Terrified of starting Venlafaxine again!!! Please help!

[SpecialAgentSara]

Can I take paracetamol for the headache side effect. I've had a headache all night and got little sleep because of it. Does paracetamol work or not really?

[angels22165]

Hi yes I got headaches too in the first week, I took cocodamol as paracetamol doesn't seem to touch the pain. But any are fine to take x

[SADnomore]

Good thinking to check, Sara. Don't let the headaches get you down, they will pass! Mine came back, with a vengeance and I ended up getting migraine treatments in the ER, but I am still so glad I stuck with the ven! (Sigh. One of the meds they use in the IV treatment, while very good at eradicating migraine, has an unfortunate s/e of anxiety and shaking, if you can believe it! This happens regardless of a pre-existing anxiety condition or whether the patient has ever been anxious before in their lives. They normally administer an IV Benadryl to counteract this, but I felt it each time, maybe should have asked for a bit more? It passes within an hour or so and I would do it again if the headache was that bad again for sure. Worth it, as the little IV "cocktail" works great! ... ps they should do the IV "push" in the hand, and hang a bag of fluids as well. Fluids on board are a key part of the treatment, I have found. ... A little rest, a little snack. Good to go!)

How are you doing otherwise? Are you able to be home for some days now? I shall be ramping up again on the 1st of August, so you'll soon have company in s/e land, lol!

Marie

[SpecialAgentSara]

Hi Marie. Thank you for helping me keep my spirits up. At the moment I'm very dizzy and suffering nausea but it's not as bad as I expected it to be. I'm not eating a lot but I am eating a little bit every few hours. Also got the headache and so lethargic I can barely move from the sofa. But in a strange way I already feel more relaxed as well so I'm sticking with it. I'm also getting very broken sleep.

I thought I'd better check about the paracetamol. I can't take ibuprofen on Venlafaxine and I'm allergic to Aspirin and codeine and a lot of other pain meds so I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't.

I've had to phone in sick for work today. I have only taken 2 doses but rather than get signed off for a whole week I'm taking it day by day and seeing how I feel. Hoping that after the third or fourth dose I'll start to feel better.

Good luck with your dosage increase!

Overall I'm feelin positive that I've made the right decision to get back on the ven . You guys are being amazing too

P.S I took your advice about ginger. I always make sure I at least eat something before I take my dose and then always have a ginger biscuit after I've taken my ven. IT HELPS!!

[SADnomore]

Yes!! I really have found them to help as well, got that tip from Aprilmoon! ...
Lots of amazing peeps on here at all hours to talk to, and plenty to read about ven.
Take it easy, be good to yourself now, you deserve it. xx
Marie.

[SpecialAgentSara]

So I've taken four doses and I'm finally starting to feel more human. I can eat again for example but I can only stomach fruit.

However I have noticed that I have the feeling of a lump in the bottom of my throat, almost in my chest, and my stomach is incredibly tight. Is this just the increased anxiety side effect?

Sara xx

[SADnomore]

Yep, a side effect, right on cue! Lol! I always just explain to myself that these are just symptoms as a result of the change to serotonin receptors while the ven goes to work. Someone on here once laid out the technical bit - basically, the one little end of the receptors are stopped from taking up the circulating serotonin (so that more is left available to work and thus make us feel better). The other end, if you like, is responsible for re-release. But after the reuptake stops, the release stops for a number of days too. It is during this "lag time" that the dips in serotonin cause symptoms like tightened stomach muscles/butterflies. I find it fascinating that the majority of serotonin receptors are in ... Our gut! So I began to equate the tightening of my gut with the slamming off of all those tiny re-uptake receptor ends, ha ha! And since tight stomach muscles are a common occurrence with anxiety flares, then it follows that I can choose to call that a physical symptom, with no basis in what is going on other than the settling in of the medication. Not "real" anxiety, but a physical symptom which it makes perfect sense to be feeling. Which allows me to address it as such; I take several long slow deep breaths, audibly sighing them out, which really helps to release the tightness. I don't let the physical symptoms have any power, and as long as I just handle them like simple physical sensations which will pass, I'm okay! ... I got brain tingles later on, which I told myself was the drug beginning to work in those sites, which is a good sign! Sure enough the sensations passed and I started to experience the benefits of more serotonin availability!

For me, I didn't get the tight stomach right at the start, it was a little later and then it lasted into week 5, although it became only intermittent by then anyway. Since you have it so early on, I expect it will pass earlier then. Hang in, you're doing great!! You are lucky that you are good with eating the healthy stuff like fruit, for me it was only pastries and such! Crazy, hey? ... Aprilmoon did well with fruit as well as small snacks like crackers and cheese. But I lived on crackers and ginger ale or sweets for the first week and a half, lol! But then, I have a sweet tooth at the best of times. :P

Run by any other symptoms you're having and we can pitch in with our tips to manage them.

[nicola1980]

Hi Sara, yep them symptoms are the increased anxiety effect infact I still get them if I'm feeling particularly anxious or stressing about something....damn anxiety :( glad your feeling more positive tho and after only 4 doses that's fantastic, i was on my knees for 3 weeks when I increased your on your way to getting better now so look forward XX

[SpecialAgentSara]

Thank you guys you are amazing!

I think I'm dealing ok with most of the side effects now. I'm still struggling with sleep but I already take my dose in the evening so I guess there is nothing to do but wait for it to settle. The tightness in my stomach probably explains the nausea j get after eating as well. Marie thank you for your explanation. It really really helped. And your advice on how to deal with it. I only get a headache a half hour after I've taken my tablet now and it goes on its own which is good.

The dizziness when I get up is still a problem though because it makes me very unsteady on my feet.

I have noticed that I have a constant tummy ache. But not always in the same plac. Also a little constipated which could explain it I guess. That or anxiety.

I have a horrendous dry mouth as well. Honestly gasping but I found a solution. My boyfriend came home the other day with a box of Popsicles. I tried one and my god it really helped!

Thanks guys

Sara xx

[Laala]

Hi. Hope you don't mind me hijacking your post Sara. I hope you are doing ok?

I posted briefly before...I'm now on day 18 of Ven (7 days at 75mg & the rest at 150mg) after coming off a very unsuccessful desperate months on Citalopram which made me so much worse...I can't believe I stuck it out for so long (3 weeks of insomnia and sleeping tablets, crazy anxiety of course leading to depression about why I couldn't seem to control my thinking at all! And still trying to function with two children). Anyway after moving away from my useless GP, I seem to have found a good psychiatrist and I really hope Ven will help me get out of this hole.

I just wondered if it's normal at this stage to still be feeling really tired a lot of the time, also I have knots in my stomach and yesterday seemed to be getting stomach cramps and some nausea on and off? Is it all normal to still be feeling these?

Also, once the tabs start kicking in is it an upward journey or lots of ups and downs? I really believe in facing and accepting anxiety and pushing through it but I was really struggling to make any progress on Citalopram and just couldn't understand why I wasn't getting any better despite CBT, exercise, pushing myself to do things. I hope that by sorting out this chemical imbalance I think is to blame, with the right medication, then I should be back on track!

I have felt a little less anxious over the last few mornings, despite still being awake at 530am! and I haven't been in tears or feeling as horrendous as I was, which gives me hope that these might be 'the ones' to finally help. I really hope so!

Xx