If you really donāt want to deal with them, I would just split the capsules that you have and when you run out, call for a refillā¦
Tapering is always a good idea with Venlafaxine, regardless if its up or downā¦
Hey all - update on the Ven, I increased to 75mg yesterday and I have had the worst migraine ever today, the pain will just not go regardless of all my rescue meds. Surely this isnāt the right med if it makes me SO poorly when I increase? I know people say you can get worse before seeing results but THIS much worse? My brain literally feels like a head trauma has occurred
Any suggestions?
this is normal for venlafaxine ā I would suggest sticking it out if you can. your body normally equilibrates with the medication dosage after about a week or so
1 Like
also what supplements are you on?
This bad though? Jeez Iām flushing, my body is in Full relapse mode it feels bad. I know Iāve posted about increasing before but Iām worried Iām making myself worse. Neck pain is off the scale and Iām sweating like crazy too.
i would call your doctor for advice ā they can let you know if your symptoms are dangerous and if you should stop the medication or return to lower dose
do not stop the medication without consulting your doctor!
Yes I left a message for her to give me a call tomorrow. Hopefully she will do, yes I know you have to titrate down anyway so I wouldnāt just stop. Thank you for your reply 
1 Like
Sweating is a well known side effect of SSRIās and SNRIās. Iāve noticed it more as the weather heats up. I had it on other Anti depressants like Sertraline and Amytriptyline. Its unpleasant and embarrasing but the Ven has helped so much with MAV that Iām just putting up with it.
Due to my Fibro, hypermobility and thyroid issues I have some degree of autonomic dysfunction and I liken my bodyās ability to regulate its temperature to a clapped out old boiler which should have been condemned.
Hey good morning
Thank you for your reply yes and this morning Iāve been itching like crazy. My dr told me to drop back down and that itās clearly not the right time to increase when Iām feeling so bad anywayā¦ when will I start feeling better? I have had the odd day but nothing significant really. Iām getting fed up of waiting x
Iām sorry you are having such a rough time, Iām on 112.5mg of Ven as I still had quite a lot of residual symptoms at 75mg. Ive been on it since January but I titrated up very slowly. Like a tortoise. What I noticed is that my symptoms, which had been present pretty much from when I woke up, started getting pushed back further into the day. But I would say that took around 4 months at least before I saw sustained improvement.
So I might start to notice them late morning/lunchtime. Then it was early afternoon, then mid afternoon. I would say each week it got a bit later. Now I tend to notice it a bit in the evening, but not always. Or at bedtime. But I put this down to fatigue. I wouldnt say Iām 100% but as I have other chronic conditions its tricky to seperate them sometimes. But Iām so much better than this time last year. I can go out, live my life, work and enjoy my hobbies again.
On a side note taking an antihistamine could help with the itching.
1 Like
Thank you. Itās so difficult to ascertain whether theyāre helping or not and clearly yesterday I shouldnāt have increased as I donāt think Iām used to the previous dose yet and itās been a month. Iām resting up and trying to shut it down, I donāt want to give up on this medication because itās supposed to be so good for MAV. Itās good to read other peopleās stories about their own experiences with the ven. I canāt believe Im tolerating at all with how reactive my brain is tbh. It seems to take such a long time before people see an upward trend months at a time x
Its been the only drug I could tolerate, I tried 5 other MAV drugs before this and frankly felt that if Ven didnt help then I was truly stuck. I started on it with much trepidation and dread as Iām very med sensitive usually.
As I said I started on 12.5mg and increased very slowly. Are you on modified release as that seems more easily tolerated than the other type? Its so hard to get on top of this and sadly you have to kiss a lot of frogs before finding your prince/princess. I cant offer much apart from sympathy and support. I really hope it starts helping.
I wish Iād tried Ven much sooner than I did. I feel 2022 and early 2023 was a write off, almost a year wasted. But unfortunately there are a lot of scare stories on the net that are very offputting.
do you take any of the migraine supplements?
Thank you so much for your reply. I am glad you have found some relief with the ven, it is such a tough road and for years I have been mostly struggling with this until I found Ami and had a good year or so then it started creeping back in and thatās when the Venlafaxine was started. I had felt a couple of good day where I drove on the motorway etc and went to the supermarket. But the last month has been very hit and miss and now increasing has tipped me over the edge. I am taking the extended release yes, luckily I had a friends input as my dr just said start the full 37.5mg!! Yikes! 
I did used to take them but magnesium gives me heartburn and the B12 didnāt agree with me either really. Do you take them?
yes I take them ā I think theyāre an important component of a comprehensive integrated treatment plan. the big ones for me are riboflavin, magnesium, high-dose CoQ10, and L-Carnitine
Iāll probably trial one again when things have calmed down but Iām absolutely flaring like crazy right now and it just seems like nothing is helping at this point. Iām worried Iāll never feel relief again 
But you know you will. This thing is very cyclical and you will have better days. Keep the faith.
1 Like