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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
I was prepared to start taking Effexor later this week and then I found this site. Now I'm terrified. Does anyone do well on this drug? Does anyone have any sex drive while on it? I am currently taking prozac and wellbutrin, and now I'm reading all these postings from people wanting to go back on prozac and/or wellbutrin and get off effexor. What's up with this drug? My "new" dr. says its the best thing out there.
Posted by woolav on August 22, 2005, at 8:30:51
In reply to Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
I think it depends on your problems.
I took effexor, it didnt work for me. I take prozac now, it does cause the sexual side effects, but not weight gain or anything else. I am very happy with that drug. Plus, my pdoc told me that it lasts longer with out "poop-out" than any other AD. Why does he want to switch you from the regimine your on now?
S
Posted by bart on August 22, 2005, at 10:41:23
In reply to Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
yes, I would rather be on prozac and wellbutrin than effexor. I can't quite reconcile claims of its effectiveness with my own experience and many of the postings on this site.
but then again, maybe you could be someone who responds well to it. But, if you've already got negative expectations I would imagine that would effect how you respond to it
Posted by Ilene on August 22, 2005, at 13:09:12
In reply to Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
> I was prepared to start taking Effexor later this week and then I found this site. Now I'm terrified. Does anyone do well on this drug? Does anyone have any sex drive while on it? I am currently taking prozac and wellbutrin, and now I'm reading all these postings from people wanting to go back on prozac and/or wellbutrin and get off effexor. What's up with this drug? My "new" dr. says its the best thing out there.
Many of the regular posters here are people with treatment-resistant disorders, or people who suffer a lot of side effects. We're not representative of the rest of humanity. I took Effexor and had no problems *except* withdrawal. On the other hand, it didn't affect my depression.
I.
Posted by Racer on August 22, 2005, at 18:47:27
In reply to Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
I might be confused, but is the Wellbutrin/Prozac combination working well for you? If it is, there's no reason to change it.
If it's not working well for you, of course, that's another story...
If this is a new doctor, could he just plain be doing a "new broom" thing? Just changing whatever your last doctor prescribed in order to prove he's earning his fee?
My guess is that he has had good responses to Effexor with other patients, so he's prescribing it more often, and thus seeing more good responses. Make no mistake -- Effexor is a good AD for many people. I took it for a couple of years, in combination with Prozac, before it pooped out on me. As Ilene pointed out, this site isn't a great place to go for reassurance -- most of us are treatment resistant to one extent or another, most of us are here to learn more in hopes of finding a treatment that will work, and still allow us to live something like a normal life. Your mileage will vary, especially if you've responded well to meds in the past.
Did your doctor say why he was changing you over to Effexor?
Posted by Blossom on August 22, 2005, at 22:00:02
In reply to Re: Effexor - I'm so confused » ursula, posted by Ilene on August 22, 2005, at 13:09:12
Okay, you want assurance. I'll offer some. Effexor has been the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I have more hope and happiness than I have had in years. I'm enjoying life, and I can laugh, and well, it has really done wonders for me. That said, I will say that I have experienced the sexual side effects. Its not that I have no sex drive at all, but I'd say it's usually much less than normal. I also seem to require much more sleep than I used to. As long as I get my 10+ hours, I'm good. But who has time for that?
The really nice side effect is that it has caused me to lose weight.
I'd say that you should really think long and hard before trying any anti-depressant. See if other therapies like psychotherapy and/or St. John's Wort or something natural works for you, because these ADs are pretty potent, but for some people, they are the right choice.
After 1.5 years on meds, I'm still trying to decide if I'm one of those people.
Blossom
Posted by ursula on August 23, 2005, at 14:31:18
In reply to Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 22, 2005, at 0:14:54
to answer a few questions - my new pdoc is changing my meds because my currents ones just aren't working. I was on a combo of prozac and desipramine for years which was fairly effective. then my med doc determined that I was toxic on the desprimine and I needed to go off it. I weaned off and then experienced the worst depression in 17 years. She then put me on wellbutrin with the prozac but it just hasn't worked. I went to the new pdoc because my med doc didn't really know where to go next. his first recommendation was to try increasing the prozac and decreasing the wellbutrin. It's been 2 1/2 weeks and no change. His second choice is effexor, but after reading some of the info on this site I'm just not sure about it. I see him again on thursday and will need to decide. I'm worried about some of the side effects mentioned and lack of sex drive. I currently have little interest in sex and it is causing problems with my marriage although my husband is very understanding. I just don't want it to get even worse. Also the withdrawal symptoms sound terrible, even though I know I will always have to be on something. It sounds like effexor loses it's effectiveness fairly quickly. I just don't know what to think.
Posted by ed_uk on August 23, 2005, at 16:01:24
In reply to Re: Effexor - I'm so confused, posted by ursula on August 23, 2005, at 14:31:18
>I weaned off and then experienced the worst depression in 17 years.
Why not use desipramine at a lower dose?
Desipramine interacts with Prozac, raising the blood level of desipramine. Desipramine can be combined with Lexapro, Celexa and Zoloft.
~Ed
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