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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
Does anyone have anything good to say about effexor? My doc just put me on it, and I"m terrified that I"ll get fat or have all sorts of horrendous problems. I had sexual side effects on paxil, and muslce spasms, sleep problems, etc, so I'm wondering what can be worse...
Posted by IsoM on August 29, 2002, at 18:43:29
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
I don't want to sound encouraging or discouraging, but you won't know until you give it a proper trial. One person's poison can be another's lifesaver. A bad reaction to one SSRI or even several doesn't mean that none of them would be good.
As discouraging as it may be, you need to work with your doctor, trying to be as objective as possible when keeping track of how you feel. If you don't think you can, enlist someone else to help. I found with my son that even when he didn't think the med was helping initially, I noticed a slight improvement. It was enough to encourage him to stick to it till it truly worked.
On the other hand, if side effects are overwhelmingly horrible without feeling an improvement in mood, let your doctor know. Don't just stop abruptly. It's still a guessing games for doctors & patients as to what will work & what won't. Same with side effects. One med that was supposed to have a high incidence of nausea didn't affect me like that at all. But it did make me anorexic to the point where I wouldn't eat. So each person will react differently. You've got to stay as positive as possible & keep trying. There generally is a combo that will work for someone & patience is needed. I can't stress the patience enough. And I know how frustrating it is after going through so many & still not finding the right mix. But it CAN be found.
Posted by joy on August 29, 2002, at 19:13:03
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
Strangely, Effexor XR works better for many people than any of the SSRIs. You don't know till you try. I know a couple of people on it; one of which has had Effexor change his life for the better [his pdoc added Buspar and made it even more effective]. Give it a try for a few weeks [start low dose]. You can always wean down if you change your mind. Good luck.
Joy
Posted by utopizen on August 29, 2002, at 19:13:43
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
Congrats!
I saw my doc yesterday, and started on 37.5 from the trial pack this morning... I'm targetting at 150 mg. eventually.
I'm taking it for social anxiety, after celexa, paxil failed. This is the last draw until I give in to an MAOI...
good luck! =)
Posted by sleepy lizard on August 30, 2002, at 18:38:28
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
Yes there are some good things to say about Effexor XR. I've had good results with it. It has been good at relieving my anxiety and depression and does not give me the spaced out feeling I got with Paxil. (The bad thing with all drugs that increase serotonin is sexual side effects and muscle spasms and sleep problems.) I was also able to drop the dosage down by 75 mg at a time without trouble. I have had nightmares and shocks when I stopped taking it for 3 days. I understand that is the temporary result of the brain not having enough serotonin because it has adjusted to the new levels with the medication. I lost 20 weight on Effexor, in combination with exercise. I don't know how much is due to the Effexor though (75 mg/day now). The only other medications that I would recommend are Wellbutrin SR (probably will not help anxiety, only depression) and Remeron (30 mg/day). My doctor told me that Remeron is not as effective as the SSRIs at relieving depression. If you get sexual side effects (like anorgasmia) you may be able counter it with Wellbutrin SR (100-300 mg/day, which I am doing) or with Buspar. You may not have all the problems that others have reported. The side effects are dose related.
Posted by winger on September 1, 2002, at 20:31:22
In reply to Re: Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad » TenelKa, posted by sleepy lizard on August 30, 2002, at 18:38:28
I have been taking 37.5 mg of effexor XR for 3 months now, and have had fewer side effects than with any other I have tried so far...
I seem happier and more attentive... though I still have anxiety now and then...
At higher doeses, it gave me anxiousness and the jitters, so I can't speak for the higher doses..
and I haven't had major problems when I have missed a dose.... just take it slow, and remember it has a short half life - that's the reason for the XR version.. so at first, don't miss a dose and it will go better for you..
good luck
Posted by johnlund on September 4, 2002, at 21:38:35
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
> Does anyone have anything good to say about effexor? My doc just put me on it, and I"m terrified that I"ll get fat or have all sorts of horrendous problems. I had sexual side effects on paxil, and muslce spasms, sleep problems, etc, so I'm wondering what can be worse...
Yes, I have had great luck with Effexor 150mg per day. It is the only AD that has worked for me. I will relate one very odd thing that happened when I started taking it. After about 3 or 4 weeks into Effexor, one afternoon I felt this calm, warm feeling starting in my lower back. Then it gradually moved up my back and into my head. I felt calm and peaceful. It was the strangest thing. I have not been very depressed since. I have been on Effexor for 3 years now. And there have been several occassions in the past three years that would have caused me to drop right into a deep depression. But on Effexor they only lasted a couple of days where I was kind of sad and upset. Probably, I figure, the way a normal person would handle a bad circumstance in life. So I was able to work through the situations without withdrawing and thinking I was a hopeless case. And by working through the situation, and not withdrawing, I was able to get through them without too much difficulty. So Effexor has been very very good to me!!
Posted by TenelKa on September 5, 2002, at 20:03:35
In reply to Re: Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by johnlund on September 4, 2002, at 21:38:35
Thank you for relating that experience! I'm feeling a little better and I've only been on it for a week :) Your story gives me hope that effexor isn't as bad as e veryone says it is :)
Posted by Roman on September 6, 2002, at 11:31:04
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
A good friend was in bad shape a year ago. She tried several meds (Paxil, Serzone, + others) and could not tolerate their side-effects. She suffered through months of despair trying to dull the pain with Ativan, Ambien, Xanax, and a number of OTC remedies--nothing helped. Even years of psychotherapy and a hospital stay did little for her depression/anxiety.
Out of desperation, she returned to her pdoc and pleaded for something else to try. The doctor prescribed Effexor XR. Within a few months she was like a new person--truly amazing--happy and alert.
She had to deal with a few side-effects at first, as many of us do, but it was well worth it. Additionally, she lost a great deal of weight and improved on many other aspects of her life (social, job, etc).
If you can't tolerate Effexor, talk to your doc and stop/switch to another med. If you can tough-out a few weeks of discomfort, you may find yourself in a better place when you get through to the other side of the tunnel--my friend sure did.
Good luck!
Posted by johnlund on September 6, 2002, at 21:35:29
In reply to Re: Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on September 5, 2002, at 20:03:35
> Thank you for relating that experience! I'm feeling a little better and I've only been on it for a week :) Your story gives me hope that effexor isn't as bad as e veryone says it is :)
No problem. Take care, and I hope get better.
John
Posted by nmk on September 7, 2002, at 10:42:59
In reply to Re: Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on September 5, 2002, at 20:03:35
I started on Effexor xr just one month ago after the zoloft trial failed. I started with 37.5 mg and am now up to 150 mg. I have noticed an improvement in both my mood and anxiety but am still not 100%. My pdoc suggested increasing the dosage to 225mg but it made me very dizzy, "spaced-out", and I was sweating like crazy. I am going to stick it out at least another month or so to see if there is any more improvement and I suggest you do the same. As uncomfortable as it seems now, this may be the medication for you. My doc also prescibed adderall xr to get me through the day but I have mixed emotions on this one since it seems to aggravate the anxiety. Hang in there and keep posting if you need to.
Posted by John T on September 10, 2002, at 19:36:29
In reply to Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by TenelKa on August 29, 2002, at 18:00:23
> Does anyone have anything good to say about effexor? My doc just put me on it, and I"m terrified that I"ll get fat or have all sorts of horrendous problems. I had sexual side effects on paxil, and muslce spasms, sleep problems, etc, so I'm wondering what can be worse...
I've been on Effexor for a little over a year now and, have to say, I'm much better off then I was last September. I was initially on Paxil but my pdoc switched me to Effexor XR (went up to 300mg) after a suicide attempt. Therapy and the drugs really helped me get my life back on track. However, due to various side effects of the Effexor (sweating, chills, insomnia, tiredness, electric shocks, weight gain) I did have to make some changes in my daily life. I used to be an avid runner but have since stopped due to the fact I get dizzy, sweat uncontrolably, and can't run close to the level I was at prior to starting the drugs. I've also noticed more and more that I'm very forgetfull and often find it hard to concentrate.
All in all, my therapy and drugs saved my life. getting through a day was much more important than running,etc... However, now that I'm recovering and on my way back to a more happy and healthy life the Effexor is getting in the way. I'm desperate to start running again, stop sweating, stop forgetting things, and wouldn't even mind having my sex life return to normal. I'm now trying to taper off the Effexor and am down to 75mg. The withdrawl symptoms are horrifying and i'm looking for a new pdoc that is more willing to help me and less willing to get an incentive check from the makers of Effexor.
Thus, my point after so much babbling...find a doctor that will be completely honest and work with you. You may want to ask your doc directly if he/she receives compensation from particular drug companies. If they're hesitant to answer that may be a bad sign. Also, ask yourself and your doc if you're in a bad enough place/condition where you need to possibly sacrifice some activities/comfort for your health. Lastly, see if there are alternatives that will work for you that have fewer side effects and withdrawl symptoms. If I had it to do over again I would do everything in my power to avoid Effexor simply based on the terrible withdrawl symptoms I'm experiencing. However, I'd still choose the Effexor over the condition I was in last year at this time. Just keep in mind, Effexor has its price (for me anyway). It's a shame, I'm very happy with the progress of my recovery but feel the Effexor is now hindering me rather helping. I hope some of this helps you.
Take care and good luck,
JFT
Posted by lucky on September 20, 2002, at 10:44:41
In reply to Re: Just started on Effexor, and all I've heard is bad, posted by winger on September 1, 2002, at 20:31:22
What does short half-life mean?? Sorry, i've heard the term before but not quite sure what it means.
This is the end of the thread.
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