Posted by BrittPark on September 18, 2002, at 20:28:32
In reply to Effexor-Any Positive results, posted by lucky on September 18, 2002, at 18:49:51
> I appreciate both the negative and positive feedback regarding the side effects of using Effexor, however, I see alot more negative posts then positive, which concerns me because I just started Effexor XR yesterday (37.5mgs). This is the first AD I've ever taken (35 yrs old) and i have been fighting common symtoms of depression for years (overwhelmed, making decisions, worthlessness, unhappy/unsatisfied, insecurity?) and i recently went to my doctor and told him of the increased anxiety i had been feeling for the past 6 months which spurred the conversation about my other feelings. He explained the chemical inbalance in the brain ect, and suggested effexor xr. Anyway, i thought everyone had good/bad days and were dealing with the same problems that i was, so i never even considered AD's. Now i know that my feeling could be from a bilogical imbalance, I was curious to see if Effexor could actually enhance my life by suppressing some of the symptoms i mentioned above, so i decided to give it a try. While I'm on a roll, i guess i should add that i'm not depressed to a point that i can't function, i mean i've been fairly successful up to this point and don't have any social issues. I'm trying to figure out if anyone else on this board can relate to where i am at and have gone ahead and tried effexor xr or any AD and if so, did it have a positive impact on your life? How long did it take to notice a difference? My appologies in advance for being somewhat naive to this subject.
> Thank you!!I haven't taken Effexor. I took and still take its pharmaceutical predecessor imipramine. Effexor is supposed to have fewer side effects than older drugs like imipramine.
It sounds from your post that you are dysthymic (mildly depressed). There is some reason to believe that AD's in general are less effective for mild depression than for Major Depression. That doesn't mean effexor won't improve your life. Don't be upset if it doesn't do anything for you. There are lots of other options, pharmacologic (many different ADs) and psychological (cognitive behavioral therapy seems to have the best track record).
So the choice is up to you. ADs all have side effects (which usually fade with continued use) but they can be worse than the condition your trying to treat, not usually but sometimes.
Post again with more details of what you're going through to get more detailed advice. Always remember that some treatment will work. It just may take some time.
Britt
P.S. Don't get too frightened by horror stories of effexor withdrawal. All antidepressants need to be discontinued gradually and usually don't cause many problems if properly managed.
poster:BrittPark
thread:120309
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020914/msgs/120318.html