Terrified of starting Venlafaxine again!!! Please help!

[SpecialAgentSara]

Hey guys,

It's a long story. Basically I've suffered severe depression and anxiety with major panic attacks for over 14 years now (first diagnosed when I was 10. I'm now 25) and after going through every possible medication (including Seroxat) it was found that Venlafaxine was the only one that worked.

To ease my anxiety I only need the 75mg lowest dose. Then I can deal with it with talking therapy. I managed to come off of it in February, however I have a lot of terrifying changes coming up. I'm uprooting my entire life and moving it to Cambridge to pursue my dream of becoming a paramedic. I have a place at the university there and everything is all set to go...except me! I'm terrified. My anxiety has skyrocketed even though I am really looking forward to what I am about to achieve. I am now adept at noticing when I need a little medical intervention and I think I need to Venlafaxine again just to get me through the first year and settled.

Only problem is, I'm more scared of starting the Venlafaxine. When I get bad I suffer awful health anxiety that gives me this awful fear of nausea and vomiting, yet whenever I start Venlafaxine I suffer from horrendous nausea. Does anyone have any tips on stopping it? Does taking the tablets with food help? Does the fact that I've been on it before mean that the nausea won't last as long this time? Will the doctor sign me off work for a week while it settles again (my phobia is based on the embarrassment of being sick in public)?

Basically I need some tips, advice and reassurance.

Thank you in advance guys.

Sara

[SADnomore]

Hi, Sara!

Congratulations on your success so far! You can do this!

If you look around you will probably find a few threads under Venlaxafine that deal with side effects. I wrote one many months ago, because I had had a lot of side effects during start up, and wanted to share tips and advice from other members that helped me. I hope your doctor gives you at least a week off, and also a scrip for the 37.5 dose, as a lot of us find it really helps to go with that dose first, even though it's not considered therapeutic, for me it did help with getting accustomed to the side effects. The nausea was contained mostly inside of that first week and I was advised right away to, yes, eat with the medication. Some people get by with a couple of biscuits and tea, but I needed a small nutritious meal. Then, when I had a drop in my appetite later on in the day, honestly, I would just eat what appealed to me, even if it wasn't the healthiest just to keep something on my tummy. That is key, I found, to managing the nausea. Also (thank you Aprilmoon!) having ginger biscuits helped a lot on both scores, something tasty that I felt like having, and something that worked against the nausea at the same time!

Months later, well past all of the other side effects, I was finding the late afternoons still awful for tiredness, and I remembered the pharmacist telling me that mornings with breakfast was one recommendation, but I should feel free to take it with an evening snack shortly before bed, too. That it might help with the lethargy during the day. Eventually the opportunity came up when I forgot my dose the night before and I was traveling until the next night, lol! Needless to say, by the time I could take it and settle in for the night, I needed it! If you were ever late with a dose, you know what I mean ... Personally, if I had to do that over again, I would do so by bumping it from breakfast to lunch, then mid-afternoon, then lastly to perhaps supper and then evening. But anyway, thankfully once a missed dose is taken, it is only a couple of hours before all is a-okay again. Whew!

Do you know, I realized that nowadays I take my capsule when getting into bed, without a snack (although I don't actually go to bed hungry, having had a snack of some sort while watching tv after dinner). So for sure, the nausea is not at ongoing thing.

Best of luck with school and career! Stock up on ginger biscuits, also ginger ale and soda crackers to nibble on, and tempting, easy to assemble food such as cheese for cheese and crackers, fruit, or even treats you enjoy. Fill your prescription, pick a time to start, and settle in with a blanket, some movies and of course NMP! xo

Marie

[SpecialAgentSara]

Thank you so much Marie. I started in the 37.5 last time first once a day and then twice and 75mg was enough for me to manage my anxiety which I'm glad about because I need a clear head for my degree. I cannot afford to screw that up and I start in the middle of September which is why I want back on the ven now while I've got time to get used to it.

I read your post about side effects and found it very reassuring.

I started first time on ven with the extended release tablets and I don't remember feeling as nauseous on those as I did when they changed me to the standard ones (and I would remember as nausea terrifies me). Has anyone else found the extended release ones better?

Thanks

Sara

[nicola1980]

Hi def start on the slow release as these will help with the nausea, the standard release ones made me feel really sick even when I took them with food but once I got the slow release I was alot better plus I dot think you get as many side effects with the slow release as you do with the standard, they do the slow release in 37.5mg tablets or capsules now so I would def start on that then increase to 75mg in a week or so XX

[SpecialAgentSara]

Thanks guys. I've been to see the doctor and she has given me the modified release tablets and I'm going straight in at 75mg. She's also given me diazepam to use sparingly when the anxiety gets too much in the first few weeks. Has anyone else tried these two in combination?

[nicola1980]

Yep I used Diazepam whilst starting ven and when increasing and it helped take the edge off especially with the increased anxiety side effect. Good luck XX

[SpecialAgentSara]

So 35 minutes ago I took my first tablet. I shaking like mad now. Is this normal? And when will it stop? I can't remember as it was so long ago that I actually went on it!

[Giraffe11]

Could you take cyclizine alongside it? Xx

---------- Post added at 22:03 ---------- Previous post was at 22:02 ----------

I imagine you're feeling like you are as that's your own anxiety about taking the pill .... Go up to bed lovely xx

[nicola1980]

That'll be you panicking about taking it, I always work myself up into a right state before I start new meds even if it's just antibiotics!! Try and relax and not think about it...I know that's easier said than done but taking your mind off it will help XX

[SpecialAgentSara]

Thanks guys. Feeling better but nauseous now. And very tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open watching TV with the other half so I'm attempting to go to bed. Thanks for your support guys I really appreciate it. I'm hoping that the side effects won't be as prolonged as before because I've been on ven before buuuut I'm not holding out much hope.

@giraffe I start uni in September to become a paramedic so then less meds I'm on the better. If I can handle the nausea myself then I'd like to try. I think it's more anxiety than the ven for the moment so I have some 2mg diazepam that I can take if my panic gets really bad but that will be a last resort for me. I'm seeing my gp again in two weeks so if the nausea hasn't gone then I will ask for cyclizine. Thanks for suggesting it