I asked this in the new member section but got no response, so I'm hoping for feed back!! I switched from Zoloft to Effexor XR about a week and a half ago..I am on 37.5mg XR. My doctor didn't instruct for me to increase the dose at all (I am to have follow up in a month though) but I am wondering if anyone has had success in taking this low dose without increasing. So far I have felt about the same as I did on Zoloft and haven't felt any side effects. The "numbness" does feel like it may be lifting and my sex drive may be slowly increasing, but I think its too soon to tell for sure!

I know that only time can tell, but I'm just curious about any experiences people may have had on a low dose.

Thanks to you all who read and/or responde.

Much love!
CR

[quote name='croseo' date='Mar 12 2008, 01:19 AM' post='373316']
I asked this in the new member section but got no response, so I'm hoping for feed back!! I switched from Zoloft to Effexor XR about a week and a half ago..I am on 37.5mg XR. My doctor didn't instruct for me to increase the dose at all (I am to have follow up in a month though) but I am wondering if anyone has had success in taking this low dose without increasing. So far I have felt about the same as I did on Zoloft and haven't felt any side effects. The "numbness" does feel like it may be lifting and my sex drive may be slowly increasing, but I think its too soon to tell for sure!

I know that only time can tell, but I'm just curious about any experiences people may have had on a low dose.

Thanks to you all who read and/or responde.

Much love!

croseo,

I have been on effexor XR for about 1 month now. I started out at the same dose as you 37.5mg but i found that it wasn't enough. 2 weeks into it i talked to my doctor and he decided to up the dosage. 2 pills/day instead of 1. I have found that it seems to be starting to help more. When i was on the low does i felt like i wasn't even taking any at all. From my experience and from others it is normal to have to up the dosage with effexor. What you are taking is a very low dose and perhaps you should talk to your doctor before your follow up to let them know how you feel.

37.5mg is the threshold dose for Effexor. Unless you are extremely sensitive to medication, anything you feel there will be minimal and placebo.

everyone is different, some people may be sensitive to Efexor and may get some benefit.

37.5mg is indeed the threshold dose for Effexor, but how can any effect felt simply be placebo?

37.5mg of Effexor is like sitting down and drinking 1 beer--you might feel the onset of effects, but if you believe it is actually having a mood-altering effect on you you're kidding yourself. (Assuming you are not extremely sensitive to medication).

Yeh. 37.5Mg is a very low dose. I didnt even know it could go that low....

I started on 75Mg and that was even while coming off Mirtazapine at the same time. Then again, have you had issues with side effects in the past or on different drugs?

150Mg is considered a decent dose, with 225Mg the most 'popular'.

Of course, everyones different but I'd go back to my doc if I were you. I think sometimes docs try to overdo keeping you on as low dose as possible. I can see their point but I'd rather not have my life fall apart around me during the wait to get my dose upped !!!!!

Speaking from a neurotransmitter standpoint, if some minor serotonin reuptake inhibition is all you need, then yes the effexor might work. At that dose effexor is going to act like an ssri. You dont get any norepinephrine action until you get around the 200mg mark.

what does the norepinephrine do then?

So why are there doses below 200mg then? I guess I don't understand why a Dr would switch someone meds and put them on a lower dose (not necessarily as low as 37.5mg) if it isn't even going to work. I have a hard time believing that people don't get any "norepinephrine action" at any dose lower than 200mg. Of course I understand that everyone is different and reacts differently to all drugs.

Hi croseo

I think it depends on a number of factors, one being the severity of your depression. If you are severely depressed, then it's unlikely such a low dose (on its own) will do much for you.

If you're mildly depressed, then you could well get a benefit from 37.5mg.

As has been said, everyone is different. Just because one person doesn't get something out of your dose amount, doesn't mean you won't.

Cheers

dtm

Hi croseo

I've been reading a bit about SNRIs, as your question about noradrenaline (norepinephrine) got me wondering too. People were talking about the noradrenaline boost at higher doses, but not explaining why it happens that way.

Apparently, available SNRIs have limitations on the ratio of serotonin to noradrenaline receptors, and tend to focus largely on serotonin. Therefore, you need a much higher dose in order to experience a noradrenaline boost. Of course, it's there in the lower doses, just not in sufficient quantity to make a difference.

Different articles claim different thresholds, but the average consensus is anything over 150mg to get the boost.

It's one of the reasons that some doctors now recommend a combination of two drugs (such as sertraline & nortriptyline), rather than one SNRI, to achieve the dual action that is claimed by the SNRI manufacturers.

Hope this clears things up for you a bit.

I'm merely summarizing about 20 articles on venlafaxine that I found on the net. If anyone has anything to add, please do.

PS - mimi, in answer to your question I found this explanation:

Noradrenaline, a key neurotransmitter involved in the control of mood and emotional behavior, is believed to inhibit or stimulate a variety of emotional responses such as anxiety, aggression, stress, and sleep patterns

This post has been edited by dtm: Mar 22 2008, 06:18 AM

Hi i'm new here and will be 'joining the ranks' of Effexor-ists in about 4 weeks - (post holiday - best natural Anti' going.).

I've been on Prothiaden + Lithium for most of the last 20 years. My latest bungeee into the ever waiting arms of depression was greatly enhanced by the unexpected joys of 'alcohol withdrawal syndrome ' - for any heavy drinkers out there (you don't have to be an alcoholic to get this) you really don't want to go there. The Anxiety and mood swings have been as bad as anything I've experienced with depression and that includes my 'first' episode that lost me 4 stone and 2 weeks of sleep(literally).

Anyway, they're dropping the prothiaden down and adding 35mg of Venlafaxine. Anyone here crossed over from a tricyclic to Venlafaxine?.

I'm really not sure what to expect - when my 'Doc first mentioned the idea of changing over it kind of freaked me out to be honest....my ultimate horror story -- change antidepressant,find it doesn't work, fall into a more serious depression just in time for withdrawl symptom hell , onto another AP that doesn't work and go round in a big circle going further and further down... .....bless my mind for creating that little scenario. But with a couple of weeks passed and feeling more steady, reassurance from the Doc about titrating it over, and reading the success stories on here i'm ready to take the plunge......the first antidepressant change i've had over the entire period - and none to soon I think, in fact i'm cautiously opptimistic.....

This post has been edited by Prot: Apr 4 2008, 09:09 PM