Venlafaxine and insomnia: I'm so glad I... - Mental Health Sup...

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Venlafaxine and insomnia

Clazzy78 profile image
8 Replies

I'm so glad I've found this forum!

I started my venlafaxine 37.5mg one daily. It seems to be helping tremendously with my severe anxiety, even after 4 days. BUT...I have the insomnia. It's a nightmare.

Does anyone know if the insomnia eases? Does it increase as I may increase my doses?

What could my GP do to help on Tuesday? I have 3.5yr old twins and NEED some sleep!!!

Was awake till 2.30am this morning then had to take a zopiclone. Don't like taking them and not sure if I'd want anymore as I don't find them that effective for keeping me asleep.

Any help much appreciated 😊

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Clazzy78
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8 Replies
chloe40 profile image
chloe40

Hi Clazzy78

Welcome to our friendly Forum, we are very pleased you found us too!

Please do read the Community Guidelines on the right hand side of this page.

Chloe

MattBuckland profile image
MattBuckland

Hi Clazzy

I had to stop taking it because of the insomnia. See what the GP says, I had never had an sleeping and it was hell. I just couldn't sleep at a lot for about four days and then was prescribed benzos and it took a good three weeks to sleep properly again.

I hope you get it sorted.

Matt

Clazzy78 profile image
Clazzy78 in reply to MattBuckland

Thankyou Matt.

LoriMS61 profile image
LoriMS61

How bizarre. I'm on it, and it helps me sleep. I am on 225mg though, so that might be why.

XxX

cecilia13 profile image
cecilia13

Hi clazzy78

I found out that venlafaxine does work for anxiety but not for depression (severe) contrary to claims . At least you are not badly suffering from both at the same time . Don't get me wrong , Iam not saying you don't have a problem, just that it could be worse .

Strange I was on 37.5mg like you , 2 or 3 times a day . I as drowsy , lethargic and yawning all the time . I slept a lot and the more I slept, the more I wanted to sleep .and I could easily sleep for 12 hours a day . Rest of the time I felt groggy and spaced out / disconnected from reality, like sleep walking .

I had to cut down to 1 dose of 37.5mg a day and I sleep normally (8hours) though I hav stopped dreaming /cant remember any night time dream . I miss my dreams even when they are short or make no sense . So my anxiety is more or less under control (I still tend to panic at times) but my depression is still raging (it gets worse & worse from October to March with suicidal thoughts resurfacing) .

You don't say wha time (AM or PM) you take your venlafaxine . Maybe try taking it later or earlier in the day . Venlafaxine is suppose to b a sedative so its weird you complain about lack of sleep . There was a time when I was on mirtazapine , after 10 or 20 minutes I fell asleep and I slept like a log for easily 8hours non stop (I used to wake 3 or 4 times at night and my sleep was poor and erratic and I was constantly tired and irritable then) You could try mirtazapine for a while to get more sleep at night though I don't know if your twins slee through the night .

I agree with you that you must get proper sleep to be ble to look after your twins . Lack of sleep over time will ge you more & more anxious as well as completely exhausted. I am so sorry for you and the babies . I have been through that hell as a lone parent .

In the meantime I wish you all the best . I will get back to you if I have any useful helpful tips about your insomnia . Judging from thousands of books on insomnia (maybe you could borrow one from your library) looks like you are not suffering & struggling alone .

Take care. Please keep in touch . cecilia13

Clazzy78 profile image
Clazzy78 in reply to cecilia13

Thankyou cecilia.

I took my venlafaxine in the morning. Initially I felt a bit spaced out and it did help with the anxiety. But I couldn't take the side effects, and didn't have 6-8 weeks to see if they did subside. I had a sore mouth, nausea, insomnia. So I went back to my GP and I am now back in Amitriptyline, which I take about 7pm. It has helped me so much before with sleep, anxiety and depression. I am taking 20 mg and working up 10 mg a week to 70mg initially.

I have also tried mirtazapine. Even that didn't help my sleep after 2 days. It also made me very aggressive.

My twin son, I have a boy and girl, has been refused a referral to a sleep clinic also. But his sleep is getting a bit better slowly. They generally don't sleep through but my Amitriptyline helps with getting back to sleep if I awoken at night.

Thanks again x

cecilia13 profile image
cecilia13 in reply to Clazzy78

dear classy78

funny how we all react differently to antidepressants ; unlike you mirtazapine quickly knocked to sleep at least for a few hours but I had to stop because I was drowsy and tired all day long .

don't know anything about amitriptyline (have heard of it) but its a bit scary you aiming for 70 mg a day . sounds a lot . problem is if you don't try you will never know and if you try there is always a risk it wont work + horrible side effects /withdrawal symptoms . a bit like a lottery .

forgot to say that maybe you could have stayed on venlafaxine but double your daily dose, like 1 in the morning and 1 in th evening (Ihave 1 in th evening and found it helps me to relax & stop the overthinking&forget just for a while about my horrible all consuming depression) .

reason why you had bad nausea (like me before I found out) is you must take your venlafaxine with (or after food) which is a pain if you have a poor appetite and don care much about food (like me) .

hope you get better/ back to normal thoug don't fool yourself you can treat all 3 (sleep, anxiety&depression) at the same time or that they will go awa for ever . sorry about the bad news but you are better prepared if you are realistic .

cecilia13 xxx

Clazzy78 profile image
Clazzy78 in reply to cecilia13

Hi Cecelia. I think my GP said the mac dose for Amitriptyline is 200 mg per day so even at 70 I'm no where near that. I think between 75-100mg is the therapeutic dose. I got to 75 mg last time and that was a good dose for me.

It is strange how everyone reacts differently to meds though.

Thanks for your replies x

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