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I'm Back. Should I take Effexor?

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I'm Back. Should I take Effexor?

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3043

hi don't forget that effexor is the "pharmaceutical original" and has a generic version. The molecule is the same, but for me...it is almost half-price (30 caps for $57cad).

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 172

hi nullpointer happy your doing so well on this, makes me think that my 1 tablet which i had a very bad reaction to may have been that maybe dose was too high. too late for me to try the effexor as just gone back on to the lofepramine but its making me very agitated and no sleep. think its the lack of sleep thats making me even more depressed. Your story is encouriging though as i know i need to give these a good chance. Just how long does it take for the side effects to go down let alone to start feeling any better?

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 8760

NullPointer, Sounds like you're off to a good start! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Danielle, Bilingual Support Specialist

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 86

I know all of you are wondering how things are going with the Effexor. Seems pretty good so far. I'm about to finish on the 2nd week and I've been feeling pretty good. If this keeps up I probably will keep taking it. Next week I'm supposed to take 150mg for 2 weeks till I see the Dr. again. What's been different? Here's a few things: 1. I've been talking more. 2. I've felt happier. 3. I've not been overcome with worry. I am still aware of difficult situations I have, but I don't feel immobilized like I've been. 4. I've not had one of those uncontrollable crying spells and overwhelming fear. 5. I've not lost emotional control (like getting angry for unknown or surprising reasons). 6. I've not been so incapable of activity. For a while there, I just couldn't seem to do any work and it really caused some financial problems. I've taken a hit in that aspect for the past couple months, but I've been working really well lately and I've been able to make up some that I've lost. 6. What's really weird is I've been remembering all kinds of stuff, like from when I was a child and before I had children. It's not been bad like scary or anything, but it's strange because I just remember one thing after another and I don't seem to be able to stop it. 7. I start feeling weird if I don't take the medicine on time. Well, he's had me do Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Prozac at different times. I've quit everyone because they didn't seem to help. Of course a few times I've quit because I couldn't pay for it. Doc gets really mad about it too, like last time. He thinks the Effexor might do the trick. I'm not counting on it yet, but so far, so good.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3043

Hi, Like any medication, insulin, epipen, notro, the first resource should be the doctor and pharmacist. Well neither of them were able to help me understand why I have been taking Effexor for two years now! I went to a conference given by an anxiete self-help group and found out a lot... tricyclic antidepressants are in a category of older meds with a few issues involved in their use. ssri - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors these meds help brain neurons spit out a chemical that communicates with other neurons (work like purolator) these chemicals (serotonin) need to find their proper seats on the next neuron. Then the original neuron sucks them all back in and stores them! Well those of us who are depressed seem to have less of this chemical and the neurons suck it back in too quickly... so the SSRI slow down the uptake; slow the suck up and storage so we have more going on in the brain... also it helps the chemical find its "right seat" on the next neuron ... so cells are talking to each other! Meds like Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro escitalopram oxalate), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline) are in this category... then there are the newest classes of antidepressants, the selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) that affect two chemicals in the brain. Both are associated with depression, "norepinephrine" is thought to be involved more with alertness and energy, while "serotonin" influences mood. By increasing levels of both, SNRIs work on different aspects of depression. So Cymbalta (duloxetine), Effexor XR (venlafaxine) and Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)belong here! Now should you take effexor? The doctor will look at YOUR depression and see what you need to stimulate. Sometimes its hit and sometimes its a miss because there is an imbalance to discover and try to bring into equilibrium. This is what I needed to understand why... why have I been taking these things for so long... why this one... why not another... would another make me feel good... good luck in your quest.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 101

i found some effect almost immediately but feeling "normal" took about a month first time around.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 86

Well, I felt pretty good for a few days. It's almost a week now and I'm supposed to go up to the 75mg. So far, so good, except I've felt tired today, my eyes hurt and I've felt like my pulse is way up at night. Otherwise, no crying/fear/anxiety/panic spells, no loss of control, and I've not been overwhelmed by despair, quit my job had any fights, etc. It's supposed to take a month to have any effects from the medicine, so maybe this is just a coincidence.

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 86

Well, thanks for the good posts. I am going to go ahead and take it. He wants me to start on the 37.5 for a week, then go to 75 for a week, then start taking 150. I hope it doesn't mess me up, but then again, I don't see how things could get much worse anyhow. I am encouraged by you who have had great success with it & I am gonna hope for the same!!

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5195

dumpling, I wouldn't talk to anyone either. I still don't. I talk to this counselor and to two other people that have accepted me and stood by my side. It has taken me a long time to trust them. I have some serious trust issues. That's another thing I am working through. One step at a time. The first step is to make the phone call. What have you got to lose?

16 years ago 0 +0 / -0 101

Lady, Thanks for the positive feedback in both this and the other posting. I needed it. Went to see my dr today and she was off sick. Got more meds from her fill in Told him I was just coming back from feeling suicidal. He talked to me a bit and gave me the name of a psychologist. But I felt depressed when I got back and had a 2 hr nap. I also have recommendations from my daughter's former prof. I just have to decide if I will take the leap and call someone. I am not very good at talking to people.

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I'm Back. Should I take Effexor?