![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Warty'smom on December 3, 2004, at 17:28:41
After 8 yrs on 40 mg of Prozac a day, I will start (after 2 days on nothing)Effexor XR (37.5 mg to start) once a day for renewed depression and chronic back pain. Any tips on how to manage a smoothe transfer? Or what I can expect?
Posted by MKB on December 3, 2004, at 21:10:09
In reply to New Effexor user, posted by Warty'smom on December 3, 2004, at 17:28:41
You are wise to seek information. Please read everything you can on this site and elsewhere. Effexor does have many undesirable side effects, but the worst part is when you have to get off of it. Has your doctor given you any warnings?
Posted by Racer on December 4, 2004, at 10:00:51
In reply to New Effexor user, posted by Warty'smom on December 3, 2004, at 17:28:41
Effexor works slightly differently than Prozac, targetting more than just serotonin. When I started it years ago, the first few days I couldn't sleep, but I was still calm and comfortable and drowsy. After two nights, I think, I went to being able to sleep fine. My appetite was suppressed at first, but then I also have a history of eating disorder, so that was partly me, partly the drug. That appetite suppression also passed.
Mostly, with Effexor, the adjustment was pretty comfortable -- nothing that made me feel bad, really, just some annoying things that went away before they got annoying enough to complain about.
On the other hand, withdrawal from Effexor is rough for a lot of people. Some people have no problem with it, and some people have moderate problems, but if you're one of the unfortunate ones who have severe problems with it, it can be really rough. If your doctor hasn't discussed that part with you, go back and chat about it.
If pain is a problem for you, by the way, you might also ask about Cymbalta, which has a similar action to Effexor, but really seems to help with chronic pain. It's helping with my arthritis, and the pains associated with AN for me. And, so far, there's no word on withdrawal, and some of the studies have been pretty extended. Plus, of course, after the Effexor withdrawal problems, I would guess that checking it out for withdrawal problems would be a priority with Cymbalta!
Hope that helps.
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.