Effexor XR 75mg

[amywayme]

I was prescribed yesterday to treat anxiety, and will start taking it tomorrow. Doc said to expect nightmares (I already have em, does that mean they will get worse!!?!?). Pharmacist said it will cause drowsiness. Moms friend who is a pharm-rep says I will likely not notice any side effects like drowsiness (other than the nightmares, oh joy) and no change in my anxiety for two weeks. Ugh. Can you say mixed signals??? Has anyone ever taken this stuff before? I am also curious (although I am also almost certain that the answer is no...) whether this medication lessens the bodies sensitivity to the mental symptoms of low or high blood sugars. Something I didn't think of until the doc's office was closed for the day. D'oh!

[yannah]

I took effexor for two years.

here is what happened to me..google side effects and withdrawal effexor or paxil, closely related. anyway stuff they do no tell you..

once you start to take effexor, you need to never skip a dose and take it at the same time everyday. I was lax about this. I ended up going to ER in an ambulance because of this. they thought I was having a gallbladder attack. I was puking, dizzy and have liquid stools. it had been coming and going but this last time was just really bad.

it was the effexor. my phychiatrist said you have to take it smae time everyday. don't miss a dose.....because...and this is where you can look up withdrawal from effexor or paxil....
missing a dose or getting off it can be a total nightmare. he told me this after I got sick and had been on it a long time.

anyway....did effexor ever help...???? I dunno. I think it made me worse. but thats cuz I am bipolar and had been misdiagnosed and being bipolar, antodepressants can make you worse.

but I do know someone who feels it really really helps them.

I gained 40lbs on effexor. thats the other thing.

like all phyche meds, there are some whopping side effects that no one will tell you so you have to know them. Like all phyche meds (just about) there is an issue for wieght gain.

phyche meds can save lives. its not all bad. its alot good.

but I have found that they often say little about what could go wrong, as maybe they are afraid us anxious people will then not take them....I dunno.

good luck. monitor BS, wieght gain, and take the same time everyday. never stop taking them all at once. I did this once, I missed work for 10 days. I couldn't even walk down the hallway..taper like your therapist suggests.

I hope effexor helps you and is a good experience. Just be knowledgable.

[musique913]

I had a completely different experience than Yannah.

I have PTSD that sometimes could paralyze me in a moment without too much trouble. I was taking Celexa for a long time and it basically kept me on a even level with severe spikes of anxiety.

I started on Effexor I would say about a year ago now, and haven't looked back. I would say that my anxiety is 85-90% better than it was. That says a lot. I go out more often, I don't get jumpy, and I actually go places without having paralyzing fear.

I don't ever not take my medicine, so I never experienced the side effects, because I know how my anxiety is, and I'd never risk missing it. I never had nightmares when I started taking it. The first week I was really tired, but that I think is normal when you start a new medicine.

I'll say too that there was something I learned in PA school that made me surprised. The side effects that are written for pills? Those are actually ANY side effect any ONE person had of that drug. Someone got a swollen toe from taking a drug? You'll see it there. A runny nose--it gets added. So don't get scared of side effects unless you are one of the people who has one..Trust me on this, the benefits of anxiety medicine far outweigh the downsides.

Good luck with it. Let me know too, if you have any other questions.

[yannah]

I had a completely different experience than Yannah.

I have PTSD that sometimes could paralyze me in a moment without too much trouble. I was taking Celexa for a long time and it basically kept me on a even level with severe spikes of anxiety.

I started on Effexor I would say about a year ago now, and haven't looked back. I would say that my anxiety is 85-90% better than it was. That says a lot. I go out more often, I don't get jumpy, and I actually go places without having paralyzing fear.

I don't ever not take my medicine, so I never experienced the side effects, because I know how my anxiety is, and I'd never risk missing it. I never had nightmares when I started taking it. The first week I was really tired, but that I think is normal when you start a new medicine.

I'll say too that there was something I learned in PA school that made me surprised. The side effects that are written for pills? Those are actually ANY side effect any ONE person had of that drug. Someone got a swollen toe from taking a drug? You'll see it there. A runny nose--it gets added. So don't get scared of side effects unless you are one of the people who has one..Trust me on this, the benefits of anxiety medicine far outweigh the downsides.

Good luck with it. Let me know too, if you have any other questions.

this is not a totatly different experience than I had.

there are 2 differences. 1. it helped you. which is good and happens often. 2. you took it as directed, I didnt.

the withdrawal problems are universal. but vary in symptoms.

and yes, you cannot worry about every side effect. but you have to be aware and watch for changes. the result of my not doing that with several phyche drugs was was diabetes(zyprexa), hypercalcemia(lithium) and wieght gain....(effexor, and zyprexa) among some other things. I always stay aware with any drug now.

I am not adovating not taking them if need be. I am advocating doing it with awareness.

[belyro]

I was on Effexor for a few years and have been off it now for a year and a half. My experience was largely fine. I was only on 35mg, though.

Getting started on it I did have a few "symptoms", but none were very bad. Mostly I was very drowsy and dopey, and also my skin felt extra sensitive for some reason. These symptoms lasted a week or two tops.

Once I was used to it, I experienced NO side effects. I have never had nightmares from it - not starting it, not on it, and not during the withdrawal period either. I actually found that I slept better while I was on it because my mind was able to settle down and relax.

That said, there were a few times when I missed my dose by about half a day. That would make me feel dizzy and "out of it", sometimes with a headache, but nothing more significant than that. I know someone else who's on it who doesn't even notice if she misses 1 day's dose - she only notices after 2 days. My symptoms would always disappear within a couple of hours of taking my missed pill.

Getting OFF of the drug wasn't easy, but it was definitely manageable. I basically had the symptoms of a missed pill but worse and for longer. I was dizzy and confused and my head felt weird and I was a bit nauseous from the dizziness. It lasted about a week, but there were only 2-3 bad days. I DID go cold turkey on the advice of my doctor. According to her (and from what I've read on the drug), the half-life of Effexor is so short that by spreading out doses you're only making yourself feel like you missed a pill over and over. It's easier to do it all at once like a band-aid than prolong it. But I definitely would recommend tapering the amount you are taking (i.e. don't go cold-turkey from 75mg....get down to 35mg before you quit).

I think your question about whether it will affect your ability to feel highs and lows depends on how the drug affects you personally. For me, it did affect that in the first while that I was on it (i.e. when I felt weird from it), and also during the withdrawal, but when I was on it and used to it I was still perfectly capable of feeling highs and lows. Since being off of it, I don't feel highs/lows sooner than I did on it. That may not be the same for you. Definitely monitor your bloodsugar carefully while you're figuring out how the drug affects you.

I was glad I went on the drug. It helped me at a time when I needed it. Now I don't need it anymore and I'm glad to be off of it. But the experience of being on it was completely fine for me. I hope it is for you too!

The thing to keep in mind is that different drugs do affect different people differently. It's great that you're asking about the experiences of others. Your experience could be the same as one of ours or it could be quite a bit different. It's important for you to know the possible side effects, but don't go into it assuming they'll all happen to you. Some of them might and some of them might not. A lot of people do use Effexor very succesfully. Hopefully you'll be one of them!

If you have more questions about my experience, feel free to PM me.

Good luck!

[amywayme]

I dunno, I am a bit nervous. I think I am going to discuss it with my endo next Friday. I am sure it can be quite beneficial, however, I have become pretty good and calming myself down when the anxiety does "attack". so maybe it is not needed. who knows....lol Thanks everyone though for the great feedback, I didn't think I would get so much information!

[yannah]

what I would do, is if you are really really anxious. (anxiety can be helatious) I would try it. but i would look at potential side effects and be aware of my body. I would monitor BS closely and get on the scale every couple days.

if all things are going fine, and after a few weeks it helps you, then I would keep taking it. same time every day. no missed doses. and when I decided to stop taking it, I would do so with support of a doctor and taper over weeks.

I learned the hard way that professionals do not alk about side effects. the pharmacy hands you that info but I do not think people read it.

what i thought, is if it is prescribed for me, it must be really safe.

I have learned alot about big drug companies and doctors and drug companies since then.

now I am an advocate of doing the research and weighing the benefit of ANY drug - if there is something you can do that works other than the drug. I always choose that. (could me long walks, meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing....)

but there have been times when taking a drug was the best option. one time, I am sure welbutrin saved my life, and I opt to take my met, quinipril and verapamil. becuase the benefit outways any risk possiblilty.

I also feel that the those drugs are older and well researched.

but I have recently started seroquel, which raises blood sugar for me. I had to really think that thru as best as I could think at the time. I took the seroquel for a couple months. got me thru a rough spot, I stopped it again. my ac was up a just .2 during this time, but that was with a whole lot of effort on my part.

from now on instead of using phyche drugs, continually, I am using them just when I need them. but I am bipolar, my needs change alot.

so, I would try it if the anxiety was ruling me. I would just really be aware of what can happen commonly, if they are not taken right, or if they are. and I would be aware not to just stop them.

I was prescribed a statin last summer. I asked to be off it in october. my dr was pretty hesitant. turns out I do not need it at all.....so I am just saying, be your own leader of your medical team.