Thor83: On Venlafaxine for 21+ years, reaction after large reinstatement.

[Thor83]

Hello, everybody.

I'm Norwegian(sorry for my poor English), turning 41 this year. Been on Venlafaxine xr since I was 19, prescribed for panic/health anxiety and depression. Prior to last year I've tried to stop taking it a couple of times, only to get strong anxiety after about a month and reinstating.

 

Fall of 2022 I reduced the dose from 150mg to 75, in a attempt of tapering in what I thought was a slow tempo. In August 2023 I started having increasing depressive thoughts. Still proceeded going down to 37,5 mg 1 September and stopping 1 October. Full blown depression from November. Anxiety and big problems with sitting still , especially around other people,  from the start of December. Reinstated Venlafaxine 75 mg in the middle of December. Immediately started sweating profusely on feet and hands after the reinstatement, still persistant today, even if I've been on other ad and of medication later( see drugsignature).

 

I know hyperhidrosis can be a small thing compared to the horrifying symptoms other members here are dealing with or have dealt with, but for me the sweating is destroying my life. I hate touching things with my sweaty hands(OCDlike) and constantly having wet feet. This has led me to isolate from socializing with friends,except going for walks/ having them visiting me, not beeing able to visiting my family,  who lives a great distance away from me, functioning in my apartment, in daily life and doing thinks I like, like reading books. I'm very tense most of the time, severally depressed and unable to enjoy anything like just watching tv. I just wait for the day to be over with so i can sleep(also have trouble sleeping). I was away on sick leave from work from Dec 2023 to Apr 2024, have worked 40% after that, just beeing there for several months, thankfully I have an amazing boss and colleagues(I work in the mental health field😄). I'm now seeing more clients and plan to work three days a week later this week, I must return to full time/close to full time before the middle of January or my economy is ruined, this is also a stressor, but I know nothing gets better by just sitting at home by myself.

 

In August I've meet with a psychiatrist who proposed beeing on 37,5 mg of venlafaxine for three months and then changing to brintellix or stopping taking antidepressants. This leads me to start googling and finding SA. I'm glad I found you, but reading stories and finding out the slow necessary taperingspeed have been upsetting. It's hard realizing having to go through a minimum time process of close to 4 years to get of this poison(continue to deal with sweating, which may not go away then either), and maybe then the real fight starts. I can't remember having any other WDsymptoms than the anxiety after beeing of med( maxtime 2,5 months off), I've also never been sensitive to skipping a dose one day or taking it at different times a day. I ask for advise about starting the taper now, considering my current situation and the rapid changes in meds the last year. 

 

Since the start of August I've started having stigning pain in my left thigh while doing certain things like coughing. It's also sore when my pants rub against it or if I touch it. The skin is completely normal and my dr can't find a medical explanation for this. Can it be nervoussystem related?

[LotusRising]

 

Hi @Thor83,

 

Welcome to SA,

 

On 9/3/2024 at 10:56 AM, Thor83 said:

Reinstated Venlafaxine 75 mg in the middle of December. Immediately started sweating profusely on feet and hands after the reinstatement, still persistant today, even if I've been on other ad and of medication later( see drugsignature).

 

It's possible that you reinstated at too high of a dose. Did any of your other symptoms resolve when you reinstated? Has the hyperhidrosis improved at all?

 

Have you been holding this dose of 75mg since December 2023?

[Thor83]

Thank you for replying. The anxiety cleared after a while. I'm now primary depressed due to the sweating. The hyperhidrosis has not improved at all. Not been on 75 mg since December, but since  20 of June. Was off meds again for about a month in May/June after Zoloftswich, no improvement in sweating. Anxiety again after one month off meds, and another reinstatement from 0 to 75 mg..