Posted by Jim45 on February 4, 2009, at 12:55:36
In reply to Effexor Addict, posted by Homemommy on January 7, 2009, at 13:49:14
Dear Homemommy,
After coming off high-dose Effexor that I'd been taking for years, I went through INCREDIBLE dysphoria, anhedonia, amotivation, social phobia, and an AWFUL mental phenomena like a very vague headache, but no pain, just a feeling of misery from the first thing in the AM until I went to sleep at night. I also thought I was dying and wanted to die.
I advise as little as needed for as short a time as needed. It was a wonder drug for about two years. Almost worked too well. I would say that I was psychologically addicted. Then the 75-150 mg XR dose quit working. I tried to stop, had weird and awful symptoms. Thought I was dying. Then via online research I found out what was happening. Saw my Doc and he supplemented the research w/a printout about FXR XR withdrawals. He upped my dose to 150 to 300 mg daily and I was fine for another 2 years. Then it stopped working AGAIN, but trying to stop was now SO hard - nausea and vomiting too + things you mentioned, that I decided to just keep taking it even though it wasn't helping. Doc gave me new meds to take and I started adding some illegal stuff.
I try to warn people about Effexor. The first paragraph tells part of what I ended up having to go through after 5 or 6 years of taking it. My Doc lost his license and I was forced to stop the Effexor in about 10 days.
After 2 years of mental hell - sorry - I'm now taking a low dose of non-time release FXR. 37.5 mg daily. Within a couple of weeks restarting it I was a little better and added other stuff which now has me back to normal.
A word about addiction - I respect others opinions here, but addiction is complicated. The main element of addiction is neurological changes. The withdrawals from drugs are due to those changes. SO Effexor makes changes, and you have terrible withdrawals when you stop, so in a way, yes. We can be addicted to FXR and many other psych meds.
'Nuff of that. You mentioned sexual side effects.
For a guy it's great. Pardon this discourse, but FXR turned me into a stud who could go and go without orgasming, and when I did....it was FANTASTIC. BUT...for a female, not being able to reach orgasm is different. You all usually last longer than guys do. I'll mention Selegiline. Research it though. Especially if you're taking other meds and because it can interact w/FXR.Good luck & best wishes!
I'm sort of a housedaddy :)
poster:Jim45
thread:872605
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090203/msgs/877987.html