Starting Venlafaxine 2moz!

[spawn]

Well feeling crap again today, shaky, anxious, on edge.
Just took a propanolol.

[spawn]

Seem to be settling alittle now (day13), and also I have my first cbt counselling session tomorrow morning, gone private and got an appointment very quickly. Guess it's worth a try?

[SADnomore]

Good luck, Gav!

Let us know how it went.

[spawn]

Counselling went ok, I've booked 6 weeks with her.
Woke this morning on edge and anxious again? On day 15 now, not sure if the Sert is heightening my anxiety or what? I'm good in evenings but not in mornings?

[SADnomore]

Mornings are always worse, aren't they? Have you got some positive affirmations yet, or ideas to challenge the negative thoughts? No time like the present to start using them! I'm sure your counselor will have all sorts of techniques for you to try that will work out.

Sometimes I just force all thoughts out until I'm up for a bit, refuse to let any thought get started, I just methodically put the kettle on, fix toast, feed cats, all without a thought in my head. By the time I'm checking Facebook or my emails, I'm started on the right foot.

I found that the "peace" of the evenings gradually spread earlier and earlier into the daytime. It will happen for you as well. Be patient - and stubborn! You WILL have peace, dammit! Lol!

[nicola1980]

Mornings are the absolute worst and usually the last thing to come right, i need a good half an hour to bring myself round when I get up on my own before dragging the teenager out of his pit starts stick with it it's good your having better evenings XX

[spawn]

Well terrible day today woke with palpatitions, shaking and anxiety, went for walk before work took 5mg diazepam. Just could not shift it all day? It's making me anxious not knowing what is causing it? Is it the start up side effects of the Sert? Or me being anxious about something? I wasn't this bad before I went on the tablets?
I have just spoken to my doctor and she thinks my anxiety may of got worse but the tablets haven't kicked in yet as not been long enough time? I have a review next Friday with her.
I guess it does take 3-4 weeks for the drugs to work?

[nicola1980]

When I increased my ven this last time I was literally climbing the walls for the first 3 weeks, my anxiety rocketed to an intense level that petrified me but im pleased I stuck it out as things settled around the 4 week mark, the anxiety is absolutely horrible and these meds def increase it at the start, try and stick with it if you can, it will get better, use your Diazepam and propranolol to help you XX

[Michelle1]

Hi Gav. I too found sertraline start up really hard and I only started on the 25 mgs.
First couple of weeks were fine, no side effects apart from s bit of feeling sick half an hour after taking the tablet and I slept like a baby those first two weeks no anxiety at all. I thought I'd found my perfect ad. A friend of mine at work is on it and she said it was great for her and minimum se no weight gain either so I persuaded my gp to let me try it.

However after 2 weeks when the drug was starting to build up in my system I all of a sudden woke up with terrible anxiety and my hands were constantly shaking.

I couldn't sleep more than 2hrs a night and had zero appetite. I knew sertraline was a slow starter and most people said after 8/9 weeks you start feeling the benefits so I perceived on with it but unfortunately my se got worse and I had to come off it. I was so disappointed as I had high hopes that it was going to be the drug for me. But as we all know it's all trail and error with these drugs. I hope it works soon for you as it's supposed to be excellent for anxiety.

Wouldn't it be lovely if they could make an ad that worked straight away a bit like an antibiotic where you feel poorly get a tablet and in 2 or 3 days you start perking up. Unfortunately we have to go through weeks of feeling worse first and even then have to come off and try others before finally settling on one.

Pulisa - how are you finding escitalipram? That's the only ssri I've never tried?

Terry - yes I'm from the north East and the metro centre is about an hours drive from my home. Big Luke's still there :-). The best drug for my ocd was paroxitine I was on it years ago for about 2/3 years and although I did get some se with it my ocd and social anxiety disappeared. I was so outgoing and confident whilst on it.
My pddoc put me on the duloxetine last June after tapering off the ven and again I held out great hopes it was going to be the drug for me. He told me it was the closest thing to ven and had a lot easier ride getting off it. It's also used for bladder complaints and I found I was always needing the toilet but never able to wee. It also set off my ocd and anxiety again shot through the roof I didn't give it long enough I think before I came off it. It might of partly been the ven withdrawl I was suffering with too come to think of it.

Has anyone heard of PAWS? The more I read about it the more I think this is what I am suffering with. Every time I come off ven in the past around 6mths give or take after withdrawing I get the worst anxiety and it gets to the point i actually think I am going mad and need sectioning. I get the brain zaps that you get during withdrawl but it's like 6mths later. I also get muscle spasms twitches and tics and cognitive problems. I've been thinking it's the anxiety returning and start the ven again which ultimately kicks in and corrects it all but I'm wondering if it could be PAWS?
Any thoughts?
Hope you all have had a good day..... Roll on spring time I always feel better with a bit of sunshine xx

[spawn]

Glad ur getting there again Nic.
I know from when I was on Ven it does take time, but I find it so hard getting though a working day. I'm not going to give up on them everywhere says 4-6weeks to start working, just wish this anxiety would ease alittle now. Xx