Posted by japonica on April 11, 2003, at 15:22:23
In reply to Effexor..Is it working?, posted by jturner795 on April 11, 2003, at 10:09:24
Hi Jared,
I've been on Effexor XR for about 6 mos, at 150 mgs. for about 3 weeks. I've been a lifelong depression sufferer; I'm now 42. After much research I've concluded that Bipolar II best fits my particular set of difficulties. I also suspect a bit of ADD and or mild OCD (obsessive/compulsive disorder). I turned to Effexor after a second go round with Prozac. The Prozac worked the first time but not the second. I did a brief and horrific stint with Zoloft which made me instantly fat and stupid. I chose Effexor for the additional neponephrine (spelling?) properties although I'm not certain I'm at a high enough dosage to take advantage of that particular offering.
When I started the Effexor I was suffering from severe depression together with serious anxiety attacks. I'm a divorced mom with 2 kids who works full time and is a part time student. My kids rely on me for everything as my ex is a burnt-out shell of a human. So as you can see it is imperitive that I be well and maintain. Sometimes this pressure alone was enough to send me over the edge.
Effexor helped me within 3 weeks of starting. I had no side-effects with the exception of continued weight gain which I'm handling reasonably well with diet and exercise. The anxiety dissipated almost immediately and has not returned. I do suffer from occassional extreme sleepiness in the early evening. However, it is possible that I am simply truly exhausted. I also have just started with occassional sluggish confusion about 2 days a week (last 2 weeks). This too I can possibly attribute to my course load at school (anatomy).
Bottom line - It's quite possible you may need to give the Effexor some more time. It often takes 6 - 8 weeks. I'd hang in there particularly if you're not suffering any ill effects.
I cannot speak to the interaction with the other medications you're on. I have no personal experience in that area. Hopefully someone else can add some input here.
For more information, you can search through the archived posts on the effexor portion of the site. This is where I did much of my research prior to deciding to try this med.
Best of luck to you.
Keep us posted on your progress.
japonica
poster:japonica
thread:218487
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/218566.html