Back on Venlaxafine.

[KK77]

When will you be seeing your psychiatrist or MHT again? If venlafaxine worked well for you before, I don't see why it shouldn't again, but understand the horrid anxiety in the meantime. If you have further concerns you should try and get in touch with MHT who can advise you. You shouldn't be abandoned till the med 'starts' working. Hope you manage to sleep anyway. If not, maybe you could take 50mg traz to get you through the night?

[spamvicious]

I see the psychiatrist on 9th October. I will stick to the instructions she gave me and hope that it kicks in soon. Even if I'm not in an actual panic attack I still can't concentrate on anything and If I manage to leave the house it's only for an hour or so before I need to return home. I just want my normal life back again.

[KK77]

How are you doing Spamvicious? You managing to sleep?

[spamvicious]

I'm managing to sleep ok but during the day I have non stop palpatations and tightness in the chest. It's almost like I can't get my breath at all, like someone is twisting right in the centre of my rib cage. I understand this can be a side effect but with my anxiety already so highi it's making it worse. Making me feel light headed and now I just want to sleep all the time. I don't expect miracles but I thought I would be feeling better by now. 3 weeks into a 4 week transition from trazadone to venlafaxine.

[SADnomore]

This sounds like the knots-in-the-stomach side effect I had when starting ven, too. The good news is that it does ease off, although it was the last "strong" side effect to pass, at around 5 weeks when I last noticed it happening regularly. Several long, slow deep breaths do help. Hang in there, I'm sure it will pass for you too!

On another helpful note, the thing I like best about venlaxafine is that it really does continue to show new benefits as far as 6 months out! After that point, I started ramping up the dose and the side effects from those increases have been minimal. You are coming to the end of the hardest bit, hang in there!

Marie

[spamvicious]

Had the most horrendous night, was up till 5am because the chest pains made me paranoid about my breathing and once I got into that cycle of trying to breathe properly then of course i started hyperventilating. Had a few bourse sleep since but still really anxious and sleepy. I can't take much more of this, I need the anxiety to go and I can start to go out more. Friday will be the start of the 3rd week on venlafaxine and the highest dose, when is it gonna kick in?

[SADnomore]

I realize this isn't what you want to hear, but part of ven's "kicking in" will normally be increased anxiety and physical symptoms early on. So you are right where you are supposed to be! It's temporary and will pass, try not to worry. Blocking the "reuptake" of the neurotransmitters allows more serotonin (and at higher doses, norepinephrine,) to be available to your system. This should once again help you "feel normal", as you say. Venlaxafine helped before so there is every reason to believe it will help again, longterm, once you get past the start-up.

*NB* Typically, there will actually be a temporary decrease in serotonin production at one point for a number of days. This is because your system has a brief "fail-safe" mechanism that halts new serotonin production upon detecting the stoppage of its reuptake. This temporary lessening of serotonin causes a spike in anxiety symptoms. This normally resolves within 4 to 6 weeks with venlaxafine, as production normalizes and the extra serotonin stays in your system.

Come Friday when you are on the highest dose prescribed (150), why not ask your GP for the extended release capsules so you are just taking it once a day? I take mine at breakfast, and it tends to not interfere with getting to sleep at night. Ven is somewhat activating, so taking part of your dose later in the day is something you may want to get away from, and the single capsule in the morning should help.

Meanwhile, I have to concur with the others who have said that your dose has been titrated up really quickly. It makes sense that you will be in a state of steadily increasing side effects until your dosage levels out. Try to be patient, what you are experiencing is perfectly normal and most importantly, temporary. Some meds (like re-uptake inhibitors) take time to establish their positive effects. Like Aprilmoon and many others, I have found the wait to be worth the investment of time. Don't quit before giving it a good 6 - 8 weeks, especially having risen as quickly through the dosage increases as you have!

Do you have techniques you can use to deal with the physical symptoms of anxiety? Progressive relaxation works for me when I put all my focus into it. Beginning with one foot, then the other, I mentally identify each part (big toe, then "rest of toes", balls of foot, arch, instep, heel, ankle) and tell it to relax, relax. I take a good long time to work through each limb that way and by the time I reach my chest, my breathing has naturally slowed and I am well on my way to being completely relaxed. Maybe others will have suggestions that you can try, as well, and there are all sorts of games for panic etc., on the site.

Hang in there, you'll be out of the woods soon!
Marie

[spamvicious]

So I have another 4 to 6 weeks or does it start from the first tablet etc and I have another 1 to 2 weeks?. I just had a shower and started hyperventilating and nearly passed out. Had to lie on the bathroom floor. I have already battled for 2 months I don't think I can do this anymore

[SADnomore]

It's this next Thursday when you see your pdoc again, right? Until then, if you are able to get in to see your gp, maybe a short course of propanolol will help with the palpatations and slow you down.

Do you have techniques specific to breathing that you can try? If not, try to get some happening! Your symptoms will also be from the trazodone withdrawal and may continue for some time, although steadily getting better. Suddenly stopping the venlaxafine cold turkey now will likely only pitch you into withdrawal from that, too. As you said yourself, to stop taking it even for one dose will cause that to happen

Not too much longer now before your appointment. If you really find yourself panicking and unable to wait, I would go see your gp or try for an emergency appointment with your pdoc.

It's nasty I know, but this business is the only way to get to the good effects, be happy that you are at least now on the drug that you have had success with before. Almost 2 weeks in already!

Marie

[spamvicious]

I'm supposed to be seeing her back in London where I live but I'm up in Yorkshire as I'm unable to cope on my own. She made the appointment with the assurances that I would be ok by then but that's not very far away and I won't be going back until I know I can cope and the anxiety attacks have stopped. I have her number so I might call her tomorrow. I also have lorazepam that I can take but it's not very effective when it's the breathing problems rather than just general anxiety etc.