Back on Venlaxafine.

[spamvicious]

After 2 months of hell, non stop panic attacks, weight loss and being able to leave the house. I've been convinced to go back on Venlafaxine. I stopped it before as despite it working very well for my depression, if I missed a days dose I would go into withdrawal straight away. However a psychiatrist advised me that there wouldn't be anymore shortages in the chemist like last time which caused the issues.

This is the schedule I'm on for changing meds.

Week 1: Trazadone 100mg (reduced from 150mg)
Week 2: Venlafaxine 37.5mg am and Trazodone 50mg pm
week 3: Venlafaxine 75mg
Week 4: Venlafaxine 75mg twice daily.


Today is the second day of reintroducing venlafaxine (week 2) and already I'm feeling nauseous, drowsy and heavy headed. Is it possible to be back in my system that quick or is it cos I'm taking it with Lorazepam as well?. The Lorazepam on its own doesn't make me feel like this. I know I have to just get through it anyway but I'm curious if its happening or it's psychological.

[MrAndy]

After 2 months of hell, non stop panic attacks, weight loss and being able to leave the house. I've been convinced to go back on Venlafaxine. I stopped it before as despite it working very well for my depression, if I missed a days dose I would go into withdrawal straight away. However a psychiatrist advised me that there wouldn't be anymore shortages in the chemist like last time which caused the issues.

This is the schedule I'm on for changing meds.

Week 1: Trazadone 100mg (reduced from 150mg)
Week 2: Venlafaxine 37.5mg am and Trazodone 50mg pm
week 3: Venlafaxine 75mg
Week 4: Venlafaxine 75mg twice daily.



Today is the second day of reintroducing venlafaxine (week 2) and already I'm feeling nauseous, drowsy and heavy headed. Is it possible to be back in my system that quick or is it cos I'm taking it with Lorazepam as well?. The Lorazepam on its own doesn't make me feel like this. I know I have to just get through it anyway but I'm curious if its happening or it's psychological.

A very recent study showed ADs start to alter the brain chemistry in 3 hours that with reducing your other meds is bound to make you a bit off balance
Hang in there buddy

[Baggs]

In my personal experience the bad effects of anti d's kick in straight away and the good effects take a while. I took Effexor some while ago and it worked for me and was really good. I wish you all the best.

[spamvicious]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm wondering if this could be the reducing/withdrawing from the trazodone if it's not the venlaxafine. I hope it kicks in a little faster as I was only off venlaxafine for 2 months. I need to get back to normal.

Every day I'm just staying in and counting the hours until I can sleep, I don't want to wake up and have to start it all again. I know it's not gonna happen overnight but if I could just have a day where I don't have full terror the second I wake up, then I'd know I was on the right track.

[spamvicious]

I'd also like to know the differences between having 1 tablet in the morning (150mg) (slow release) and having 2 tablets, morning and evening of 75mg. I will be taking the standard 75mg twice a day. However in the past I had major issues when there was a shortage at the chemist and I missed 1 or 2 tablets, my body would go into complete withdrawal.

So my question is, would the slow release be better for me if I have high risk of withdrawal or should I stay with the standard release ones?. Obviously it would be easier for me to just take 1 tablet in the morning anyway so not sure why I was put on the twice daily ones if theres no major difference?.

[KK77]

Some of the side effects like nausea, anxiety, dizziness etc are better on slow release and it's easier taking one tablet in the morning. Ask your GP about it. I think they prefer standard immediate release type because it's cheaper lol.

[aprilmoon]

I take my dose of Venlafaxine (150g slow release) plus one 37.5,all together in the morning,as instructed by my psyche,and find it no different than taking the 2 ordinary individual 75s twice a day.

[spamvicious]

I started the venlafaxine 37.5mg last Friday and on Saturday I was feeling a lot calmer which lasted for a few days but last night the panic started to return and this morning I woke up with the terror again. Tomorrow I double the dose to 75mg and take that for a week and then double again to 150mg which will be the dose I was on before I changed medications a few months ago. My question is, will the doubling up calm me down again or am I gonna go back to weeks more of feeling horrible and panicked. Having these few days of feeling even partly normal have been amazing and going back to the panic has left me distraught.

[KK77]

Wish you luck Spamvicious but personally I think it's too quick a dose increase. I would stabilise on 75mg for at least 2-4 weeks and see how you feel before making a decision. Know you were on 150mg before but you might be fine on 75mg and with fewer side effects.

[spamvicious]

Well I'm just following the advice of the crisis team I saw. It's been 2 months now of panic attacks and barely being able to leave the house. Two weeks ago it was so bad that I was considering hurting myself so i could be unconscious and not have to deal with it for a while. I was given an emergency appointment with a psychiatrist who gave me a month long plan to switch between the trazadone to venlaxafine. I guess they just want to get me on the dose that they know works for me.

Once I'm stabilised then I can talk about reducing it. However today has been horrendous, I've just wanted to sleep all day and have no appetite, tonight is the first night without any trazadone so I'm scared I won't be able to sleep but right now I'm just counting the hours again before I can go to bed. Will it be a long time till I see improvements again?. The psychiatrist said that by the end of week 4 (1 week of being on full dose) I should be "back to normal". Is she being optimistic? She also said it would get worse before better which is what is happening now I think.