Posted by Ms. Jones on December 9, 2002, at 7:36:54
I have been on Effexor for 5 years at 75mg/3xday. I am manic/depressive and believe that Effexor, not the Lithium, is the cornerstone of my drug therapy. Very recently my dosage was increased to 150mg/2xday and I have experienced sedating side effects as a result. My Dr. and I are trying different routines and times to alleviate the side effects. I have experienced Effexor withdrawl as the result of my own laziness at not getting a refill in time and I have to agree that it is hell. I am incapacitated. I would higly suggest this being done with the assistance of a Dr.I would never go off my meds (and I take several) first of all, but I certainly would never go off without the guidance from my Dr. Taking Effexor, or any drug for that matter, is only part of my recovery and therapy for the M/D. I have other responsibilites besides swallowing a bunch of pills everyday to ensure ongoing mental health and peace of mind. Clinically speaking, it bites but that's just the way it is. And the life I lead now is far better than the life I lead without medications. Going on medication is a personal choice between you and your Dr. And what has worked for some people may not work for others. That doesn't mean that that drug is "bad." It just so happens that Effexor has worked for me so far but it was not the first medication my Dr. prescribed. It was a trial and error thing and I think that was worse than the disease itself but I was willing to stick it out. I didn't really have a choice. When I first went on Effexor I went through a period of blurred vision. I couldn't even drive. But it didn't last. And as I said before, with this new increased dose I feel sedated and a little high, actually but other than that Effexor's been good to me. I hope this helps someone.
poster:Ms. Jones
thread:131083
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021203/msgs/131083.html