Just been prescribed (75mg) of venlafaxine today

[Lizziesaurus]

Doc said this is 3rd on the list after citalopram and sertraline and is the next step (bar seeing a specialist, which work as usual is buggering up again) and apparently the chosen drug of psychiatrists! ha!

Anyway, I'm really hoping this might help me more than the previous 2. I've already googled the side effects, but what are ones that everyone seems to get? My doc said it's good for stress and anxiety as well, which is something I really need right now, would people agree with this?

Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up tomorrow, not had chace today.

[maks]

Hi Lizziesaurus,

I've been taking Venlafaxine for about 3 weeks now, moving on from Citalopram which wasn't working for me.... I went straight from one to the other and whilst the transition wasn't great for a few days, since being on Venlafaxine I've felt so much better. It's been great for anxiety for me and has really given me the lift I needed to start helping myself within a really short space of time.

Not really had any side effects apart from a few days feeling kinda sick whilst changing from the Cit, which I had expected really and was prepared to put up with for the chance of something new.....

My doc described it as the 2nd line from Citalopram so guess they all have some different info as usual lol and has put me on an increasing dose (Started 37.5 then 75 and will go up to 150) to get things under control and we are then going to review once I feel a bit better.

Hope it works for you.

tc

[Lizziesaurus]

Just took my first one today! I was going to halve them and work the dose up but totally forgot! I've only taken 1 but I haven't had any serious side effects, so that's a good start at least :)

[brit]

I have been on them for 7 years now. They did work for me, but the last couple of years they have made me feel tired, fuzzy headed and not myself.
I am in the process of trying to get of them, but it is very very hard.
The withdrawal symptoms are a nightmare, trust me.

Its not my place to give advice, but you do need to know just how hard they are to come off.
Good luck
:)

[kibbutz83]

Hi Lizzie, for me and my horrendous anxiety they have been absolutely brilliant! But at one point the psychiatrist wanted me to go onto Reboxetine, so withdraw from the Venlafaxine... it was a pretty hairy few days, and after the fourth day I just had to go back on them again :( I had a few weird side-effects, mainly dizziness, but they help so much with the anxiety and panic attacks that I suffered with for 6 years, that I would give anything a go! Venlafaxine works on both serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain. Noradrenaline is for motivation and positivity... serotonin is more for enhanced mood... from what I've read anyway :) Good luck, hope it helps you..

[Lizziesaurus]

Thanks for the advice and pre-warning of withdrawl symptoms. I was bad enough when I came off citalopram :unsure:
Like I said, no immediate side effects, which I see as a good thing, I always worry I'll be allergic to something I've never taken before!
I really hope they help me as a whole, citalopram helped my anxiety and not my mood swings, sertraline made my moods more predictable but didn't help my anxiety. Now I have stress on top off it all as well as disturbed sleep so I really need something to work!