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[Tempest]

Oh bless you, ladylollipop! How amazing you have these tests available there - we don't routinely although i'm still waiting for my 24 hour urine result for carcinoids which is just about the only test we can do here for adnormal (high) serotonin levels due to tumour. I think mine will be very low instead, actually......

I'm starting at 37.5mg next Tuesday as have to be under close medical supervision and then up to 75mg after 2 weeks so we are still doing this together! My target dose is 150mg too.

I hope sweettooth will be along shortly to let you know how she's getting along with her dose increase - for encouragement. 

Hugs! xxxx

[ladylollipop]

Hello Tempest, lovely to hear from you. I am not quite sure if they normally do this test but as I told you before the husband of my best friend is a neurologist and told me to tell my Gp to do this test. I would like to start 150 mg tomorrow but have to go to a silver wedding too. Do you  or other ladies here know if I will feel a bit "ill"again when I up the dose?  Hug Lady lollipop xx

[Tempest]

Hi! Yes - I was told that each dose increase will need a period of adjustment so try to find a time to start your increase when there is a bit less stress if possible (I know that can be so tough, especially with your demanding job)!

Is there any chance you could try going up by a slightly smaller amount by adding another 37.5mg tablet for a couple of weeks and then going to 150mg? This might be a bit gentler on your system to adjust to. I'm not an expert but i'm tapering up by 37.5mg increments each time as per my neurologist's prescribing for this reason.

I hope sweettooth will be along too to give you some advice.

I hope you have a nice time at the silver wedding! I know things like this can be overwhelming when we're dealing with anxiety - be sure to use lots of deep breathing too if you feel the anxiety kicking in - you're going to be ok, promise! xxxx

[sweettooth]

Hi ladylol, glad to hear you got sorted re results and now able to increase the venlafaxine.  Tempest has given you good advice and support.  Going from 75 to 150 I don't remember having problems and haven't really noticed any on my latest increase but I wasn't feeling good anyway so it's difficult to know.  Would you say starting the 75 caused you to have bad side effects? if so then as Tempest says, you could increase by 37.5 at a time.

It is still too early for me to paint a true picture re my increase but so far so good.

Do let us know how you get on xx

[ladylollipop]

Dear Tempest and sweettooth, thanks for your answers. I took the first 150 mg this morning and hope it will go well. The only thing is that I am so worried at the moment and always think what to do if the higher dose isn't working. This menopause stuff is really driving me crazy. How do your husbands cope with that? Mine can't hear it anymore  hug lady lollipop x

[sweettooth]

Hi ladylol, you are no different to most people increasing their dose, I know I always fear that it doesn't work! I am now on my second week on 225mg and dreading I will be no better but from memory it has been at least three weeks before I felt it was really working and I think for others it can take longer, it's just because we are already anxious that we keep worrying so hang in there it will work!

Hugs xx

[ladylollipop]

Hello sweettooth, thanks for your kind words, it really helps. Today I have got the results of estrogen, progesteron and testosteron. It looks like that there is nearly no estrogen left also low testosterone. Well my friend who is a gynecologist told that I need estrogen progesterone and testosterone and we could try dhea. I don't know what to do because I didn't want to use hormones. Just wanted to take AD against the symptoms and let the hormones do their work. What would you do? Hug xx

[paisley]

Ladylollipop Just wanted to but in & hope the AD increase works for you. Hormones can make our lives really miserable.
Sweettooth I hope yours does to.
Tempest sorry the patch increase didn't help.
I'm not on AD only Oestrogen only as had a hyster. I increased mine 10 days ago & so far good & bad days.
I don't think there is a right or wrong method for menopause, you take what works best for you. AD, HRT or both together. Xx

[sweettooth]

Thanks paisley x

Ladylol as paisley says we take what is best for us and it is a waiting game I'm afraid! You may need both but if you don't want to take hormones then see what the venlafaxine does first then review things again.

Best wishes x

[ladylollipop]

Dear paisley, thank you so much for your kind words.

Dear sweettooth, yes, it is a waiting game. What you have said is exactly what my gynecologist friend told me. Try venlafaxine first and see how it goes. If not you can still add hormones. So I decided to do it that way. He also said I shouldn't try so much better stay with one for a while. Hug Lady Lollipop

[sweettooth]

Hoping you will feel better soon ladylol, let us know how you get on.  My increased dose is showing small signs of helping though way to go x