Posted by catherine1812 on December 29, 2001, at 11:04:06
I have been taking venlafaxine for 6 months at 150mg doses daily, and at 75mg for the year before that. I have had no problems with this drug until about a month ago.I suddenly began to experience severe headaches and neckache.These pains are so severe they make me feel sick and I am unable to function(infact I thought I had a brain tumour at first)My G.P prescibed me co-proxamol pain killers which frankly are not really helping.I tried to cut my dose of venlafaxine, aiming to wean myself off it.I took the normal 150mg dose 1 day then skipped the next day completely.I did this for 3 days.I wanted to get rid of my headaches.This had drastic effects for me.I became immediately severly depressed, weepy and suicidal.I was terrified.I had not realised that my mental state could deteriate so quickly without the venlafaxine.The headaches did however go away.I had to take the venlafaxine again though to get my mental state back to normal which it did after a further 2 days.I am now suffering with the headaches again.I am desperate to come off this drug due to the side effects, but am petrified of the effect it will have on my mental state.Has anyone else suffered anything similar to this? What can I do? Is the doctor able to prescribe something that will help me be able to wean off the venlafaxine safely? I cannot bare to go through that mental state again, yet I am going to have to stop the drug due to the side effects.My G.P surgery is closed at present as it is Christmas.I wondered if anyone had any advice or encouraging words.I can't bare to think that I am going to have to suffer either headaches constantly or be a complete mental wreck.
poster:catherine1812
thread:88146
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011222/msgs/88146.html