![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lg929 on October 10, 2003, at 14:03:05
I just started to take effexor. My doctor prescribed effexor XR, and with that, I am being weened off from Paxil. It's only been 7 days now of the lower dose...tomorrow I start with the whole dose. I don't feel too different except that I feel more like doing things. I was pretty depressed a few weeks ago sleeping ALL the time. Not so good when you're a mother of 3, going to school and going through a divorce at the same time. I felt utterly hopeless. I need some reassurance -L
Posted by KimberlyDi on October 10, 2003, at 15:50:27
In reply to Anyone out there just start Effexor XR?, posted by lg929 on October 10, 2003, at 14:03:05
I've gone through the entire life cycle of Effexor, almost. Experiencing *morning" sickness, hearing horror stores, being reborn as a person, seeing and experiencing life in ways previously unknown, and now having to quit because of heart problems.
Judge by your own experience and don't expect immediate results. Combat insomnia with Benedryl or Trazadone. I had good results with Paxil years ago and Effexor seemed better than Paxil to me. Depends on how your brain is wired.
Good Luck,
KDi in Texas
> I just started to take effexor. My doctor prescribed effexor XR, and with that, I am being weened off from Paxil. It's only been 7 days now of the lower dose...tomorrow I start with the whole dose. I don't feel too different except that I feel more like doing things. I was pretty depressed a few weeks ago sleeping ALL the time. Not so good when you're a mother of 3, going to school and going through a divorce at the same time. I felt utterly hopeless. I need some reassurance -L
>
>
>
Posted by oeps7 on October 10, 2003, at 15:53:07
In reply to Re: Anyone out there just start Effexor XR? » lg929, posted by KimberlyDi on October 10, 2003, at 15:50:27
Hi KimDi good to see you back. What med are you going to go on?
Mary
Posted by KimberlyDi on October 10, 2003, at 16:12:53
In reply to Re: Anyone out there just start Effexor XR?, posted by oeps7 on October 10, 2003, at 15:53:07
Mary,
Don't know. In this order I've tried: Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Effexor, 1 week Lexapro, Effexor again + Strattera, now Strattera only. I give it alittle time so I can fully go off Effexor and not get confused about withdrawal symptoms or side effects of a new med. I hoped that the depression was caused by an inability to deal with ADD but I'm on Strattera now, and the depression is hovering above and descending. I'm ok now but I know how suddenly it can overwhelm a person. I see my pdoc in 2.5 weeks.Thanks for your kind post,
KDi in Texas> Hi KimDi good to see you back. What med are you going to go on?
> Mary
Posted by MamaB on October 12, 2003, at 6:52:38
In reply to Anyone out there just start Effexor XR?, posted by lg929 on October 10, 2003, at 14:03:05
I too have taken most of the popular anti-depressants and found Effexor to be quite effective. Also do not believe the horror stories about "withdrawal" coming off of it. My doctor withdrew me VERY slowly. and I had no problems at all
Posted by Corny on October 14, 2003, at 0:25:40
In reply to Anyone out there just start Effexor XR?, posted by lg929 on October 10, 2003, at 14:03:05
I am also going to Effexor from Paxil. I'm hoping that I will someday soon get back to being the productive person I used to be. Have lost a business and a marriage while on Paxil. I think it has a lot to do with the Zombie attitude I took on. I have tried to get off Paxil on several occasions and could never get below 10mg per day without really falling apart. Have been taking Adderall for a couple of months too. When I was above 10 mg of Paxil I could drink a couple of pots of coffee a day trying to get motivated.
Posted by omegon on October 14, 2003, at 18:57:25
In reply to Anyone out there just start Effexor XR?, posted by lg929 on October 10, 2003, at 14:03:05
Yup, I've just switched from Paxil (20mg, was on it for 7 weeks) to Efexor XR (75mg) as well.
The first week I was a bit drowsy but quite cheerful. A few temporary weird effects which I attribute to going off Paxil, but now (after 11 days) I'm feeling someone more functional (though still more depressed than I'd like): many of the side effects I had on Paxil are gone (vertigo & generally wobbly world, morning sedation, afternoon near hypomania and mood swings and desire to drink huge amounts of alcohol to calm down, near total anorgasmia, numb mind feeling, metallic taste, messed up vision, destroyed digestive system, etc etc etc! fun stuff. All from 20mg and not improving after nearly two months). Efexor mainly just makes me sweat furiously for a couple of hours in the morning; ick - but even that's not as bad as on Paxil. Oh, and I get to have the most vivid and bizarre dreams I've ever had, which is fun. Shame I always wake up sweating.
The main problem I'm having is it that, since I take it as a single 75mg dose in the morning, it feels like it's substantially worn off by the time I wake up the _next_ morning (shaky, nervous, depressed - 5 hour half-life grrrrr), and then my mood g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y improves until by 6pm I'm feeling great. (Nine hours in... nine hours to "peak serum levels" for XR, apparently. Figures.) Paxil did this a bit but not so bad - longer half-life.
I'm going to ask my doctor this week if I can take raise the dose and take the extra 75mg in the evening to try and smooth it out. I think the problems with both drugs are partly due to the continuously changing levels of the drug in my system - the SSRI rollercoaster. (or should that be SSRI seesaw? depression down, sedation - up! side effects down, anxiety - up!) "Steady state" is anything but. The peak level might stop changing, sure, but you gotta climb the hill and fall back down every day.
Maybe I can just get the stuff added to my drinking water 8-)
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.