gonamath Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 Update !!!! Doc added 150mg Wellbutrin to help with motivation . I will remain on Effexor 150mg and Topamax 50mg. I am finding Topamax to have a calming effecting in addition to help with some appetite control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattered Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Update !!!!Doc added 150mg Wellbutrin to help with motivation . I will remain on Effexor 150mg and Topamax 50mg.I am finding Topamax to have a calming effecting in addition to help with some appetite control.Keep us posted gonamath! I've been following you for a long while now. :) I hope the WB helps you alot! My brother takes that one. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t0ast Posted December 30, 2013 Share Posted December 30, 2013 This is a great story! I just started Venlafaxine 3 days ago and the side effects are ******* me. But reading your journey I see the positives it can have. I will be hitting the gym tomorrow to help get more motivated. Hope all is going well for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 OMG .......Topamax. Completely 100% destroyed libido. "Flatulent" . One week after stopping, my libido now back to normal. Pdoc. missed it on this one, it was a very scarey experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Wellbutrin failed me. Pulled after 5-6 at 150mg.........i just got too jumpy and jitterery. Maybe Ill give iy it a shot down the road.Back to basics, My Effexfor 150 mg...........solid as a rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Just got bumped up to 225mg Effexor, possible move to 300mg in 3 weeks dependent on side effects.I'm lacking vitality and interest in things I used to love to do. New Dr thinks I've been too low (150mg) for too long. He gave me terminology and diagnosis straight out of DMS , I'll send it out after next visit . He is looking for improvement in fellowship (out of isolation) , vitality for things I used to love to do and proper diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dude333 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 For me, there is an ideal dose of effexor, which helps me the most. Below 150 mg, and I get more depressed. Above 150 mg, and I get very lethargic. I figure that while Effexor is great and I probably won't ever get off of it now that I've been on it for 6 years, there is only so much that it can do. I hope that the higher dose helps you.It's too bad that the welbutrin in addition to the effexor didn't work out. It helped me, but I had to get off of it due to being on too many meds for my body to handle I guess. I'm also taking Abilify in addition to Effexor.Have you tried coffee in moderate amounts? My pdoc recommended caffeine for energy. It's not as good as Welbutrin for me, but it is something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Start 300mg tomorrow. Very positive response to 225mg, doc thinks i should have been on 300 1 year ago. Ok, here are the positives of going from 150mg to 225mg:* My brain fog cleared. I had no idea I had fog until 2-3 days in when I no longer had it. Wow ! * Greater sense of energy. * Sleeping better, consistent 8 hours * no side effectsOk, here is reason why doc wants me to go from 225 to 300:* Still not interested in things that I used to love doing* Still would rather isolate than to go out and meet people (support groups) I was voted most popular in high school so there has been a spiral down * Using food to medicate Dude 333, I enjoy coffee in the morning but it makes me jittery if I drink in afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moody Blues Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Thanks for the update, I'll be starting effexor in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 I am now at 300 mg for a couple weeks. Negatives:*After week 1 , I got "jittery" for a few days including a couple rough nights of sleep. I stuck with the program and it faded away after 3 days or so. *'Mild constipation thru weeks 1 and 2 only. Positives:* Less procrastination. * Greater sense of purpose, less wandering around* Upper body is looser, less tension.....breathing easier. As I mentioned with the 225 report, the 'fog' has lifted. The 'fog' is often mentioned as a negative on the forum, but in my case I simply needed to jump over the 150mg hurdle to 200+. Effexor is a drug you have to ride the rough water with every now and then. So far for me, it's been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keasaw1 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I am considering Effexor because my viibryd and 1mg of abilify are not working as well as they should after 8 weeks. The main side effect i'm worried about is increased anxiety when first starting. Did anyone experience that? Also, has anyone ever taken it with an SSRI like Viibryd or abilify? I've been depressed for 3 months and need some relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caelum Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Effexor can be rough. I didn't get an increase in anxiety, for me it was like an intensity and focus. Like the fog was lifted, but even beyond that, everything is more intense. Like I went from watching a television show to being an active participant. I don't take an SSRI as well though, and everyone is different. There have been some rough patches, but all in all it is a great change for me.Good luck and stay safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 I had almost (2-3 days) an immediate relief from anxiety when I started effexor. I had clearness of mind and focus and a ' need' to get things done I had been procrastinating on.....Some people react differently to this focus and clearness of mind depending on how long you have been in the fog.......in my opinion, for me , I needed to let things unfold and go with the flow with effexor. I am now living virtually anxiety free at 300 mg Give it a shot ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Still feeling good at 300mg's. Only side effect is slightly blurred vision when reading. Gets 'foggier' the closer I bring the page in. Anybody else with blurred vision while reading ? I have no history of vision problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caelum Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) Still feeling good at 300mg's. Only side effect is slightly blurred vision when reading. Gets 'foggier' the closer I bring the page in.Anybody else with blurred vision while reading ?I have no history of vision problemsAge might be a factor. It is common for people to start getting what is called Presbyopia (old man eyes) in their 40's. It isn't a side effect of medication, and it is why there are displays of reading glasses in stores.In any event, I would check with your doctor and confirm if it's a side effect of medication or just the natural process of getting older. Good luck and stay safe, Edited February 27, 2015 by Caelum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 ........don't think so my friend. Effexor on its on site s well as Web Md list "blurred vision" as a common side effect. Please get your facts straight before making such a ridiculous comment. As I mentioned, I have no history of eye vision issues until I went to 300mg. It's no coincidence that blurred vision when reading small print soon followed after a few weeks on 300mg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Actually there is a huge warning at the bottom of the Effexor website that vision changes may occur ! Again, my friend, if you don't know the facts please please don't mislead other members of this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caelum Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 I'm not sure what you found offensive. I didn't mean to sound ridiculous or be misleading. I did fact check and every statement I made was accurate. If you read the WebMD article on Presbyopia, you will hopefully be able to understand where I am coming from. The only risk factor for presbyopia is being over 40. Even if you've never had any vision problems before and are in perfect health, being over 40 puts you at risk for presbyopia. I only brought it up as something to consider because you mentioned it got blurrier the closer the page was, and your profile indicates you are over 40. Those two things, taken alone, are a strong indication of presbyopia.As I stated before, it is only something to consider, and you should talk to your doctor about it. The fact that your vision is more foggy the closer the page is the reason I even thought of presbyopia in the first place. Regardless, please don't discount my information out of hand without giving it a cursory google at the minimum. Simply googling prebyopia should have indicated that my comments were well founded in fact. It is very frustrating to be called ridiculous and misleading when I am earnestly trying to help.Good luck and stay safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonamath Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Yep, one of the side effects of Effexor is blurred vision. Im off of 300 mg and when I dropped to 150mg my vision cleared up. Seems like 225mg + could cause this is some patients. Confirmed with shrink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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