Posted by King Vultan on April 25, 2004, at 10:35:48
In reply to HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, posted by lawnbrundle on April 23, 2004, at 18:25:41
I was on Effexor on and off for years and went through a couple of withdrawals, one of which was unwisely done cold turkey and was rather debilitating. The other was done properly, where the medication is gradually tapered. I still suffered some symptoms, but they weren't as bad. I think people have different tolerances for the withdrawal process, just as they do for pain or being sick or whatever. I guess I would rate my own tolerance as rather high, and I suppose I would even be willing to go on the drug again if I thought it made sense.
I don't know what the prevalence of weight gain is, but Effexor always made my appetite go down. Perhaps this is atypical, but I've heard of other people also losing weight on Effexor. As far as its antidepressant qualities, I've tried ten different drugs, and I think Effexor is relatively powerful and effective. I could never get over 150 mg/day, mainly due to insomnia, but if I went on the drug again, I would request a sleep aid such as trazodone to help me sleep. Other people experience a different array of side effects, but in response to your concerns, I think this is a good drug overall, and I would advise trying to relax and calm your fears. Keep in mind that no drug is perfect and that they all have both drawbacks and side effects. The important thing is what works best for a particular individual.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:339306
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040423/msgs/339837.html