starting ven to moz for all out there who take it

[karenp]

Thank You Kitti, I am gonna start up again on Wednesday as I have an important meeting on Tuesday lunch time but then absolutley nothing planned afterwards. I can stay with my parents a bit longer too until I start to feel a lot better (hopefully). I'm so glad Ven seems to be helping you loads, Dave from the crisis team did say it's an absolutley brilliant AD and they often give it to people who have failed on Mirtazapine and who are real sensitive to SSRI's like Citalopram. If only my doctors would just help me with a bit more diazepam until I am through the start up and W.D from Mirt. I'll beg her again tomorrow, ha ha
Just a question Ven experts . Do the SE's get worse every day until they peak or do they hit you almost right away as I can live with how I felt when I did take it the other day. I'm not bothered about any of the list of effects, it's just when it lists heightened anxiety that always scares me to death after always having worse panic attacks whenever I went on Citalopram!
That's how I always knew I was getting better on Citalopram though Kitti, I'd still have anxiety in the morning but usually it had gone by the time I got back from taking my little boy to school and then I'd be ok the rest of the day until I started waking up feeling perfect!

[spawn]

Karen, i think i went a few days with no real side effects and then got them... but everyones different! Because i was feeling anxious this made me feel worse, its hard to separate the 2?

The symptoms of anxiety are quite the same as the SE's of the AD.. well thats what i found. You are also dealing with coming off the mirt, i went 1-2 weeks med free before starting the ven. but found it terrible coming off the fluox, they were making me so ill i couldnt taper off them, so i just stopped taking them! (not recommended).
gav.

[kittikat]

Karen, I didn't find it increased my anxiety very much at all....possibly would have if I'd worried about every little feeling I got, but I just kept saying it's only the tablets....I'll be fine....and actually I was. I had the worst anxiety and panics ever on Citalopram, that's why I stopped them, I was scared of my own shadow on them awful SE's. As you know, I am on diazepam too...I was when I took the Cit, but it didn't make any difference with that, I just felt worse and worse. I can honestly say Ven has been a fairly easy ride for me so far and I am now feeling a bit better every day....I wish you luck, I hope it works for you x

[clio51]

karen, I didn't noticed any more different started the ven, prob because I was in a bad state at the time high anxiety, lots of scary thoughts (like I am going mad etc) well more madder than I am now haha!. like Kitti and gav I to had diazepam 2mg upto 3 times a day but I usually only took two at the most I am scared of taking them to, think it's to do with me not being in control(if that makes sense)
and scared of what the tablets will do to me. The first few days with the diazepam with manageable still had high anxiety and sometimes switched off and in world of my own even when ny partner was talking to me I wasn't really listening or interested but to be honest iv'e prob been like that for a long time depressed but without realizing it. My world is very small as I get high anxiety/panic attacks and it's that,that stops me getting on with life I have almost become a recluse. I have nearly almost stopped talking to my family because I can't handle the phone calls and occ visits it became to much for me and at the moment it's all I can handle. I know exactly where your coming from as I have had to melt downs this year and they are HORRIBLE. It was my MH worker who discussed me the psych who decided on ven and then decussed it with my doctor as they think the cipralex wasn't working anymore for me I am only on the 4th day at 75mg so early days for me yet.
you are very brave at what you are doing it's like going cold turkey you coming down of the mirt, when you think of it you have nothing to lose as you are having SE now, so if you start the ven, if you do get SE they prob won't be any different.
wish you all the very best

[clio51]

Hi all
well pouring down here and windy horrible day
well last night was another bad night's kip, woke at 5am tossed and turned but managed to get back off woke again 8am with my legs aching I must be tensed whilst asleep. no heaving still anxious though, trying to get distracted from myself with tv. MH worker just been told him about waking up and said it could be the ven the night dose stirring the brain up again? so when go to doc's next week ask for slow release so just taking one a day. god I hope he's right cause I could do with more quality sleep.

[karenp]

Sleep deprivation is terrible isn't it Clio? I've not slept for weeks now, even months on Mirtazapine which is meant to make you sleep like a baby! I am often awake from 1am and have to take sleepping pills or diazepam but last night they didn't work at all as my withdrawal is so bad. It's totally put me off going on another AD again now as I feel like I have flu (even though right now I am perfect as I'm weird and like clock work always feel fine by 4pm even on bad days!). This morning I had really bad panic attacks and was actually sick twice this morning which I've not been at all since starting Mirt 7 months ago, I've felt pretty rough for 7 months but nothing like this...it's like Citalopram in reverse coming off this Mirtazapine, absolutley horrible and I just want off it now but am terrified that as I cut the pill in half again I'll get even worse. Nicola, help because you have done it!!!!!!! (and I really hope you're feeling better now after your blip day.)
Panic attacks also make me scared to go out Clio and when I was on Citalopram I used to hate family even coming too as I just wanted the house to be totally quiet. I still wish I'd gone back on it though as it never failed to make me completley better. I'd probs be on FB now again not here if I had done, lol!!! I've had to take my little boy to school and back today despite feeling really rotten (I thought I was going to have to swim home as everywhere is flooded, ha ha!) People really have no idea just how debilitating anxiety can be have they. The only good thing is I know you always get better and go back to normal eventually. Ven really does sound like a great drug too but I think I'm going to carry on trying to get off this Mirtazapine once and for all, give it a few weeks and see what I'm trully like and if I'm still having panic attacks and anxiety, then I'll def go on the Venlafaxine but right now I'm not sure if it's my situation that's made me more poorly these past few months or all down to an adverse reaction to Mirt. Hope every one has a better day tomorrow ((((((hugs))))) Karen x

[nicola1980]

Hi Karen, mirt withdrawal is nasty alot worse than cit withdrawal, i just stopped within 2 weeks of tapering down as i was a quivering rocking suicidal panic attack wreck on them i went straight onto the ven and suffered withdrawal for about 2 weeks but as soon as i stopped the mirt i wasn't suicidal or anything anymore so if i was you id just bite the bullet and stop and start the ven, i promise it gets better xx

[karenp]

That has just described me Nicola on this Mirtazapine ...I'm down to 15mg's and 7.5 next week but did consider going cold turkey last night when I was feeling so rough... just to get it all over with faster! I was reading on the net you feel horrible for about 5 days and then that's it but tapering you can feel bad for a few weeks though most people don't even get any WD tapering off Mirt....hmfff!!! Hoy you up there, what did I ever do to you to make me go through this eh Mister? ha ha!
I have my next GP appointment on Thursday so I'll ask him if I chop Mirt down to 7.5mg then just stop of do I need to go to 3.something or other too! I'm still hoping I'll just end up super calm because I'm over worrying so much about my divorce now my life is falling nicely into place but if I am still naturally panicky, not chemically panicky then I'll go on Venlafaxine. DEAL!