Anyone taken Effexor?

jillian357 · Post by **jillian357** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:19 am

Hi All,
Hope everyone is doing well!

My GP recently took me off Buspar (for anxiety) and has put me on 75mg of Effexor once a day. I was feeling totally overwhelmed with anxiety sprinkled with some depression and kind of fell apart in his office.

I eat right, exercise regularly (officially in training for a full marathon now) and I just can't seem to get a grip on things for whatever reason.

Today is day 6 for me on the med and I am slowly feeling better, but I have read some scary stuff online about side effects as well as withdrawal once you get off the drug.
Has anyone had a positive/negative experience with Effexor they could share?

Thanks!
Jill

Courtney · Post by **Courtney** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:13 pm

Hi Jill,

I took Effexor for a brief time in the winter of 2007. (One of many anti-anxiety, anti-depressants that I have tried over the years. I always seem to take about one prescription's worth before quitting because for some reason, I just don't feel quite "right" on them, and my depression/anxiety have been manageable without.) As I recall, I had some pretty annoying dry mouth and also had trouble sleeping. I did not have any severe or scary side effects, though, and I went off of it with no problems. Remember, though, that I only took it for about a month, so that might not be long enough to cause withdrawal symptoms.

Hope that helps. I do sympathize with your experience in the doctor's office. I have been there.

Courtney

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:20 pm

Jill----way back I tried Buspar and it didnt help me----matter of fact I felt worse on it---
Now if *anixety* overtakes me I take .05 of Zanax----and if the anxiety goes further I take a full tablet---1 mg---

That is a big help for me at STRESSFUL times~~

Barbara

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:26 pm

Jill,

I took Buspar a while ago as well and it worked in the beginning, but then I needed to increase the dose and when we tried I started having panic attacks. I started taking Effexor about 4 months ago and it is doing the trick for me w/o any problems. I feel that it definitely helps with my anxiety/depression.

Good luck with your training.

Rose

jillian357 · Post by **jillian357** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 7:12 am

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Rose, have you experienced any weight gain on the Effexor?

I'm really concerned about gaining weight on this stuff....

thanks!
Jill

Rose · Post by **Rose** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:12 am

Jill,

No, but I exercise like you. I run over 24 miles a week and bike over 90 miles a week (both indoors mind you). Now that I think of it, I have actually lost weight since I have been on the stuff. I started to lose weight about 4 months ago.

Rose

jillian357 · Post by **jillian357** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:54 am

Thanks Rose, you've helped to make me feel less anxious about the Effexor!!

Sincerely appreciated!

Jill

Pam · Post by **Pam** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:13 am

I am brand new to this site so I hope I am posting correctly.
My teenage son took Effexor for about a year and did great on it. Don't read all the stuff online as it will make you more anxious. Remember one thing, if you decide to go off of it just do it VERY SLOWLY. We actaully broke open the capsules and weaned him off by taking out the grains in a very gradual time frame. He did fine that way. The benefits far outweighed the fact that he had to come off it so slowly.

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:33 am

I take it and have for about 8 years now. I did go off it at one point about 3 years ago. Did well for a while, and the weaning off process wasn't a problem. I got moody during it, but only in the initial days at a new dose, then that would level out, and I'd be ready for the next step. I'm sure your doctor will work with you when the time comes. I had to go back on it because after about 6 months my anxiety had gotten bad again (was in an awful work situation).

I've been so busy lately, I don't remember your story, but have you been avoiding your food intolerances for long? I ask because I think my anxiety may be partly the reaction/sick feeling I get when I eat gluten. And the first anxiety attack I had after I had gone off the effexor was after a weekend of not following my diet due to being on vacation and at a wedding. That was the event that kicked me into high gear and really believing that there is no such thing as cheating on the diet. I just don't get the GI symptoms that fast.

Hope you are feeling better. I'm sure you'll do fine.
Katy

jillian357 · Post by **jillian357** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 11:43 am

Hi Katy,
Thanks for sharing your experience on the Effexor as well. I've been gluten/soy/dairy free for a year now.

I think part of my depression is related to "the change" of life.....my gyno confirmed I was in perimenopause at my last appointment. I'm also dealing with a stressful work enviroment like you, so that certainly doesn't help matters.

The Effexor is helping, I can tell....I'll stick with it, for now anyway.

Thanks again!
Jill

no-more-muffins · Post by **no-more-muffins** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 1:47 pm

Jillian, I just wondered how it was going on the effexor. One of my many dr.s gave me a Rx for effexor (after the prozac and celexa didn't work) but I haven't started taking it yet. I have had the Rx for about 2 months and I was in the process of trying to figure out what was wrong and if my anx/ and dep were a symptom of something else.

I am not sure now if I should wait until I have been on the diet for awhile or try the effexor and see if it helps while I am getting better. Any thoughts (anyone?) I'd rather not be on AD drugs but I would like to sleep and not have so much anx.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:13 pm

Pam, we're gald you found us.........

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:07 pm

Hi Jill,
I'm on 75mgs of Effexor and have had no problems. One thing I do know is that it can give you the jitters if you consume alot of coffee.
It has really helped as I have suffered years with clinical depression.
If my lfe gets really hairy, I have Klonopin on hand to take as needed.
No gaining weight for me while on it and I was hoping that it would be an AD that would help put weight on me.

Dee~~~~

jillian357 · Post by **jillian357** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:22 pm

Hi Pam (no-more-muffins--cute name by the way!)

The Effexor is working quite well....other than a bit of fatigue the first week or so and a bit of a queasy stomach, overall it's been great.
I've lost 10 pounds in a month on it as well. Nice side effect.

I'd say give it a try....if you don't like it, there are other options out there. Living with depression is for the birds, especially dealing with it on top of MC...it's hard enough in itself!

Dee--thanks for sharing your experience. It certainly makes me feel that much better taking it. It's been great so far.

Love,
Jill

no-more-muffins · Post by **no-more-muffins** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:31 pm

Jill, what dosage do you take?

I don't have terrible depression, and I think it has been getting better so I am trying to decide if I should wait it out or just go for it. Plus I think I am having the gluten withdrawals which are making me more anxious than usual.

I have a couple of sisters who take Effexor and it helps them a lot.