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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 AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
hello, I am new to effexor but definitly not new to anti depressants. This is my third week on the medication and i have gone from 37.5 to 75 to 150mgs. I am also on 200 mgs of wellbutrin. problem: my hands are shaking pretty badly. is this common? any remedies? also, please any encouragement that this drug will help my anxiety is welcome. Thoughs on cognitive/behavioral therapy are welcome too. Thanks
Posted by Stryker88 on February 6, 2004, at 15:50:14
In reply to new to effexor have some ?s, posted by AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
I have been takin Effexor XR 150mg for about a year and the side effects are minimal compared to other AD's they last for a little while then they go away!!
Posted by laurie_lu on February 6, 2004, at 23:16:33
In reply to new to effexor have some ?s, posted by AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
I'm on 150mg of Effexor XR. Been on this medication for about 2 months. My hands tremble alot now also. My doc says it is because Effexor blocks the reuptake of norepinephrine which is responsible for the jitteriness. Drinking anything with caffeine makes the tremors much worse for me. For me Effexor has been more beneficial for my anxiety than for my depression. I don't worry about things like I use to or dwell endlessly on stuff. I'm not so nervous anymore either.
Posted by AFR on February 7, 2004, at 12:14:59
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s, posted by laurie_lu on February 6, 2004, at 23:16:33
you mention it has not done much or your depression. that makes me nervous. I was told it is an anti depressant, and an anti-anxiety. I need both. Maybe that is why i am on wellbutrin as well. I am thinking I may need to lower my dose. this hand shaking is so annoying. are you only on effexor?
Posted by sarahsundae on February 8, 2004, at 8:20:38
In reply to new to effexor have some ?s, posted by AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
I was on Effexfor for four months and I never had any hand shaking issues. It helpd with my depression but caused me more problems then anything and I stopped taking it.
I have been on Wellbutrin since November and it has changed and saved me.
Posted by AFR on February 8, 2004, at 12:43:06
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s, posted by sarahsundae on February 8, 2004, at 8:20:38
What kind of problems did Effexor cause you? I have heard it is pretty hard to come off of. I think you really have to go slowly. Did you go slowly or stop suddenly?
Posted by SFgirl on February 8, 2004, at 17:59:38
In reply to new to effexor have some ?s, posted by AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
Hi there,
The first couple of days I was on Effexor I was shaky...it seems to me that you're dosage is high really quick! Maybe you are just taking way too much? I wasn't at 150 mg until I was on it for 5 months! if I accidentally take an extra dosage I get really shaky and dizzy....however I would talk to your doctor because lowering your own dosage is not a good idea AT ALL! Effexor is a creepy drug!
Posted by AFR on February 8, 2004, at 21:26:17
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s, posted by SFgirl on February 8, 2004, at 17:59:38
Yea, i am on 150 and I have only been on it for three weeks. I spent a week on each dosage, 37.5, 75, then 150. I am going to my doctor tommorow, so we'll see. Why is it so hard to get off of, why is it such a scary drug? kind of freaks me out
Posted by justjustine on February 8, 2004, at 21:51:23
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s » SFgirl, posted by AFR on February 8, 2004, at 21:26:17
it is scary because many people, myself included, experience a severe withdrawal syndrome when the medication is discontinued. additionallly, prescribing doctors often do not have experience taking someone off of the drug.
it's like a month of heroin jones, plus other side effects.
> Yea, i am on 150 and I have only been on it for three weeks. I spent a week on each dosage, 37.5, 75, then 150. I am going to my doctor tommorow, so we'll see. Why is it so hard to get off of, why is it such a scary drug? kind of freaks me out
Posted by Stryker88 on February 9, 2004, at 3:56:02
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s, posted by justjustine on February 8, 2004, at 21:51:23
Effexor withdrawl is nothing like Heroin Jones, dont get yourself mixed up. I am a recovering addict and for you too comparre the two is funny, because Heroin withdrawl is 20 times worse. Effexor withdrawl does not cause foaming at the mouth, unconcious hallucintaions, and vomiting blood.
Posted by rainyday on February 9, 2004, at 7:21:39
In reply to new to effexor have some ?s, posted by AFR on February 6, 2004, at 15:39:48
> hello, I am new to effexor but definitly not new to anti depressants. This is my third week on the medication and i have gone from 37.5 to 75 to 150mgs. I am also on 200 mgs of wellbutrin. problem: my hands are shaking pretty badly. is this common? any remedies? also, please any encouragement that this drug will help my anxiety is welcome.
I recently was upped from 75 to 150mg of effexor and am going through the same side effects as I did on the original dosage. The recovery time seems shorter - and to me, this medication had been a godsend. My anxiety is reducing with every day. It helps to keep a log or diary to chart how you feel. If you can see your progress on paper it does reinforce the positive effects of the meds! My side effects while becoming adjusted to the medication include: hand shaking, body twiching, excessive sweating, weight gain, and dry mouth. All I can say is that individual reactions vary a lot from person to person!
Thoughs on cognitive/behavioral therapy are welcome too. Thanks
I am also seeing a t-doc concurrently with the p-doc. It has helped me tremendously. I truly believe this is the right combination for me: to treat the chemical imbalance with medication and my reactions to stress and anxiety with therapy.
Good luck!
Posted by RFM on May 3, 2006, at 10:37:34
In reply to Re: new to effexor have some ?s (sorry long post), posted by rainyday on February 9, 2004, at 7:21:39
I am not new to AD's! As a nurse I passed them out for 15 years! None of them worked for me, I had horrible headaches on all.
Ive been on effexor for about 5 weeks. The initial dose did nothing. Then the first day of taking the higher dose 75's I felt like "ok life is good again. I was fine ( shakey though) and happy which is what I needed. About a week ago I felt like i wanted to die again! Spend a few days back in bed and decided it was time to call the Doc. Called the doc, and asked for a small increase due to what i thought was just me being hypersensitive to the medication. He wanted to increase my dose 100%. Being a medical prof. (not a doctor a nurse) myself i asked him(pleaded) to only increase by 37.5 just so that i could see how i felt. He insisted i take 75 more and assured me that some of his patients take 400mg a day! i HAPPEND TO HAVE EXTRA 37.5'S AND ONLY INCREASED BY THAT AMOUNT! I KNOW MY BODY BETTER THAN HE DOES! MY THOUGHTS...............INSIST THAT YOUR DOCTOR TREATS YOU INDIVIDUALLY. IF YOUR HAVING A PROBLEM (EVEN IF HE SAYS HE'S NEVER HEARD OF IT) INSIST AND BE PERSISTANT-WERE ALL DIFFERENT WHAT WORKS FOR ONE MAY NOT WORK FOR THE OTHER. EFFEXOR HAS SAVED MY LIFE FOR NOW. BUT IM VERY SHAKEY, I HOWEVER HAVE XANAX FOR PANIC AND IT DOES HELP WITH THE SHAKINESS. BUT AS FOR ONLY INCREASING MY DOSE BY 37.5MG I WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF MY HEAD AND BUZZED UP. I TOOK IT AT 7AM AND HAD TO TAKE 1.5 XANAX TO SLEEP AND STILL WOKE UP ALL NIGHT. I HAVE AN APPT TODAY AND I CALLED AND LET THE OFFICE KNOW THAT I NEEDED MORE THAN A 15 MIN. APPT WITH THE DOC. I AM GOING TO REMIND HIM POLITELY-TO PLEASE TREAT ME LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL. AND LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING. THE EFFEXOR INCREASE OF ONLY 37.5 HAD ME COMPLETELY WIRED WAY INTO THE NIGHT. YOU NEED TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND INSIST ON INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT. UNLESS YOUR A MED. PROF. OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS.... YOUR ON YOUR OWN. YOU ARE THE ONLY VOICE YOU HAVE. IF SOMETHING DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT LET HIM/HER KNOW AND BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE. IF THEY DONT LISTEN FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL AND ON YOUR FIRST VISIT LET THE DOC KNOW THAT YOUR BASICALLY INTERVIEWING THEM. THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL LISTEN. LET EM KNOW ON YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT THAT YOUR LOOKING FOR A DOCTOR THAT WILL LISTEN TO YOUR NEEDS! IF THEY BUCK AT YOU-RIGHT THEN AND THERE YOU KNOW. IT MAY TAKE YOU A LITTLE TIME, BUT ARE YOUR NOT WORTH IT. IT WILL PAY OFF IN THE LONG RUN. I AM NOT SAYING TO DO WHAT I DID, OR TO ADJUST YOUR MEDS. THATS JUST WHAT I DID. BECAUSE I KNNNOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW MMMMYYYY BBBOOOODDDDYYYYY! HE DOES NOT! SPEAK UUP FOR YOURSELVES!
This is the end of the thread.
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