I've been on venlafaxine since september 2002, after fluroxetine had little to no effect for me. I started on 150mg (mediated release) and am now on 75mg (mediated release), and for a while I've felt ready to come off it, but there's a problem - whenever I miss a dose, I have withdrawl symptoms a few hours after it should have been taken. These are fluctuating mood, extreme irritability, and most notably, a weird sensation in my head that feels like my brain is blinking. I told my doctor, and tried to explain what this was like, but I dont think she thought it was real - or, rather, she'd never heard of it. The best I can compare it to is if anyone has ever been in a TMR machine. Im a psychologist, and during my undergraduate days I did some studies that involved being in a TMR (TransMagnetic Radiance) machine - which basically screws your neurons for a few seconds with a magnetic pulse, rendering you incapable for a millisecond or so. It feels like an electric shock without any pain, which is exactly what this side-effect feel like, although there is a feeling of discomfort, though I wouldn't call it pain... more shock. It really is a horrible sensation, and because of this, I've been keeping up the medication. I'm not happy with this, however, as I feel that the sensation is getting worse every time it happens and is taking less time to occur after missing a dose. I don't really know what to do - 75mg is the lowest dose is the MD form; you can get ordinary 37.5 mg tablets, which Ive tried 1 in the morning and 1 at night, but this gives me these weird brain blinks. Does anyone have any advice, or have ever been in a similar position. I'm quite annoyed with this - I specifically grilled the doctor who prescribed me them on withdrawl effects, and he said there were none. I can't imagine I'm the only one to ever feel this, however!
Venlafaxine is difficult to come off because it has a short half life, this is the amount of time it takes for the concentration of the drug in the body to reduce to half, the half life for v.faxine is about 5 hours compared to a couple of days for other SSRI's. The shorter the half life the more difficult the withdrawl symptoms will be. As for the sensation you are getting in your head this is something that many people experience when coming off SSRI's or SNRI's. I experienced it when I came off Citalopram, it was like a zap in the head. Some people call them head zaps or brain shivers. Your doctor really should know about this withdrawal symptom. Mine stopped after about two weeks but I would get them avery time i moved my head or eyes quickly. Check out this discussion group... there are hundreds of threads about coming off v.faxine and how to cope with the withdrawal. http://www.healthboards.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=44 All the best from Sunny Wales!
I've been on venlafaxine since september 2002, after fluroxetine had> little to no effect for me. I started on 150mg (mediated release) and> am now on 75mg (mediated release), and for a while I've felt ready to> come off it, but there's a problem - whenever I miss a dose, I have> withdrawl symptoms a few hours after it should have been taken. These> are fluctuating mood, extreme irritability, and most notably, a weird> sensation in my head that feels like my brain is blinking. I told my> doctor, and tried to explain what this was like, but I dont think she> thought it was real - or, rather, she'd never heard of it. The best I> can compare it to is if anyone has ever been in a TMR machine. Im a> psychologist, and during my undergraduate days I did some studies that> involved being in a TMR (TransMagnetic Radiance) machine - which> basically screws your neurons for a few seconds with a magnetic pulse,> rendering you incapable for a millisecond or so. It feels like an> electric shock without any pain, which is exactly what this> side-effect feel like, although there is a feeling of discomfort,> though I wouldn't call it pain... more shock. It really is a horrible> sensation, and because of this, I've been keeping up the medication.> I'm not happy with this, however, as I feel that the sensation is> getting worse every time it happens and is taking less time to occur> after missing a dose. I don't really know what to do - 75mg is the> lowest dose is the MD form; you can get ordinary 37.5 mg tablets,> which Ive tried 1 in the morning and 1 at night, but this gives me> these weird brain blinks. Does anyone have any advice, or have ever> been in a similar position. I'm quite annoyed with this - I> specifically grilled the doctor who prescribed me them on withdrawl> effects, and he said there were none. I can't imagine I'm the only one> to ever feel this, however!>
Vikki
Funny, I'm on Venlafaxine too, and have been for about 3 months. I think it works quite well, although mine isn't the extended release stuff. I've read LOADS about venlafaxine withdrawl, and have been quietly worrying about it for some time.. http://www.crazymeds.org has some umm.. quite shocking words on the stuff.
I'm in the UK too, and was quite surprised when my doc didn't mention anything about withdrawl. I wanted the stuff though - I'd have bought it myself if it wasn't so expensive.
welshboy wrote:> Venlafaxine is difficult to come off because it has a short half> life, this is the amount of time it takes for the concentration of> the drug in the body to reduce to half, the half life for v.faxine is> about 5 hours compared to a couple of days for other SSRI's.
I beleive Venlafaxine is even worse since it turns into two active metabolites, one of which has half the half-life of the other. One of these metabolites does the serotonin stuff, while the other does the norepinephrine stuff. So.. it's a bloody nightmare trying to taper effectively without going wrong with one of the systems, if you see what I mean.
I've been on venlafaxine since september 2002, after fluroxetine had> little to no effect for me. I started on 150mg (mediated release) and> am now on 75mg (mediated release), and for a while I've felt ready to> come off it, but there's a problem - whenever I miss a dose, I have> withdrawl symptoms a few hours after it should have been taken. These> are fluctuating mood, extreme irritability, and most notably, a weird> sensation in my head that feels like my brain is blinking. I told my> doctor, and tried to explain what this was like, but I dont think she> thought it was real - or, rather, she'd never heard of it. The best I> can compare it to is if anyone has ever been in a TMR machine. Im a> psychologist, and during my undergraduate days I did some studies that> involved being in a TMR (TransMagnetic Radiance) machine - which> basically screws your neurons for a few seconds with a magnetic pulse,> rendering you incapable for a millisecond or so. It feels like an> electric shock without any pain, which is exactly what this> side-effect feel like, although there is a feeling of discomfort,> though I wouldn't call it pain... more shock. It really is a horrible> sensation, and because of this, I've been keeping up the medication.> I'm not happy with this, however, as I feel that the sensation is> getting worse every time it happens and is taking less time to occur> after missing a dose. I don't really know what to do - 75mg is the> lowest dose is the MD form; you can get ordinary 37.5 mg tablets,> which Ive tried 1 in the morning and 1 at night, but this gives me> these weird brain blinks. Does anyone have any advice, or have ever> been in a similar position. I'm quite annoyed with this - I> specifically grilled the doctor who prescribed me them on withdrawl> effects, and he said there were none. I can't imagine I'm the only one> to ever feel this, however!>
Vikki
P.S, you are gonna get SO much junk mail Vikki. You really shouldn't have put your real email address in there
Nathan Stehle 24 November 2004 04:00:46 [ permanent link ]
in article e30aa7e5.0411230741.44fbbddc@posting.google.com, V Green at vgreen@swmina.freeserve.co.uk wrote on 11/23/04 9:41 AM:
Looking for some advice...>
I've been on venlafaxine since september 2002, after fluroxetine had> little to no effect for me. I started on 150mg (mediated release) and> am now on 75mg (mediated release), and for a while I've felt ready to> come off it, but there's a problem - whenever I miss a dose, I have> withdrawl symptoms a few hours after it should have been taken. These> are fluctuating mood, extreme irritability, and most notably, a weird> sensation in my head that feels like my brain is blinking. I told my> doctor, and tried to explain what this was like, but I dont think she> thought it was real - or, rather, she'd never heard of it. The best I> can compare it to is if anyone has ever been in a TMR machine. Im a> psychologist, and during my undergraduate days I did some studies that> involved being in a TMR (TransMagnetic Radiance) machine - which> basically screws your neurons for a few seconds with a magnetic pulse,> rendering you incapable for a millisecond or so. It feels like an> electric shock without any pain, which is exactly what this> side-effect feel like, although there is a feeling of discomfort,> though I wouldn't call it pain... more shock. It really is a horrible> sensation, and because of this, I've been keeping up the medication.> I'm not happy with this, however, as I feel that the sensation is> getting worse every time it happens and is taking less time to occur> after missing a dose. I don't really know what to do - 75mg is the> lowest dose is the MD form; you can get ordinary 37.5 mg tablets,> which Ive tried 1 in the morning and 1 at night, but this gives me> these weird brain blinks. Does anyone have any advice, or have ever> been in a similar position. I'm quite annoyed with this - I> specifically grilled the doctor who prescribed me them on withdrawl> effects, and he said there were none. I can't imagine I'm the only one> to ever feel this, however!>
Vikki
I'd find a new doctor if yours can't help.
Using a pill cutter to step the dose down more gradually might help. -- "Nothing contributes so much to tranquility of the mind as a steady purpose - a point to which the soul may fix its intellectual eye." Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
I too am on Venlafaxine XR. And the symptoms you describe have been mentioned many times over the years in this newsgroup, and are real. The best way that I have heard of to get off of the drug is to halve your dose, for a few days, then halve that, etc. Eventually, though, you will take the last dose, and then you will have approximately one to two weeks of the symptoms you described. No, my PDoc didn't warn me either of the day in the future that I can "look forward to".
-- DaveW
"V Green" <vgreen@swmina.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:e30aa7e5.0411230741.44fbbddc@posting.google.com...> Looking for some advice...>
I've been on venlafaxine since september 2002, after fluroxetine had> little to no effect for me. I started on 150mg (mediated release) and> am now on 75mg (mediated release), and for a while I've felt ready to> come off it, but there's a problem - whenever I miss a dose, I have> withdrawl symptoms a few hours after it should have been taken. These> are fluctuating mood, extreme irritability, and most notably, a weird> sensation in my head that feels like my brain is blinking. I told my> doctor, and tried to explain what this was like, but I dont think she> thought it was real - or, rather, she'd never heard of it. The best I> can compare it to is if anyone has ever been in a TMR machine. Im a> psychologist, and during my undergraduate days I did some studies that> involved being in a TMR (TransMagnetic Radiance) machine - which> basically screws your neurons for a few seconds with a magnetic pulse,> rendering you incapable for a millisecond or so. It feels like an> electric shock without any pain, which is exactly what this> side-effect feel like, although there is a feeling of discomfort,> though I wouldn't call it pain... more shock. It really is a horrible> sensation, and because of this, I've been keeping up the medication.> I'm not happy with this, however, as I feel that the sensation is> getting worse every time it happens and is taking less time to occur> after missing a dose. I don't really know what to do - 75mg is the> lowest dose is the MD form; you can get ordinary 37.5 mg tablets,> which Ive tried 1 in the morning and 1 at night, but this gives me> these weird brain blinks. Does anyone have any advice, or have ever> been in a similar position. I'm quite annoyed with this - I> specifically grilled the doctor who prescribed me them on withdrawl> effects, and he said there were none. I can't imagine I'm the only one> to ever feel this, however!>
My boyfriend is on venlafaxine too, yesterday he had all this sideeffects that u described....reading about faxine emerged that it's used to cope with depression and migraine....I mean i'm really worried about my boyfriend, but i don't really understand what is all this stuff about. Is Faxine used for depression or for migraines? or for both?
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