Anxiety Support Group

Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...

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New Dosage

ReaDyO
ReaDyO

Hello there fellow brothers and sisters in arms,



I wanted to ask if any of you have experienced something like what I am about to describe.


Let me start with a little back story. I have been going through some rough patches in my life and was begenning to feel very anxious and sometimes even depressed. I had been taking Venlafaxine (Effexor) ER at 150mg for about 2 years now. I hadn't gone up in the dose and never thought I needed to until I went through a few life changes that just messed with my psyche. Well I went to my psychiatrist who I sometimes find to be in her own little world with her own intense problems, too into them in fact that I feel like she does not listen. As soon as I told her I was feeling anxious and having panic attacks some nights and was a little depressed she said, "okay well up the dosage then" I Understand she is a doctor and as a doctor all she can do is perscribe but I just wish there was more to it. 



Anyways after a few weeks of taking the meds I have started to feel hot flashes and also quite fatigued. I am currently on 225mgs and was just wondering if anyone is at this dosage and what they found when going up to such a dosage. 


Thank you all and I hope I can get an answer or some guidance, shoot maybe a compliment or something as well :)

APieceOfMyHeart
APieceOfMyHeart
I was on it many, many years ago. It's one of the drugs I had the hardest time with when the dose was increased. Personally, I had to stop taking it. My personal tolerance for most medications is to give it the two weeks to get to therapeutic levels and then 2 more weeks to see if side effects were there to stay/ I could live with them. Of course that depended on the side effect. Everyone is different in their reactions to these medications which makes it difficult to really say if/ when/ how your body will tolerate it. If you are not okay with how it makes you feel, talk to your doctor. Also, consider telling her what you need/ expect from her, a good psychiatrist is present with her client and you pay her, not the other way around. Are you also doing psychotherapy? Personal opinion: Medication only helps so much and a connection is really important to anxiety and depression management. Hope this helps, wishing you the best!
casey1231
casey1231
Hi there, I would agree with the previous poster that therapy is an essential component. I am very med sensitive and always struggle with the smallest alterations in anything so I feel for you. If you've only been at that dose for a few weeks it shouldn't be too hard to go back to 150, talk to a therapist and hopefully you will level out soon. You're not alone, hang in there!
ReaDyO
ReaDyO
Hey posters, thank you very much for your suggestions. You are right. I am going to talk to this lady and let her know I am feeling a certain way. I am indeed trying to get myself to see a counselor for sure, i know medications only go so far to treat only the symptoms and not the root of the problem. I appreciate you guys reminding me of that. I feel better already. The hope I received from these suggestions cheered me up. Thank you!! Love you guys and I mean that :)