Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 351266

Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Orig. Effexor vs. Effexor XR?

Posted by jerrympls on May 27, 2004, at 21:05:36

My friend's doc told him that "original" Effexor was "dirty" but now the XR version is "all cleaned up."

Is this true? Was there any change in formulation?

 

Re: Orig. Effexor vs. Effexor XR?

Posted by Tesssi on May 27, 2004, at 21:19:06

In reply to Orig. Effexor vs. Effexor XR?, posted by jerrympls on May 27, 2004, at 21:05:36

According to my doctor XR is time released where as the original may have been prescribed to be taken several times a day.

 

Re: YOU ARE CORRECT! (nm)

Posted by snapper on May 28, 2004, at 2:52:48

In reply to Re: Orig. Effexor vs. Effexor XR?, posted by Tesssi on May 27, 2004, at 21:19:06

 

Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!

Posted by Noodle on May 28, 2004, at 4:59:43

In reply to Re: YOU ARE CORRECT! (nm), posted by snapper on May 28, 2004, at 2:52:48

After a few years on the extended release, I am now on the original and for ME, this is much better. Wish I had switched much sooner.

 

Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!

Posted by Eve70 on May 28, 2004, at 6:36:37

In reply to Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!, posted by Noodle on May 28, 2004, at 4:59:43

HI,
what are the difference you report between normal and XR effexor?
Why you prefer normal?

Thanx for your share!
Eve

 

Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!

Posted by Noodle on May 28, 2004, at 10:20:05

In reply to Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!, posted by Eve70 on May 28, 2004, at 6:36:37

Hello Eve,

Nice to meet you. :-)

I have always been sensitive to any medications, and notice things more than other folks I talk to. So maybe it is only me ?

Drugs do not last very long in my system, so time release meds do not last as long as they say they should. My best example of that is Concerta. They say 12 hours, but it hits me fast, and then I crash in 5 hours. So maybe the Effexor XR works good for the others because they are different than me ?

What happened was I took the Effexor XR for the first couple years. After the first few months, I noticed feeling more happy the first part of the day after I took the pill. And was also better able to try and focus on what I was supposed to be doing.

But... then the second half of the day I was sort of icky. I could not motivate myself, and wasted a lot of time. But the very worst part was for about two to three hours before my pill was due, I always felt sort of sick to my stomach.

Then... if I screwed up and forgot the pill, my brain felt mushy. If I turned my head to the side, it felt like my brain moved much slower than my head... and was still facing forward for just a moment. This happened at one hour after the pill was due...if I had forgotten it.

Then if I did not have one with me, it got worse. If I turn my head , not only did the mushy slow brain happen, I felt temporally blind. It happens real fast. Like if you are driving and have to turn your head to check the left lane to move the car over. I could not SEE in that time that we turn real fast to look.

By just over two hours late on the XR I started to feel the tiny electric zaps in my brain.

Take the pill. Wait one hour, and it was all gone.

This happened every single time I was ever late... for two years.
I read the board here, and so many others say this is what happens to them in the weeks or days of withdrawal... not hours. But it all matches up, and the pattern never changed.

The doc and I discussed a higher dose, but I was afraid it might just be the same... but more intense, so I did not raise it. And... he does know how all the other meds I have ever taken work too fast in ME.

So....
I have changed to the old version of Effexor. Thanks to the very kind folks on this board... that helped me the first couple of days with the new form of Effexor, I found you can cut or break the tablets. Confirmed by my pharmacist the next day after a night of panic BTW.

So now I take the same dose as before, but cut my tablets into sections and take then in three doses during each 24 hours.

It is smoother and I have never had any of the previous problems !!!! Not once !
And I HAVE forgotten doses off and on too. With no problems.

The only thing I can figure, is that since the XR was one big 'plop' in my system, for ME... I got one huge dose affect each day, and then was in withdrawal for most of the rest of the day and night.

I have never seen anyone else say anything like this... but then too, I do not come here all the time. I couldn't be that weird ??? There must be others ? Maybe they all quit the drug right off the bat ? But it worked so well, when it was working, that I put up with it, and tried real hard to plan my day around it.

I have often thought I should return here and type this out... just in case someone else should happen to come along, and have the same problem with the XR. Because this old formula is working great. Oh... AND I no longer have problems getting to sleep at night. That must fit in there somewhere, because it only started to get fixed right after I made the switch.

I also like being able to cut the tablets, because now... when I end up needing a slightly bigger dose, I am not STUCK with the big jump in mg. required to do this with the XR capsules.

In the past, I did try to slowly wean off of this drug. But... the capsules make it very difficult. I was opening them and trying to make smaller doses, but there are two different type of prills in there, and you can not even them out. It created each small dose being slightly different, and withdrawal is more difficult... I failed. That is not the only reason I am sure, but it did not help at all.

With this old formula, I have no fear about the future withdrawal. I have leaned how to manage the exact dose, and will be able to do so perfectly when the time comes to stop this medication. The huge difference in lack of icky symptoms with late pills, has given me a new faith in myself. I am not at the mercy of my memory for a pill, forgetting it at home, and maybe causing a terrible traffic accident.

I no longer have the ongoing fear of what if ???? And feeling completely controlled by a drug. :-(
My power is back. :-D ( and the stuff probably is working the way it is supposed too huh ? )

***************************
I still am so grateful to the oldies here, that came to my rescue the terrible night when I did not know if I could cut these pills or not.

I had it together enough to thank the first fellow , but then the others chimed in and were so kind... I was lost in tears, and have failed to return and thank all of you properly. Apparently great kindness makes my cry ... and cry. So thank all of you again... and I hope that this can help somebody someday than is using that search feature.

*************************

And my best to you Eve !

Love,
Noodle :-)

 

Re: YOU ARE CORRECT! » Noodle

Posted by Eve70 on May 28, 2004, at 12:26:55

In reply to Re: YOU ARE CORRECT!, posted by Noodle on May 28, 2004, at 10:20:05

Thanks Noodle for your passionate and helpful post!
Go on this way! I'm happy it works for you!

One of my future choiche should be to try effexor normal release. I will speak about it to my doct the next time.

The best luck for you!!!
Bye
Eve

 

Here's a not very funny joke...

Posted by kittencat on May 28, 2004, at 14:13:06

In reply to Re: YOU ARE CORRECT! » Noodle, posted by Eve70 on May 28, 2004, at 12:26:55

Know what's funny? My doctor has informed me that in the medical community, they jokingly refer to Effexor as "side effexor" (get it? as in, well, an abundance of side effects.) Real funny, huh? I took the original Effexor ten years ago, & didn't like it much, had lots of side effects, but at least no withdrawl symptoms. I then took Effexor XR for a short time this year, & it worked well except for weight gain, but the withdrawal was horrible, as we all know.

Love that the medical community can be so flip...


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