Posted by anxiety_free on June 28, 2004, at 3:56:10
In reply to Effexor - Sucking the energy out of me?, posted by Smeegle on June 28, 2004, at 0:51:27
> I have been on Effexor for about 3-4 years now and mentally it has been a wonder drug for me. Sure the half-life is extremely short and if I miss even one dose, the brain zaps start up reminding me to get my butt in gear and take it asap. (I loathe the day I ever have to wean, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it). Anyhow, I am currently up to 300mg per day (AM) and I have zero energy or motivation. Emotionally, I am more stable than I have been in a very long time. I also take Provigil for sleep disorders which I thought would help out but I am still sooooooo tired day in and day out. My pdoc had indicated when I first started on Effexor that it should give me a slight energy boost yet I feel that it is sucking the energy out of me. Anyone else experiencing this? Is it a side effect of the effexor or just me being lazy? There is so much that I want to do but half of the time I just want to sleep (not the "I'm depressed and just want to escape from the world" kind of sleep, "exhausted, I need some rest kind of sleeping").
>
> Smeegs
Hi! Effexor can be a wonderful, albeit tricky drug. I always took mine in the morning, too, because it screwed with my sleep. Anyway, if the Effexor is working on the depression and has been for a while, it'd probably be best to keep with it...perhaps the best approach would be to focus on fixing your daytime sleepiness. Even if the Effexor is the cause of some of your drowsiness, this is something that probably needs to be addressed chemically, at least for now. See if your doc will augment your regimine with a stimulant (Ritalin is pretty standard, but some docs go for dexedrine or adderall) to keep you going through the day. In addition to keeping you awake, stimulants can boost the effects of anti-depressants. Your daytime drowsiness may also be a sign that your Provigil dose needs adjustment or that you may need an old-school stimulant instead. You could also try taking the Effexor at night, with a sleep aid...the only problem with that would be finding one that would work well enough to give you restful sleep, but not cause too many problems in the day. Personally, I'd push the doc for an adjustment in the Provigil dose or a stimulant. Good luck!
poster:anxiety_free
thread:361209
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040627/msgs/361220.html