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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by pscho on January 29, 2004, at 15:04:12
In reply to Coming Off of Effexor, posted by Alittle Lost on January 29, 2004, at 13:51:13
Hi, I was on effexor for about 2 years and noticed the same "electrical shocks" that would start 12-24 hours after missing a dose. The effexor worked great for a year or so, but when I started trying to quit the electric shock feeling was so intense that i kept taking it for a second year, even though it wasnt doing me any good.
I finally weaned myself off of it slowly, and it was pretty rough for a couple of months or so, but I lived through it.
It has been about 18 months now, and i still get maybe one shock a day or so, or maybe less.
So it is a pain in the arse to quit, but it can be done
Posted by KFRAN on January 29, 2004, at 15:11:48
In reply to Re: fwd new article about anti-depressants, posted by Embers on January 28, 2004, at 0:18:14
I wholeheartedly agree. It is sad how very little knowledge some Drs(including some psychiatrists!!) have about meds and our diseases. I was very successful on prozac for many years until it stopped working. am now on effexor and keeping my fingers crossed. so far it is OK. I have a drinking problem though and feel the alcohol is preventing it from doing its best work.
Posted by mercedes on January 29, 2004, at 15:17:06
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!!, posted by casisill on January 29, 2004, at 11:36:32
Hi Cas,
I feel for you, going off Effexor "cold turkey". It has to be horrible. I know, I've been through it, but didn't go cold turkey as you are. It's important to titrate down. I had most all the withdrawal symtoms you describe (except nausea). The violent rages (glad I live alone)cursing, etc. I actually got in my car a couple of times and drove like a maniac, feeling invincible, not caring if I crashed. Luckly I live in the country with not much traffic. These are not normal behaviors and should be monitored by a professional.It took me 5 weeks to finally withdraw. And that was following dr's order's, titrating downwards from 300mgs to finally 37.5. It was after the last 37.5 that it took five weeks to finally withdraw. That was me...I've read other's post that their withdrawal experiences were not so bad.
I hope you consider calling you doctor for advice on how to get 'off' effexor. What you are going through is awful.
merc
> HI
>
> in response to tetheredcat i hope to god you managed to stay off this drug - its extremely dangerous. I've been on it nearly 2 years and am going cold turkey at present to get off it - i was on 225mg per day and am into my 7th day of withdrawal - i have dizziness, nausea, violent mood swings, depression, rages beyond belief and much more! i'm trying to hang in but the urge to go back on is unbelievable. I have researched the effects of this drug and its withdrawal and will be taking all of this to my shrink in march to show him i shouldn't have even been on this drug as i suffer bipolar ii and should have been on a mood stabiliser such as lithium. People have compared coming off effexor to heroin cold turkey - jesus if this is what its like i feel sorry for heroin addicts! I reckon i could easily have killed someone today with the raging mood i've been in - luckily i went back to bed to sleep it off. I don't know as yet how long this cold turkey lasts but i can't take much more of this - reckon i'll have to build an underground bunker and seal myself in if this dosent get much better!
>
> Damn all the doctors for prescribing such an addictive dangerous drug! wonder what they get out of it - a holiday in the caribbean?
>
> good luck to all coming off i'll let u know if and when i come through the other side!
>
> cas
Posted by KFRAN on January 29, 2004, at 15:17:32
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!!, posted by casisill on January 29, 2004, at 11:37:08
I am so sorry to hear that. I hope it is better very soon. I have been on effexor xr for about a month and am now at 15O mil a day it is ok ...
is your advice to just run from it ? did it ever work for you?
just seeking knowledge, thanks
Posted by omegon on January 29, 2004, at 16:42:17
In reply to Effexor Dosage and sexual side effects, posted by Dirtylowdown4 on January 29, 2004, at 10:05:25
I am also male and was on efexor for something like 2.5 - 3 months. (Memory loss was one side effect for me.) I had somewhat delayed orgasm, but was never unable to get there; I actually considered it an advantage. I was on paroxetine before, which was much more of a problem; it made achieving orgasm an epic quest - took 50 minutes on occasion, which was extremely frustrating since it increased desire and _decreased_ pleasure!
The effect was much the same with all doses of efexor I was on. 225mg was the highest, and this actually increased desire several times compared to how I was without medication - though this probably says more about my depression than about the drug. No decrease in sensation/pleasure - if anything it was increased. It was almost worth putting up with the problems it was causing - primarily major mood swings, blurred thinking and lack of energy.
If it does cause you sexual problems, you might wait a few weeks before you abandon it if it's working well otherwise: I've seen quite a few reports that suggest the side effects, including the sexual effects, decrease after a few months at the same dose. (People have said anything from 2-6 months, which is admittedly not much of a comfort for something as urgent as sex!)
You might try (cautiously) taking 500mg of tyrosine. (Amino acid: a nutritional supplement available over-the-counter - in the UK at least - and a precursor of dopamine and noradrenaline.) This should help a lot with desire and pleasure. You should wait until any anxiety effects from the efexor have gone, though, since the adrenaline increase it causes can be very unpleasant otherwise.
> I am a male who has been on 75mg of Effexor XR for several weeks. Has anyone had any experience with increased dosage and the effects on sexual orgasm? Since being on Effexor I have personally experienced delayed orgasm and to a lesser extent the inability to ejaculate. Since I have been plagued with premature ejaculation my entire adult life the delayed ejaculation is a very desirable side effect. I am considering asking my doctor to increase my dosage to combat my depression but am concerned that the increased dosage may result in increased frequency of no ejaculation. Desire and ability to obtain and maintain erection has not been a problem since being on the medication. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Posted by helenag on January 29, 2004, at 17:05:13
In reply to Re: Effexor Dosage and sexual side effects » Dirtylowdown4, posted by omegon on January 29, 2004, at 16:42:17
This is a female perspective...when my dosage of effexor xr was increased from 225mg to 300mg, it definitely had increased sexual s/e's. You raised a good point about the depression being partly responsible for low libido, etc. It's good to keep that in mind.
However, when the dosage went to 300mg, I was still very interested in being with my husband and enjoyed our conjugal pleasures immensely, but had no drive or interest toward my own singular pleasure. It was quite vexing. And it lasted several several months.
Since then, it has improved, but there are times that the motor just doesn't turn over. So I would say that effexor does have sexual side effects that do render a person incapable, at times, of not being able to achieve orgasm.
It is frustrating. You have my empathy.
Posted by justjustine on January 29, 2004, at 21:37:54
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » casisill, posted by mercedes on January 29, 2004, at 15:17:06
I'm in my 3rd week of Effexor withdrawal and to say it is not pretty is a huge understatement. I was lucky and got a doctor to prescribe me vicodin, but now my psych and PCP think I'm "drug-seeking". Well yeah I am, anything's better than being so sick you can't hardly move!
Effexor is really awful, each person is going to do these things there own way, but the further I get away from Effexor, the happier I am, and the faster the better! But I would not advise anyone to cold turkey - I went from 37 to 0 and it was a near disaster!
Posted by omegon on January 29, 2004, at 22:52:46
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!!, posted by justjustine on January 29, 2004, at 21:37:54
Justine,
> Effexor is really awful, each person is going to do these things there own way, but the further I get away from Effexor, the happier I am, and the faster the better! But I would not advise anyone to cold turkey - I went from 37 to 0 and it was a near disaster!
>... but now my psych and PCP think I'm "drug-seeking". Well yeah I am, anything's better than being so sick you can't hardly move!I've seen people report on here before that their doctors have accused them of this... it's horrific! Of course almost anyone with depression or similar, anyone feeling so bad, with a disease that makes us unable to cope with life, is "drug seeking" - why else would we go running to the doctor for help and agree to take the antidepressants they provide?! What else are antidepressants for? What kind of "caregiver" dismisses their patients with such a label?
It's awful that you should be treated like this, especially by the very people who should be helping you get out of the mess you are in - and maybe they are responsible for putting you there, whether by changing your dose of efexor too quickly or by prescribing you another potentially addictive drug to "help" you withdraw.
Supposing a genuine "drug-seeking" opiate addict had gone to the doctor in question, and they'd been deceived into supplying vicodin to someone who didn't need it for physical or psychological pain relief. A doctor has no right to judge anyone for any reason; their responsibility is always to help and treat. How could anyone justify blaming the patient (and forcing them to undergo rapid withdrawal) rather than the prescriber? Since there is no way to prove that a patient is malingering, no doctor could ever justify making that assumption based only on their subjective judgement, so making anyone stop such a drug quickly is entirely unethical.
The whole concept of "drug seeking" seems bizarre to me, in any case; surely anyone suffering withdrawal from a drug (whether physical or psychological or both) is inevitably going to try to get more unless the problems it causes outweigh the withdrawal? It's not much more under voluntary control than hungry people eating or tired people sleeping. Why is this treated as a misdemeanor rather than a disease? Surely the responsibility should lie with the professional with the prescription pad - both for giving people access to these chemicals (the iatrogenic case, whether it involves antidepressants, other addictive substances, or drugs to help come off either of these) and for getting them off such chemicals without wrecking their lives and others'.
Please, please consider seeing a different - hopefully more humane - doctor as soon as possible. At least you should go back to your current ones and maybe copy for them some of the information available on the web about these withdrawal problems - and what you have written for us here! I can't imagine that anyone who cares enough about their patients to research it could fail to believe that it is genuine!
Bear in mind that the information a lot of doctors have on these drugs is some years out of date, due to the manufacturers' reluctance to release info on withdrawal problems when they released the drugs to market. (My own GP had a nice little printed prescribing guide; it didn't seem to mention withdrawal symptoms - hence my own recent 5 days of hell while merely tapering to another drug - though the UK efexor package insert now does contain an explicit warning.) Make this point, and point your doctor to the evidence that supports it. Having them read this board would be a start.
Just hoping you receive just treatment...
Nick
Posted by Youknowno? on January 29, 2004, at 23:40:29
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!!, posted by justjustine on January 29, 2004, at 21:37:54
I think it was nice when I started about 37's later when it got to around 300, I started to feel a little numb about things.
I did the big no no and quit cold turkey, I'm 22 and it;s been about 40 odd days. The most interesting effect would be that intense vertigoe that lingers througout the day.
I think it's good but I guess not for me.
Posted by casisill on January 30, 2004, at 7:30:43
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » casisill, posted by PoohBear on January 29, 2004, at 12:43:59
HI TR
I see what you're saying but as far as i'm concerned the more people who i can prevent from even starting this drug the better! Effexor may be ok in the short term say 3 or 4 months on a very little dose of no more than 75mg but as soon as you get past this and start to encounter it's effects, mood swings (violent), intense sweating , blurred vision, hightened depression , anxiety and panic attacks etc your gp or psyc will simply say your dose is too low and will prescribe an even higher dose which is when it becomes dangerous as you then experience even more side effects and worse still you will not be able to get off it. The more you have the worse it is to get off - i have never experienced such a horrible antidepressant which makes you like a zombie and is impossible to give up and believe me i've been on many including seroxat which the profession too thought was a marvellous drug until they discovered it causes suicidal symptoms and is no good in treating depression, hence it being banned in the Uk for under 18's along with effexor after they had already prescribed it to thousands! This research should be done before we're used as guineapigs. It will only be a matter of time before they discover it should have been banned across the baord not just for under 18's.
This is the 3rd time i've try to withdraw from effexor in 2 years after piling on 3 stone in weight, having increased blurred vison to the point where i thought i needed glasses, insomnia, headaches, mood swings oh the list is endless , anyway after failing to come down slowly i'm trying to go cold turkey - this is my 7th day in and i have given up because the withdrawal is so bad, i've had to take a 75mg to stop me killing either myself or someone else- this is how bad it is! then i'll taper down from 75mg and maybe by 2005 i might have actually got off it! I know i'm not alone in these withdrawal symptoms just look on the net for the evidence of real people like me who've experienced it. It seems only people who work in the medical profession have a good word to say about this drug or people with little experience of it. I am quite happy to let people know what they will be getting into by taking effexor or seroxat for that matter - if only the health professionals did at the start - i for one wouldn't be in this mess! so for anyone thinking of taking this drug - don't! Please ask your doctor for an alternative and research the web for people who have conquered getting off this drug and listen to their advice on alternatives- after all it is the people who have experienced it not the docs or psyciatrists who know best - they've been there not just read it from a book.
Posted by Pookiesgirl on January 30, 2004, at 9:36:29
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! (nm) » casisill, posted by Pookiesgirl on January 30, 2004, at 9:21:01
First a big thank you to all who have taken the time to post here. Before today, I was begining to think I was more "Whacko" than when I began taking effexor. It's nice to know you are not alone.
I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I started weaning myself off this dreaded drug 3 weeks ago. The electric shocks and sweating so profusely at night and the moods swings and. have become so overwhelming, that I find myself returning to the medicine cabinet to take a pill just to sustain me. I am not sleeping and my family is suffering in part.
I think the worst part is trying to explain to someone the electrical shocks and what it does to your thinking processes. My husband though supportive can't begin to imagine, so when I get a little off track he makes the "ZZT ZZT" sound.
I don't want to give up, but find myself very frustrated. Is there light at the end of the tunnel can you really get off this dreaded med?
Posted by casisill on January 30, 2004, at 10:48:59
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » Pookiesgirl, posted by Pookiesgirl on January 30, 2004, at 9:36:29
Hi Pookie
Sorry to hear your having such a bad time but it is i'm afraid absolutely normal to be feeling that way when coming off this horrible drug. I have tried and tried and can't get off it without becoming a raving lunatic! i am now trying just 75mg a day to see if i can wean off slowly but am not hopeful. I have never encountered such a bad come down stage. I'm going back to my shrink in march and shall be telling him to get me off this drug - i fell like a heroin addict. i dont know if there is light at the end of the tunnel as i've never got that far but i hope so for all our sakes. Hang in there if you can and let us know if you do eventually manage it.
cas
Posted by justjustine on January 30, 2004, at 10:50:53
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » justjustine, posted by omegon on January 29, 2004, at 22:52:46
thank you nick - so you know, yes i already have an appointment with another clinic to starte with a new PCP. i told them the story, and they actually have some experience dealing with effexor withdrawals (and the necessities of self-medication). i think it will be okay.
today i go see the psych who prescribed me the effexor - i do not think it will be much fun and i'm NOT looking forward to it! thank you for your kind words.
> Justine,
>
> > Effexor is really awful, each person is going to do these things there own way, but the further I get away from Effexor, the happier I am, and the faster the better! But I would not advise anyone to cold turkey - I went from 37 to 0 and it was a near disaster!
> >... but now my psych and PCP think I'm "drug-seeking". Well yeah I am, anything's better than being so sick you can't hardly move!
>
> I've seen people report on here before that their doctors have accused them of this... it's horrific! Of course almost anyone with depression or similar, anyone feeling so bad, with a disease that makes us unable to cope with life, is "drug seeking" - why else would we go running to the doctor for help and agree to take the antidepressants they provide?! What else are antidepressants for? What kind of "caregiver" dismisses their patients with such a label?
>
> It's awful that you should be treated like this, especially by the very people who should be helping you get out of the mess you are in - and maybe they are responsible for putting you there, whether by changing your dose of efexor too quickly or by prescribing you another potentially addictive drug to "help" you withdraw.
>
> Supposing a genuine "drug-seeking" opiate addict had gone to the doctor in question, and they'd been deceived into supplying vicodin to someone who didn't need it for physical or psychological pain relief. A doctor has no right to judge anyone for any reason; their responsibility is always to help and treat. How could anyone justify blaming the patient (and forcing them to undergo rapid withdrawal) rather than the prescriber? Since there is no way to prove that a patient is malingering, no doctor could ever justify making that assumption based only on their subjective judgement, so making anyone stop such a drug quickly is entirely unethical.
>
> The whole concept of "drug seeking" seems bizarre to me, in any case; surely anyone suffering withdrawal from a drug (whether physical or psychological or both) is inevitably going to try to get more unless the problems it causes outweigh the withdrawal? It's not much more under voluntary control than hungry people eating or tired people sleeping. Why is this treated as a misdemeanor rather than a disease? Surely the responsibility should lie with the professional with the prescription pad - both for giving people access to these chemicals (the iatrogenic case, whether it involves antidepressants, other addictive substances, or drugs to help come off either of these) and for getting them off such chemicals without wrecking their lives and others'.
>
> Please, please consider seeing a different - hopefully more humane - doctor as soon as possible. At least you should go back to your current ones and maybe copy for them some of the information available on the web about these withdrawal problems - and what you have written for us here! I can't imagine that anyone who cares enough about their patients to research it could fail to believe that it is genuine!
>
> Bear in mind that the information a lot of doctors have on these drugs is some years out of date, due to the manufacturers' reluctance to release info on withdrawal problems when they released the drugs to market. (My own GP had a nice little printed prescribing guide; it didn't seem to mention withdrawal symptoms - hence my own recent 5 days of hell while merely tapering to another drug - though the UK efexor package insert now does contain an explicit warning.) Make this point, and point your doctor to the evidence that supports it. Having them read this board would be a start.
>
> Just hoping you receive just treatment...
>
> Nick
Posted by justjustine on January 30, 2004, at 11:01:06
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » Pookiesgirl, posted by Pookiesgirl on January 30, 2004, at 9:36:29
3+ weeks since my last dosage and i'm still sick, very sick. only things that have helped me are vicodin, marijuana, and benzo's to go to sleep (they make me too much of a zombie for me to take them during the day - i choose mania, thank you).
and i'm switching doctors because my old doctors don't know how to deal with it so they are putting the 'blame' on me.
i know i may be setting myself up to have to withdraw from the vicodin, but it can't possibly be any worse than withdrawing from evil effexor.
i'm sorry you feel so bad and wish you all the best!
Posted by Alittle Lost on January 30, 2004, at 11:07:25
In reply to vicodin helped me with effexor withdrawals, posted by justjustine on January 30, 2004, at 11:01:06
I went from 225mg of Effexor to 300mg of Wellbutrin, I'll start my 50mg of Zoloft on Monday. I can't believe the rollar coaster I am on! If it weren't for the support of my boyfriend being with me to help me through the crazies I think I'd be dead. How can doctors be so ignorant as to get people hooked on this stuff?
Posted by pyschomom on January 30, 2004, at 11:25:56
In reply to Re: vicodin helped me with effexor withdrawals, posted by Alittle Lost on January 30, 2004, at 11:07:25
I just started on Effexor XR yesterday, have had depression for about two years, was on prozac, just didn't help and went off, drug free for about 6 months and was in quite a state, family begging me to get on something. After reading all the posts I am now terrifed of being on Effexor now. Does anyone have any good experience with this drug. HELP!
Posted by pookiesgirl on January 30, 2004, at 14:45:33
In reply to Re: Glad to be OFF EFFEXOR!! » Pookiesgirl, posted by casisill on January 30, 2004, at 10:48:59
I will be praying for your success. Thanks for the return post
Posted by sexysenior on January 30, 2004, at 14:56:45
In reply to Effexor Dosage and sexual side effects, posted by Dirtylowdown4 on January 29, 2004, at 10:05:25
> I am a female who has enjoyed a long happy sex life. I have been on Effexor XR 150mg for six months and throughout have beento achieve orgasm - very frustrating! Am currently titrating off and should be off completely in 10 days. Can anyone tell me if this disfunction will end when I am off, and if not, how long thereafter, if ever?
Posted by PoohBear on January 30, 2004, at 15:47:56
In reply to Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now!, posted by pyschomom on January 30, 2004, at 11:25:56
YES!
I have had a VERY good experience with this medication. It has helped me to be relieved of a very deep, dark depression as well as gain control of my thoughts and my mind.
I have not faced the problem of withdrawal yet, because I haven't tired to get off Effexor, nor do I intend to for the foreseeable future. Nothing I read here will influence me to get off what for me has been a God-send. The stories shared here are very real, I'm not discounting them in any way. However, if and when I need to get off Effexor, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
It is unfair to yourself and your doctor to read these boards and allow yourself to get scared from using what could be a good medication for you.
The better course of action would be to share your concerns of what you've read with your doctor and get his/her opinion and then proceed from there.
Best Wishes,
Tony
> I just started on Effexor XR yesterday, have had depression for about two years, was on prozac, just didn't help and went off, drug free for about 6 months and was in quite a state, family begging me to get on something. After reading all the posts I am now terrifed of being on Effexor now. Does anyone have any good experience with this drug. HELP!
Posted by Zellie on January 30, 2004, at 17:53:42
In reply to Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now!, posted by pyschomom on January 30, 2004, at 11:25:56
Hi, Psychomom. Love the name! I am affectionately called the "Lunatic" around home, since that is the name I fondly give to myself...my husband just came over and hugged me just now and said he loves his Lunatic! Hadn't thought of the name "Psychomom"!!
I ditto PoohBear's post. My experience with Effexor has been extremely positive. I suffered with extreme anxiety and unbearable depression for 42 years, and only now, for the first time in my life, do I find that I really have a life, thanks to Effexor.
Be sure that your doc titrates you up extremely slowly. It is tough going through this phase (see my posting from a few days ago where I described how it went for me during this time).
I have been at 150mg now since September. I still get depression for about 3-4 days here and there per month (PMS related, I suspect), but compared with having had it every day for so long, hey, I'll take it! My side-effects have been few (again....see a previous posting of mine, where I have shared about them). At this point, like PoohBear, the benefits of the Effexor, DRAMATICALLY outweigh any side-effects I have experienced so far.
I forgot my dose earlier this week, which is a major no-no. I carry pills with me so I can take them if I am away from the house and realize I've forgotten them, but the trouble was, that I hadn't realized I'd forgotten them until the next morning. Dizzzzziness! Weird, just like others have said. Within an hour or two of taking the next dose, though, I was back to normal.
If ever I must come off, I know my pdoc will titrate me down in baby, baby, baby steps...he is aware of the withdrawal problem that some people have. I may not come off of it, certainly as long as it keeps working with me. I will always need an AD for the rest of my life. I am absolutely fine with that, since I don't ever want to return to the horrific depression I lived in for so many years.
Kindest regards,
Zellie
> I just started on Effexor XR yesterday, have had depression for about two years, was on prozac, just didn't help and went off, drug free for about 6 months and was in quite a state, family begging me to get on something. After reading all the posts I am now terrifed of being on Effexor now. Does anyone have any good experience with this drug. HELP!
Posted by Alittle Lost on January 30, 2004, at 21:38:48
In reply to Re: Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now! » pyschomom, posted by Zellie on January 30, 2004, at 17:53:42
I thought that the Effexor was doing me good at 1st....low dose. Then I couldn't get out of bed so we went higher and higher and higher 225mg and I said no more. I just felt like I was getting addicted to it. Miss a dose or 2 and you will know what I mean. It takes control of your life. There are other meds out there that do not control you. I'm on day 4 of getting off those evil pills. I wish I could die. One minute I'm going 100 mph and the next I'm on the floor in a ball crying. I went to the store and went into such a panic I had to leave my things behind....I felt like the walls were coming in on me and I know I turned a few heads while I pushed my way frantically out the door. I know that the next few days are going to be the hardest days of my life and with the love of my friends, I will make it through. I will never let anything like Effexor control me again. I thought my manic depression was controlling.....nothing like the evil doings of this pill they call medicine.
Posted by Zellie on January 30, 2004, at 22:20:59
In reply to Re: Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now!, posted by Alittle Lost on January 30, 2004, at 21:38:48
I am sorry that yours is not a positive experience with the Effexor. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so what works wonders for one person, can be quite the opposite for another.
It is not that the pills are evil. Their reaction with you is clearly a very bad one. My mother-in-law recently had a terrible reaction to 2 different, common pain killers in the hospital...nurses were surprised....but it was horrible for her. She had frightening, disorienting hallucinations that lasted for hours. She now has had the 2 pain killers listed on her chart that she cannot tolerate these drugs. The drugs felt evil to her, but they simply reacted very poorly with her chemistry, whereas thousands of people benefit greatly from them.
Similarily, when I have demerol, my blood pressure plummets so low, that if I did not have medical attention immediately, I may not survive it. So I have on all my medical records that I cannot have it.
Effexor has provided me with wonderful results. I have a friend, however, who went all the way to 300 mg, and never stopped being utterly fatigued on it. Her doc wanted her to see if her body would settle down with it in time (since it did relieve her depression), but it became clear to me that it did not (she'd given it from August to January). I strongly advised her to see her doc again right away, and ask to be titrated (SLOWLY!!) off it, since it did not seem to be the med for her.
I am now on Wellbutrin in addition to the Effexor, and I am tolerating it wonderfully. However, occassionally a person will have a nightmare of an experience going on Wellbutrin.
Personally, I do not think that Effexor is a good medication for a person to begin if they are not a candidate for remaining on it long-term. I will always need an AD, so I am a good candidate for Effexor. Some people who have not been plaged with depression all their lives, but have just a single episode, may require just a short-term AD therapy. In my opinion, they'd be better off with a different medication...one that is much easier to titrate off of.
Again, I am very sorry to hear of your experience. I hope you find a medication that will be very beneficial for you.
Kindest regards,
Zellie
> I thought that the Effexor was doing me good at 1st....low dose. Then I couldn't get out of bed so we went higher and higher and higher 225mg and I said no more. I just felt like I was getting addicted to it. Miss a dose or 2 and you will know what I mean. It takes control of your life. There are other meds out there that do not control you. I'm on day 4 of getting off those evil pills. I wish I could die. One minute I'm going 100 mph and the next I'm on the floor in a ball crying. I went to the store and went into such a panic I had to leave my things behind....I felt like the walls were coming in on me and I know I turned a few heads while I pushed my way frantically out the door. I know that the next few days are going to be the hardest days of my life and with the love of my friends, I will make it through. I will never let anything like Effexor control me again. I thought my manic depression was controlling.....nothing like the evil doings of this pill they call medicine.
Posted by TJW on January 30, 2004, at 22:40:20
In reply to Re: Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now!, posted by Alittle Lost on January 30, 2004, at 21:38:48
My girlfriend takes effexor and she has had really bad night sweats, and they really bothered her. One thing that helped her A LOT is wearing sweat-wicking clothing to bed instead of cotton (or nothing).
Whereas cotton gets damp and gross and uncomfortable, a good sweat-wicking weave of polyester such as those worn by athletes leaves you drier and more comfortable when you sweat. You can find good sweat-wicking shirts and such at any athletic store. Try in the biking section for something comfortable to wear to bed.
Posted by Sad Panda on January 31, 2004, at 12:07:10
In reply to Any good experience with Effexor? Scared now!, posted by pyschomom on January 30, 2004, at 11:25:56
> I just started on Effexor XR yesterday, have had depression for about two years, was on prozac, just didn't help and went off, drug free for about 6 months and was in quite a state, family begging me to get on something. After reading all the posts I am now terrifed of being on Effexor now. Does anyone have any good experience with this drug. HELP!
Prozac was also the first med I tried, I was on it for about a month & it was sending me around the bend so I got off it & was given Efexor to try.
Efexor is giving me some extremely good moods & a much brighter outlook on things but it gives me some side effects. My doc gave me Remeron to try & it's been great at totally reversing the side effects of Efexor + It gives me the best sleep I have had in my life.
Efexor seems to be flavour of the month with alot of docs & it seems to be with good reason as it does seem to work for alot of people. My advice is to try it for 4-6 weeks & see if your mood lifts and/or the side-effects subside.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by Sad Panda on January 31, 2004, at 12:23:37
In reply to Re: Effexor Dosage and sexual side effects » Dirtylowdown4, posted by omegon on January 29, 2004, at 16:42:17
> I am also male and was on efexor for something like 2.5 - 3 months. (Memory loss was one side effect for me.) I had somewhat delayed orgasm, but was never unable to get there; I actually considered it an advantage. I was on paroxetine before, which was much more of a problem; it made achieving orgasm an epic quest - took 50 minutes on occasion, which was extremely frustrating since it increased desire and _decreased_ pleasure!
>
> The effect was much the same with all doses of efexor I was on. 225mg was the highest, and this actually increased desire several times compared to how I was without medication - though this probably says more about my depression than about the drug. No decrease in sensation/pleasure - if anything it was increased. It was almost worth putting up with the problems it was causing - primarily major mood swings, blurred thinking and lack of energy.
>
> If it does cause you sexual problems, you might wait a few weeks before you abandon it if it's working well otherwise: I've seen quite a few reports that suggest the side effects, including the sexual effects, decrease after a few months at the same dose. (People have said anything from 2-6 months, which is admittedly not much of a comfort for something as urgent as sex!)
>
> You might try (cautiously) taking 500mg of tyrosine. (Amino acid: a nutritional supplement available over-the-counter - in the UK at least - and a precursor of dopamine and noradrenaline.) This should help a lot with desire and pleasure. You should wait until any anxiety effects from the efexor have gone, though, since the adrenaline increase it causes can be very unpleasant otherwise.
>
>
>
> > I am a male who has been on 75mg of Effexor XR for several weeks. Has anyone had any experience with increased dosage and the effects on sexual orgasm? Since being on Effexor I have personally experienced delayed orgasm and to a lesser extent the inability to ejaculate. Since I have been plagued with premature ejaculation my entire adult life the delayed ejaculation is a very desirable side effect. I am considering asking my doctor to increase my dosage to combat my depression but am concerned that the increased dosage may result in increased frequency of no ejaculation. Desire and ability to obtain and maintain erection has not been a problem since being on the medication. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
>On 75mg of Efexor XR I had delayed orgasm. On 150mg no orgasm. I am now on 225mg with 30mg Remeron added & orgasm is back to normal.
Cheers,
Panda.
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