Posted by willow on February 4, 2001, at 23:50:26
In reply to February is Effexor month at PBabble, posted by danf on February 4, 2001, at 7:17:04
> Dx effexor taken for ?
*depression, though I've had CFS for 5 years
(somitization disorder)> did you like it or not, why ?
*it's helping for thinking problems
don't feel drugged, high> which version *-effexor XR
> how it helped
*maybe because it made me so relaxed?
time of day taken *morning and early afternoon
It's suppose to be once a day but I get a bad headache in the evening if I do this. It's sorta like a migraine without the throbbing. If I forget a dose also I'll probably remember the second one. I get real cranky if I miss a dose.
> side effects starting & what helped
*headache in afternoon so split dose up into twice a day, tylenol with codeine helped headache some, it's pretty much gone now unless I miss a dose -heart pounding really hard when I lie down, lessen over the months: just wait to fall asleep - hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, moved dose time earlier into the day, and with time becoming less of a problem
- weird dreams, they're becoming more normal but I think I dream a lot on this med or it's just that I remember them
- had a hard time waking up, really bad: went away after four months DON'T KNOW HOW SOMEONE COULD GET TO WORK WITH THIS ONE IT WAS BAD
- sweating, night sweats: seems to be less
- started getting pimples, probably from sweating, not a problem anymore
- period of no motivation, though mood was good: lasted several months WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM IF I HAD TO WORK I was taking a course at college almost lost the credit, but didn't care much: I knew enough that this was really different for me. It just seemed to go away the same time as the waking up problem did.
- strong constant urge to chew my fingernails: just woke up one day and the urge was gone, unfortunately its turned into a habit (I'm working on it)
- constipation (skip a dose or take a quarter of the daily dose for a day or two and it helps)
- tingling and shaking in fingers of left hand when I initially tried to up the dose, waited longer to up dose and no problem
- sexual problems
- severe daydreaming> side effects on the med & what helped
* listed above most went away with time, upped dosage very slowly 37.5mg every three to four weeks, upto 150mg now probably around this level will work
Plus: starting to get dizzy when I stand up too quickly if I'm doing physical activity. Don't know if this is the effexor though, take other meds as needed> side effects stopping & what helped
*don't plan on stopping in the near future, but do suspect that this is physically addictive because of symptoms when a dose is missed, and with time have had to increase dose Hoping to find a plateau.> time on med ( days, weeks, months, etc)
* 4-5 months, probably on it for a long time (?)> if you took other meds & discontinued them before effexor, if so why ?
*imparine (sp it's an old standard) cried all the time
*trazadone- vertigo, weird thoughts, anxiety over these thoughts (suicidal), racing thoughts
*nortiplyine (sp) face flushing, heart pounding (doctor said it was anxiety, but it started with this drug and went away when I stopped it. suprisingly pharmacist said it's just a side effect of effexor, which he warned me about before taking it) extreme mood swings, irritableTwo others I can't remember the names, but one made me feel stoned (emotional zombie) and the other I kept get a worse constant headache after being on it for two weeks, unbearable, needless to say I also became very irritable.
> any other info or anything that happened to you on effexor or that you know about effexor.
*It has helped me with mental functioning, where nothing else has. Hopefully with time it will help with other symptoms, fatigue, pain etc. It seems to not help with muscle problems (pain and spasms), but I'm better able to tolerate them.
> vision changes ?
*Am starting to see stars, but have had this before effexor. Was gone though.PS I don't like it when posts say it should be taken off the market. I'm aware that it may be hard to get off of even though the doctor didn't mention this. For me it is working when nothing else has. Yes, people should be made aware of this and perhaps it shouldn't be the first med offered. But so far, for myself it's giving me back my life slowly.
poster:willow
thread:53280
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010131/msgs/53330.html