manageable, it may never totally disappear, but it also doen't affect my life. I used to be scared to leave home and for the last 11 years I get restless if I have to spend any significant time at home...and usually am out and about on and off all day.However, the reason I say this is not to be self congratulatory, but to try and let you know that there is HOPE, huge hope....that you will find the key to your recovery. A combination of the right medication and your own inner strength can take you down the road to getting out of this awful situation you are currently in.
I'm sorry, this have been a long reply to your succinct questions. :D I don't see that you have anything much to lose by trying the venlafaxine, but I entirely understand why you feel fear as I too have held on to a fear of new medications ! Why don't you wait and see how you feel about it in the morning, only you can weigh up your personal pros and cons. I hope this helps a bit, and I'll check back in to this thread tomorrow to see how you are doing.
HI Nellynoo....hows things this morning ?
Hi I am new to this website but have been reading your page. I am in a very similar position myself. I have been on escitilapram for a few years but have'nt really found it has helped. I have lost two jobs through absence due to depression and panic attacks. My doctor kept saying that if one anti-depressant didn't work then changing wouldn't help. However, since last year when my doctor retired I have been seeing a new lady dr who has been very helpful. I have stopped the escitilapram and should be changing to venlafaxine. I have been on this before and found it brilliant, but I am now in the washout period and suddenly getting very nervous in case they don't help this time. I am 56 and feel I have wasted so much of my life suffering from depression. It started really bad when I had my 1st child at 21 and ever since then I have been on one tablet after another. My daughter is expecting a baby in approx 5 weeks time and I really want to be there for her. She had a miss-carriage 11 months ago, then my mum died then our dog so it was an awful year. Now I think I have something wrong with me all the time. I know venlafaxine is helpful for this but would like to here how other people have got on just starting it.
I came off it before because my doctor said I should be okay but had really bad side effects. He just stopped the dose, I now know that it should have been reduced. I always thought I would never go back onto it but now my new Dr says I would probably stay on it for the rest of my life. If it works that sounds very reassuring. Would like to here other peoples reaction to this:
I TOOK THIS HOORIBLE DRUG FOR A YEAR BECAUSE OF PANIC ATTACKS.
it stopped them, but one year later i have gone up 3 dress sizes. I was a skinny UK size 6, and now i am HUGE because of these drugs. i am more depressed being fat, than being depressed about my panic attacks.
I tapered off slowly. Doctor recommened 3 months, but I did it in 3 weeks. NOT VERY NICE SYMPTOMS OH MY GOD WITHDRAWING IS HELL!!
i am now 9 DAYS FREE back to work after 5 days at home. Still zaps that are scarey, but really not that bad anymore. I'm FAR FROM NORMAL, these drugs have ****ed my system up, but to anyone out there trying to quit, please know, you can get off them, and if you can have time off work like me, to stay still and do nothing, then you will feel the symptoms less. You feel the symptoms more because your nervous system is more sensitive, thats why, the less you do (eg walk) the less you will feel the symptoms.
for anyone trying to give up this junk, please dont give up and go back on them. My doctor recommended a 3 month plan to withdraw. But by week 3 I was on such a teeny weeny amount of the drug, I was advised by another doctor just TO STOP COMPLETELY. I was on 37.5mg, the lowest dose and i was dividing these into quarters when I was told to stop.
he gave me diazepam which helped me sleep and got me through the first 5 days. after that the zaps are more controlable and i'm able to work.
I'm taking COD LIVER OIL CAPSULES. look this up, it helps the brain and nervous system fuction better, considering the withdrawal is affecting your nervous system, taking the capsules will help. I'm not symptom free by any means, but I know for anyone considering getting off these drugs, its not impossible.
IF YOU ARE THINKING OF TAKING THIS DRUG THINK LONG AND HARD. its a ******* to come off. MORE LIKE HEROIN WITHDRAWAL. look it up on all the forums. Your body will shake, electric shock zaps in your body that will disable you. you cant walk let alone string a sentence along properly and you will cry over anything and everything.
Try something herbal for panic attacks, I used St Jons Wort for years until my stupid doctor prescribe me this poison. It really only mask the problem. You will sleep all day, feel like a zombie and I dont think i cried for the whole year that I was on them.
My panic attacks led me to the emergency room at least every weekend but I would rather that than look down at this disgusting body that has swelled up because of the drug. If i wasnt depressed before, I certainly have something to be depressed about now.
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