rI was a happy, determined, fit woman full of ambition but ran into a bad marriage and had one serious panic attack (I was a sceptic about panic attacks before it happened to me). My GP put me on Venlafaxine. Thereon my personality changed....suicidal thoughts, no drive, weight gain by 2.5 stone! Lethargy to the point that keeping fit was a chore for a girl who would run everyday and feel joy for life. I hate my GP for putting me on this vile drug. It has taken over my life. I forgot to take it two days ago and just decided that was it. I want my life back. Today I woke wanting to end my life....truly to just end it...hang myself or take a load of tablets. Thankfully a friend saved me but what kind of grip has this evil drug gotten on me. I understand I was not on a high dose (75mg once per day) and that what I am now experiencing is withdrawal. This drug should come with a health warning as it will certainly change your personality, your life. I will never take it again. I want my old self back. Please consider the above if you are about to take it as I hear nothing good about it and yet the doctors just dish it out to get you out their door. Would my doctor care if I had ended my life today? No. But he was happy to give me the drug which gave me those thoughts. Totally irresponsible drug companies and doctors give this out because the truth is they do not know what the alternative is.
I am truly sorry you are going through so much pain right now. I too am desperate to come off the evil drug. I have put on 2 stone and feel fat and hideous. Every time I try to come off it I have the most terrible withdrawal symptoms and the weight gain is making me feel depressed again.
Hi
I totally agree with you it has ruined my
Life to. I was on 275mg and ended like a hopless zombie. I am trying to taper off at the moment been doing it over the last 9 weeks it's really hard been dizzy had brain zaps been sick and so tired. It's getting better now though I'm down to 50mg a day, this drug is evil and destroys people in America there are 100s of law suits against the drug company's through the massive amount of research I have done I have found out that th drug company tampered with the test results on venal screw your life up faxine so as they could get it passed by the FDA also the GPs get get funding from these company's so it is in there interest to give them to patients. It's bloody discusting that they can get away with this I have meet heard a good thing about this horrable drug
I ment to say I have not heard a good thing about this drug
I'm on 37.5mg now but as soon as I stop taking them, I have brain zaps and headaches and feel sick and incredibly panicky. I just want to lose the weight so much
Have you tryed taking Benadryl the hay fever drug I looked on the US venalfaxin forum and there was a lot of talk about it helping with withdrawal symptoms. I thought I would give it a go two weeks ago and it does work to my amazement. I don't have a problem with weight as I'm a painter and decorator do am up and down ladders every day do I think that helps as it's like doing a work out on a daily bases
Sorry about my typos I'm very tired at the moment
Hi Amy, My thoughts are the same. It is the most evil AD going. But PLEASE don't lose heart . Joining into this forum can help as you will know you are not alone.
Thank God you are still alive and even though you cannot see the light yet , you will. Day by day. The only answer to this is to come off it slowly like I am doing". I would certainly recommend you to read " Depression. The curse of the strong" by Dr. Tim Carruthers.An NHS psychiatrist who is very understanding. Easy to read, although there may be times that you couldn't be bothered to read. It will be worth it. About a fiver from amazon. Easy to read. Meanwhile, do not take alcohol ( it contradicts the AD' and makes things worse.) I am down to the last 1/8 of a 37.5 Mg tablet twice a day as my Gp says that she wont give me anything more suitable until I am off this Ven totally for 2 weeks. That 2 weeks will be hell on earth as then my brain will be screaming for just a taste of it. But it will be worse hell if I weaken and go back on them. At the end of next week i have to be totally off them!!!! and a fornight to wait before she will give me something more tolerable. Be strong and remember that some people have been given two + AD's which is much much worse for them as they have the contra effects as well as the individual side effects of each drug. Doctors, i agree, have absolutely no idea what they are giving out. What do they care they still get paid fat salaries and the perks ( freebies from the drug companies!) . Talk about the Hypocritical (!) oath they take. Keep positive, John
Thank you Michael-such useful and kinda words. You take care x
Daisy, Don't try to come of it suddenly! Take it slowly. Those feelings are withdrawal symptoms. Take it slowly coming off it. Don't worry about the weight. That will sort itself out in good time. And worrying about that aspect won't help the depression. Each week take a LITTLE less of the 37.5 Mg and this gives time for your brain to compensate. best wishes, john
When you get off venalfaxine see how you feel and if you can Cope then don't go on another ad in my experience they cause more harm than good . When you have you energy and motivation back try things like exercise, healthy eating and supplements, vitamin B12 is good for depression s is omega 3 fish oil . There is also 5htp you can get it from health food shops it's a natural supplement for raising seratonin levels. And none of these things have any side effects
Michael, I thought benedryl was the same as nytol. It makes you sleep. and loses it's potency quite soon therefore to get the same effect you have to take more and before you know it You are hooked. and NOT sleeping.
If you need to sleep properly it would be better to take melatonin. Split a 1Mg tablet into quarters. The less the better in this case. Cheers, john
Thank you jpm-so should I take the tablet every other day or cut it in half and take it daily? My doctor said to just stop!! Great advice from her! :-(
Yes it can make you sleepy but I find that when I'm busy working I don't feel tired its just at the weekends when I'm doing nothing I feel tired. I ran out if them 2 days ago anyway and feel fine so won't bother with them anymore but I'm sure they did help me get over the worst
I know exactly what you are talking about. I was on 150mg made me feel awful to the point I lost a terrific guy because I wasn't myself. Depressed, hopeless and feared being with him. I broke it off and now I can't try to get back with him until I'm off this crap. I'm currently taking 37.5 three times a day the last two days and fighting to keep going. This isn't what I asked for at all. I needed something to calm me down and help me cope with being a caretaker. It took over my life and I've had a week of fighting just to get off it. My neighbors told me she's been on it for years since her husband passed and she goes off it sometimes. Maybe our brains work different I know my brain does. I can't function and my mind is still struggling with keeping alive.
My doc said stop after a week what a bloody joke. I have lost my faith in doctors to be honest he didn't agree ith me when I said I wanted off the meds as my docs have told me I need them and must stay on them. When I first went on them 30 years ago I think I did need them then but only stayed on them because the docs convinced me that I needed also I have tryed to come of many times over the years and felt ill so I was convinced I needed them but I now know that I wasn't becoming ill again I was going through withdrawals and never stayed of them long enough to see how I would be withought them
Daisy, Most doctors don't have a clue. They have a book of all medicines and they look up the benefits and just hand out to pills trhey don't atke any accopunt of the side effects or wothdrawal effects because they are not in the book ( courtesy of the Drug companies) The drug companies don't want people to know of the considerable p[ain people have to go through to get off these AD's. They don't want people to come off them. They would lose money then.
Michael 37726 knows what withdrawal is like and i am sure he will agree
with what I have said. Your doctor like mine hasn't got a clue. You can not not just stop an AD. Sorry to tell you that ven IS the worst AD to come off. However, the way I have done it and I am on the last tiny crumb now.If you take it every other day (As my doctor recommended to me also). the day in between will be hell for you. Cut it in half ( or bite it in half) . Take a half in the morning and half at supper , if you don't sleep very well ( a side effect of this AD) take the second half with food at teatime. Basically, you want them about 10-12 hours apart. And always take them with food!
Each week take a little bit less of each half. Your brain has to adjust to the slow discontinuation. If you try to hurry it you will lose and will suffer. Slowly but surely the different side effects will diminish and change, depending on what side effects you have been getting. This is not easy but it is better than staying on them and allowing your brain to need them. Then it WILL be hell! Believe me. God bless, john
Michael, How did you manage to come off after 30 years of it?
I have heard of this 5HTP but can you take it with a very small crumb of Ven? Does it not clash with Ven?
Strange you should mention B12 and omega 3. I have had my daily dose just couple of hours ago!
How long were you taking benedryl for and how the heck are you managing to sleep now?
Cheers, john
I managed to come of because I was so fed up with how I felt on them meds and I just wanted my life back it was sheer will power I think. I have very strong will power I think as I have overcome alcoholism and smoking 40 a day. Also I have the most beautiful loving caring girlfriend and I didn't want to be a burden to her and end up losing her she is my life withought her I would have blown my head off after what I have been through. As for 5 htp it's not good to take it while still on ad's. my sleep it not a problem as I have a physical job
Hi Mike. I am puzzled. are you off ven? as you said earlier that you were tapering down and you were still on 50 Mg. Gosh coming off alcohol and fags must have taken a lot of willpower. Have you actually tried 5HTP yet?