2nd day on Venlafaxine :(

[LostTomorrow]

Hey all,
Not taken any meds for ages, Propranolol was my last months and months ago.

Started 1x 75mg of Venlafaxine yest and wow I wasn't expecting it to be so strong! All positive yesterday, smiling all the time for the 5 or so hours it seemed to last.

Today.......felt so down and anxious, not felt this low for years, spent most of the day curled up on sofa or on my bed :(

I know it's early days...day 2 lol, but how come a high yesterday and a massive low today?? Is that normal?

I don't think I could cope with 4 weeks of how I felt today

[spawn]

I would expect lots of high and lows, it's just how it is with the drug getting in your system,
The first 10 days or so will be worse, but you will settle. Just try to stay positive!

[nicola1980]

Hi gav is right, i take venlafaxine and its tough at first but it gets better i promise, could you ask your gp for some diazepam to help you through? I only started on 37.5mg so if things get too unbearable you could ask to start on a lower dose? Good luck x x

[kittikat]

Agree with all the above, and I also started on 37.5mg a day, you will have ups & downs for a couple of weeks, that is normal. But I have to say Ven has been a bit of a wonder drug for me and I am doing great on 112.5mg a day now. Good luck!!

Kitti

[butterflylion]

ive just recently been put back onto venlafaxine... tried it just over a year ago n it worked for a short period but before i knew it i was on the maximum dose 250mg and it wasnt effective... but now i have a new gp (due to moving) and he thinks its worth a try trying it again... it is a good med i cant knock it, it jsut wasnt right for me.. unfortunatly though this time i suffered quite severe sickness as a side effect but after about 6 weeks i realise that i was on the standard tablet not the modified release which has fewer side effects! i wish you all the luck in the world with it! i know how hard it is to find a med that works! im still looking 3years on!
wishing you all the best Butters x

[LostTomorrow]

Thanks for replies. Im just wanting to hide from the world at the moment.

[LostTomorrow]

Hey guys

When you read on various forums about going through " Hell " for the first week or two with terrible side effects.........apart from some manageable SE's like headaches, jaw clenching, tingles all over, headaches, the only hell I am experiencing is far more severe anxiety, almost to the point where I can't leave the house ( Was never that bad before ). Is this the hell people refer to?

The other day, day after I posted the above thread, I was sure I was having a nervous breakdown, yesterday I had a cry.

I think I'm on day 5, I'm trying my best to have positive thoughts but I'm scared when I return to the DR in 3 weeks time that I'm going to be worse than before I started these meds. Ven doesn't seem as strong now, I get tingles all over when it starts kicking in, mainly tingles on my scalp and seems to last a lot shorter now. I take it at mid day and seem to be at my least anxious in the evenings.

I have no idea if it's slow release, it's in a plain box with no med description.

Before I started on the Ven I could go days with out anxiety, well, without really bad anxiety. Now I'm praying for a couple of hours a day without anx!

How you people in work managed to go to work when you first started Ven is beyond me!!??

Anyhow, I hope whoever reads this is having a good day.
All the best
LT

[Pipkin]

Hi there,

I promise it gets better. I worked right through the startup but needed beta blockers for the physical symptoms.

Not that I'm a clinician, but I would never have recommended you start on 75mg. Nearly all of us started on 37.5 and increased after a couple of weeks. It doesn't matter now though as you're through the worst of it so well done!

You would know the slow release as it would say in the leaflet or on the box. What brand are they? If they're standard release, it's best to take them in 2 doses, 37.5 am and pm. I recommend you discuss this with your GP. What brand are you on?

Stick with it because, when it works, it's fantastic and you'll see a huge improvement. Another week or so and you'll feel much better.

Pip xx

[pinkdove]

agree with pip i started on 37,5 mg , but it has given me my life back, stick with it, the side effects will pass, and the benefits are fantastic when your body gets used to it.

its not a quick fix as im sure you know, but i had some diazapam to help when i started, and had little or no side effecs...good luck xxx

[LostTomorrow]

Thanks guys.
Pip they came in a plain white box, no leaflet. Looking at the strips of Ven, they are a generic made by Teva. Should I ask for the real thing when I go back to DR? (Effexor)