Posted by Mark H. on March 16, 2000, at 22:03:25
In reply to Effexor CamW,Noa Or Anyone Taking Effexor, posted by gloria on March 16, 2000, at 17:19:46
To Michael's brilliant summary, I'd add that Effexor is potentiated by Ritalin and either potentiated or concentrated by Pindolol, a beta-blocker. My latest drug book now states that taking Pindolol and Effexor together is not recommended. However, it works well for me. Caveat emptor!
I eat like a horse on Effexor, and I have gained weight for the first time in my 50-year life. I have two friends who stopped taking Effexor because they couldn't stand the weight gain.
I found Effexor by itself to require ever-higher doses to remain effective. By the time I was taking more than the highest recommended in-patient dosage (as an outpatient), I would start getting withdrawal symptoms within six hours of my last dose. When I quit, I had flu symptoms for six weeks and initial rebound that was truly amazing. It takes some people literally months to get off of it. Do not go lightly into Effexor-land!
For me, the true miracle was in the combination of medications -- methylphenidate (generic Ritalin) and pindolol both seem to make a relatively small about of Effexor (150mg/day with breakfast) as effective or even more effective than a much higher dosage of Effexor alone. I haven't had to increase the amount of Effexor I take in almost 3 years now.
I want to have a long, serious, detailed and completely honest discussion of the sexual side-effects with Michael and others at some point, but we should save that for another thread.
It took more than 20 different antidepressants and adjunctives before I found the combination that worked for me. At this time, I know of no way to block the increased appetite/weight gain problem if you have it.
One other odd side effect: when I was taking Effexor alone, I found that I tended to say everything two or three times, especially in meetings if the subject animated me. When I quit taking it, I once again usually said things only once. On this lower, potentiated dosage, I don't think I repeat myself as often, or perhaps people are just more polite to me now having known me longer!
poster:Mark H.
thread:27219
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000312/msgs/27262.html