Terrified of starting Venlafaxine again!!! Please help!

[Laala]

Hi Marie,

Thanks very much for your reply. I am waiting for a call back from the doc (still!) to see what he says. I am just fed up and wish I could feel like my old self.

I seem to be immune to treatment! I just hoped it would be an uphill recovery but I take a step forward and two steps back all the time.

I don't know how much of this I should be able to 'cure' myself versus with a pill. And I know there's no magic pill but it seems like people have had very good relief on here when getting the right pill and dose. I'm so confused with it all.

Trying to stay strong. My husband has been so supportive but I can see in his face that he just wants his wife back. It's been 6 months of some ups and mostly downs on the anxiety front. I hate waking up in the morning with this silly anxiety, I have no idea what I'm anxious about other than the anxiety itself at this point in time.

Oh to be 'normal'.

L xx

[tommackent88]

Hi L

I echo what you have just said. I've tried all the drugs and all the therapy. Nothing seems to snap me out of the anxiety spiral.

I'm running out of ideas now! Xx

[SADnomore]

Many who have anxiety find that it is a matter of the right combination of certain medications and therapy/techniques that they land on that does the trick.

Laala, I sort of relate to your anxiety, except that right now, mine is building in anticipation of the depression I know I will have to fight mid-winter. Kind of silly since it only feeds the dread that precedes the depression!

My "therapy" is more about trying to be on a roll by then with routines that give me respite and distract me from the cold and the dark. Once that rug gets pulled out from under me it is so hard to climb out of the pit :(

... Hey, don't give up on the ven yet, guys, there is plenty more time for it to work moreso. And more augments to try.

Marie xx

---------- Post added at 20:33 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------

ps
And I have faith that it will keep me out of the pit like it has before. I just would like to be even more functional this winter, is all. Get together with friends. Stick with exercise. Most of all, not give in to Miss Sugar B, my alter ego :P Ugh, ten new pounds every winter.

[SpecialAgentSara]

Hey guys,

I have a question. The only thing I'm rely struggling with now is sleeping. I already take my tablet in the evening but at 7pm and I'm not normally in bed until 11pm. Should I take it a bit later? Will it make a difference.

Hang in there a bit longer lalaa. Things will get better

Sara xx

[Pipkin]

Hey guys,

I have a question. The only thing I'm rely struggling with now is sleeping. I already take my tablet in the evening but at 7pm and I'm not normally in bed until 11pm. Should I take it a bit later? Will it make a difference.

Hang in there a bit longer lalaa. Things will get better

Sara xx

Sara,

Is the sleep problem a Ven side effect or from your underlying anxiety? If it's Ven, perhaps it would be better to take it in the morning - I take mine after breakfast.

Pip x

[SpecialAgentSara]

Hi Pip,

Sorry I have had no internet access for a few days as I have moved to Cambridge for uni! So far so good and I'm more excited than anxious which I think I have the ven to thank for as it's helped me overcome my anxiety and allowed me to be excited about my future!

I never had a problem with sleeping when I was't on the venlafaxine. In fact it was the opposite. I saw sleeping as an escape and so I spent more time doing it because I wasn't anxious when I was sleep. I think I have identified the problem. Whenever I start to settle and relax, my legs start to twitch! Then I get this horrible feeling like there are things crawling around under my skin and I can only make it go away by moving my legs around so of course that keeps me awake. Could this be the ven?

Sara xx

[SADnomore]

Hiya, Sara, Pip et al!

See, I had the problem with mid-afternoon exhaustion, especially at higher doses, and after switching to evenings, that went away. Mind you, at the time, I was also taking zopiclone for sleep, so I didn't notice any problems with falling asleep or being comfortable once in bed.

These days, I only take Trazodone, 50 mg, which is not a sleeping pill per se. It's a mild antidepressant that plays well with Effexor, and can be taken only when needed, it doesn't cause dependency. (Really. I know about these things.) Watch your caffeine intake and try to practice good sleep hygiene. By that I mean a quieting of activities after supper, shutting down laptop and cell phone as soon as possible, tucking in with a non-study book for a few pages, then putting out the lamp as soon as you feel relaxed. Do some gentle relaxation breathing, focus on that (wow, I'm getting sleepy just writing that!)
Marie xx