If you have a question or concern that is not addressed by any of the topics in this room, please post here and we will help you.

I'm not really new (to the boards).. I started Effexor XR back in March, but only took it for about 3 weeks. My doc got sick, and I couldn't get a refill so I quit it.. I didn't feel ANY sideeffects anyways. I was sure he gave me a placebo...

Anyways, I just recently started Effexor again, 9 days ago, and its... different. Thats my short story... Just wanted to say hi  :wave: ..

Oh my question... Can someone help me, what do you do about the excessive sweating?

~*Fallen*~
he wouldn't have given you a placebo unless you were on a drug trial.  But there could have other reasons for why you didn't suffer any side effects.  HOw you were at the time for instance.  

Anyway, the sweating is to be endured, horrible though that is.  One woman did suggest something and its in the "Venlafaxine ( Effexor )" thread, the last post.

I just grin and bear it, and go around without a jacket during the warmer months, wear cotton, wash regularly, use anti-deodorants etc.  

Do drink plenty of liquid to make sure that you do not dehydrate yourself.

You could ask your dr or pharmacist if there is anything else you could do.

Welcome to the sweaty ones.

Eileen

Hi!
Newbie here!
I actually used too lurk on the old boards. But for some reason, I could never register. I think it wasa glitch with my old Macintosh. However I am here now.
My doc prescribed effexor xr about 7 weeks ago, and it is still sitting in my cupboard unopened. I am supposed too be taking it for anxiety, but I can't seem too get over the anxiety and fear I have of the side effects! Catch 22! :sniffle1:
I wanted her too give me the Paxil, I used too take with no major problems. But she said no, she felt the effexor would be a better choice. Less chance of weight gain(I am already overweight) and less sexual side effects.
I have too do something, the anxiety is now putting me into a major depression. I have 3 kids, I don't want my moods affecting them. I have too get over this fear somehow. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Paula :verysad3:

Paula
welcome.  It always puts a smile on my face when folk say they are prescribed effexor for anxiety but then the person is too anxious to take it.  Sorry but I have a warped sense of humour.  Its not that I'm laughing at  your condition but the Catch 22 situation.  And it isn't funny be anxious I know.

All I can say is that Effexor has helped people with anxiety and depression (read the Effexor Success Stories, they are all true and posted by folk like you and I).  

There are side effects to effexor, there are side effects to any anti-depressant or anti-anxiety med.  But you don't know if you will get any.  Take it slowly at first and don't up the dose till your body is ready to take the next increase.

The leaflet that comes with effexor has to state what are the possible side effects, this does not mean that you will get all that are listed.  Most common for the start up side effects is: dry mouth, feeling nauseous (makes you eat less for a week or so), you might get a bit jittery, you might feel a bit 'hyper', you might get a bit sensitive to daylight and sound, you may get a bit constipated, maybe a little restless sleep.  These are the things I got at first.  You may not get the same list, but at least you will be prepared for it IF they do occur.   These are minor and don't last long.  A week to 2 weeks maybe.

Think about what you are going through just now, can you live like this?  Can you take the risk that Effexor might be able to help you through this tough time?  Re-read that 2 questions, they are important.    It might be that it is your anxiety that is worrying you about the possible side effects.   By being here you can read up about the POTENTIAL side effects and be on guard for them and realise that they will not least long.  You can read about how effexor has been for other people, this isn't coming from Drs or Psychiatrists, this is coming from folk like us, people who are depressed, anxious, etc.

I must be truthful and say that there are some side effects that have affected me long therm, these are vivid dreams and a tendancy to sweat easily.   I don't know about the sexual side effects since I am single so I don't notice if I've lost libido.  

I can say, honestly, that for myself the few side effects I have had were worthwhile in getting me through the depression. I was on 225mg for nearly 3 years.   I'm currently reduced to 37.5mg but I feel my depression has returned, thats not a fault of the effexor, that is MY condition.  I get recurrent depression.   I am in intensive therapy just now and the reduction was per their advice (I may have to go back up).

The dr has suggested Effexor to you for a reason, she may be right or she may be wrong, but you are not giving her advice any chance by leaving the pills in the cupboard.  Are you in therapy, because that may be one way to go if you don't want to take pills?  Although it might help in the first instance to get you to a point where the therapy would help.

Give effexor a go, if you don't like it after say 3 months then talk to your dr again or do go and talk to your dr this week and tell her how you are feeling.  Maybe you just need to have a good talk with her about effexor. Tell her what you are worried about and what she could do to help if your fears are proved.  Be prepared.  If you are worried about sexual dysfunction, talk about that, talk about it with your partner, make him aware that there MAY POSSIBLY be some minor sexual dysfunction.  Is he supportive?  Is he willing to go through this with you? Does he fully understand how you are feeling with the anxiety and depression?  

You have 2 choices to take effexor or not.   It has to be your choice, Paula.   The water may be cold but sometimes its better to jump right in and get it over and done with.   Well maybe 3 choices, go and talk to your dr and see if there is something else like therapy (which can be expensive and time consuming but can be worth it).

Let us know what you decide Paula.  You are not the first person to say how fearful they were of taking anti-depressants.

Eileen

Hi, I have been taking 225mg of Effexor for about 5 months now and things seem to be going ok. I have noticed that my frustration level and my temper are returning where it originally subsided when I began the meds. Does anybody take something along with the effexor for this? I just seem to be a little more high-strung again. I remember my doc telling me that my original stress and temper symptoms were due to depression so I don't know what to think. Other than that I think the meds are doing the job..except for the lag in my memory recall which can be frustrating? Any suggestions?

bigblue has your dr suggested a mood stabiliser of some kind.  I had problems with temper as well (diagnised with  personality disorder as well as depressive disorder) .   I started off taking Zyprexa as well as effexor, then changed to Seroquel (too much sedation) then finally Risperidone.

talk to your dr about it.
Eileen

hi everyone
i started effexor in march this year.  I did help me but now I am weaning myself off, down to 9.375 mg from 75mg.  I have had to halve and then quarter my pills which is what my doc suggested after i was given some bad advice and stopped altogether (DON'T DO THIS...EVER). I am feeling rather tearful a lot of the time is this normal?  Not really depressed, just low.  Hoping it will pass, I really don't want to rely on meds just to feel ok for the rest of my life, that frightens me.    Anyone who has gotten off effexor without feeling sick, tired, weepy, unreal, I would love to find out how you did it.  Also frightened that my depression is coming back,don't want to go through that again.  Hope it's just weaning side effects :verysad3:

soph32
it is known that some side effects of weaning off effexor can be similar to the side effects of starting on effexor.   I think it is 'normal' to feel a bit weepy when coming off any anti-depressant.  This won't last long.  

Has your dr warned you that there can sometimes be a 'rebound' depression when coming off anti-depressants.  Its just the body's reaction to there being no AD around.  It shouldn't last long (if it does occur).  If you feel depressed for longer than a few weeks then do go back to your dr.

You said you started taking Effexor in March.   Did you know that it has been documented that to help prevent a recurrence of depression that it is better to be on an anti-depressant for at least 6 months after the last symptom has disappeared.  Research has shown that the longer you are on an AD for the least likely you are to suffer a relapse in the next five years.  Just a thought, cos you weren't on the drug for very long and I know from personal experience (usual history of taking ADs was to be on it for a few months) that the depressions always came back.

Are you getting therapy as well or was this depression a reaction to a particular situation?

Eileen

Hi Soph32,
This is also the first time taking AD's for me also and I also began in March of this year- so we have something in common! I am taking 225mgs daily. Actually I had the same concerns as you about starting to take meds for my 'condition' but I also wanted to resist these fears and give the meds a chance. My doctor told me that many people that only take the meds for a few months usually return with the same symptoms very shortly and that you should take them for minimal 6 mos- just as firelizardee mentioned- I just thought I would reinforce her words with my experience. Anyway, my doc said I should take the meds for about a year which seems like a long time but I put off dealing with my condition for years and want to try and beat this thing once and for all. So, I sometimes have concerns about 'needing' the meds for life etc. but I also want to allow the meds to run their course- you know? Just my thoughts -hope this helps :D
bigblue

I have had no counselling, last time I got depressed was 1997 following a termination and being ina relationship that wasn't healthy for me.  I had hypnotherapy and got better, this is the first time I have felt depressed since then but am in a loving relationship, good job, own home nothing really wrong at all but still feel miserable, now that doesn't make sense to me. Will i have to pay for therapy or can i get referred by my gp????

soph32
depends on where you live.  Are you in the UK?  If so you can ask your GP to refer you to a psychiatrist, there may be a waiting list though.  There is a reason for why the depression is there, there may be some underlying reason for it or it may be a chemical imbalance.  

Sometimes we get depressed because we aren't dealing with some problem in our lives or there is unresolved feelings about something in our past.

With me its... too big to describe.  But childhood, parents, family, relationships, everything.

Therapy may not be necessary but you have had at least 2 periods of depression in your life.  Have you resolved them?  Sorry for the questions, I attend a therapeutic community and there we are asked questions all the time and have to answer them.  

Please don't get worried about this, its just a concern, its my stuff.   I asked for extra help because I couldn't stand just being given anti-depressants by the dr, I wanted to know why the depressions kept recurring.

TAke care.
Eileen

i will look into this if things don't get better,  this is my third episode and like you I want to know why it keeps coming back.  Thanks and keep on keeping on :)

You're welcome

:wave: My doctor added a small dose of Zoloft to my Effexor to help my frustration/temper.  When I was on Zoloft alone, my temper was much better, but I was out of sorts and depressed and unmotivated.  Effexor fixed all that, but without the Zoloft I am angry.
You should ask your doctor for suggestions!  I've been very happily taking this combo for 8 months now.  :;):

so no more just  :angry:

lol

Thanks for the suggestion NewMom!  , I will look into it if my situation continues. :)

bigblue

HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT TO HAVE THE WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS AFTER QUITTING MY EFFEXOR?   I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR XR FOR 1 YR.  I BEGAN THE WEANING DOWN PROCESS ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO AND HAD NO SUCCESS ONLY SEVERE WITHDRAWALS, SO ABOUT 1 WEEK AGO I QUIT EFFEXOR COLD TURKEY.  I AM VERY ANXIOUS, DIZZY, MOODY, AND ANGRY

TNBLUEYES
I think you've come down very quickly, it was recommened to me that when I reduced to do so by steps of 37.5mg  every 2 weeks.   This does reduce the side effects of discontinuation.  Quitting cold turkey is the worst way to do it.

I'm not sure how long these side effects will last, it could be another week or two.   Some folk have mentioned taking Benadryl, that might help with the dizzyness.  Have a chat with your dr, see if she has any suggestions.

I'm sorry you are feeling like this, but reducing too quickly can bring these side effects on.  I would have thought your dr would have warned you about this.

Eileen

I know it sounds strange but has anyone had a side-effect of 'chewing' on the inside of their mouth? I never used to do this but recently I feel a tightness in my jaw sometimes and either it is relieved if I chew gum or I start gnawing on the inside of my mouth(cheeks).
Bigblue.  :grinning:

bigblue

some folk do get jaw clenching but I've not heard of anyoned chewing the insides of their mouth.  Chewing the gum is better.  STick to that.

Eileen

Hi :wave: I am not new but am posting under another name. I was just Patti.
Anyways I have been on effexor since May 28 I have been on 75mg. I started on 37.5 for 2 weeks and have been at 75 since. I do not think it is working at all. I am still having major depressed feelings where all I want to do is sit in my houseand cry. I dont see my DR till sept 10 but I see my therapist tommorrow. I havent been to see her since June.
I do not know what has happened to me but I am just so moody and irritable, my hair is falling out, and I have so much anxiety that I dont know what to do with myself. My husband has a script for klonopine so I have found myself taling one a day, or as needed.
This is the 4th AD that I have been on and I really dont think that I am going to have much luck with them. I don't know if an increase is the answer or if that will just make me feel worse. The dr has mentioned the possibility of bipolar but he has yet to explore any further into it. I just feel like I am spiralling out of control and I may never stop. UUUGGGHHH!!! Will I ever feel normal again???
Well thats my story, I hope to become a more regular poster, I really do like reading up on everyone elses experiences.
Oh and I have no appetite at all I have to force myself to eat. I have lost 20 lbs since starting it.

The AD merry-go-round gets old, doesn't?  Effexor is my 4th one in 10 years.  I have been on Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. The Effexor seems to work, but I'm not sure how well. I have been on 75 mg 2 X day for about 2 yrs. and still get some jitteriness, plus sleepiness and the weird dreams.  

I am seeing my doctor on Sept. 1 and hope I can get some info into what I should do.  I feel fine, depression-wise.  But is it the Effexor doing it's job?  Or am I "cured?"  I wonder if I should get off it completely and just keep a low dose antianxietal on hand (I do pretty well on Tranxene) for just in case times.  But even though I am on a pretty low dose I am terrified of the withdrawal.  What to do, what to do :confused:

I am currently on Effexor and Epival not sure if anyone knows about epival but it a drug for not only mood but also epilipsy(sorry can't spell).  I started taking the epival about 2 weeks ago and recently upped the doseage and reccomended by my doctor.  I have woken everynite for 1 week now in tears of horrow becuase of nightmares i had had.  I don't remember them but they scare me enought to wake up cring and i mean not whimpering my full fledge balling my eyes out.  Does anyone else have these or just me.  Another is that I have the sweats to what can i do about that.  I am so frustrated....I just recently been diagnosed with bi-polar 1 at first it was just severe panic and anxiety disorder with severe depression now the b-polar and my doc has told me nothing about it i am scared cause I don't know what it is and if it will go away or what.....I need some help here please

patti
I'm sorry that the effexor doesn't seem to be working, it might be that you are not at the best dose for you.  225mg is regarded as the best therapeutic dose.  It's a long time before you see your dr, I really would have thought at least once a month would be better when you start a new medicine, but maybe you folks do things differently over there.

As for taking some of your husbands medicine, thats a really bad thing to do, you could be doing yourself some damage.  Drugs are prescribed by drs for a reason and taking something that your dr doens't know about is a no-no.   It might be that some drugs interact badly with each other and your dr would have known that.  Do you know if klonopine interacts with Effexor?    Also you don't know if klonopin is suitable for you and your condition.  

Do talk to your dr about how you are feeling and tell him about the klonopin as well.   He/she should be able to help you.

Eileen

Gera25
first of all sorry not to have been around for a few days to reply to you,  I just haven't been online, its not that I'm ignoring you.

The nightmares might be a result of the epival, but I'm not sure of that cos Effexor can also cause vivid dreams.  Since they started after you started the Epival it seems likely that it is that (or the combination of Epival and Effexor).   Do tlak to your dr about it as soon as possible.

The sweats, well that mght be the Effexor cos  a lot of folk get  them (me included).  I found that they do get better after a while but dosen't go completely.   Again if it started after the Epival started then it might be that, but you don't say  when the sweats started.

Effexor has been known to cause a manic episode in people with BiPolar disorder unless they are also on a mood stabiliser, is the Epival also a mood stabiliser?  

Do look in the Bipolar/Manic Depression Room as you can get help and advice in there about the disorder.  Did you ask your dr about BPD?  Some drs assume that folk, unless they ask questions know all about the condition.  Or maybe your dr doesn't know much.  I don't know if you are American and your dr may not be a specialist in this field.


From the little I know of BPD, its not a condition that can be 'cured' but it can be controlled by medication.  Do go and look in the BPD room and post any questions you have about that in there.

I hope this helps you, even though its a few days after you posted it.

Sorry.

Eileen

I new to this med. I just started it last night. I taking it for my depression and avitan for my anger. I really hoping it will all help

tffny
I hope it helps you too.  If you want to ask questions just post them here and folk will try and answer them.

It can take a few months to get the best benefit from the drug so don't expect things to happen too quickly, anti-depressants aren't like taking a course of anti-biotics.

Take care.

Eileen

Is it possible for effexor to stop working or not work as well as it's suppose to?

I've been on 150mgs of effexor for 4 months now and it took 2 months to even start working and then a couple of weeks ago I started to feel a little off again. My anxiety of public places started coming back and then one night i crashed. I fell apart. All those horrible feelings rushed over me. I still haven't been able to completly shake them off.

I don't know. Maybe it's because of school starting back up again and feeling completely overwhelmed like I can't handle this.

If anyone could shed some light on this for me I would greatly appreciate it. thanks.

CamperCrys
some folk do say that they feel the meds sometimes stop working for them.  However it might be that you have just had a particularly stressful period in your life.  For some folk meds can cure them, for others it can take the edge off the disorder off and some of us also need to have talking therapies.  Perhaps the best thing for you to do is to go back to your dr, you may need to have your meds increased or perhaps talk about the feelings that you have as regards school starting again.

Sometimes it can take a long time for meds to work for us, for me I felt it took at least 6 months and even then I had my off days and still do.   But then I have a lot of psychological problems and am in a Therapeutic Community for intensive therapy.

Keep fighting.

Eileen

My doc gave me a sample of effexor to see if it will work for me.  I've been reading all about the side effects that you endure if you drink alcohol while taking effexor.

I don't drink to excess, but when the weekend comes, I like to have a couple beer, or the odd glass of wine, or when I go out a cocktail or two.

My question is, what is everyone's experience with light drinking while taking this drug?
I don't want to give up having a social drink now and then.

***Oct 9th addition***
I've read more now and I'm not editing any of my above post just in case other newbies read this and wonder the same thing as I did.  Most effectively it is described why not to drink while on effexor in lindsay's post in the main boards.

we can never tell how drinking alcohol while taking any anti-depressant will affect you.    Since the patient info leaflet says to avoid alcohol then maybe we should.

PM me if you want to know more.

Some folks will find that they get drunk much more quickly, it may affect them much more,   can act very out of character, even leading to blackouts when drinking even a small amount, some get very sleepy, some only find that the side effects are worse the next day.  There may be other effects that we don't know about.

Remember that alcohol can affect our mood and many of us are taking effexor for a mood disorder, wouldn't it be better to stay clear of things that can affect our mood negatively?

Eileen

yep sounds like a plan... I'm a big supporter of being responsible and trying to stay healthy, making good choices, and it just hit home that drinking could halt or slow my process down with these meds.  I didn't want to take them in the first place, but now that I am, why would I go and screw it up in the name of having a good time?  I might as well learn how to have a good time without a social drink.  Last night I had a ginger ale with some sugar-free raspberry syrup in it so that it looked like what everyone else was drinking, and I even put it in a wine glass so it felt like I was taking part.  hell, I didn't drink but with these meds, I feel like I got hit by a bus when I wake up in the morning anyways, so why make it worse?  lol :p

Just an update again.  I have had one drink in the last month.  One glass of wine with a dinner.  Other than that, nothing.  And I'm starting not to mind at all.   :)

and its healthy, saves money and means you don't wake up with a hangover, nor do you do daft things when drunk but instead you get to watch others do it.  Bad bit though is that folk might expect you to drive the car all the time when they want to drink.

Eileen

I am brand new to this whole thing. I went to the doctor yesterday because many of my family members said I was depressed.

After talking to the doctor for quite some time, I have probably had some degree of depression all my life, but problems over the last couple of years have made quite a bit worse. I was put on Effexor.

My question is, how is a normal person supposed to feel? If I have always suffered from depression, how do I know what is normal? What have I been missing?

And how will I know if Effexor is making me normal or messing me up?

Thanks for your help.

Texzap

first of all, welcome to DF.  I think your question could quite easily be posted in "Depression CEntral", you'd get a whole lot more responses to it - let me know if you want a thread started for you or you could make 5 posts and then start the thread yourself.


Its going to be difficult to answer your questions

1) I don't know what a normal person is supposed to feel, is it to be reasonably happy or the abillity to feel sadness and then recover from it within a few minutes,  hours or days (if it lasts longer than 2 weeks it might be depression)?  is it to be resonably satisfied with life? to have adequate or good relationships with people? is it the ability to wake up each day and be thankful to be alive  - not many people could say that.   I don't know how to answer your first question.

2) If you've always suffered from depression how do y ou know whats normal?  good question, and I bet that there will have been some times, maybe a few hours or a few days at the least where you felt good about yourself and your life, where some achievement of your's meant somethign, put a smile on your face - a beautiful sunset, a good book or fillm, a wonderful colour of a shirt anything.  Even if something fleetingly made you feel happy or at least at peace with yourself and the world, then isn't that normal.  Anyway 'normal' doesn't exist, there is such a wide range of 'normal' in the world, its difficult to pin it down to just one definition.  Perhaps its when the majority of your hours are spent in an okay to happy frame of mind, where things don't bug you so much, where you don't care if you get caught in the rain or if someone cuts you up on the motorway.   What do you think is normal? I'd bet its not what I'd say was normal.

3) What h ave you been missing?  if you're at all like me then its life.  

4) If effexor is messing you up, you will start acting strangely, maybe become more agitated or more agressive or have a manic episode (ie talking fast, sleeping very little, loads of energy, doing lots of things at once).  If effexor is working for you, then you'll be better able to deal with your life and do the usual stuff like get up on time for work, able to cook, clean and generally look after yourself, be motivated to get out and meet people, be able to study or concentrate of books or tv or a conversation, be able to converse with strangers without strange thoughts coming into your mind, you won't have paranoid thinking, be less anxious, be less irritable, eat sensibly, drink sensibly - these are the kinds of things that you'll be able to do.  Living will become almost effortless, not so much of a chore, you will be interested in things, you should be able to feel humour, sadness, be scared, happy, joyful, all sorts of things.

If you've never been on an anti-depressant before do read up about it and be aware that you might suffer from some side effects for the first few weeks and that it will take time for the Effexor to start helping you.

Oh and another thing you'll notice if it does work for you is that the period of your depression will seem like a dark cloud and you may find if difficult to remember much about it, least ways thats how I feel and thats what my experience was.

Do let me know if you want these questions posted in DC.

Eileen

Firelizardee,

Thanks for the reply. I would appreciate you posting this to the central board for me.

hey I have a concern...
with effexor xr you're supposed to follow a real schedule with the time of day you take it.  has anyone been late with theirs and found they quickly felt 'off'?  I was about two hours late today and noticed myself getting panicky dizzy and emotional...  wondering if that's a side effect of the pill or just my circumstances?

When I was taking effexor I did get that "off" feeling if I was a few hours late taking it (maybe 2 or 3??) I would feel lightheaded and kind of out of it.