Well here we go... 150mg

Hi all, so after a week of non stop panic and a teary session in the doctors this morning, my doc has decided to up my ven dose to 150mg. I thought I would use this thread to a) keep track of progress and b) hopefully find some ven buddies on the same journey as me so we can support each other.

I had some bad news about a week and a half ago and since then my anxiety has skyrocketed. It has got to the point where I am really struggling to cope. Symptoms i am having are...
Pretty much 24/7 non stop anxiety at varying intensity levels.
A lot of unwanted thoughts.
Very breathless and sweating a lot with minimal effort.
A lot of thought rumination.
Can't concentrate on anything else.
Agitation.

I am already on 112.5mg and have been for quite a while so I am hoping the increase will not be too brutal. I also have 7 diazepam to help when needed. I won't lie I took one about 30 minutes ago as it all just got too much. I really hate taking them as I am petrified of addiction. I have only ever used them when starting or increasing an ad and they are only 2mg. My husband says I should use them if I need to and stop beating myself up about it but It's really hard for me to take one.

I am lucky that I am working from home until March next year so I don't have to go into work. My aim is to make sure I eat healthy through this as the last few days I have struggled to eat, to also drink lots of water and to ensure I go out for some exercise every day such as taking the dog for a walk.

Please feel free to jump on here with me and share your experiences of increasing as any encouragement is always appreciated.

I am taking the first 150mg tomorrow morning. I am hoping and praying and crossing everything that this increase works for me. The Doc did say I could go right up to 225mg (I only ever increase at 37.5mg at a time) if needed but I would love for it to just be the one increase.

Take care... Ava x

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Originally Posted by Paradise10

Hi all,

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:welcome: to NMP Ava,

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I am already on 112.5mg and have been for quite a while so I am hoping the increase will not be too brutal.

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It probably won't be as the percentage dose change is not that great.

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I also have 7 diazepam to help when needed. I won't lie I took one about 30 minutes ago as it all just got too much. I really hate taking them as I am petrified of addiction.

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I have bad news, you're already "addicted" to diazepam and its metabolites as they occur naturally in almost all foods. While the amounts are small we are so adapted to them that eating a benzodiazepine (BZD) free diet would soon trigger uncontrollable seizures.

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I have only ever used them when starting or increasing an ad and they are only 2mg. My husband says I should use them if I need to and stop beating myself up about it but It's really hard for me to take one.

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You husband is very wise. While there are other reasons not to take BZDs long term, white-knuckling through anxiety and AD side-effects is counterproductive.

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My aim is to make sure I eat healthy through this as the last few days I have struggled to eat, to also drink lots of water and to ensure I go out for some exercise every day such as taking the dog for a walk.

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Sounds like a good plan. Exercise is especially useful as it helps create the same neurogenetic brain changes as ADs.

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the Doc did say I could go right up to 225mg (I only ever increase at 37.5mg at a time) if needed but I would love for it to just be the one increase.

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I understand the sentiment, but there is no point in taking an AD at ineffective doses, indeed it can be counterproductive. The more firmly anxiety is caged the better.

Ava,

I finally settled on 150mg about 8 years ago and it has helped me a huge amount - there seemed to be a big improvement from 75mg (I think the noradrenaline inhibitor mechanism kicks in at 150mg). Increasing the dose usually does bring on side effects, as you probably know, but take comfort in that these pass and you’ll be feeling better in a couple of weeks. Don’t forget that if it gets intolerable, see your GP. I took beta blockers when increasing and they really helped with the physical effects (racing heart, sweating, shaking etc).

If I could give you any advice, it would be to make sure you’re keeping active. The temptation to do nothing can be huge but you will definitely feel better if you can get out and about. Tell your hubby to force you to do different activities (I did and whilst I wasn’t too happy at the time, it was the best thing to do).

Good luck and let us know how you get on

Best wishes

Pip

Thank you Panic Down Under for your reply, it's nice to know I am not alone on here.
Had a total anxiety meltdown this morning before i had even taken the increased dose and had to take a diazepam. I then managed a few mouthfuls of porridge to take the increased ven dose of 150mg. Wow, that's day one started. Few tears after that. I'm feeling like i can't get enough air when i breath and my bra suddenly feels too tight in the middle at the front. Want to burp constantly too.... Obvs this is freaking me out and I'm coming up with all sorts. Also got a blocked nose one side so I'm also struggling to breath through my nose. Back at work today, it's difficult but at least I have something to try and focus on. Working from home so not like I have to go in.

I have written my symptoms down and emailed them to my husband, he may be able to put my mind at rest.

Well I have made the start at least.

Take care if anyone is reading this.
Ava x

Pip thank you so much for your kind words, I am trying to make sure i get out every day for a walk with the dog, even if i don't want to. I could force myself to go see friends ect if it wasn't for this covid pandemic.

I will keep trying though x

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Originally Posted by Paradise10

Had a total anxiety meltdown this morning before i had even taken the increased dose and had to take a diazepam.

I'm feeling like i can't get enough air when i breath and my bra suddenly feels too tight in the middle at the front. Want to burp constantly too....

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An anxious mind in full flight can be a truly terrifying thing, Ava. They are also quite capable of producing our worst side-effects nightmares so not all you experience will necessarily be caused by the med and I suspect the breathing and chest tightness are anxiety. The burping is more likely to be from the med. The most serotonergic organ of the body isn't the brain, it is only a minor user, but the gut and its mini brain, the enteric nervous system (ENS). The gut makes about 50 times as much serotonin as the brain and can be effected far more by SSRIs for a while, both when first taking ADs and also for a week or so after dose increases. The ENS appears to have considerable influence over the brain as most of the 'data' flow between the two originates in the ENS. It seems to be the tail that wags the dog.

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Back at work today, it's difficult but at least I have something to try and focus on. Working from home so not like I have to go in.

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Keeping occupied at these times is a very good thing. The less time we have to brood over every little twinge, or unusual feeling the better. The two things to keep in mind are that while side-effects can sometimes be unpleasant they are not usually indicators of harm and the results are mostly worth the trauma these meds put us through.

Thanks Ian, I'm glad you are on here... Another question coming in this update.

So day 2 on this journey and this mornings tablet has been taken. Managed to get through the rest of yesterday with no more diazepam and none yet today either. Today is better than yesterday but I always find that side effects tend not to kick in for the fist 4 or 5 days so they may be still to come.
Anxiety stayed with me all day yesterday but it was manageable. I also made myself eat a sandwich at lunch and pork steak, potatoes and veg for tea. I half watched some TV last night but wasn't really focusing. It took me quite a while to drop off to sleep too.
Woke this morning and seem to have a bit of an upset stomach and I'm quite out of breath for the first hour or two of the day. Little tired too but nothing too bad.
Been scaring myself this morning though as I keep thinking that the past year I have been on these tablets that I haven't felt sad but I haven't felt happy either... Ian do you think this will change with the increase or that I will stay like this? I've had to stop myself googling this. I've managed to keep shoving the thought away but it keeps coming back. I don't think the 112mg were 100% effective as I was still always tense, maybe that's why I lapsed.

Working today and it seems a little easier than yesterday. Every time I have a scary thought I keep saying to my self 'I'm not going down that road at the moment, i will deal with this when the tablets kick in.'

Well that's my update for now I will check back soon.
Ava x

The best advice I can add is to be patient with dose increase, don't expect too much change just now give it time. I went from 225mg to 300mg and it took a couple of months to work but it sure did, I get bad HA and have just been told I have Diabetes and a couple of other things wrong (Wont go into details as it doesn't help other HA sufferers) but the Ven has worked so well and I just cant go into the anxiety thoughts the med just kind of shuts the door if you know what I mean.

The best thing I ever did was stopping the Google search around HA it can be done it just takes abit of willpower.

Take care Ava and keep posting it's a help to you and us.

Thanks Mecca, I do have a bit of HA. I can usually talk myself out of it in a week or so but it's just not happening for me and anxiety has just kind of taken over everything. Its like you can't win, if my anxiety isn't all consuming im worrying about health or my feelings, or if the anxiety is horrendous then that takes over everything.
Your words help though so much appreciated.
Ava x

I really hope your increase works as well as it has for me those days/weeks of anxiety just takes the stuffing out of you doesn't it.