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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by jclint on November 29, 2004, at 14:38:15
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 29, 2004, at 13:56:45
I think its my duty to provide the other side of the efexor crowd's view... :)
Yes it helped me a lot. I took it for 2 years at 150mg. I have had little trouble tapering off slowly. I have had no physical problems because of this med (and I really must point out, despite the anecdotes, I have never seen scientific research that efexor causes physical damage...??)
My personal opinion, (one I really, really beleive in) is that there is no use worrying about what *could* happen. If you have found something that works, stick with it, I believe the alternative can in many cases be infinitly more damaging.
Out of all the risks, I would say the withdrawal is the most significant. You say you have taken paxil - many people view that drug's withdrawal as equally horrific, just to get things in perspective.
Whatever, make sure you don't make your decision based solely on the horror stories people describe. :)
John
Posted by PoohBear on November 29, 2004, at 14:48:40
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by jclint on November 29, 2004, at 14:38:15
"I think its my duty to provide the other side of the efexor crowd's view..." :)
John:
Thanks for the balanced view...
Those with negative effects seem to outweigh those with positive effects of the medication. Too many people come here looking for balanced advice and end up going away scared. Too bad. I too have had a great experience with it and will continue until my doctor tells me otherwise...
Tony
Posted by dancingstar on November 29, 2004, at 15:06:21
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me » jclint, posted by PoohBear on November 29, 2004, at 14:48:40
"Those with negative effects seem to outweigh those with positive effects of the medication. Too many people come here looking for balanced advice and end up going away scared. Too bad."
This could be an indication that a significant number of people proportionately are having a problem with the drug.
Some have very tough systems while others are more fragile. As addressed in previous posts there are many reasons why a drug company would keep the problems with a drug undisclosed as seems to be the case with Effexor/XR. Even physicians are not fully aware of the problems with Effexor. While I have been able to find these by doing a tremendous amount of research online, I doubt that this same information can be found in, say, the New England Journal of Medicine.
Posted by dancingstar on November 29, 2004, at 15:39:55
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 29, 2004, at 13:22:29
Hey Gia,
Here's a more neutral site for you to check out:
http://www.remedyfind.com/rm-91-Effexor.aspBebe
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 29, 2004, at 21:07:22
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching, posted by HermanMunster on November 28, 2004, at 23:59:10
> sometimes if a toe itches you need to find somebody with a foot fetish to suck it good.
Please be supportive.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, or are interested in alternative ways of expressing yourself, please see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#civil
Follow-ups regarding these issues should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration. They, as well as replies to the above post, should of course themselves be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 29, 2004, at 21:11:30
In reply to if this is your entertainment - you need help (nm) » HermanMunster, posted by linkadge on November 29, 2004, at 9:26:42
> if this is your entertainment - you need help
Sorry, but:
> replies to the above post ... should of course themselves be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by S.Bartel on November 30, 2004, at 2:58:22
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching, posted by dsbk on November 27, 2004, at 22:21:27
I know what you mean about the itching. I itched all over with Effexor, but it took me quite awhile to realize what was causing it. I also started breaking out everywhere. Finally I read an article in a magazine that said itching could be one of the side effects from Effexor. I have been off it for about 6 or 8 weeks and the itching has finally gone away and my skin has cleared up. I also feel better mentally even though I still have panic attacks which I never had before taking effexor. I have found that keeping busy helps. I read a lot and that's very relaxing for me. Please stay off the effexor before you have permanent damage from it, like liver disease and some of the other symptoms like people in these postings have. I believe it should be taken off the market and think someday soon it will be. It's a dangerous drug. Good Luck, Sammi B
Posted by S.Bartel on November 30, 2004, at 3:39:51
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 29, 2004, at 13:35:19
Gia, I took 75mg efexor xr for 7 years and believe me that is enough to cause permanent damage and severe withdrawals. It caused my liver to work overtime and produce too much cholesterol and triglycerides which resulted in cholesterol levels of 345 bad and only 39 good. My triglycerides are over 400, should be under 160. I gained 35 lbs which I have lost 15 of since going off it. I developed irreversible liver disease from it. I'm on a no fat no cholesterol diet and the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides won't drop. I can't take cholesterol lowering drugs because of the liver disease. I am sick at my stomach most of the time. The withdrawals from stoping were the worst thing I have ever been through. I felt the same as you for a long time when taking it. Thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Did'nt think I could ever live without it and now find I won't live because of it. I did'nt realize what effect it had on my mind until I came off it. I was in a fog and now my mind is clear and I can think. Friends and family have noticed it too. They were too kind to say anything to me about how bad my mind had become, but they did'nt realize it was medicine induced. Makes me wonder how much mental illness is caused by meds. The mind is a great thing and maybe with time it can heal itself. I know I can't do without mine any longer by subjecting it to all this foreign stuff. Please read, read, and read some more all these postings and go to the petition site on effexor and read some more. There is also a class action lawsuit against its makers because of side effects that it failed to inform us of. I am afraid for anyone still taking effexor. God Bless, Sammi B
Posted by Gia on November 30, 2004, at 10:55:18
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by jclint on November 29, 2004, at 14:38:15
I am worried about the effects of Effexor but don't all AD have side effects. I guess that is the price to pay to be sane. I need to take that risk in order to be better b/c if I don't I could end up hurting myself which I tried to do many times before without taking meds. I guess you guys are stronger then me and can go on without meds. but I am a different case.
Gia
Posted by PoohBear on November 30, 2004, at 11:10:02
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 30, 2004, at 10:55:18
> I am worried about the effects of Effexor but don't all AD have side effects. I guess that is the price to pay to be sane. I need to take that risk in order to be better b/c if I don't I could end up hurting myself which I tried to do many times before without taking meds. I guess you guys are stronger then me and can go on without meds. but I am a different case.
>
> GiaGia:
With all respect to other posters here on these boards, you need to do what you feel is right and by the experience/instincts of your doctor.
I have been using Effexor for over a year with great results, even though it was the first AD I had tried. As you noted, ALL AD's have side effects and Effexor certainly has its share, HOWEVER, most of the concerns here are for cessation effects and long term effects.
Some have had a very bad experience and that is reflected in their posts.
The biggest thing is to not be scared-off by what you read here. Not everyone has a traumatic experience. It sounds as though you've had bad experiences in the past and I would encourage you to stay the course with this med.
Most of the initial side effects such as nightmares, dry mouth, etc. go away a syour brain chemistry adjust to the new medication. If at some time in the future you need to go OFF Effexor, there are ways to do that. Don't worry about that now. Just concentrate on getting better.
Best Wishes!
Tony
Posted by dancingstar on November 30, 2004, at 13:04:48
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me » Gia, posted by S.Bartel on November 30, 2004, at 3:39:51
Sammi,
I didn't realize that your symptoms tracked so closely to mine. I didn't have the cholesterol problems, nor the liver problems. I only took E for three years. Happy as a pig in -- well, I didn't have any idea there was anything wrong until I finally figured out that was the cause of my weight gain. But it is the ability to think clearly again that is most significant. I cannot believe how slowly and silently these changes take place so that even when the drug stops working you barely notice or think you simply need a higher doseage...and your body becomes more and more disabled. That was how I moved from 75 mg to 150 about a year ago. I am grateful that the only problems I am left with now are the stomach problems, which will not leave, my neck and shoulders, and perhaps some dental damage...not to mention a couple of years of my life I spent on the sofa or in bed sleeping.I hope that your body finds a way to repair itself. I am saving your post. One of my friends turned me on to what might be the best law firm to deal with this stuff. I'll call them when I get back home later today. Not only for us, but for people that come after us.
God Bless.
Bebe
Posted by jclint on November 30, 2004, at 13:38:35
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 30, 2004, at 10:55:18
Listen to PoohBear. If its working, concentrate on making up for lost time, not worrying about side effects.
Good luck to you! :)
Posted by AuntieMel on November 30, 2004, at 17:12:54
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me, posted by Gia on November 30, 2004, at 10:55:18
This is, of course, one of those "your milage may vary" cases.
I've been taking effexor for a while now with no problems (except some weight gain, but my cholesteral ratios are great and triglicerides are good, too.
I am on a med cocktail and recently cut my effexor in half (rebalancing the meds) and I had no problem whatsoever. But I did it slowly, cutting out 150mg over a week.
If it's working for you, that is all that counts now.
Posted by dancingstar on November 30, 2004, at 17:32:24
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me » Gia, posted by AuntieMel on November 30, 2004, at 17:12:54
well, good grief, if you cut out 150, i wonder what you were taking? 300?
at any rate, forewarned is forearmed, isn't it? the point being that when i first took effexor no one warned me that i would get this ill if i stopped taking it or that it could possibly happen, or i would never have taken it in the first place.
i never had a day of cholesterol problems either...but i couldn't get off the sofa to save my life, almost literally. had to stop teaching aerobic-type classes because i was simply too tired, but i didn't know this was a reaction to the drug since i was taking it for fatigue that turned out to be low thyroid. i lost two whole years because i was not warned of possible side effects, and i was not warned that some of us have really, really bad withdrawal symptoms either. and that isn't half of it. i am glad that you are not one of the unlucky ones...but i wonder what it is that you are taking in place of effexor to avoid those side effects.
even my internist does not know about this stuff, and he is a dear. the family practice quack before him that put me on it in the first place should be strung up by his heels for giving it to me...but my point is that at least now Gia and others know that it is possible to have problems with Effexor and can take it with the knowledge that if they have some annoying physical symptoms, they can look to the drug as a possible source of their problems and then pray that their health care providers can safely guide them back off of it.
Posted by Syringe on November 30, 2004, at 19:03:16
In reply to Re: How long for these withdrawals to end??, posted by BR549 on April 9, 2004, at 23:27:39
its been 4 days of not using venlafaxine 75mg XR. Quit cold turkey.
I still feel a little twitchy, like I'm kind of high on meth. Also lastnight I used diphenhydramine,w hcih I believe is the same as Benadryl. Also lastngiht was the night where I seemed to be feeling better after finally relaxing all my neck muscles, I don't know if they were still tense or it was because I massage them too hard. But I read to reduce tension with headnumb ness and neck pain, and jaw pain, to massage the neck. I did not know that benadryl would reduce the effects in general, i just took it intensionally because of the sleepy anaestethic effect, because I couldn't goto sleep. So reading about how it reduced it on this website made everything more convincing also the fact that alot of people take fluoxetine for the widrawals, has convinced me to talk to the doctor to get some. It makes me mad that it can take weeks for the withdrawals to go away. But today, I've felt great all day, although I was a little nauseous and my stomach feels all weird. I dono't know if I ate to much or if it was my Septra D, butI've been able to continue my school work wich I thought would never happen because of the widrawals..This forum is great, especially reading about everybody elses experiences.
Posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 8:17:19
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching » dsbk, posted by S.Bartel on November 30, 2004, at 2:58:22
Sammi B.
Thanks so much for your reply! I have been taking my Effexor for about 10 weeks. I wasn't getting the results I wanted so I asked my Dr. to switch me to something else. That's when I started Lexapro. I started itching all over about 3 day later, but I stopped the Lexapro and I'm still itching (and still on Effexor) I want to switch back to Paxil because I had good results with it (except the sexual side effect and who need that?) I can't take the panic attacks, so I will have to be on something!dsbk
Posted by MKB on December 1, 2004, at 9:13:56
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching, posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 8:17:19
The itching happens with going off many of these anti-depressants. You can take Benadryl to help with that, but if you have a rash with it, you might need to get a prescription cream from a dermatologist. That's what I had to do. He was able to tell me specifically that the rash was caused by the medication and prescribed Clobetasol Propionate Cream 0.05%.
Posted by AuntieMel on December 1, 2004, at 9:28:28
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me » AuntieMel, posted by dancingstar on November 30, 2004, at 17:32:24
Yes, I was on 300, along with 300 wellbutrin. I got off half the effexor by opening up the capsules (150 mg each) and pouring some out, staying at that rate for a day, then emptying more and so on until I was down to one capsule. I didn't replace it with anything - I did it because a trial with inderal proved to me that I was too high on NorE and that the anxiety I was feeling was physical, not psychological (many thanks to chemist for the advice)
I didn't need anything to help, but others have had success with adding a little prozac at the end of the tapering to help with the last bits.
You are right that knowledge is king. Without it I wouldn't have known that gradual reduction was the way to go. If I'd just quit taking half and experienced the withdrawal symptoms I would have assumed that I wasn't ready to go off it.
Luckily, my doctor does know about the side-effects. When he switched me to effexor from paxil he had me reducing one while increasing the other.
Time of day is also important. I was told to take effexor and wellbutrin in the morning, as they can interfere with sleep, and when I was on paxil I was told to take it in the evening.
Current cocktail:
AM: 150mg effexor, 300mg wellbutrin, 300mg provigil
PM: 50-100mg trazedoneIt's a huge leap forward from anything I've taken before. I'm still having some problems with motivation and focus, but for the most part I can function now.
Posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 10:50:52
In reply to Re: Effexor works for me » dancingstar, posted by AuntieMel on December 1, 2004, at 9:28:28
AuntieMel
I hope you feel better! Can I ask you why you went off of the Paxil, because I had good luck with it except for the sexual side effects. Otherwise I felt good. I haven't had any luck with Zoloft, Effexor is making me itch (I think) and Lexapro made me more nervous than I was. I think I will go back to Paxil for now, I just want ot feel like myself again!
dsbk
Posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 10:57:57
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching » dsbk, posted by MKB on December 1, 2004, at 9:13:56
MKB
The thing is I haven't gone off any meds yet. The Effexor helped my depression, but it wasn't getting my anxiety under control. So I wanted to try the Lexapro and I felt worse on it. That's when the itching actually started, but I'm still itching after stopping the Lexapro, so that leads me to believe that it's the Effexor. With evrything I have been reading on the net, itching is an unusual side effect of Effexor.(leave it to me to end up with the unusual one!)I will go back to the Paxil for now.
Posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 11:00:59
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching » dsbk, posted by MKB on December 1, 2004, at 9:13:56
MKB
The thing is I haven't gone off any meds yet. The Effexor helped my depression, but it wasn't getting my anxiety under control. So I wanted to try the Lexapro and I felt worse on it. That's when the itching actually started, but I'm still itching after stopping the Lexapro, so that leads me to believe that it's the Effexor. With evrything I have been reading on the net, itching is an unusual side effect of Effexor.(leave it to me to end up with the unusual one!)I will go back to the Paxil for now.
I'm really glad I found this sight, at least I know I'm not alone. I have a great support group from friends and family, but unless you have experienced anxiety and depression you can never really understand! Thanks everyone!dsbk
Posted by PoohBear on December 1, 2004, at 11:32:28
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching, posted by dsbk on December 1, 2004, at 10:57:57
"The Effexor helped my depression, but it wasn't getting my anxiety under control."
As far as I know, Effexor is not really for anxiety. Usually people take something like Klonopin (sp?) for that...
Tony
Posted by MKB on December 1, 2004, at 11:42:19
In reply to Re: Effexor and Itching, posted by PoohBear on December 1, 2004, at 11:32:28
Effexor IS for anxiety, according to what I've read. That is also one of the main reasons my doctor recommended it to me. However, I have not stayed on it and I'm doing fine.
Posted by mickybear on December 1, 2004, at 12:34:33
In reply to Re: Effexor XR vs. Paxil and weight gain , posted by Kimberly on May 6, 2000, at 10:20:14
I gained a LOT of weight while on Effexor XR. I have been taking this medication for over a year now and have gained about 60lbs which on my small 5'3" frame is far TOO much. My Doctor noticed that I have a lot of water retention and after explaining to him that I didn't find that my hunger increased but no matter what I did over the past year, my weight steadily increased we felt it best that I change medications. I'm currently being weaned off of Effexor XR and will be trying something new. I'm not sure at this point what that will be.
Posted by dancingstar on December 1, 2004, at 12:42:21
In reply to Re: Effexor XR vs. Paxil and weight gain, posted by mickybear on December 1, 2004, at 12:34:33
I don't mean to be daft, really, I don't; but if it is at all physically possible, have you considered exercise? It is amazingly effective for depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. And I am not in the least being sarcastic. I am trying to find a way to get past the ultimately inevitable effects of drug therapy, which will in the end rob you of something precious to you.
Blessings!
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