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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 renelso1 on May 10, 2002, at 9:21:49
I started effexor a little over two weeks ago after going off celexa. The first week was horrid. I could barely get out of bed and everything hurt. The next was okay but I am still crying everyday and my mood is not improving. I am up to 150mg now and I want to give it a chance to work, but it is so frustrating. If I am still feeling this bad, then I might as well be on nothing. Any tips on how long I should hang on before giving up?
Posted by tex1 on May 10, 2002, at 10:15:38
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 10, 2002, at 9:21:49
> I started effexor a little over two weeks ago after going off celexa. The first week was horrid. I could barely get out of bed and everything hurt. The next was okay but I am still crying everyday and my mood is not improving. I am up to 150mg now and I want to give it a chance to work, but it is so frustrating. If I am still feeling this bad, then I might as well be on nothing. Any tips on how long I should hang on before giving up?
Wait...it takes about two weeks.
Best luck
Tex
Posted by jay on May 10, 2002, at 16:39:12
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 10, 2002, at 9:21:49
> I started effexor a little over two weeks ago after going off celexa. The first week was horrid. I could barely get out of bed and everything hurt. The next was okay but I am still crying everyday and my mood is not improving. I am up to 150mg now and I want to give it a chance to work, but it is so frustrating. If I am still feeling this bad, then I might as well be on nothing. Any tips on how long I should hang on before giving up?
Hi:
Well, 150mg's is a bit high to be taking at just two weeks, and that may explain your side effects. Your doctor likely doesn't understand this though. But, there are a few things you might want to try.
1) Try adjusting your time of dose. I found taking it with a large meal helped ease it into my system.
2)Use some other meds for side-effects. For nausea, cramps, stomach distress, I found Gravol (or Drammamine, I believe it is called in the U.S.) helpful. Take plenty of it as you need it.
3) Be quite dramatic in explaining to your doctor about your ill feelings, and major mood swings, and ask if you can have a benzo (like clonazepam, lorazepam, etc), even short-term. This ALSO helps majorly.
I feel for you, because I know the punishment Effexor can cause to us who are sensitive to it. If things get REALLY bad, just get to a walk-in clinic, or a emergency room asap, as there is NO way you should have to live with feeling so horrid. ESP if you have had, or do have, problems with suicidal thinking, because you can't fool around with that. Something *must* be done by the doctors.
Anyhow, best wishes...keep posting...there are many supportive people on here with many similar experiences. Esp when you feel so sad and alone, it is a place to take a bit of comfort.
Take GOOD care of yourself...
Jay
Posted by LynnPerley on May 10, 2002, at 20:59:00
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 10, 2002, at 9:21:49
Is this your third week, i.e., you took 37.5 for a week, then 75 for a week, and now you are at 150? This is how I started, but I had taken 2 weeks of Prozac immediately before so my experience is probably not typical. Stick it out. Effexor creeps up on you. Of Course, talk to your doc, but I think it took me closer to 4 weeks at 150 mg to have a good effect. What time of day are you taking it, and do you take it with food? I started taking it in the early AM, but I eventually switched to late PM and find it works better. I may try switching to midday.
Are you going to counseling or getting any other help in addition to the medication?
Posted by renelso1 on May 13, 2002, at 10:55:26
In reply to Re: How long does it take for Effexor XR to work? » renelso1, posted by LynnPerley on May 10, 2002, at 20:59:00
thank you so much for your advice. this is my third week now. the side effects seem to be going away. i'm taking it around 8pm after eating dinner. i still feel horrible. these suicidal thoughts won't go away - and even though i know i would never act on them - they scare me and i want to crawl in a hole. i'm not in counseling right now. i know i should be but getting started seems so hard. and when i was in counseling before (a year ago) it always made me more upset because it forced me to talk about how much i hated my life and the only solution was to change how i looked at things. i don't know what to do. i want to give up.
Posted by LynnPerley on May 13, 2002, at 18:46:42
In reply to Re: How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 13, 2002, at 10:55:26
Give the meds a chance to work, and do try counseling again. If you don't confront the things that cause your problems, you are just ignoring them, and how will you ever solve them? Just my personal opinion . . . good luck.
Posted by ST on May 14, 2002, at 3:29:08
In reply to Re: How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 13, 2002, at 10:55:26
I went off Celexa and on to Effexor and felt the side effects too. (although it's *nothing* compared to how very very sick I have been while withdrawing from Effexor).
It will help to have someone to talk to weekly. Find a good counselor soon. I feel that the shifts that occur once you you start Effexor can be profound.
Good luck,
Sarah
Posted by renelso1 on May 14, 2002, at 8:50:46
In reply to Re: How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by ST on May 14, 2002, at 3:29:08
> I went off Celexa and on to Effexor and felt the side effects too. (although it's *nothing* compared to how very very sick I have been while withdrawing from Effexor).
> It will help to have someone to talk to weekly. Find a good counselor soon. I feel that the shifts that occur once you you start Effexor can be profound.
> Good luck,
> SarahSarah - how long were you on effexor. did it work?
Posted by LynnPerley on May 15, 2002, at 21:11:10
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor XR to work?, posted by renelso1 on May 10, 2002, at 9:21:49
I'm about halfway through my second 30 day prescription of 150 mg, and I took the three week gradual increase dosage sample pack beforehand, so I think I've been on Effexor XR for about 60 days.
I have come to this board complaining about sedative effects, jaw clenching, and took the advice to change the time I took it. Finally, after I had taken the 150 mg dose for over 30 days, and switched to bedtime dosing, the sedative side effect has improved a lot. The jaw clenching is no longer an everyday thing, and seems to be worse on days that I am either driving a lot or working on the computer a lot. Now that I know when the jaw clenching occurs is traceable to some other behavior, it may be easier to handle.
I suggest to all who are just starting out to keep a symptom diary or side effect diary. I should have done this. I also suggest when you switch time of day, give it a few weeks to see if it works before you decide to switch times again. When I was switching times I did so after only staying at the new time for a day or two. I ended up with the bedtime dosing after deciding the early evening or right after work time was best, because I had a week where I got so busy I was forgetting to take it until bedtime.
I really do not want to take more than 150 mg, so I'm sticking this out until my doc appt June 14 and I will try either self help or going back to my counselor to see if I can kick any residual depression and anxiety that way.
This is the end of the thread.
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