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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ST on January 23, 2002, at 3:13:50
Hi,
I went from 75 mg of Effexor XR to 150 mg and I've been on 225 mg for about a week now. I am so spacy, tired, unmotivated....I wasn't like this on Celexa, the med I took before Effexor. And ofcourse when I started the Effexor, I had that UP feeling and the suppressed appetite, etc. Anyone experiencing this - and at what dosage? Does increasing dosage help with this or make one more spacy? Anyone on 300 mg?
Thanks!
Sarah
Posted by rxcuriousity on January 23, 2002, at 4:19:58
In reply to Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by ST on January 23, 2002, at 3:13:50
So glad to see your post, Sarah. I've been on 225mg of Effexor XR for about 6 weeks. I started at 37.5mg and slowly titrated up over two months. I had that "UP" feeling that you described up until about a month ago. I loved that feeling, and am trying to get it back. I felt so on top of my game. I had energy, felt social, was very motivated, and was not anxious at all. Typically drugs that make me feel that "UP" make me quite anxious.
I haven't experienced any recurrence of symptoms [of depression or anxiety] but have been very tired and kinda unmotivated. I am working with my pdoc on finding an effective adjuvant . . . something that will bring me back to that "UP" state. I'm not necessarily looking for excessive stimulation, or appetite supression, but I would love the sociability, confidence, and motivation to return.
I recently added 100mg of Wellbutrin to try to get that feeling back. If the Wellbutrin trial is not successful, I will probably next try kicking the Effexor up to 300mg. Another strategy might be to add a stimulant. I have to be careful, though. I suffer from both depression and anxiety.
Let's continue to share our stories and hopefully return to that state that we both enjoyed so much.
Posted by cmcdougall on January 23, 2002, at 9:04:11
In reply to Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by ST on January 23, 2002, at 3:13:50
I took 300mg EffexorXR for about 18months. I tapered up slowly increasing 37.5mg a week until I was up to 225mg. After a year at that dose it pooped-out a little so my pdoc increased it to 300mg. I DID feel a little spacey first thing in the am. I also saw "tracers" for the first 15 minutes or so after getting out of bed in the morning - weird... Eventually the Effexor pooped out completely and I switched to celexa. I also take desipramine and adderal. This combo works well for me.
Good luck,
Carly> Hi,
>
> I went from 75 mg of Effexor XR to 150 mg and I've been on 225 mg for about a week now. I am so spacy, tired, unmotivated....I wasn't like this on Celexa, the med I took before Effexor. And ofcourse when I started the Effexor, I had that UP feeling and the suppressed appetite, etc. Anyone experiencing this - and at what dosage? Does increasing dosage help with this or make one more spacy? Anyone on 300 mg?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Sarah
Posted by ST on January 24, 2002, at 3:28:07
In reply to Re: Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by rxcuriousity on January 23, 2002, at 4:19:58
Hi -
I am on 300 mg of Wellbutrin, so perhaps I'd be even more slow and spacy if not for that! Adding it may work for you, however. I'm also on 750 mg of Depakote as well - I'm bi polar.
Yeah, I'm not looking for a "stimulant" per say, but I don't like feeling as if I'm treading water. I keep reading posts about Effexor "pooping out" as well. I'll ask my pdoc about that.Sarah
> So glad to see your post, Sarah. I've been on 225mg of Effexor XR for about 6 weeks. I started at 37.5mg and slowly titrated up over two months. I had that "UP" feeling that you described up until about a month ago. I loved that feeling, and am trying to get it back. I felt so on top of my game. I had energy, felt social, was very motivated, and was not anxious at all. Typically drugs that make me feel that "UP" make me quite anxious.
>
> I haven't experienced any recurrence of symptoms [of depression or anxiety] but have been very tired and kinda unmotivated. I am working with my pdoc on finding an effective adjuvant . . . something that will bring me back to that "UP" state. I'm not necessarily looking for excessive stimulation, or appetite supression, but I would love the sociability, confidence, and motivation to return.
>
> I recently added 100mg of Wellbutrin to try to get that feeling back. If the Wellbutrin trial is not successful, I will probably next try kicking the Effexor up to 300mg. Another strategy might be to add a stimulant. I have to be careful, though. I suffer from both depression and anxiety.
>
> Let's continue to share our stories and hopefully return to that state that we both enjoyed so much.
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 25, 2002, at 8:37:27
In reply to Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by ST on January 23, 2002, at 3:13:50
I'm on 300mg Effexor XR and have been (with a few ups and downs of doses) for about a year. I have had NO motivation, NO energy, NO life, felt spacey and simply don't care really.
I want to come off it and try Wellbrutin but convincing my pdoc of this is a nightmare.
Nikki
> Hi,
>
> I went from 75 mg of Effexor XR to 150 mg and I've been on 225 mg for about a week now. I am so spacy, tired, unmotivated....I wasn't like this on Celexa, the med I took before Effexor. And ofcourse when I started the Effexor, I had that UP feeling and the suppressed appetite, etc. Anyone experiencing this - and at what dosage? Does increasing dosage help with this or make one more spacy? Anyone on 300 mg?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Sarah
Posted by angel1 on January 25, 2002, at 22:37:47
In reply to Re: Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor? » ST, posted by NikkiT2 on January 25, 2002, at 8:37:27
I have been on Effexor 150mg for about 4 months
and am not impressed with it at all. It makes
me sleepy, constipated and only minimally helps my depression. Tried going up to 225mg and it
made me sleep even more. What is a good drug to
try next?
Posted by ST on January 26, 2002, at 0:18:29
In reply to Re: Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by angel1 on January 25, 2002, at 22:37:47
Boy, I don't know...I'm also on Wellbutrin and that has an energizing effect to it. Serzone is a good one.
> I have been on Effexor 150mg for about 4 months
> and am not impressed with it at all. It makes
> me sleepy, constipated and only minimally helps my depression. Tried going up to 225mg and it
> made me sleep even more. What is a good drug to
> try next?
Posted by Gray on March 1, 2002, at 12:57:32
In reply to Re: Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by rxcuriousity on January 23, 2002, at 4:19:58
> So glad to see your post, Sarah. I've been on 225mg of Effexor XR for about 6 weeks. I started at 37.5mg and slowly titrated up over two months. I had that "UP" feeling that you described up until about a month ago. I loved that feeling, and am trying to get it back. I felt so on top of my game. I had energy, felt social, was very motivated, and was not anxious at all. Typically drugs that make me feel that "UP" make me quite anxious.
>
> I haven't experienced any recurrence of symptoms [of depression or anxiety] but have been very tired and kinda unmotivated. I am working with my pdoc on finding an effective adjuvant . . . something that will bring me back to that "UP" state. I'm not necessarily looking for excessive stimulation, or appetite supression, but I would love the sociability, confidence, and motivation to return.
>
> I recently added 100mg of Wellbutrin to try to get that feeling back. If the Wellbutrin trial is not successful, I will probably next try kicking the Effexor up to 300mg. Another strategy might be to add a stimulant. I have to be careful, though. I suffer from both depression and anxiety.
>
> Let's continue to share our stories and hopefully return to that state that we both enjoyed so much.Hi,
I know exactly what you mean about that initial "up" feeling you experienced with Effexor. I've had that same experience with imipramine. It is my beleif that the "up" feeling comes from dopomine centers getting excited and over time they calm down. I have found that the "up" feeling can be brought back with small amounts of dexedrine. Keep in mind that dexedrine goes into your system and out again quickly.
Therefore sometimes it is appropriate to use the slow release spansules (15mg) in combination with the 10mg tablets. I find for myself that I have to continue taking the dexedrine for 48 hours along with my regular medication. After 48 hours I find I can taper back on the dex. I'm bi-polar and
have to be careful not to fly too high. So once I have "jump-started" my AD medication again, sometimes I have to take zyprexa (5mg/day) to calm things down. For me personally, it is a balancing act. The whole process has
required a lot of trial and error over years. I can say this. Never give up! The periods of "up" are a sure
sign that a better life is available and that there is escape from mental anguish.
Be Well,
Gray
Posted by DINGBAT on March 3, 2002, at 4:49:20
In reply to I took 300mg EffexorXr » ST, posted by cmcdougall on January 23, 2002, at 9:04:11
Your experiences all seem so similiar! When tarted Efexor XR about 3 years ago (initially 75mg, then 150mg and thereafter 300mg), I thought THIS IS IT! The feeling od being just a little better than whatever 'normal' is supposed be was FANTASTIC (and it reduced my migraine headaches after 3 months). I recently went to my pdoc to complain of a kind of 'flatness', lethargy (usually afternoons), emotional numbing, etc. I think it was 'poop out'. My pdoc added Ritalin 30mg daily which made me very anxious, resurrected my headache problem and I asked to switch to SERZONE (200mg tds). Serzone was a little weird for the first week but now I'm feeling back to 'normal', no headaches, no anxiety. As a health professional (who doesn't believe in treating himself) many of my patients have had this problem too. I sense that it's most of the patients with so-called Atypica Depression and concurrent anxiety - personal observation only.
EFEXOR is a GREAT drug that helps many, many people on a chronic basis. Then there are those who benefit itially but 'poop out' even with dosage increases and/or augmentations. Augmenting Efexor with Serzone, however, *sometimes* helps 'poop out'
Posted by maximillian on March 3, 2002, at 11:52:26
In reply to Re: Feeling spacy/Anyone at 300 mg with Effexor?, posted by ST on January 26, 2002, at 0:18:29
i'm at 300mg's of effexor and i don't know what to say about it yet. i'm also at 300 mg's of wellbutrin(for smoking, supposedly...still smoke and enjoy it:). i have pushed them both to 450mg's of each just to see any difference. felt real spacey when i took 300mg's of wellbutrin at the same time...almost a high like feeling. felt good though and able to function well. effexor seems to have helped a little with my sleep habits. i was on ambien too for a while and that sucked. tylenol pm is stronger...ambien's a joke. i stopped that myself.
max
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