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Strange venlafaxine experience...?
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Original post by Lillibetj
Hey,I started on Venlafaxine a couple of days ago and am experiencing the super-awake, manic feelings (which are an awesome change to how I've felt for the last year or so). As we've had the same experience I'd love to know if you find an anti-depressant that works for you. (I've tired Sertraline, Citalopram, Fluvoxamine and Mirtazapine - none have worked yet.)I really hope you're doing ok.Liz x
Hope you don't mind if I chime in. I've been on 75mg/day Venlafaxine for about a year after cycling through maybe 5-6 other SSRIs which either didn't work or had adverse effects. Venlafaxine has changed my life - it's enabled me to achieve so much and reach a degree of stability that I couldn't have previously imagined. I'm preparing to taper off it starting next year.
The 'high' feeling was something I experienced for the first week or two. I actually had a consultant psychiatrist come round my house from the crisis mental health team, and he had been involved in the development process of Venlafaxine somewhere along the line. He asked me if I'd ever taken MDMA, and what my experience on it had been (I love MDMA, by the way). He basically said that Venlafaxine has pretty similar effects, but works slightly differently and is more controlled. The experience I had during the first couple of weeks was like being on a low to moderate dose of MDMA - all well and good, but not fun at 10am. I smoked a lot of cigarettes those weeks.
Anyways, the modified release pills sorted it out for me. I still have some of the normal release ones lying a round from a previous prescription, in case I find myself running out, but they kick like a mule! Ask your GP for modified release if you haven't already.
If you want to talk about Venlafaxine or anything any more, I'm happy to do so. I hope it works out for you.
Hey,
Thank you so much for your message. I can't describe how happy I am to have finally found something that seems to be working. I've been reticent to get too excited about this feeling sticking around, but your post has given me renewed confidence/hope. So thank you, really, thank you.
The crazy hyped-up mania went away after 4 days (although my pupils are still pretty big) and I was expecting a crash, but so far it's just levelled out. I'm on day 7 so keeping my fingers crossed.
I feel like a completely different person. It feels like I can think clearly, interact with people, see colours and make plans - for the first time in about 7 years. It's absolutely miraculous. I just want to grab people and shout 'I feel... OK!' - or skip through fields and meadows - Julie Andrews/Teresa May style
I'm not sure what kind of release these ones are, but they're feeling ok at the moment. Man, I was so close to giving up, I honestly didn't think anything was ever going to make a difference.
I'm so pleased to hear you're feeling well enough to come off them. Good luck with it - and if you have any dips at least you know there's something that can save you. That knowledge is absolute gold.
(And yes, I love it too - but avoid it a bit nowadays due to the awful crashes I'd have a few days later.)
Thank you so much for your message. I can't describe how happy I am to have finally found something that seems to be working. I've been reticent to get too excited about this feeling sticking around, but your post has given me renewed confidence/hope. So thank you, really, thank you.
The crazy hyped-up mania went away after 4 days (although my pupils are still pretty big) and I was expecting a crash, but so far it's just levelled out. I'm on day 7 so keeping my fingers crossed.
I feel like a completely different person. It feels like I can think clearly, interact with people, see colours and make plans - for the first time in about 7 years. It's absolutely miraculous. I just want to grab people and shout 'I feel... OK!' - or skip through fields and meadows - Julie Andrews/Teresa May style
I'm not sure what kind of release these ones are, but they're feeling ok at the moment. Man, I was so close to giving up, I honestly didn't think anything was ever going to make a difference.
I'm so pleased to hear you're feeling well enough to come off them. Good luck with it - and if you have any dips at least you know there's something that can save you. That knowledge is absolute gold.
(And yes, I love it too - but avoid it a bit nowadays due to the awful crashes I'd have a few days later.)
Original post by Lillibetj
Hey,
Thank you so much for your message. I can't describe how happy I am to have finally found something that seems to be working. I've been reticent to get too excited about this feeling sticking around, but your post has given me renewed confidence/hope. So thank you, really, thank you.
The crazy hyped-up mania went away after 4 days (although my pupils are still pretty big) and I was expecting a crash, but so far it's just levelled out. I'm on day 7 so keeping my fingers crossed.
I feel like a completely different person. It feels like I can think clearly, interact with people, see colours and make plans - for the first time in about 7 years. It's absolutely miraculous. I just want to grab people and shout 'I feel... OK!' - or skip through fields and meadows - Julie Andrews/Teresa May style
I'm not sure what kind of release these ones are, but they're feeling ok at the moment. Man, I was so close to giving up, I honestly didn't think anything was ever going to make a difference.
I'm so pleased to hear you're feeling well enough to come off them. Good luck with it - and if you have any dips at least you know there's something that can save you. That knowledge is absolute gold.
(And yes, I love it too - but avoid it a bit nowadays due to the awful crashes I'd have a few days later.)
Thank you so much for your message. I can't describe how happy I am to have finally found something that seems to be working. I've been reticent to get too excited about this feeling sticking around, but your post has given me renewed confidence/hope. So thank you, really, thank you.
The crazy hyped-up mania went away after 4 days (although my pupils are still pretty big) and I was expecting a crash, but so far it's just levelled out. I'm on day 7 so keeping my fingers crossed.
I feel like a completely different person. It feels like I can think clearly, interact with people, see colours and make plans - for the first time in about 7 years. It's absolutely miraculous. I just want to grab people and shout 'I feel... OK!' - or skip through fields and meadows - Julie Andrews/Teresa May style
I'm not sure what kind of release these ones are, but they're feeling ok at the moment. Man, I was so close to giving up, I honestly didn't think anything was ever going to make a difference.
I'm so pleased to hear you're feeling well enough to come off them. Good luck with it - and if you have any dips at least you know there's something that can save you. That knowledge is absolute gold.
(And yes, I love it too - but avoid it a bit nowadays due to the awful crashes I'd have a few days later.)
Great news! I'm glad they are levelling out for you. I hope it stays that way - there's always a risk with these things, but it sounds like you're over the 'hump'.
I'm obviously reluctant to extol the virtues of pharmaceuticals for solving all one's problems. The reality though does not fit my preferred narrative - these have literally been the answer for me!
Of course, it's always preferable to not be reliant on a drug in your daily life. I don't know if you've experienced withdrawals yet, but if you miss a dose they start pretty quickly and they are very unpleasant - brain zaps big time. The other thing that I think I have noticed (I'm not sure how true this is, because it's hard to measure) is a slightly reduced ability to feel strong emotions - e.g. things that might have brought a tear to my eye before seem less likely to do so now, and I haven't had really strong romantic feelings for someone since starting - I suspect this is a coincidence though.
In general it's fine - I still have fun, retain all my critical faculties, and feel the full spectrum of emotions. They are just 'moderated' a tiny amount, which I gather is quite common with SSRIs. I'd like to taper off just because I now feel 'healthy' again - my GP recommended a period of 12-18 months of stability before starting to reduce the dose.
Good luck and fingers crossed for you
Spoiler
(edited 6 years ago)
I was on 37.5 the moved up to 75mg everyday. I was napping after 5 hours of taking it. But i was always horny. I had jaw pain and stiffness. I was working out and dancing in the mornings and i just couldnt figure it out. Walking down the road in tight pants would rub my lady junk and id have to go home or stop and catch my breath. It felt like i was doing extasy everyday. But thats what it is. Its medical seritonin boost. But just boosting the wrong ones. I switched to 100 mg of Zoloft(sertraline) and i feeling MUCH BETTER. No more effexor.
I have taken 300mg daily for 7 years and yes, as the dose is stepped up I have had that initial hype from it. I still do occasionally especially when combined with a good vit B complex, but more often than not it has turned my life around from sleeping constantly to being alert and productive most of the time. I still react to extenuating circumstances. DO NOT STOP TAKING IT FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME, from experience, the withdrawal is aweful and is danderous. However, it is short lived if you take your dose again -if you take a late dose you will know about it.... I have missed a dose in the morning and by lunchtime I have felt the effects...
