Venlafaxine and Ven ER

[Tims]

Hi, just started this med last week at 75mg for panic/anxiety, it's just the normal, not extended release, but I read the er is more effective for anxiety disorders compared to standard one, anyone here have any knowledge on this?
Greatly appreciate any feedback.

[Pipkin]

Hi Tims,

The ER isn't more effective, just more even in its dose with Ven having a short half life. I started on the standard tablets (37.5 mg, twice a day) and eventually moved to the extended release. The important thing is to start feeling better and take it from there. The active ingredients are the same, it's just the delivery method which is different. This just possibly means fewer side effects but no better result. Trust me on that one!

Stick with it - it's been a life saver for me.

Pip

[Tims]

Hi Pip

Thanks for that it's only been 12 days since starting Ven and I can see noticeable differences. I'm feeling much more relaxed and better overall. I was previously on cymbalta/duloxeteine 60mg which wasn't doing anything for me really, but due to both meds being snri's the doc said the switch would be fairly straight forward.
Can I ask do you take anything else with the Ven, and are you taking it for depression and/or anxiety?

Thanks

Tims

[Pipkin]

Tims,

I'm taking it for anxiety. I also have propranolol to relieve the physical symptoms but I haven't taken these for a long time. Diazepam is also a back up but again, I haven't taken it for ages. Ven and determination are enough for me. It's just reassuring to have a back up plan if things get really bad.

As I've always said, meds help but the real success is achieved through hard work and determination not to let it beat you. The most important piece of advice I could give is not to sit around and let it beat you. Don't fight it either, just keep active and get out of the house, no matter how hard it seems. This may seem ridiculously simplistic but, to me, it's crucial.

Take care

Pip

[Tims]

Pip

What dose of Ven are currently on, and what's you're experience on other doses if any?

Thanks

Tims

[Pipkin]

Currently on 150 mg. I've been on 75 mg but it wasn't quite right for me. Build up slowly and stick to the minimum dose that works is my advice.

Pip x

[MyNameIsTerry]

You've withdrawn from one SNRI that was working on both serotonin and norepinephrine which starts at 60mg for Duloxetine but it doesn't start for Ven until 150mg so if you have had no issues with withdrawal it's a really good sign you tolerate them well by the sounds of it.

Hopefully you will find the dose that suits you but feeling benefiys so quickly is a very good sign to me.

[pulisa]

All I would say is don't be persuaded to increase your dose too quickly. As Pip says, the minimum effective dose of ven is your best option. Good luck-you seem to be making very good progress already!

[Tims]

Thanks guys for your input. I'm presuming the nonrephenerine is purely for depression and might make anxiety worse being a so called stress hormone, so planning to stay under 150mg.
I also managed to get my Ven changed to the xr from the standard ones to avoid the need to take more than one dose a day.

Tims

[MyNameIsTerry]

Duloxetine is licenced for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and GAD at 60mg starting. So, you would be treated with both elements of the drug whether depression or anxiety.

The issue of whether norepinephrine reuptake inhibition is one that puzzles me as it would make sense it would make anxiety worse, although thats not the only thing it works with, and would make sense in people with depression (who have no anxiety elements) but there are plenty of people on doses that would interact with their adrenaline and have anxiety disorder yet feel the benefit. I really don't know why these meds work for anxiety as it seems contradictory.

Did you find Duloxetine ramped up your anxiety at 60mg? Did you find your symptoms changed to new ones you never had before and what were they? This is what I have experienced and it has never gone away, merely reduced, so I suspect that I can't tolerate the norepinephrine element but I felt better on the 30mg.

Another issue is the half lives. Both Ven standard & XR don't provide 24 hours and Duloxetine provides 12. I do wonder whether we suffer some of the problems we do because of this issue as when I was on Citalopram it was over 24 hours. Sertraline is only about 22 but at least thats not going to mean much. With my Duloxetine, it's range is such that I could go to 12.5% of the med left in my blood plasma in 24 hours, or 25% at the Mean. It's truly bizarre.