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[CLKD]

It really does depend on the personality of the user.  As well as having good support from a GP who have smaller amounts of drug to enable withdrawal. 

[Charleyfarley]

I started taking them both at the same time Penguin. I do feel that the venlafaxine is doing a lot of stabilising behind the scenes and the quitiapine is literally just there to enable a good 8hrs a night. It’s a mood stabilizer but the tiny dose I’m on will be mainly through 10pm until 7am. Venlafaxine, for me, has been a god send.

I totally agree that it would be a terrible withdrawal but I’ve never really understood that being anyone’s rational not to use it. I think that’s because I don’t ever plan on coming off it 😂🤷‍♀️ I definitely understand if people just want something short term but then I feel like if they feel that way and are lucky enough to know it’s a “passing thing” then they probably don’t need anything as “frontline” as that in the first place 🤷‍♀️

I used to be so worried about stigmas and being in this or that but now I genuinely feel that if it makes you better or even just gets you to a stable middle ground then unless it was a situational instead of chemical imbalance issue why would you ever plan on not needing them? And why?

[CLKD]

Oh the stigmas!  So why tell any1?  Why do U think that any1 else needs to know? Would you share your bank details ?

I used to overshare until I decided that other than my GP/Surgeon/DH no one was entitled. 

How do U know Charleyfarley that 'it would be a terrible withdrawal'  . 

[Charleyfarley]

I shouldn’t say I “know” it would be a terrible withdrawal rather I can “imagine”, purely based on my experience of withdrawing from Citalopram in order to be able to commence the Venlafaxine…

Citalopram withdrawal, under the care of my gp and a consultant was one of the hardest things mentally I’ve ever done

So when looking at withdrawal of a stronger drug I can only imagine….

But I guess my point was, for me personally, I don’t really need to imagine as I don’t plan on coming off it…I mean, I guess I could, just to see if the anxiety that has plagued me most of my adult life may have disappeared but I don’t want to put myself or my loved ones through it when I don’t feel in any way that I need to

[Penguin]

I shouldn’t say I “know” it would be a terrible withdrawal rather I can “imagine”, purely based on my experience of withdrawing from Citalopram in order to be able to commence the Venlafaxine…

Citalopram withdrawal, under the care of my gp and a consultant was one of the hardest things mentally I’ve ever done

So when looking at withdrawal of a stronger drug I can only imagine….

But I guess my point was, for me personally, I don’t really need to imagine as I don’t plan on coming off it…I mean, I guess I could, just to see if the anxiety that has plagued me most of my adult life may have disappeared but I don’t want to put myself or my loved ones through it when I don’t feel in any way that I need to

How long did it take you to withdraw from citalopram and what dose were you on please? I am on 10mg and don't know whether to increase or switch to a different one. My GP says that 10mg is a little old lady's dose 🤣

[Dawn3129]

Just off the phone and because of a wait list for ekgs he's putting me on fluoxitine. I just need good news about it and feel better. I just don't feel supported by my Dr now and there's no specialist menopause nurses x

[CLKD]

For me withdrawal initially was hard because of bounce back anxiety.  After 1.5 days when I realised that the feelings didn't continue I felt better.  For a week. my head kept asking 'what if I can't cope with these feelings and have to go back on it' [can't remember which drug].  I took myself out of social situations so that I could cuddle up when required with 2 cats and a dog who loved being under the blanket [that's another story  ]

After 7 weeks I felt better, it took 9 weeks.  Can't even remember how long ago or why I was withdrawing.  The symptoms were physical and quite awful to begin with .........

[Penguin]

For me withdrawal initially was hard because of bounce back anxiety.  After 1.5 days when I realised that the feelings didn't continue I felt better.  For a week. my head kept asking 'what if I can't cope with these feelings and have to go back on it' [can't remember which drug].  I took myself out of social situations so that I could cuddle up when required with 2 cats and a dog who loved being under the blanket [that's another story  ]

After 7 weeks I felt better, it took 9 weeks.  Can't even remember how long ago or why I was withdrawing.  The symptoms were physical and quite awful to begin with .........

What drug was that CLKD? Are you talking about escitalopram?

[GypsyRoseLee]

I take Venlafaxine for anxiety and it’s up there with the heavy hitters 👏 very effective…

I took Citalopram for milder anxiety for quite a long time but after a birth trauma and the introduction of peri I was in need of a more front line soldier 🤯 was prescribed venlafaxine and it worked really well…health anxiety is through the roof but day to day for GAD it’s a good one….

Interestingly I was prescribed quitiapine at the same time, it was a replacement for Diazepam when I was really struggling with panic attacks…I was horrified when I got home and researched that it was an anti psychotic 🫣 but I was told that the dose they’d given me (25mg) was purely for anxiety management and boy was I grateful for it when peri hit 😂 of all of the symptoms I’ve suffered the worst would have been sleep issues…and let me tell you, one of those at 10pm every night and ain’t nobody waking me up until 7am prompt the next day 💤🤩😂…sleep is so important for my mental health so I’m taking one for the team and letting the fact that it’s a sedative slide….8hrs a nite uninterrupted has saved me in many ways 🙏xxx

I'm another one taking Quetiapine. In 2016 I was in such a terrible state with peri anxiety and depression that I was under the Crisis Team. They prescribed Quetiapine to stop me waking at 4.00am every day in an awful panic attack. It was extremely effective. I also take 100mg of Sertraline still which is milder than Venlaflaxine but has worked brilliantly for me.

I haven't been able to take HRT since 2020 because of an early breast cancer diagnosis (all fine now) and I believe that the Sertraline + Quetiapine has been as effective as the HRT was.

[CLKD]

Long B4 I was prescribed escitalopram Penguin, I can't remember the name.  For depression.  Anxiety medication is different 4 me. 

Hi GRL - tnx for the update!  I remember your struggles!

[GypsyRoseLee]

Long B4 I was prescribed escitalopram Penguin, I can't remember the name.  For depression.  Anxiety medication is different 4 me. 

Hi GRL - tnx for the update!  I remember your struggles!

Hi CLKD. Nice to pop back here occasionally. Despite not being able to take HRT anymore my symptoms are well controlled with medication 80% of the time and I feel great. But I still get occasional bouts of very flat mood which is hard to get through as they generally last about 2 weeks. I know that my ADs can't suddenly stop and start working like that, so assume it's my hormones still sometimes playing up?

I'm bloody 54 this year and STILL having periods!

[Moog77]

Venlafaxine is incredibly challenging to come off. I would urge anyone considering it to take this into account.

Is it worse than other ssri meds do you think, or are they all hard to come off?

Im on a low dose and if I accidentally miss a dose then I end up getting withdrawal symptoms within hours. Prozac is relatively easy to come off and I cant speak for anything else but Venlafaxine is pretty bad.

[dangermouse]

Something to note with Venlafaxine, as an SNRI, is that it can cause sudden fractures and those with osteoporosis are not able to take it at all.

My mum got one in her spine just from leaning forward to get something and, as in 80s, only had normal osteoporosis levels for her age. She was only on it for about 6 months when that happened and all tests/scans showed that was the cause.

It’s apparently to do with serotonin and norepinephrine re-uptake interfering with bone regrowth.

[CLKD]

dangermouse - is there any Peer Reviewed Research to back this?

[dangermouse]

Probably, but there’s also a massive warning on the box in capital letters!

Probably more of a risk at my mum’s age than younger. Just worth mentioning as it was such a shock that a medication can do that. She’s still in a lot of pain 7 months on, poor thing.