Posted by Simcha on June 18, 2003, at 2:05:22
In reply to Effexor XR - Working for me, but tough., posted by CaptainD500 on June 14, 2003, at 16:08:35
CaptainD500,
I have not responded to an EffexorXR post in over a year. I still feel grateful for my experience with EffexorXR. It was my first med prescribed to me by my GP at the time.
The 75mg dose did well for me but it did not take the depression away. I was in a bad Major Depressive Episode that seemed to have no end. Anyway, my GP increased the EffexorXR to 150mg per day. After a few weeks on it I woke up one morning and it was like a veil had lifted. I wanted to be awake and I wanted to be alive. I never remember feeling like that upon waking. Even as a child I never wanted to be awake in the mornings.
The progress was going along swimmingly. For me the side effects were increased sweating and an inability to acheive orgasm. For me at the time that seemed to be a small price to pay to be out of the sheer Hell of an all-encompassing depressive episode. I never wanted to go back to feeling like that again so I stuck with the Effexor for a while.
Then I went through a move and I ended up dating this really great guy. (Yes, I'm also a man. Anyway...) I was not able to acheive orgasm at all during sex. This was crippling for the relationship after a while and it was starting to depress me.
I saw a psychiatrist for the first time and he helped me to switch medication so that I could be rid of the depression and have a sexual/romantic life. I told him that I did not want to go off of EffexorXR if it meant that I would go back to severe and crippling depression. I told him that I'd gladly not have an orgasm ever again if I had to in order to keep the depression at bay.
Well, it was rough to switch. We experimented and we finally got the right mix. Let me tell you, the withdrawal from the EffexorXR was not pleasant. I had an aweful nightmare that had me leaping out of my bed and bashing myself against the wall to get away from a huge-hairy spider that was going to eat me. Only, I ended up on the floor with bruises and awake in the real world.
Don't be too quick to give up on the EffexorXR. It really did the trick for me at a time where I really needed it. I still feel a fondness for the medication because it gave me the first glimpses of what it was like to live free of depression in my life.
And I still mean this... If my current mix did poop out and the depression returned, I would gladly give up orgasms and go back to EffexorXR. The depression was that bad and the relief I got from EffexorXR was that good.
Blessings On Your Journey,
Simcha
poster:Simcha
thread:233988
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030614/msgs/234721.html