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Hey guys,
So I'm about to switch onto Venlafaxine from Sertraline because Sertraline has stopped working for me and I have two questions for any current or former Venlafaxine users out there:
1. Did you notice it having any effect on your skin?
I ask this because I still have this lingering doubt that the Sertraline may have been partly responsible for the severe cystic breakout I had at the beginning of summer (a month or two after I started taking it). However, I also stopped doing this site's regimen at roughly the same time so in all likelihood it was probably the lack of benzoyl peroxide, rather than the presence of Sertraline, added to the stress of finals that did it. I'd still like to know if anyone has experienced any positive, negative, or neutral effects on their skin from taking Venlafaxine though.
2. Was it effective for treating your depression and if you've taken more than one anti-depressant how did it compare to other ones you've taken?
I ask this because when I first started taking Sertraline it was great and I felt pretty good for around two months or so but then it seemed to stop working. We increased the dose twice but that just made it worse and added increasing suicidal thoughts into the mix so my GP thinks it's best to come off it. I'm just really hoping that Venlafaxine will do a better job for me than the Sertraline did because I am desperate for some improvement in my depression and anxiety right now after several months of miserable suicidal hell.
Thanks in advance for any responses!
Hey Moonlit River,
I've taken Venlafaxine and it didn't work for me. For me Mirtazapin works best, but unfortunately it increases your appetite and most people gain weight when they take it. It also makes you tired, so I only take it at night, but it helps you sleep well. Also I live in Germany, so I don't know if Mirtazapin has a different brand name in the UK.
But maybe Venlafaxine does work for you, just give it a try. If not, ask for Mirtazapin. Good luck 
Oh, and no antidepressant has ever had any effect on my skin, so I think your breakout must have had another reason.
Hey MoonlitRiver!
Dunno if this matters anymore since you've probably been on this drug for a while now and know what it's doing to your body. But, I wanted to say that I have started taking it. I'm actually taking Desvenlfaxine (Pristiq), 50mg a day.
From what I understand after talking to my doctor and pharmacist, venlafaxine/desvenlafaxine drugs are slightly less intense than some other antidepressants? Hopefully they're a success for us.
Sorry for neglecting this thread so much. I haven't been on acne.org much at all of late but thank you all for your replies.
I've been on Venlafaxine for nearly 3 weeks now. I've not yet noticed any effect on my skin *touch wood* and in fact like you say Kalinka I'm finding it much less intense and unpleasant to be on than the Sertraline I was on previously that gave me all sorts of horrible side-effects. I've had no side-effects at all so far on Venlafaxine, but unfortunately I haven't seen any improvement in my mood either and am struggling more now than ever before. 