Experience reports on the drug Venlafaxine:
Venlafaxine User Reviews, Experiences
Posted in Nervous system
Reviews, Experiences, Questions
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In the first few weeks of taking venlafaxine during a severe depression, the medication had a rapid effect and mainly eliminated the symptom of listlessness. After the first 2-3 months, however, this effect was gone again. Although I am an athlete, have a lot of muscle and pay a lot of attention to a healthy diet, I put on 15 kg (!!!!) within the first THREE months of taking venlafaxine. it’s unbelievable what this medication has done to my metabolism and my previously great figure. That’s why I’m now coming off it and hope that the kilos will fall off just as quickly as they came on.
Taking 150mg venlafaxine once a day.
Since taking it, my weight has fluctuated extremely. Before taking it, I had stopped taking the medication for about 1.5 years due to pregnancy (under medical supervision). The food cravings then diminished until they disappeared completely. I also lost over 100 pounds within a very short time. However, since I have had to take the medication again, the weight has gone back up bit by bit. As the venlafaxine has already made me quite “sluggish” in general (I was a rather impulsive and “stressed person” beforehand) and I have now also had to take lamotrigine recently, I am even more listless. The venlafaxine has not brightened me up in some things (emotions and behaviors), rather dulled me. Instead of crying uncontrollably in the past, I find it difficult to cry these days. In the meantime, you tend to put up with things as trivialities, even though someone else would certainly cry or possibly get angry.
This makes you seem really unfriendly and/or emotionally cold to some people. Other side effects: severe skin rash when starting venlafaxine. Especially on the arms, legs and face. It took a few weeks for it to subside. Also at the beginning this “cold tingling in the body” similar to a small allergy reaction. However, it also subsided after just under a month. Annoying but still side effects: – Tiredness during the day, wide awake at night.
– Cravings, especially for sweet and savory foods in the evening/at night and aggressive inner feelings if you can’t/aren’t allowed to breastfeed. As a result, I gained 110 pounds within 2 years. And in addition, if you forget to take venlafaxine or take it late: the flashing in your head. You briefly become extremely nervous, it feels like a thunderstorm in your head and you briefly feel cold from head to neck. Outwardly, however, you appear normal, according to observers. As soon as you have taken the dose, however, the symptoms disappear very quickly. As if withdrawal symptoms are only “imagined” but don’t seem to be real.
Maybe I’m just an isolated case, but these side effects have been with me for years. It would be interesting to know if anyone else has had such experiences.
I take this medication and only experienced slight side effects in the first 3 weeks in the form of heavy sweating and a dry mouth. And that was it. No weight gain or other complaints even after taking it for a long time. And the effect speaks for itself!
I was prescribed venlafaxine by my psychiatrist to alleviate my tiredness and lack of drive. I couldn’t see any difference to escitalopram. I have now switched to Elontril.
The medication should really be slowly phased out. My withdrawal symptoms were very exhausting, mainly dizziness and nausea.
After many years of anxiety disorders venlafaxine finally gives me hope. No side effects so far I feel more stable!
As I had reacted to another medication with too many side effects, I was given this one. The effect was there after 14 days and I lost 25lbs in the first six months. After 1 year I gained 17lbs again, so everything is within reason if you’re worried about that. Be careful not to wean off too quickly. I was on 75mg and slowly phased it out over 6 months. And then it works. I’m writing the experience report here because I had also read up online beforehand and was afraid of the side effects. Everything is bearable and the medication works. It helped me a lot in my life situation after the birth!
I tried venlafaxine for panic attacks, unfortunately with moderate success. But they were quite harmless.
Lost about 10 kg in 17 years. No possibility of gaining any weight
I took venlafaxine 75mg retard once a day as part of a moderate acute depression. It was not my first experience with depressive episodes, but it was the first time I had taken an antidepressant. It helped me well – probably together with psychotherapy and a change in my life situation.
Of course, it’s all just a feeling, ultimately you can’t say for sure what helped and how. At first, I was completely knocked out for 1-2 days, I just slept and was totally exhausted, which is something I’ve never experienced before. But that was over straight away. I didn’t notice any more side effects when I started. The effect was a little slow, as is the case with all antidepressants. After 2-3 weeks, I would say something started to happen. I had increased the dose to 150 mg in the meantime, but this was accompanied by insomnia and nervousness, so I went back to 75 mg after a few days. I took it for about 10 months in total.
Weaning was quite a challenge.
I had read beforehand that it wasn’t going to be easy. Initially I had reduced to 37.5 mg and tolerated it without any side effects, so I was in good spirits.But going from that to 0 was accompanied by severe tiredness the very next day, I actually just wanted to/was able to lie on the sofa and slept half the day away.I went through this for 3 days, then I took the 37.5mg again and the tiredness was gone again.
There is no official lower dosage – but one trick worked well:Open the sustained-release capsules (just twist them open), there were 3 small tablets inside at 37.5mg.I took one of them out and closed the capsule again and then took it for 3 weeks (i.e. 25mg), then 3 weeks with only one tablet in it (12.5mg), then stopped.No problems that would have affected my everyday life (perhaps I wasn’t quite as efficient as usual).I can only recommend this, but of course it is completely unofficial.
Overall: good medication, I would take it again (hopefully not necessary). The side effects were expected and manageable. Discontinuation not quite so easy, but also easy to manage.
I have been taking it since my therapy and have noticed that my eyes no longer function properly since taking it.
I was sceptical at first, but venlafaxine works. However, my mood has improved a lot over the months.
Side effects such as dizziness, balance problems and nausea occur at the beginning of the intake, which subside and disappear after just under 2 weeks.
Dizziness and nausea only occur if I forget to take the medication.
With the medication I became more active and felt euphoric from time to time, there were rapid changes in emotions and a strong drive, and social anxiety also disappeared.
Stopping the drug was the same as starting it, i.e. dizziness, balance problems and nausea until almost two weeks after reaching 0mg. These are also described in the package leaflet, but unfortunately not afterwards. The long-term discontinuation symptoms are anhedonia, sleep disorders and weakness.
The first time I took venlafaxine, I felt nauseous for 2 hours and was unable to move. However, this could have been partly due to the fact that my “first breakfast” every day is fruit and I only had an apple and an additional Ibu 400. Since then I have made sure that I eat enough beforehand. After that I only had to deal with slight nausea a few times.
After a few days I felt a bit more like leaving the house, but this may also have had something to do with the spring sunshine.
As I suffer from extreme tiredness, I occasionally take amphetamines to get through the day or when I have something urgent to do and have no energy. The GP who prescribes it is aware of this. I usually only read the package leaflet after 1-2 weeks of taking the drug so that I don’t get side effects. THIS COMBINATION IS NOT COMPATIBLE! The information would have been relevant from the prescriber. As it can lead to serotonin syndrome. At times I felt like I was on another planet. I have to say that this scared me a bit and I stopped taking the tablets for the next 2 weeks. Now I’ve been taking them again for 2 weeks and am paying close attention to my physical condition when taking them.
A big plus point: although the rule of thumb is that tablets for depression should only work after 3-4 weeks, I had an effect, even a positive one, from the first day and went for walks more often the following week.
SIDE EFFECTS:
– Nausea, dizziness
– Slight drowsiness, similar to being slightly drunk or drunk; maybe just right for some, but rather bad if you still want to be productive
– glassy eyes, dilated pupils, restricted vision
– Eczema, my neurodermatitis goes a bit crazy
– Unpleasant belching and flatulence; I have the feeling that my body is totally over-acidified (with a mostly vegan diet)
– Cramps, especially in my calves despite drinking enough/normal amounts of water; supposedly only occurs in children. I am in my mid-30s.
– Heart palpitations
– trembling
– (Slight) confusion
– Water retention, puffy face/sudden double chin
– Dry mouth
***I may have forgotten something or not yet connected it ***.
All this may not sound so exhilarating, but I am also extremely sensitive to all pharmaceuticals. A few years ago I tried low-dose escitalopram, which led to memory loss, confusion and self-harming behaviour.
Finally a noticeable improvement. Less sadness, fewer low moods. Instead, more emotional dullness, which I find more pleasant.
Side effects well tolerated. Dry mouth, wild dreams, night sweats and yawning.
Cost/benefit ratio definitely positive.
I took this medication for one year to combat my depression. It did help with that, but the depression was actually stemming from the effects of undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. Now, two years later, I’ve developed a cataract in my right eye. Although it’s small and affects only one eye, it’s still troubling. The drug was merely masking the real problem. Therefore, I would not recommend this medication.
Two days ago, I began taking venlafaxine XR, and the experience has been profoundly distressing. Initially, things seemed manageable—I felt a touch of nausea on the first day. However, as the medication took effect, I became utterly disconnected from reality. My emotions vanished, leaving me numb. My brain felt peculiar and tingly, and concentration became impossible. Even basic tasks like schoolwork or engaging in hobbies lost their appeal; I felt like a mere shell of myself.
Sleep eluded me; when it did come, it was dreamless and fleeting—a mere 15 minutes at most. During the night, I spiraled into a manic episode, which was far from enjoyable. Today, school was a nightmare. I grappled with dilated pupils, severe pain on the right side of my skull and eye, and pressure in both eyes. My jaw clenched, my heart raced, and my chest ached. Oddly, I yawned frequently, yet fatigue didn’t accompany it. My focus waned, and I found myself indifferent to schoolwork.
While the medication quelled my irrational anxiety, it also silenced my rational anxiety—the very force that drives productivity. It obliterated all emotions and interests, leaving me euphoric, as if I inhabited another plane of existence where nothing mattered. I was acutely aware of myself but oblivious to my surroundings. The dizziness and lightheadedness were severe, and my vision blurred, punctuated by white and black spots.
For the last 15 years, I’ve been using Venlafaxine to manage my severe generalized anxiety. I’ve always maintained a low dosage, with the maximum being 75 mg. While it did make me feel extremely happy, it significantly increased my appetite. However, the main issue was my indifference towards gaining weight and pretty much everything else. I became so fearless that it began to endanger my life. I attempted to stop taking it (never abruptly) about five times over these 15 years, but to no avail. The anxiety always returned, and I suffered from insomnia for six months each time, which was intolerable. So, I managed to reduce the dosage to 37.5 mg, which I’ve been on for the past five years. My anxiety persists, but I’m somewhat functional. For the first time, I’ve managed to reduce the dosage to a third of 37.5 mg with minimal side effects, except for a deficiency of serotonin in my body. I have zero motivation, feel bitter, and nothing seems to bring me joy. In conclusion, while these pills do help, my advice would be to explore other options. If nothing else works, then you might consider it, but keep in mind that the discontinuation syndrome can be quite challenging and prolonged (depending on the duration of the treatment). Also, the safest way to discontinue Venlafaxine is to switch to a less addictive treatment.
I’ve struggled with major depression and anxiety for seven years. Recently, my doctor switched me from Citalopram to Venlafaxine slow release in the past three months. The change has been remarkable for my mood and energy levels. Although I missed about three doses in one week, I experienced withdrawal symptoms during that time. However, I’m now back on track with regular medication, and I’m thoroughly impressed by how it has positively impacted my overall life.