![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Stephie on August 16, 2005, at 22:38:05
In reply to Re: effexor xr and side effects, posted by Cindy W on August 3, 2000, at 9:19:00
Hello all...i'm so glad i found this site because i am going to start my therapy of Effexor XR tomorrow. I'm very skeptical on taking anti-depressants because of the horrible experience i had with prozac and zoloft in the past. About 4 years ago, i tried to take my life after taking zoloft, klonopin, and zanax. After only a week of on it i was climbing the walls, not eating, sleeping, and just going crazy...i ended up taking an overdose of zanax, and klonopin. Well, i survived it, and have not taken any kind of AD since, But i have over the years taken zanax for my severe PMS, and anxiety. I am a recovering drug addict (choice of drug was meth) and have been recovered 5 years now. Now that i'm going through menopause at the age of 40, i have been experiencing severe anxiety, and depression. This severe panic disorder put me in the hospital because i thought i was having a heart attack. Went through all the testing, and everything with my heart was fine. This told me i had a severe panic disorder. I finally went to my doctor today. She saw the trembling, and noticed right away something was wrong. She suggested putting me on effexor xr....(with zanax when needed) Well, i plan on starting on it tomorrow, and am having anxiety about it. I know everybody reacts differently. I'm just wondering how i'm going to react to it. I'm just hoping it works for me because i have been at my wits end for the past 6 months. I've had my moments of depression sooooo severe, i've wanted to end my life. I know it's linked with hormone changes but i refuse to take HRT. Any kind of experience or advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated.
Stephie~
Posted by ClearSkies on August 18, 2005, at 7:03:10
In reply to Re: effexor xr and side effects » Cindy W, posted by Stephie on August 16, 2005, at 22:38:05
Hello, Stephie - welcome to Babble. I had a great deal of relief from my depression and anxiety with Effexor for over a year (then it pooped out on me) and now I am on Cymbalta, a similar medication. It was a smooth transition for me.
There are many people here with experiences relating to Effexor - some good, some not so good. You tend not to read about the good experiences (since when do people post about feeling well on a mental health site??) but there is a wealth of information here.
Have a look around and join in on any of the boards - and welcome, again!
ClearSkies
Posted by stephie on August 18, 2005, at 12:09:25
In reply to Re: effexor xr and side effects » Stephie, posted by ClearSkies on August 18, 2005, at 7:03:10
> Hello, Stephie - welcome to Babble. I had a great deal of relief from my depression and anxiety with Effexor for over a year (then it pooped out on me) and now I am on Cymbalta, a similar medication. It was a smooth transition for me.
>
> There are many people here with experiences relating to Effexor - some good, some not so good. You tend not to read about the good experiences (since when do people post about feeling well on a mental health site??) but there is a wealth of information here.
>
> Have a look around and join in on any of the boards - and welcome, again!
> ClearSkies
Thank you ClearSkies~
Well, i started my first dose yesterday, and about an hour into it. . . i started feeling anxious, very nauseas, almost to the point of getting dry heaves, dizziness, nervousness, diarrhea, blurred vision. I noticed my pupils were dilated and i felt like i was speeding my *ss off. And being a former meth addict, I am not liking this feeling at all. I have no appetite. Have to force feed myself. I also take Zanax in the evening to help me sleep, but it didn't seem to work well. I got a total of about 3-1/2 hours of sleep last night. I'm on my second day, and can't wait to take my dose at 11:30. I just hope i don't feel like i did yesterday. Right now, i'm feeling really spaced out. I feel like a zomibie, I have slight paranoia, and have dull emotions. Not to mention no-stop diarrhea. I am going to hang in there though and give it time, and hope that these side effects go away.
By the ways,I have been reading alot of posts on this website. Both good and bad.
Stephie~
Posted by ClearSkies on August 18, 2005, at 12:19:09
In reply to Re: effexor xr and side effects, posted by stephie on August 18, 2005, at 12:09:25
I presume you're starting at a dose of 37.5mg?? I took mine at night, partly because my anxiety seemed worse in the mornings than during other times of the day. Maybe my doctor was sparing me the worst of the side effects that way... just something to consider.
I experienced dry mouth (and eyeballs), some trembling, and upset tummy too. Nausea I think I remember was not good.
For me it took about 4 weeks for the initial side effects to subside. On the other hand, I did start feeling relief from my depression and anxiety, which is what encouraged me to hang in there, as did the support I received here.
Hope you feel better soon!!
ClearSkies
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Newbies | 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.