Venlafaxine for hormone flashes

I am on it! It has helped my hot flashes and my emotions. Dr started me with a low dose, but increases me twice and now I am up to 150mg. The lower dose helped my emotions within a few days. Hot flashes started to get a little less frequent but I want them to be even less so that's why dr increased me 2 more times. At first I didn't want to be on an antidepressant, but I'm so glad I agreed to it. I was crying every day for no reason. That has completely stopped. Good luck w you decision!

I'm interested in everyone's feedback on this as well. I had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in August, 4 rounds of chemo which ended 11/30/23, no radiation and completed my stage 2 reconstruction 5/15/24. I've been on Tamoxifen since January (took a 5 week break for surgery) and have had some wicked hot flashes. My oncologist tried to put me on Veozah, but my insurance company wouldn't approve it because it's new and I didn't "try and fail" at something else like Venlafaxine. She then recommended a supplement to purchase online for $60/month. I talked to my primary who wrote a script for the Venlafaxine - I just haven't started it yet.

I was given Venlafaxine XR 75 mg per day for hot flashes more than 15 years ago. I wish I had never started the drug because it has horrible side effects yet may be impossible for me to stop taking. Naively, I thought I might not experience the negative side effects, nor did I imagine I would be on the drug for this many years. It lessened my hot flashes (I think; how does one really know?), but did not end hot flashes. Twice, I have tried to stop the drug by decreasing the dose over a period of a few months; two months after stopping entirely, I was overwhelmed by crushing withdrawal symptoms, both mental and physical. My doctor didn't think that was possible; my extensive online research and reading shows that more than half of the persons who use this drug find it may be impossible to end. Before you begin this drug, please search on this site for posts from those who have been on the drug and are desperate to be rid of it. There is excellent information to be found here on the subject. I hope you can find alternative measures to alleviate your hot flashes. Don't take this drug without educating yourself first.

Hi
Do sorry you are suffering. My brother takes antidepressants and told me to definitely stay away from it. Glad you shared your experience

Definitely need to outway the pros and cons. I was not sleeping good due to the hot flashes and was so emotional. Together I felt barely functional. I have no idea how long I'll have hot flashes ( I'm 45), but for me, I had to think about the here and now. I have to survive now or else the future doesn't matter. I did not want to take antidepressants but for me I had to look at like my AI meds, something I have to do to survive even though I don't want to take them. Some people do have to take antidepressants forever, so whom am I too think I'm not one of them. And if I get a recurrence I'll be a little more quipped to handle it. Just my thoughts. Good luck with your decision! We all have to do what's right for us. I hope you have peace about whatever decision you make.

Hi
Yes I agree everyone has to do what works for them. I started taking MCT oil
With my smoothie and it's really helped my brain fog and overall fatigue. It has alot of advantages for brain health and energy. You may want to investigate. You purchase at a health food store. I took an antidepressant when I was 20-24 due to a tragic loss in my life and it did help me get thru. The meds back then were not so difficult to stop as they are now. I wish you peace in your path.

Has it helped with hot flashes?

Hi
I have only been on it 5 days . I haven't woke up with any flashes in the last 3 nights. I didn't think about hot flashes when I started it so I will keep that in mind

Just an add on to the information that others have already posted.
When I was in radiation (a lifetime ago) and the emotions were really hitting me hard, and the hot flashes made me want to lay in a tub of ice, I started sertraline. The older drug Zoloft. I started on 100 mg and I was on it for years. Weaned off after 6 or 7 years. A few years ago when things got really tough again, I went back on it, and I immediately recognized a decrease in hot flashes. I will probably just stay on it this time as I cannot think of a good reason to go back to just struggling along emotionally, the decrease in hot flashes is a really great bonus.
Talk to your doctor and make sure you find the right drug for you. If a cancer patient can’t take an antidepressant n without worrying about quitting it later, who can?

Hi
Thanks gor sharing that information. May I ask your age when you went on it first