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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 sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
The problems Effexor was causing for me are listed below. I wish I could have stayed on it because it ended my depression & anxiety...but the flip side of it was the many seemingly innocuous side effects that I simply couldn't ignore. Now that I am off Effexor (as of 1 week), all of the nasty side effects are completely gone and I feel back at my base level. On the lookout currently for a new med.
NEGATIVE AFFECTS:
1) HAIR LOSS & THINNING: noticed this after 3 months. Severe enough that the complete texture of my hair just changed. Ratty, whispy hair was my style now. U-G-L-Y
2) NO MOTIVATION: I could barely get the motivation to mountain bike, which I usually did without thinking 4 times a week. I had no interest in anything really. Just a blah feeling...not good or bad, just no feeling.
Depersonalization: again, I just wasn't affected 'either' way on the spectrum. Never too happy or too sad. I had a hard time getting excited about anything.3) EXTREME FATIGUE: This side effect only popped up the last 3 weeks I was on it. I could sleep 11 hours and wake up, do some work on the computer, and feel this horrific impending fatigue. Not a tired feeling, but a feeling of being anemic and simply not strong enough to get up and move. Horrible to exist this way.
4) CYSTIC ACNE: Confined (weirdly enough) only to my jaw & neck. It scarred me in two places and the acne was painful and took weeks to de-flate.
5)TMJ: Grinding my teeth so severely in my sleep that I woke up unable to open my mouth... diagnosis was TMJ. I also found myself clenching my teeth (unknowingly) during the day.
6) WEIGHT GAIN: Intially, the med in it's first 2 weeks gave me zero appetite. I am by genetics, a naturally thin woman who has never battled food or weight. I gained 10 pounds, and my appetite was ravenous. My body had insane cravings that I couldn't control with will-power..they felt un-natural and obsessive, almost as if my body had to comply.
Posted by cpallen79 on August 18, 2004, at 11:34:35
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
Those are soem pretty heavy side effects. Have you considered trying something different? Cymbalta is somewhat liek Effexor, and it is hittign the market shortly... perhaps soemthing a bit mellower like Lexpapro, taken with Wellbutrin to get that NE/dopamine effect that Effexor has? Just some ideas.
Chris> The problems Effexor was causing for me are listed below. I wish I could have stayed on it because it ended my depression & anxiety...but the flip side of it was the many seemingly innocuous side effects that I simply couldn't ignore. Now that I am off Effexor (as of 1 week), all of the nasty side effects are completely gone and I feel back at my base level. On the lookout currently for a new med.
>
> NEGATIVE AFFECTS:
>
> 1) HAIR LOSS & THINNING: noticed this after 3 months. Severe enough that the complete texture of my hair just changed. Ratty, whispy hair was my style now. U-G-L-Y
>
> 2) NO MOTIVATION: I could barely get the motivation to mountain bike, which I usually did without thinking 4 times a week. I had no interest in anything really. Just a blah feeling...not good or bad, just no feeling.
> Depersonalization: again, I just wasn't affected 'either' way on the spectrum. Never too happy or too sad. I had a hard time getting excited about anything.
>
> 3) EXTREME FATIGUE: This side effect only popped up the last 3 weeks I was on it. I could sleep 11 hours and wake up, do some work on the computer, and feel this horrific impending fatigue. Not a tired feeling, but a feeling of being anemic and simply not strong enough to get up and move. Horrible to exist this way.
>
> 4) CYSTIC ACNE: Confined (weirdly enough) only to my jaw & neck. It scarred me in two places and the acne was painful and took weeks to de-flate.
>
> 5)TMJ: Grinding my teeth so severely in my sleep that I woke up unable to open my mouth... diagnosis was TMJ. I also found myself clenching my teeth (unknowingly) during the day.
>
> 6) WEIGHT GAIN: Intially, the med in it's first 2 weeks gave me zero appetite. I am by genetics, a naturally thin woman who has never battled food or weight. I gained 10 pounds, and my appetite was ravenous. My body had insane cravings that I couldn't control with will-power..they felt un-natural and obsessive, almost as if my body had to comply.
>
>
>
>
Posted by Buckeye Fan on August 18, 2004, at 15:09:11
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
I experienced all , except # 1 and 4....
Posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 17:06:47
In reply to Re: Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by Buckeye Fan on August 18, 2004, at 15:09:11
Appreciate your response Buckeye. Can I ask you how long you were on it and at what dose? Have you found something that has worked instead or are you still on it.
I am almost scared to try another medication because I experience any and all side effects that most people don't get.
> I experienced all , except # 1 and 4....
Posted by Bob on August 19, 2004, at 2:09:28
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
I too experienced all except for 1 and 4. I may have had a little hair loss, but it wasn't like you described. As for the fatigue... I would sleep so hard that I often couldn't get up until 4 in the afternoon, no matter how early I went to bed. The jaw problems were infuriating. I also clenched my jaw when awake. Weight gain was there, and the drug completely and utterly eradicated any sexual ability after about the first month.
Of course, when I tried to get off it, I almost died during the withdrawl. My fear is that if I tried another drug like Cymbalta and it didn't work out, as it almost assuredly would not, I would be in a very, very bad place trying to get off of it. I don't think I can afford to go through another horrific, protracted withdrawl, and a 14hr half-life is just not cutting it.
I don't believe any of the hype, personally, about Cymbalta having no side-effects or weight gain (among all the other unfounded claims). I say unfounded because you cannot possibly predict long term side effects from a 12 week study. Every single one of these drugs that comes along, e.g. Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, and Effexor, claim to have better side effects profiles than the others. What else is pharma going to say... that it seems to be just about the same as all the others, so try it and see what happens? The reality is, there hasn't been a truly effective drug that is novel since Prozac and Effexor. Everything else is variations on a theme. It's all about the money. Cymbalta is being pushed very, very hard because Eli Lily is going to lose their super-ultra cash cow Prozac. They will say just about anything and put just about any sping on it they can to have it appear better than all the others. Maybe it will be, but as you may have guessed, I have my doubts. As long as the "me too" phenomenon is allowed to continue forever, there will never be sufficient motivation to undertake the risk involved in searching for a novel compound. Every single drug I have ever taken that has a SSRI component to it eventually ends up doing the same things to me: no sex, screwed up sleep and sedation, weight gain, and lack of motivation. Some take longer than others, but they all end up in the same place. YMMV.
Posted by Buckeye Fan on August 20, 2004, at 0:02:46
In reply to Re: Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 17:06:47
I was on Effexor for almost 2 years, 150 mg per day.
Before that...Zoloft for 2 years.Currently I am on nothing. ( 3rd Month)
I want to stay this way....but I must admit it is tough.
Moderate depression has taken hold again...which is funny because anxiety had always been my main Enemy. ( I do realize that BOTH are flip sides of the same coin ...depression.)Keep me posted on if you try something new..and I will do the same.
God bless
Buckeye Fan
Posted by Siena on September 13, 2004, at 13:11:11
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
I am trying to switch from Effexor to Wellbutrin XL. I am currently taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg in the morning. My psychiatrist has me tapering off Effexor. Right now I am on 75mg a day. The next dose is 37.5 a day. What I am experiencing is this sort of shock wave that goes through my chest and arms and a weird sound that seems to pass over my ears. My pulse rate goes up and my BP is elevated. I know sensory motor abonormalities are one side effect of withdrawal from Effexor but I don't know if this shock feeling is normal. I also take 1mg Xanax 4 times a day and Lithium 150 mg three times a day. I wanted off the Effexor b/c it seemed to make my depression worse, and I had side effects like sweating, fatigue, joint pain, and weight gain. I cannot focus on completing a task. I can't seem to find the right antidepressant to bring me out of the major episode I have been in for most of my life. I have tried every antidepressant since 1981. The SSRI's don't work and the withdrawal is unbearable. Just to miss a dose is difficult to handle. I am thinking maybe I am going to battle the severe depression forever no matter what I take. Lithium is new for me. I tend to have rapid mood swings where one day I act very ADHD and the next I am crying and cannot focus. I want to know if any one else has experienced the weird electric shock feeling and the swooshing feeling in their ears? It's driving me nuts!
Posted by TommyIsland on September 15, 2004, at 18:53:34
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
> The problems Effexor was causing for me are listed below. I wish I could have stayed on it because it ended my depression & anxiety...but the flip side of it was the many seemingly innocuous side effects that I simply couldn't ignore. Now that I am off Effexor (as of 1 week), all of the nasty side effects are completely gone and I feel back at my base level. On the lookout currently for a new med.
>
> NEGATIVE AFFECTS:
>
> 1) HAIR LOSS & THINNING: noticed this after 3 months. Severe enough that the complete texture of my hair just changed. Ratty, whispy hair was my style now. U-G-L-Y
>
> 2) NO MOTIVATION: I could barely get the motivation to mountain bike, which I usually did without thinking 4 times a week. I had no interest in anything really. Just a blah feeling...not good or bad, just no feeling.
> Depersonalization: again, I just wasn't affected 'either' way on the spectrum. Never too happy or too sad. I had a hard time getting excited about anything.
>
> 3) EXTREME FATIGUE: This side effect only popped up the last 3 weeks I was on it. I could sleep 11 hours and wake up, do some work on the computer, and feel this horrific impending fatigue. Not a tired feeling, but a feeling of being anemic and simply not strong enough to get up and move. Horrible to exist this way.
>
> 4) CYSTIC ACNE: Confined (weirdly enough) only to my jaw & neck. It scarred me in two places and the acne was painful and took weeks to de-flate.
>
> 5)TMJ: Grinding my teeth so severely in my sleep that I woke up unable to open my mouth... diagnosis was TMJ. I also found myself clenching my teeth (unknowingly) during the day.
>
> 6) WEIGHT GAIN: Intially, the med in it's first 2 weeks gave me zero appetite. I am by genetics, a naturally thin woman who has never battled food or weight. I gained 10 pounds, and my appetite was ravenous. My body had insane cravings that I couldn't control with will-power..they felt un-natural and obsessive, almost as if my body had to comply.
>
> You just described me to a Tee minus #4. The fatigue AKA Energy Zapper is the worst because it puts your life on the old "When I have energy tomorrow procrastination never ends" cycle. The only time I seem to have any kind of energy in the sense of not wanting to rest or sleep is at night time hours. I almost feel like daytime makes me ten times more tired and I'm like a friggin Vampire over here with this Effexor XR drug. Anyways, the hair thinning is something I suspected the last year of so (I've been taking Effexor XR for 5 years) and I have pretty much concluded that my once thick hair has deteriated due to this drug. My hair line has not receded, my hair itself has merely gotten so pencil lead thin that it looks like angel hair pasta on my scalp.........laugh it's a funny analogy. Anways, what's the hype on this Cymbolta drug. I hear it is also a dual Ser / Nor so it must be pretty similiar to Effexor I'm assuming. Does anybody know the major differences between the two?
Thanks,
Tommy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
>
>
Posted by jujube on September 19, 2004, at 17:43:12
In reply to Anyone experience these side-effects from EFFEXOR, posted by sanfran on August 18, 2004, at 10:59:59
I, too, experienced all but #1 and #4. The lack of motivation accompanied with extreme lethargy has been the most difficult. It feels almost like break through depression. I was making plans and really wanting to be active, but just couldn't bring myself to do much. After 6 months on Effexor XR, I finally told my doctor that it was having a negative effect (including increased anxiety and apprehension) on me and I was going to try something natural. He wasn't too keen on that (since he is not familiar with natural remedies) and prescribed Celexa. It has been 8 days since my last Effexor (weaned off over 2 weeks) and 7 days on Celexa.
I have to say that, although there are many people who have great success on Effexor, I wonder just how effective it really is. I mean, it seems that every two or three months the dose has to be increased to maintain some level of effectiveness. I think when a person gets up to 375 mg or higher over the course of a year, it might be time to question whether the drug has the staying power. Perhaps Effexor XR is one of those drugs that has tremendous success bringing people out of the depths of depressive despair in the short term, but a switch is needed to maintain long term results. Who knows, I am just thinking out loud (probably because my own Effexor experience was so disappointing).
> The problems Effexor was causing for me are listed below. I wish I could have stayed on it because it ended my depression & anxiety...but the flip side of it was the many seemingly innocuous side effects that I simply couldn't ignore. Now that I am off Effexor (as of 1 week), all of the nasty side effects are completely gone and I feel back at my base level. On the lookout currently for a new med.
>
> NEGATIVE AFFECTS:
>
> 1) HAIR LOSS & THINNING: noticed this after 3 months. Severe enough that the complete texture of my hair just changed. Ratty, whispy hair was my style now. U-G-L-Y
>
> 2) NO MOTIVATION: I could barely get the motivation to mountain bike, which I usually did without thinking 4 times a week. I had no interest in anything really. Just a blah feeling...not good or bad, just no feeling.
> Depersonalization: again, I just wasn't affected 'either' way on the spectrum. Never too happy or too sad. I had a hard time getting excited about anything.
>
> 3) EXTREME FATIGUE: This side effect only popped up the last 3 weeks I was on it. I could sleep 11 hours and wake up, do some work on the computer, and feel this horrific impending fatigue. Not a tired feeling, but a feeling of being anemic and simply not strong enough to get up and move. Horrible to exist this way.
>
> 4) CYSTIC ACNE: Confined (weirdly enough) only to my jaw & neck. It scarred me in two places and the acne was painful and took weeks to de-flate.
>
> 5)TMJ: Grinding my teeth so severely in my sleep that I woke up unable to open my mouth... diagnosis was TMJ. I also found myself clenching my teeth (unknowingly) during the day.
>
> 6) WEIGHT GAIN: Intially, the med in it's first 2 weeks gave me zero appetite. I am by genetics, a naturally thin woman who has never battled food or weight. I gained 10 pounds, and my appetite was ravenous. My body had insane cravings that I couldn't control with will-power..they felt un-natural and obsessive, almost as if my body had to comply.
>
>
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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