Posted by tenuous on October 30, 2000, at 6:06:56
In reply to Re: Switching from EffexorXR to just Effexor , posted by Pamela Kopeschka on October 29, 2000, at 10:16:52
> I am also having trouble figuring when to take the pills.
> I don't like to take any at bedtime, because I have trouble getting to sleep.I have been on the Effexor XR for a month and I have only been sleeping 3-4 hours a night. Yesterday I started the Effexor regular. I took the first 2 doses (75mg/each) at 6am, and the last dose at 4pm. I took a 50mg Trazodone at 7pm and slept until 2:30am. 7 HOURS ALL IN A ROW!!!!!!! If this keeps up, I'm going to stay with the regular version.
I had almost no side effects starting up. As a matter of fact I felt so good after the first day on 37.5mg that I went ahead and moved up to 75mg the second day and 150mg on the third day. The only side effects I had were a bit of nausea, and an itchy rash. These subsided after 4-5 days. I have continuing decreased appetite, which I consider a feature, and of course the insomnia.
I felt the best the first two weeks, but I was not currently in a depressive phase when I started. As a matter of fact, I felt so contented that I was actually shocked to realize just how bad I had been feeling for the last 20 years (I cried for most of a day in mourning over all of the years that I've lost to this, and in gratitude that it may finally be over.). Since then I have cycled down twice. The first time we upped the dose of Effexor from 150 to 225. This last weekend I had another one, but since it only lasted 3 days this time and was quite mild, I'm gonna wait to let the Effexor have a chance to reach full effect. I'm VERY happy with this drug.
In the past I have tried Lithium (made me shaky, nauseous, and "weird" feeling), Tegretol (threw me into a suicidal depression), and Trazodone which worked, but I was not thrilled with the side effects at the effective dose.
I hope you are doing well today. Hang in there.
poster:tenuous
thread:47246
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001022/msgs/47752.html