[butterflylion]

Im posting because im not exactly sure what else to do... Im currently undergoing a medication change from venlafaxine to fuloxetine. As i was on a high dose of venlafaxine 225mg i have to withdraw from it before starting my new med. Unfortunatly im finding the withdrawal alot harder than the last med change i had!

The past few months or so i have been struggling with my anxiety rather than low mood but since the withdrawal started my mood has decreased significantly and im struggling to stop myself from crying all the time.....im finding it incredably hard to stop myself getting angry (which usually ends with me hurting myself)... I have little motivation but then get mad with myself because things aren't getting done...

I just dont know what to do. I have been given diazepam to help with my anxiety but only been given 14 to last me the month untill is see the psychiatrist again. I know diazepam is highly addictive which is why i have only been given a small amount, so i am exceedingly reluctant to take it unless i really really need to.... I saw my gp a few days ago for a review but there isnt much else she can do for me untill i have next seen the psychiatrist.

to top it all off all my stressing (due to moving house) has caused me to have psoriasis which is litterally EVERYWHERE! head to toe covered in little outbreaks. I have been given ointment for it but because it is very oily i feel like im dirty (dunno if that makes sense) dont get me wrong the stuff works really well and i have noticed the improvement but uggghhh its aweful stuff!

I feel awful for my partner, she knew it would be a tough few weeks but i think she is finding it harder than expected.... I just dont know what to do... short of shutting myself off from the entire world untill the new med has taken effect i dont know what else to do!

The last med change went terribly wrong...I had a bad reaction to it, it caused me to have exceedingly angry outbursts and very vivid nightmares that terrified me. so the fact that i am trying a new med scares me beyond belief.

I finish my therapy sessions on tuesday which is really bad timing. Ive just moved back to the town i grew up in, where all our friends are ect and now with the med change too it kind of feels like im being left hanging.... oh i dont know!
never mind .

[Tincan]

this is a really unsettled time for u and we have nearly all been in this situation at some point . it never easy for u and as u say those who love u . i think we can all empathize with wat u are going thru . all i can say is u have to ride this spell out things will settle down and ul come thru the other side . its about understanding this time never stands still . u are taking a step bac to move urself forwards . the ones who are there for us are our forgotten heroes ! moving house on top is really unfortunate i no 2 how stressful that can be . i just want to wish u 2 well and hope things come gd for u soon. dont loose focus of the gd things in ur lives and u will be the bac to the person u were soon !

[mld]

Hi, I just wanted to say that Firemonkey warned me about the effects of coming off venlafaxine before I went on it. It's got a real bad reputation for coming off it. I'm surprised though that they aren't giving you something to replace it as you start coming off the V.

Take care of yourself.

M.

[butterflylion]

Hey mld, I was aware of the withdrawal (physical symptoms at least) but as I was on 225mg they have to reduce it slowly before they can give me anything else cos of the risk of serotonin syndrome I have reduced to 150mg this week but the effects it's having on my mood I'm really not looking forward to next week when i go to 75mg... I have been given diazepam to help with the anxiety but there isn't much they can give me for the mood....

I'm due to start fuloxetine when fully reduced the venlafaxine.

[scottg]

Hi Butterflylion - cant really help with the med changeover stuff as never been on venaflaxine. Just wanted to say hi and say that Ive read a couple of your posts including a very moving poem about your battle with self harm. I really feel for you and send you and your partner my love and best wishes. Im sure you have what it takes to get through whatever is thrown at you BL... It sounds to me like you are not getting enough support with this med change - if they are expecting you to handle the change on diazepam alone then one every 2 days is taking the mick a bit! Have you got a cpn you can talk to? If you are having 'intrusive' thoughts these need to be recognised by your doctor too which I hope is the case, as they often dismiss them as unimportant, but if they had them for 5 minutes they would be wrecked and screaming for help! All the best and good luck - Scott

[manic666]

valium is crap for a detox off effexor , i should know 100 mg a day i was on at one time , you need the big guns like xanax ot ativan , to use for relief now an then. Yes there addictive but only if your on them a long time. Ihave been on ativan 30 years, 4mg a day now but have been on 12 mg when little was known about addiction. I will never drop below 4mg for my lifetime now. Effexor is the mother of detox,es i have done it, why are you comming off has it pooped out. To go on prozac from effexor seem,s weird to me if you were on 375mg effexor , prozac you wil need 80 mg an that is some serious dose

[butterflylion]

They putting on fuloxetine cos venlafaxine hasn't had the desired effect it hasn't really roped sustain my mood. But as I have tried sertraline, citalopram, and mirtazapine and non have worked or I had bad reaction to them. Im going from 225mg of V but starting dose for fuloxitine is 20mg...

I don't have a cpn and my gp is in Manchester currently (60miles away) cos I have just moved and due to just having been referred to the psychiatrist gp thought it was a good idea to stick with her untill we were all sorted and I agree cos it would be too much change all at once for me and I have a good relationship with my gp so I dnt min the travel. Should there b an emergency I know that I can use dr's here till I transfer.

Im really struggling I just want it to be over.... I pray the new meds work x

[scottg]

Please stay strong BL, and admitting youre not coping takes the most strength... If things get out of hand pls go to A&E or get ambulance rather than hurt yourself... I'l butt out now. Please keep safe, if not for you then for those that would be lost without you! Scott

[butterflylion]

Thanks Scott x I'll keep safe... Just all happening at once....

[scottg]

Cheers BL X

[manic666]

You have to compleatly wash out you effexor ie venlafaxine before you start prozac or you will be in big trouble. You have to be completly free of the med for a few week, in that time you can take 5htp when takeing nothing else for slight releaf. Dont just stop effexor 1 day an start prozac the next, they are 2 different class,s of meds effexor is snri, the prozac ssri.

[butterflylion]

Psychiatrist said I was to reduce down to 75mg for a week then start the fuloxetine....

The reduction is aweful! Not physically but mentally.....not doing good at all

Htp manic?? What's that?

[manic666]

butterflylion, on 27 February 2012 - 07:44 PM, said:

Psychiatrist said I was to reduce down to 75mg for a week then start the fuloxetine....

The reduction is aweful! Not physically but mentally.....not doing good at all

Htp manic?? What's that?

5 HTP is a health shop med , people use it has a AD but its not that strong, but when you have washed out an have no meds inside you you can take it till your next meds is prescibed then stop, im not a shrink but i never new you are cool to go to 75mg effexor then straight on prozac , you still have effexor in your system an its a different class of med. you can straight tapper the same class like 1 ssri to another, but you are going snri to ssri., I feel for you on effexor d .tox its really bad i no.I used night nurse on odd nights if you carnt sleep it knocks you out.

[butterflylion]

Christ this change over is dragging me to hell!

I went to see my gp yesterday but as expected there isnt really much she could do for me. The reduction of the venlafaxine is nesissary, and because im changing meds the reduction is apparently happening a little quicker than it would be done if i was coming off the meds all together. The best she could offer me was to try and treat the symptoms of the withdrawal. As im having extreme difficulty sleeping thats what she wanted to try and treat first.

Physically the withdrawal isnt too bad, little bit of sickness/dizzyness/headaches but i can cope with that. Its my deterioration of my mood and increased anxiety that i find harder than anything....

I know that cos im not sleeping it doesnt help my mood very much...

The past two weeks have been awful. mood swings, agitation, anxious, very tearful, short tempered. If i was on my own then it might be easier to withdraw and hibernate for the time that this is happening, but i cant. Im terrified about the effect this is having on my partner. She seems to be doing ok with it as we both knew that there might be some deterioration but the actual extent has shocked/worried us both. I dont want to push her away, and i feel like i am sometimes. we do talk alot. but right now its just not helping to take away that fear...

I might be worrying unnesissarily. It might just be my state of mind that makes me think there is a problem, I dont know.

i just want all this to be over and done with.

never mind.

[manic666]

im afraid you have a long way to go yet, .http://www.ehow.com/how_5024579_detox-effexor.html READ THIS IT SEEMS THEY DO USE PROZAC IN SOME CASES, this is how things have changed in just 5 years when i was on EFFEXOR they would never dream just 5 years ago of mixing these 2 meds.