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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 12, 2001, at 10:49:51
I found that lowering my dose of Effexor and adding Prozac has helped me tremendously. Except that I am now HUNGRY all the time. Has anyone else had success on taking these meds together? I would really appreciate hearing about other peoples re-ations on this combination. Thanks.
Posted by JohnL on September 13, 2001, at 5:12:17
In reply to Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf, posted by frustratedconfused on September 12, 2001, at 10:49:51
> I found that lowering my dose of Effexor and adding Prozac has helped me tremendously. Except that I am now HUNGRY all the time. Has anyone else had success on taking these meds together? I would really appreciate hearing about other peoples re-ations on this combination. Thanks.
I can recall two cases where patients combined Effexor+Prozac and got excellent results. In both cases the excellent results came dramatically fast within one week of adding the second agent. Why and how this combination seems to have such good synergy is a mystery to me, but yes, other people have tried it and done amazingly well with it. In theory you might think that it is because of additional serotonin reuptake inhibition, but I think the true reasoning probably goes way beyond such a simple explanation.
John
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 13, 2001, at 11:32:36
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf, posted by JohnL on September 13, 2001, at 5:12:17
> > I am having terrible headaches. Is that a side effect from lowering my Effexor or adding the Prozac. I didn't have any initial side effects from starting Effexor 6 months ago. I lost 15 pounds on the Effexor over the last 2 1/2 months but I am so hungry since I started the Prozac. Is that normal? Will it go away with the headaches? Thanks for your help John. Also what is an average dosage when mixing the two?
I found that lowering my dose of Effexor and adding Prozac has helped me tremendously. Except that I am now HUNGRY all the time. Has anyone else had success on taking these meds together? I would really appreciate hearing about other peoples re-ations on this combination. Thanks.
>
> I can recall two cases where patients combined Effexor+Prozac and got excellent results. In both cases the excellent results came dramatically fast within one week of adding the second agent. Why and how this combination seems to have such good synergy is a mystery to me, but yes, other people have tried it and done amazingly well with it. In theory you might think that it is because of additional serotonin reuptake inhibition, but I think the true reasoning probably goes way beyond such a simple explanation.
> John
Posted by JohnL on September 13, 2001, at 17:49:31
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf » JohnL, posted by frustratedconfused on September 13, 2001, at 11:32:36
> > > I am having terrible headaches. Is that a side effect from lowering my Effexor or adding the Prozac. I didn't have any initial side effects from starting Effexor 6 months ago. I lost 15 pounds on the Effexor over the last 2 1/2 months but I am so hungry since I started the Prozac. Is that normal? Will it go away with the headaches? Thanks for your help John. Also what is an average dosage when mixing the two?
In my experience, headaches can come both during times of starting a new med as well as decreasing a med. So which one is the culprit? Don't know. Wish I did. You might want to call your doc or pharmacist to see if it is ok to take tylenol or something like that for a few days. I'm sure it's ok, but best to check for yourself first. Then after a few days see if the headaches are going away on their own. Hopefully they should.
It's very odd to actually get hungry with your cocktail. That's because one of the more common side effects of Effexor is anorexia, and also the same with Prozac. But as we all know, lots of strange things happen even with monotherapy, not to mention cocktails. Will the increased hunger go away? Most likely it will fade as your body becomes accustomed to the cocktail. If you don't want to gain weight due to the increased hunger, then feed the hunger good things like fruits and grains.
As far as the doses of the meds, I'm not sure. If I recall correctly, one girl was doing 20mg Prozac with something like 225mg Effexor. But who knows. The best thing to do is to experiment for yourself to find a sweet spot. (no pun intended) I wish there was a better way. But you will find what works best for you. Hang in there. You're doing good. Time will tell.
I would say that if you are not feeling improved enough to justify taking both meds in say two or three weeks from now, then it might be better to drop one of them and go to something else as a second agent. You could start another thread asking suggestions, and please feel free to ask my suggestions if you want to, anytime. I'm just one opinion, but every now and then a hit bullseyes. Others would suggest staying with it longer than that. You'll have to decide for yourself what's best. Your gut instincts and intuition are usually the best guides.
John
Posted by Jocor on September 14, 2001, at 12:09:17
In reply to Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf, posted by frustratedconfused on September 12, 2001, at 10:49:51
Hello,
I am currently taking 225mg Effexoe XR and 20 mg Prozac. I originally started with the intend of getting rid of the Effexor and back onto the Prozac.
I had terrible obsessive thinking; panic/anxiety and depression.
This combination seems to work so far (about
1 1/2 month)and my psychiatrist wants me to stay on this cocktail a bit longer.Jocor
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 14, 2001, at 16:53:54
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf, posted by JohnL on September 13, 2001, at 17:49:31
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 14, 2001, at 16:57:11
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf, posted by Jocor on September 14, 2001, at 12:09:17
> Hi, Can you tell me which one worked better for you and why it was better? I hope to eventually only take one, I'm just not sure which one. Thanks for helping me.
Hello,
>
> I am currently taking 225mg Effexoe XR and 20 mg Prozac. I originally started with the intend of getting rid of the Effexor and back onto the Prozac.
>
> I had terrible obsessive thinking; panic/anxiety and depression.
>
> This combination seems to work so far (about
> 1 1/2 month)and my psychiatrist wants me to stay on this cocktail a bit longer.
>
> Jocor
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 14, 2001, at 17:00:56
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf » JohnL, posted by frustratedconfused on September 13, 2001, at 11:32:36
> > > Hi John, my doctor took me off the Prozac a couple of hours ago and put me on 75mg of Effexor and 20mg of Paxil. Do you know anything about Paxil. She thought that the Prozac was causing to much anxiety. I've actually rubbed my thumbs raw in the last week (don't even remember doing it). Thanks for your help.
I am having terrible headaches. Is that a side effect from lowering my Effexor or adding the Prozac. I didn't have any initial side effects from starting Effexor 6 months ago. I lost 15 pounds on the Effexor over the last 2 1/2 months but I am so hungry since I started the Prozac. Is that normal? Will it go away with the headaches? Thanks for your help John. Also what is an average dosage when mixing the two?
>
> I found that lowering my dose of Effexor and adding Prozac has helped me tremendously. Except that I am now HUNGRY all the time. Has anyone else had success on taking these meds together? I would really appreciate hearing about other peoples re-ations on this combination. Thanks.
> >
> > I can recall two cases where patients combined Effexor+Prozac and got excellent results. In both cases the excellent results came dramatically fast within one week of adding the second agent. Why and how this combination seems to have such good synergy is a mystery to me, but yes, other people have tried it and done amazingly well with it. In theory you might think that it is because of additional serotonin reuptake inhibition, but I think the true reasoning probably goes way beyond such a simple explanation.
> > John
Posted by frustratedconfused on September 14, 2001, at 18:27:09
In reply to Re: Is anyone using Effexor Prozac together successf » frustratedconfused, posted by frustratedconfused on September 14, 2001, at 17:00:56
This is the end of the thread.
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