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Depression, anxiety, PMS disorder. Taking venlafaxine. Can I increase dosage?
human
I am 41 year old woman who has been taking Venlafaxine 75 mg/OD since May 2012. The medication helped me with Major Depressive, Anxiety attacks and severe PMS disorder initially for a month or so after that I seem to fall back to my previous state. I am unable to get in touch with my primary or a specialist. Is it alright for me to increase the dose to 150 mg/BD. i am also Dx with Hypothyroidism and take Levothyroxine now at dose of 50 mg/OD. I was taking armourthyroid 60mg/OD but cannot find that medication hence the change
gpt
Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.Increasing the dose of your antidepressant Venlafaxine from 75mg OD to 150mg BD is a drastic increase and may have adverse effects like increased anxiety, agitation, drowsiness, etc. I would advise you not to alter the doses of your medication without consulting a doctor. You can try some relaxation exercises and deep breathing for your anxiety and try to meet your doctor as early as possible.Wish you all the best.- Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar  consultant Pychiatrist