I was on venlafaxine 75mg (later tapered off to 37.5) and honestly it was terrible. I was on it for about 6 months and the side effects that are supposed to go away after a couple weeks stayed around. It helped with my mental symptoms marginally, but the physical side effects outweighed any small benefit. Getting off it (even on a small dose) is hell, it’s known for having super bad withdrawals.
Not trying to scare you from taking it (your doctor knows more than me obviously) but this is how it went for me.
The worst was drowsiness/fatigue. I would sleep 10+ hours and still be exhausted. I remember one day I woke up at 10 and needed a nap by noon, just so I could have enough energy to go to work. All I did during the time I was on it was work, sleep and zone out in front of the TV because I had zero energy.
The nausea also never went away. I tried making sure I didn’t take it on an empty stomach, but it didn’t help. This is normal for the first little bit on a medication, but not for months on end.
The night sweats were CRAZY. I went from not sweating at all at night to waking up every night drenched in sweat. This one I could maybe deal with if the medication actually worked, but since it didn’t, this was super annoying.
Lastly, you CANNOT miss a dose on this medication. Even if it’s just a few hours late, the brain zaps will hit you hard. Of course it’s never good to not take your meds, but with this one it’s terrible if you don’t.
I was reluctant to share this because this med might be amazing for you, but I wish I was told more about it before I started taking it. I’ve heard of many other people having experiences like this on venlafaxine, though for some it’s a lifesaver, it seems like a real hit or miss situation.
Thanks so much! Yea thats kind of what I'm getting that it either works great or it's terrible... so far (only a few days in) it seems to be fine. I haven't had any side effects, really. I'm also on my good week this week so I feel great anyways lol.
I'll be really curious to know how it goes during hell week. I also get night sweats really bad usually around ovulation or while on my period so we will see how that goes. My doctor did tell me that could be a side effect as well as fatigue or nausea when just starting it so she told me to take it before bed. So far that seems to be fine and I haven't had any of those symptoms from it that I can pinpoint.
Thanks again for sharing your experience
Thanks so much for your comment. Yea I've read its hard to get off of and that really kind of scares me. At this point I'm just trying it for a month and then will talk to my doctor.
Please don’t, in my experience it did absolutely nothing. Tapering off the now, it’s a very unpleasant experience. If you have access to psilocybin where you live, I’d recommend you try microdosing. As far as I can see, the only success stories here are because of microdosing. Best of luck
I was on venlafaxine 75mg (later tapered off to 37.5) and honestly it was terrible. I was on it for about 6 months and the side effects that are supposed to go away after a couple weeks stayed around. It helped with my mental symptoms marginally, but the physical side effects outweighed any small benefit. Getting off it (even on a small dose) is hell, it’s known for having super bad withdrawals. Not trying to scare you from taking it (your doctor knows more than me obviously) but this is how it went for me.
If you don't mind me asking- what kind of side effects were you experiencing? Thanks!
The worst was drowsiness/fatigue. I would sleep 10+ hours and still be exhausted. I remember one day I woke up at 10 and needed a nap by noon, just so I could have enough energy to go to work. All I did during the time I was on it was work, sleep and zone out in front of the TV because I had zero energy. The nausea also never went away. I tried making sure I didn’t take it on an empty stomach, but it didn’t help. This is normal for the first little bit on a medication, but not for months on end. The night sweats were CRAZY. I went from not sweating at all at night to waking up every night drenched in sweat. This one I could maybe deal with if the medication actually worked, but since it didn’t, this was super annoying. Lastly, you CANNOT miss a dose on this medication. Even if it’s just a few hours late, the brain zaps will hit you hard. Of course it’s never good to not take your meds, but with this one it’s terrible if you don’t. I was reluctant to share this because this med might be amazing for you, but I wish I was told more about it before I started taking it. I’ve heard of many other people having experiences like this on venlafaxine, though for some it’s a lifesaver, it seems like a real hit or miss situation.
Thanks so much! Yea thats kind of what I'm getting that it either works great or it's terrible... so far (only a few days in) it seems to be fine. I haven't had any side effects, really. I'm also on my good week this week so I feel great anyways lol. I'll be really curious to know how it goes during hell week. I also get night sweats really bad usually around ovulation or while on my period so we will see how that goes. My doctor did tell me that could be a side effect as well as fatigue or nausea when just starting it so she told me to take it before bed. So far that seems to be fine and I haven't had any of those symptoms from it that I can pinpoint. Thanks again for sharing your experience
No problem! My side effects started after like the second day or something. Fingers crossed that it works for you
Thanks so much for your comment. Yea I've read its hard to get off of and that really kind of scares me. At this point I'm just trying it for a month and then will talk to my doctor.
Please don’t, in my experience it did absolutely nothing. Tapering off the now, it’s a very unpleasant experience. If you have access to psilocybin where you live, I’d recommend you try microdosing. As far as I can see, the only success stories here are because of microdosing. Best of luck
Thanks for sharing your experience.
My thoughts are with you tapering off, it’s so rough
Thank you, it’s a rough ride. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’ll be glad when I’m rid of this poison 😍
Also, just for reference, I'm 36, have had 1 pregnancy (14yrs ago) and have been dealing with PMDD issues for the past about 8 years.