venlafaxine - PND & PSTD

[Anne]

Hi everyone

I have just had my medication changed after 6 months on Prozac which was making no difference to me.. I have been put on venlafaxine and wondered if any of you have any feedback on this drug.

I have been suffering from PND for 21 months and just on Monday I have been diagnosed as suffering from PSTD - which possibly has triggered PND.

I would be glad to hear from anyone.

Anne x

[deborah]

Dear Anne,

I've had venlafaxine and was on it for 18 months.
I too was started on prozac which made no difference to me at all. If you are stil reading this -what are your symptoms and what do you want to know?
I will be happy to tell you all about it!
Love deborah x

[rosie]

dear anne i have just gone on venlafaxine also - have been on it for 5 weeks 75mg once a day cant say i notice any difference but i think my dose is quite low - i am see a physciatrist on 10th march (privately funnily enough) as i have suffered pnd for 15months now and think he will probably put it up. I tried prozac which made me really ill and also cipramil and lofepramine. I think this is a newer drug and is supposed to work for anxiety also which are my main symptoms - it is supposed to help supress the adrenaline releasing nerves.
I also feel my illness may be post traumatic related as i had a very awful birth - 3 days in labour which finally resulted in emergency ceasarian under general - i really thought i was going to die and the pain was so extreme i just wanted to be knocked out - i had pre eclampsia and my platelets were dropping so your blood clotting function stops working - woke up with a centrafugal line coming out of my neck - all very horrid - i am sure this must have some impact on the illness.
rosie

[jax]

dear Anne and others

I had been on lofepramine and other drugs but kept having recurring symptoms. I went on venlafaxine in 1998 and it did seem to help a lot once it got in the system. I was put on 150 mg a day, but this brought me up too 'high' so was slowly lowered to 75mg which I took for several months and then weaned off them slowly with advice of my doctor.
For me they seemed to work better and have less obvious side effects like constipation and a horrible aftertaste in the mouth like metal which I had had with the other drugs.
Its worth persevering as it does seem to be very helpful to some
Take care
Jackie
TEXT

[Anne]

Hi Deborah, Rosie & Jax

Thank you all for responding to my posting. I am really a bit unsure of this anti-depressant as I don't know it. I have only been on it for 5 days and I have had 'funn' feelings - almost like when your blood sugar level drops - do you know what I mean? I feel sort of removed, slightly out of it, woozy clammy cold sweats and not able to concentrate. It feels as though I could just stare at a spot on the wall for hours - not exactly acceptable at work!

Has anyone else had these sort of symptoms? I know I haven't been on them long and of course I will persevere, i just wanted some reassurance I think.

Anyone else out there with any experience of PTSD?

Thank you all for taking the time to chat - this is a great find for me.

Love

Anne x

[Anne]

Sorry above should have read, 'funny' feelings..

[deborah]

Dear Anne,
its deborah again,
Yes to all your questions. I have had PTSD with the PNI/PP i suffered with the birth of my first baby. I am over the PNI following the birth of my son 3 years ago, but i am still having psychotherapy (i only received the appointment for the psycholtherapy a month ago-hard to believe isn't it?)

Don't be afraid of this drug as it is a really good one.
The side-effects i had were profuse sweating -at night i had to change my nightwear 2 or 3 times.
Feeling spaced as in being in ''neutral'' emotionally no great bouts of laughter but no despondant feelings either. It does lower your blood suger i unfortunaltley gained 4 1/2 stone (i've got 1 stone of it to lose) because i was eating chocolate and sweets, cakes and biscuits all day long.
I also went off alcohol as it left me with a metal taste in my mouth whenever i drank it!
However it got rid of the horrible thoughts i was having and the 'chanting' which went on in my mind all the time which were a part of the really horrible symptoms i had.

In was told i had PTSD because of what happened during the birth. I had an elective C/ section but all through my pregnancy i was very anxious about the health of my baby because of a problem i have with my spine and chronic pain which means i need to take a from of morphine. This meant the baby would suffer withdrawal afterwards. Instead of supporting me through this, on day 2, I was left alone in a side-room with my baby, she was screaming with hunger and withdrawal of the morthine and i couldn't get up to help her i was stuck in bed after my c/section. She started to 'fit' and i was calling the nurses to come and help me but no-one came. I think it was this that put me 'over the edge' as i already felt 'weird' straight after the birth.
As i am a qualified nurse i felt totally unable to help my baby i couldn't move as i said, i couldn't get any equipment to keep her breathing and the staff took my baby to special care but i had to keep asking how she was as they were busy and didn't see my distress as a priority.As i'm typing this i am shaking...
I'm over the PNI and i'm training this year to become a counsellor! I'm going to help women affected by this as it is the most horrible illness i've ever had to deal with personally and professionally- and i trained in Intensive care!
It is going to take alot of time and emotional energy to get through this. i have a psychotherapist who i really like and trust. He knows his stuff.
I asked him if i can still train and go through therapy and he said yes as it will help me when i help other women come to terms with their experiences.
One day i wil pluck up the courage to put my story on this site!
Anne i've gone on a bit here but if you want to know anymore about the drug or whatever please ask away!
Is your PTSD severe? Have you been given a ''time schedule' for treatment so you can 'see' a ''frame'' for getting sorted out and planning your life etc?
My e-mail if you wanted to ''speak'' privately is [e-mail]

Hope this helps Anne -take care ,love
Deborah XX