Help and Advice please

Hi, my name is Wendy and I am new to the site. I have suffered with depression and anxiety for around 20 years but it has been managed very well with medication. About 10 weeks ago my gp decided that it would be a good idea to change my meds as the one I was taking was an old drug (dosulepin) and there were better things available that might help my other problems as well.

She started to withdraw me from one and then a few weeks later introduced venaflaxine XL, I am now on 187.5mg. Well since then my life has been a living nightmare, I am now afraid to go out, I can't answer the front door as I am scared of people I don't know. I am getting panic attacks on a regular basis again and the worst part is I have started scratching myself. My tummy looks terrible and my hands and arms have been scratched as well. My poor husband is wonderful and so supportive, we have just celebrated out 30th wedding anniversary and for 20 years of our married life he has had to put up with me being ill in one way or another. I know I am very lucky, as some men would have walked.

Anyway, I am being phoned on Thursday to see how I am, I haven't seen my dr so she doesn't know how bad my scratching has been, I jut get a phone call every few days. I am tempted to ask if I can go back to my old drug, well if I have the courage to ask. Do you think I have given the venaflaxine time to get into my system (10 weeks) I feel out of control, I am crying all the time, feel in a very dark place, have no energy or enthusiasm to do anything, am scratching myself out of frustration and to make the useless feeling go away. I just want it all to end and I want to be me again.

Do you think I am asking to much to go back onto Dosulepin? I just don't know what to do ;(

You are doing what is about the hardest thing to do wrt medication. You will still have the dosulepin in your system for about 4 - 8 weeks after you took the last one. Whilst that's still dwindling in there you've added in another medication which takes 4 - 8 weeks to get into your system. Then each time you change dose it takes that length again....
If you're struggling still to that extent then I think you should definitely tell the Dr everything that's going on and tell them how bad things really are.

I don't think it's too much to ask, but then you'll still be battling cutting down and restarting...

Talk to your Dr, there are loads of different options that might be appropriate..

Hi Wendy and welcome (hi). Definitely speak to your GP ASAP. If it helps, printing out and showing your post will make sure they know exactly what’s going on and talk to you about options from there. It takes time and it is really hard to change meds and not every AD will suit you, the decision has to be whether you and your doctor think this route is the right one for you.