# Effexor



## indiecat (Sep 24, 2012)

Has anyone had good results from it? 
I am desperate to feel better. Depression, anxiety with chest pain.


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

I suffered bad anxiety and depression during my divorce.

In the past I've tried various meds including paxil, wellbutrin, and zoloft. All types of side effects and no positive ones.

Low dose of Effexor - 37.5 mg- was the only thing that worked, kept me on an even keel through the worst of it, I was on it for the better part of a year.

Your mileage may vary.


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

Yes and no. It's kind of a second line drug when more common one's don't work. It's quite powerful. A few cautions are:

It metabolizes extremely rapidly so it's crucial to stay on dosage schedule. Many MD's will split the dose in half and tell you to take it twice a day to counteract withdrawal. Its half life is about 7-11 hrs or half of most other similar drugs. 

It's an SNRI not an SSRI so it acts differently.

It has TERRIBLE withdrawal effects. REALLY TERRIBLE. Skip a dose or worse, just stop taking it and you really suffer.

It can make you feel a little dopey, zonked out. Taking it at night is better if you can. 

It has fewer sexual side effects than most similar drugs, but like the old joke "My doctor gave me effexor and viagra - the thing is if EITHER one works, I don't need the other one."

The pills are very small and get caught in your throat. I have detected no difference chewing them.


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## VeryHurt (Mar 11, 2011)

My stbxh started taking it about 4 weeks ago and he mean and all over the place. Almost agitated. Not sure if it is the medication or something else or both.


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## mablenc (Feb 26, 2013)

VeryHurt said:


> My stbxh started taking it about 4 weeks ago and he mean and all over the place. Almost agitated. Not sure if it is the medication or something else or both.


Caution: any changes in behavior need to be brought up and discussed with his doctor. There can be other behaviors you are not seeing. This is on most warning labels so do not ignore please check into it. 
http://chriskresser.com/the-dark-side-of-antidepressants
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## indiecat (Sep 24, 2012)

thanks, I am not sure if it's helping, but at least it doesn't cause the sweats like the others. 
I've only been on it less than a week, depression still very bad but there are many personal factors involved so it's hard to say.


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

Runs like Dog said:


> It's an SNRI not an SSRI so it acts differently.


Interesting. I didn't know that. All I know is it worked for me when the other's didn't. 



Runs like Dog said:


> It has TERRIBLE withdrawal effects. REALLY TERRIBLE. Skip a dose or worse, just stop taking it and you really suffer.


I stopped taking it cold turkey after about 8 months or so, against common medical advice and without the knowledge and consent of the prescribing doctor.

Didn't notice any withdrawal effects.

Then again I was on the lowest possible dose, I think it was 37.5.


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## indiecat (Sep 24, 2012)

Lenzi, how long did it take to kick in?


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## lenzi (Apr 10, 2012)

I recall it took the better part of a month.

These meds take time to reach their full therapeutic effect.


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## PieceOfSky (Apr 7, 2013)

Effexor was my first antidepressant. Worked ok for at least a year. First week or so of doses affected my judgement -- stupid and way out of character mistake while driving I will never forget (no harm done, but way too close).

After a year or more, I started to feel agitated, tense; really might have been caffeine. MD switched me to an SSRI, yada yada. Currently low dose Lexapro.


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## PieceOfSky (Apr 7, 2013)

Indiecat,

Whatever you try, if it makes things worse or still not feeling good, make sure to work with your doc to find what works well for you.

I see a Psychiatrist for my meds, and he seems more ready and willing and informed to make adjustments than my regular MD.


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## sammy3 (Jun 5, 2011)

Its an awful drug ! 

~sammy


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## AgentD (Dec 27, 2010)

Runs like Dog said:


> It has TERRIBLE withdrawal effects. REALLY TERRIBLE. Skip a dose or worse, just stop taking it and you really suffer.


Sounds like what happened to my husband when he suddenly stopped taking his Celexa for a few days. Wasn't pleasant withdrawals, so bad he got back on them about 5 days after stopping them.


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## AgentD (Dec 27, 2010)

I have read and heard from a Psychologist, that sometimes if a person is put on depression meds and they they don't help you, or if they make you feel even worse, it could be because there is something else going on undiagnosed, and depression meds can sometimes make other issues worse.


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## Boottothehead (Sep 3, 2013)

I switched from zoloft to effexor a couple of years ago. It has fewer side effects for me, less weight gain and less loss of affect or libido.


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## TikiKeen (Oct 14, 2013)

I took it and now am part of the class-action birth defect lawsuit. No sh!t.

Side effects were dry mouth, zombie-ish, tingly all over...and that was on the lowest dose available and extended-release. Withdrawal had to be immediate when I found out I was pg, and was horrible. Quitting cocaine had been easier than quitting Effexor.

Obviously I don't suggest it.


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## Adelais (Oct 23, 2013)

I took Effexor on and off for several years. It helped with my depression. It also helped me wake up bright and early and in a good mood for the first couple of years. After that I woke up tired like I had before. Over time I believe it caused me to have TMJ because of tight clenching at night. I only learned that after my jaw got locked and wouldn't open. I used to be able to get eh disk to slip back into place (so I could open my mouth) by grabbing my jaw with my hand and moving it around. Finally the disk got shoved so far back it won't come out anymore. After that happened I read online that TMJ is one of the side effects of effexor.

Had I known the TMJ side effect of effexor, I would have bought loads of natural herbs to try to combat my depression.
I'm off effexor now, and not depressed. Except the TMJ is painful and depressing...lots of money for surgery, and it might not even help, but might make it worse....so in limbo.


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## EleGirl (Dec 3, 2011)

VeryHurt said:


> My stbxh started taking it about 4 weeks ago and he mean and all over the place. Almost agitated. Not sure if it is the medication or something else or both.


He needs to see this doctor and get his meds adjusted and/or change. I'm serious, this is a problem.


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## LorenzoP (Jan 6, 2013)

I tried it but didn't like it.
I switched to Paxil which I do like.


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## swade87 (Oct 23, 2013)

I was on this when I was younger. It made me mean and apathetic. We played with dosage for a long time.. it never got better.


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