Posted by baracuda on April 21, 2009, at 15:41:07
I am on 150 mgs of Effexor - 75 mgs in the morning and 75 mgs in the late afternoon. It really is helping me with my depression, but it is also making me gain weight. I barely fit into any of my clothes now, and I do at least 2 hours of vigorous exercise daily: ie. spin class, bellydance, hiking, yoga, pilates, salsa dance, flamenco etc.
I have very, very low blood pressure, and my metabolism seems to be sluggish. Also, after I take my afternoon dosage, I need a 2 hour nap.
Recently, I had a problem with a blood clot and had to have 3 surgeries to have it removed, and now it is imperative that my weight not be an issue so I am kind of getting compulsive with my weight management. I joined Jenny Craig yesterday and found that I have gained 18 lbs since starting effexor last summer, and that is with following a vegan and raw healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and multiple forms of holistic therapies such as acupuncture, massage and meditation.
My pdoc thinks that perhaps I have some other underlying medical reason for the weight gain, but I have had a full blood panel and hormone swab check, a full body nutrition analysis and even hired a natural food chef to make my food, and still...I gain weight.
I have gained weight on all the ssri I have been on, celexa, lexapro, prozac (the worst) zoloft, welbutrin, and now effexor. My physician and nutritionist and acupuncturist all agree that they feel it is the SSRI consumption that is causing the continual weight gain. The only one who does not agree is my pdoc. But she is listening, and suggested that perhaps I try Lamictal for off-brand treatment of severe clinical depression, anhedonia and social anxiety disorder since all of the other SSRI have not really worked all that well. I mean they DID help, but out of all of them, effexor was the best.
anyway, long story less long, I am now on day 6 of my Lamictal 20 mg and next week I go up to 30. I am still on my effexor 150 mg, and so far I feel great. Better than I have ever felt in my whole life. ever.
I feel so good that I want to stay here forever, not increase or decrease and just celebrate not being depressed for the first time in my adult life.
the problem is that I have lost my voice on day 2. isn't that the strangest side effect??
oh well. Again, I will do my daily countdown, moreso for my recollection than anything else.
thanks for listening/reading
baracuda
poster:baracuda
thread:891959
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090416/msgs/891959.html