![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 11:31:51
Since I sought treatment for severe depression 10 weeks ago I have been not only taking meds, but also reading these threads. It has been both informative and alarming. Informative because I've learned a lot. Alarming because of some of the experiences shared. Because of the large number of negative posts regarding Effexor XR, I wanted to share my own experience...
I was diagnosed with ADHD and co-morbid depression 6 years ago (age 41). At that time we decided to treat the ADHD and NOT the depression (I don't really know why...). We tried all the litany of drugs to treat ADHD, but NOTHING seemed to work and I eventually gave up. Six years later...
I had noticed a steady decrease in my quality of life over the last year or so and after two specific incidents, decided to ask my Pdoc about Effexor XR. I have inherited depression (my mother and all of her sisters died early from depression and alcoholism), so there is definitely a neurological link. We had tried the normal Effexor before and my system had not tolerated it, but we agreed to to trial the XR.
We started at 37.5mg, ramping up to 225mg over 5 weeks. I then made a list of side effects to share with my doctor (a nurse practicioner whose specialty is psychiatric drugs) and she apologised, saying that I was obviously over medicated (it had been three weeks since my last visit). I was glad to have stuck with the trial however, because we wouldn't have known otherwise. This is important. It is CRITICAL to be patient when trying these drugs. Six years prior, I had been expecting a 'magic bullet' that would solve my problem. I didn't give any ONE drug enough time for my body to adjust.
These side effects included: shaky jitters, insomnia, difficulty urinating, frequent urination, nightmares, etc. We tapered off gradually to 75mg per day which has been fine for me. The benefits of increased happiness and joy coupled with the lifting of the darkness in my mind and the suicidal thoughts was too precious to give up. There was a decrease in libido and ability to orgasm, but we added Wellbutrin to compensate for this and it has worked well, though the initial dose of 150mg made me irritable, so I got a pill splitter and cut them down to 75mg. Also, taking them in the morning with the Effexor was too much, so I tried changing to evenings for the Wellbutrin and then went to noon on my Pdoc's advice. (The WB was contributing to my sleeplessness...)
I've tried Trazodone for the sleeplessness, but only got extremely vivid, disturbing dreams form it and no rest. Lorazapam has worked best for the sleep, but it's habit forming, so we're trying Serequel, my first dose of which left me tired and groggy. I'll try cutting the pills in half...
Neither of these AD's has really helped that much with the ADHD, but they have certainly cleared up the fog that I had been living with for years and I can relate to those around me much better now. My wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the same time I started treatment and I can't imagine the basket case I'd be without the Effexor. We'll look at the ADHD later.
All of this is to say that finding a good Pdoc who will WORK with you and who KNOWS the drugs and their interactions is essential as is PATIENCE. The later is very difficult when results are desired soooooo badly. I have come to grips with the fact that I will most likely need to be on meds for the rest of my life. So be it, if I can enjoy life and be 'normal'... The darkness is gone, I can finally CONTROL my thoughts.
TR
Posted by CraigD on December 19, 2003, at 16:02:18
In reply to My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 11:31:51
Poo:
It is good to see a positive post. I think it is only normal that those having problems with their meds post their problems on this board while those happy with their meds probably don't spend too much time on babble.
For those reasons, it is good to hear about happy results.
Posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 23:13:04
In reply to My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 11:31:51
I forgot to mention: I'm male and 46. The Effexor effectively shut down my sex drive, not a HUGE deal at this point as my wife is having her own problems with chemo and recovery from ovarian cancer. However, the Wellbutrin definitely helped with sustained erection and orgasm. At least that's not a worry any more. In fact my orgasms are some of the best ever. There is hope for those, especially male, who are having difficulty in this area.
I'd read about it on the boards after experiencing it, was brave enough to mention it to my Pdoc and she understood completely and prescribed the WB.
TR
Posted by awatts on December 20, 2003, at 9:33:53
In reply to Re: My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 23:13:04
> I forgot to mention: I'm male and 46. The Effexor effectively shut down my sex drive, not a HUGE deal at this point as my wife is having her own problems with chemo and recovery from ovarian cancer. However, the Wellbutrin definitely helped with sustained erection and orgasm.
I'm about the same age, and 225mg of Effexor XR has completely shut me down sexualy. What are the dossages of Effexor and Wellbutrin that you are taking, and how long did it take for the Wellbutrin to help with orgasm?
This is of great interest to me.
Posted by PoohBear on December 20, 2003, at 14:26:56
In reply to Re: My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by awatts on December 20, 2003, at 9:33:53
I am down to 75mg of Effexor XR and I take 75mg of Wellbutrin. I'm trying 37.5mg of WB today to see if I get the same benefit.
TR
Posted by PoohBear on December 20, 2003, at 14:29:27
In reply to Re: Dosages of Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 20, 2003, at 14:26:56
Oh I forgot to answer your secongd question: The WB helps with erectile function and orgasms within the first 24 hours. It's great!
TR
Posted by Waterlily on December 20, 2003, at 21:29:03
In reply to My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 11:31:51
I appreciate your well-written post about your experiences with psychiatric meds. So sorry to hear about your wife. I hope her cancer clears. I wholeheartedly agree with your advice to stick out the side effects of medicines (this is, of course, with your doctor's blessing). I have had any number of rotten side effects with meds, including extreme anxiety, nausea, sweating, hot flashes, chills, etc. and they invariably go away so that only mild side effects are left.
I, unfortunately, did not have the luck that you did with Effexor. I have been on Wellbutrin for about 8 years and have been trying to add something to it to alleviate generalized anxiety. I've tried Paxil, Prozac, imipramine, Serzone, and this summer it was Effexor. Effexor was a great med after its initial horrific break-in period, EXCEPT that it gave me insomnia. Otherwise, it was good because it brought out the best in my personality. I felt like I was being the best 'me' possible. Unfortunately, without sleep I just did not function well. Heck, I worked a midnight shift one night and after getting home, after being awake for 26 hours straight, I still could not sleep. I'm giving Luvox a shot now. My doc wants me to increase the dose, but I think I'll wait until after Christmas because I had such terrible anxiety initially.
Posted by PoohBear on December 21, 2003, at 20:46:37
In reply to Re: My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by Waterlily on December 20, 2003, at 21:29:03
Waterlily:
I have only had luck with Effexor XR. The insomnia has gotten better with time, and after going to a lower dose. I am using Seroquel right now for sleep, but my Pdoc says that if we get the right dosage on the Effexor and WB and the depression is under control, I should be able to sleep on my own.
Good luck!
TR
Posted by Bill LL on December 22, 2003, at 15:48:43
In reply to Re: My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by Waterlily on December 20, 2003, at 21:29:03
Waterlily- One thing that came to mind after reading your post is that maybe you should go back to Effexor, and add Ambien for sleep.
Posted by Bill LL on December 22, 2003, at 15:52:54
In reply to My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by PoohBear on December 19, 2003, at 11:31:51
I saw that you needed to decrease the Wellbutrin due to jitters and insomnia. And that you still have ADD symptoms. Wellbutrin often times works for ADD, but the dosage generally would have to be higher than your 75 mg.
If the ADD is a big problem, a new drug called Straterra is effective and usually does not cause jitteriness. Otherwise if it's not too bad of a problem, you might not want to take anything for it.
Posted by PoohBear on December 23, 2003, at 10:57:28
In reply to Re: My Experience with Effexor and Wellbutrin, posted by Bill LL on December 22, 2003, at 15:52:54
Bill:
The WB is for sexual side effects, not for the ADHD. My PDoc is thinking that we'll add Aderall for that at a later date after everything else is going smoothly.
TR
Posted by Waterlily on December 24, 2003, at 21:39:30
In reply to Re: to Waterlily, posted by Bill LL on December 22, 2003, at 15:48:43
> Waterlily- One thing that came to mind after reading your post is that maybe you should go back to Effexor, and add Ambien for sleep.
Thanks for the input, but I did that already. I don't want to have to rely on Ambien to offset the side effects of Effexor. Effexor also had some s*xual side effects that my husband and I could do without. Rather find something that allows me to sleep and helps with the anxiety. I may come back to Effexor some day, but first I'm going to see if there's another med out there that works without the side effects.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.