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Re: EFFEXOR XR - update w/ side effects and questions

Posted by Mr Cushing on November 26, 2002, at 11:18:23

In reply to Re: EFFEXOR XR - update w/ side effects and questions, posted by nilla on November 26, 2002, at 9:30:30


I'll define anxiety as the manic phase of Bi-Polar since it's relatively the same anyways...

Increased physical and mental activity and energy
Heightened mood
exaggerated optimism and self-confidence
Excessive irritability
aggressive behavior
Decreased need for sleep without experiencing fatigue
Grandiose delusions, inflated sense of self-importance
Racing speech, racing thoughts, flight of ideas
Impulsiveness, poor judgment, distractibility
Reckless behavior
In the most severe cases, delusions and hallucinations

I never had sexual side effects or lockjaw from Effexor, but I have heard of it, so it's common. One note though that you should probably keep in mind when using these ADs... you're taking them because without them life is almost unbearble, right? You know that old saying that you always must sacrifice something to get what you want? If you're not puking your brains out on a constant basis from taking these medications, then don't worry about it too much. If the side effects keep up for a few weeks, then bring them to the attention of your Doctor. But you're not going to take any one of these medications and not suffer from side effects. Plus, wait till it's time to stop taking these medications... if you think start-up is bad, wait untill you feel withdrawal. That's why I always tell people to only take these meds if you can't function properly without them, but if you do decide to take them, then don't complain. You'll eventually go through worse during your treatment.

I never really noticed a difference in the time of day that I took the medication. Since I'm Bi-Polar and I really shouldn't have been taking Effexor without having a Mood Stabilizer in place already, it was kind of a tricky business. I found that the best relief I got was when I took the medication at 75mg every 36 hours. So that would be like taking it one morning, then the next night, then skipping a day and taking it the following morning. I never really noticed a difference.

The whole cracked out feeling though does go away within 2 weeks. Start-up was bad for this, but withdrawal, like what I'm going through right now, is MUCH worse. However, when I was on the medication, I found that it really did help to keep me stable which is surprising since that's a real tricky business when treating a bi-polar patient. Give it at least 4-6 weeks to see what side effects go away with continued treatment or you're just wasting your time with it. Also, if Effexor's side effects are too severe for you after this period of time, you can switch to any other AD (Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, etc.) after a 48 hour dry out period with very minor side effects.


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poster:Mr Cushing thread:129374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021122/msgs/129409.html