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Posted 5/23/2005 4:42 PM (GMT -6)
 Hello everyone, I'm new to this so please be patient. I have began taking Effexor XR recently, started about 5 weeks ago. I have some questions for anyone who has experience with this medication. When I first started taking it I felt very relaxed and normal, an experience I have missed out on for about 16 years. Basically I felt as if I was protected from the world around me where as before I felt exposed and everything would get to me. Now 5 weeks later that feeling has subsided, I continue to feel pretty good but on occasion I have some of the same old feelings return. Could anyone enlighten me as to what I should be expecting from this medication. Thanks for any help.

Jeff

Posted 5/23/2005 6:07 PM (GMT -6)
 Hi Jeff, I am not from this forum specifically but happened to see effexor. I am Bipolar, and in my early days was treated with Effexor XR. I thought it was great at the beginning also. Sometimes you have to get the right dosage or maybe add another med to it. I think when I started it , I tried to use it as monotherapy but it didn't work so my GP, added prozac or paxil ( it's been awhile) to it and that helped. I started out on 75mg of Effexor XR and went up, if I recallthat right. If you are just having some mild cases of feelings of depression occur maybee it just needs increased, everyone is different. Hope that helps! :-)

Posted 5/23/2005 6:19 PM (GMT -6)

 Thanks for the reply kittycat27. I just don't know what I should be expecting from this med. I mean it's been so long since I have felt normal I really don't know what to compare it to. I will be seeing a psychiatrist soon so I assume I should mention this stuff to him. Again, thanks for the info.

Jeff

Posted 5/24/2005 6:05 PM (GMT -6)

Hello Jeff,

I took Effexor for 6 months. The best way to describe its effect on me would be to say "I felt like I didn't care" while on it. Normally, I would become very emotional over the tiniest things, but with Effexor, that didn't happen. In fact, it was difficult for me to feel much of anything. So there was a "trade-off" in my case. I didn't feel as sad (which was great)....but I also didn't feel anything else either. Not happy or excited....just sort of "flat."

For awhile, I welcomed the numbness and feeling unemotional. Hey, it was better than feeling awful! But, with time, it bothered me that I couldn't laugh, couldn't cry watching a sappy movie, etc. My pdoc adjusted my meds, lowered the dose, but the result? Well, I became depressed again. Now I've moved on to another medication, Cymbalta.

I hope the new meds help you. On a brighter note, Effexor was the first thing I'd ever taken to actually "work" at lifting me out of a depression. I just wish it would've allowed me to feel the "good stuff" too, so to speak.

Smiles,

Jenna

Posted 5/26/2005 9:29 AM (GMT -6)

 Hi Jenna,

Thank you for your reply, this is my first med EVER and at first it worked great, now I am feeling like I did prior to starting it (very down, nervous feeling, jumbled thoughts) but it seems to be even worse now. With your experience does it sound like I need a higher dose, I'm currently at 150mg a day. I live in a very small community and can only speak to a psychiatrist on a rare occasion and my family doctor is not up to dealing with this problem which is why I come here to get some info. If anyone has any advice or tips please let me know I am lost.

Jeff

Posted 5/26/2005 9:44 AM (GMT -6)
Welcome to the newest members at HealingWell!! :) I'm glad that ya'll were able to help each other out here-I'm not familiar with those drugs, I take Lexapro and have for a couple of years...

I just wanted to say Welcome and wish you all a great weekend!

Hugs, Teri :)
Posted 5/26/2005 9:48 AM (GMT -6)
Jeff

I am a believer in Effexor as I have been on it for about 5 years. I was first given Zoloft, which did not agree with me. I then went to Effexor 150mg and it seemed to solve the problem. I still have the odd bout of depression, but I have been fine since last Christmas. I have reduced the dose to 75mg per day without any noticeable effect.

The only negative reaction I have is the occasional "sick to my stomach" feeling which passes in a few minutes. I feel much less stress than I used to feel, but all other emotional feelings seem to be normal.

I never sought the help of a psychiatrist, but you should consider all the help you can get.
Posted 5/26/2005 4:09 PM (GMT -6)
Jeff,

I am currently taking EffexorXR and switched from Paxil. They are in completely different classifications of anti-d meds and so work on the mind totally differently. There has been some good advice given here concerning all anti-d meds but I thought I would reiterate a couple of points. It can take up to 3 months before these types of meds reach their full effectiveness. You may need to be on it for a bit longer to determine it's effectiveness for you. Also try and remember how the meds affect each of us can be totally different. That is why there are so many different meds in each classification. Give the Effexor a little bit more time to see how it is doing. My Dr. reminds me that there will still be ups and downs even while on these meds. They are there to help me cope in a more healthy way than I have in the past. Good luck, welcome and I hope you find the answers you are looking for.
Posted 5/27/2005 9:05 AM (GMT -6)
 Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post a reply. It's nice to finally have people who really understand how it is to deal with a condition like this. I suppose I may be somewhat impatient as far as the meds go. I will wait and see how things go.

thanks again

Jeff

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