![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by erynn on August 30, 2005, at 23:09:27
I have always been afraid to take some medication for depression. By admitting I have a problem would be admitting failure or defeat.
I finally admitted defeat in my own personal battles and decided (with a gentle but swift nudge from family) that I should try something. I'm on effexor and having a hard time with the side effects. I'm sweating, have slight muscle cramps, head ache and my skin feels like it is tingling or crawling. I almost feel high.
I'm really not liking this feeling.
I have been on it for three weeks. The nausea has is finally gone now but I'm wondering about the rest. My doctor says it's normal but I have a hard time putting my faith in any doctor. He also told me that coming off effexor was easy and after reading some of the posts on here I am starting to doubt my doctor has a clue.Thanks
erynn
Posted by mellymel_d on August 31, 2005, at 11:21:11
In reply to Effexor, posted by erynn on August 30, 2005, at 23:09:27
I'm going through some similiar feelings. I've been on effexor 37.50 for 2 weeks and then upped to 75mgs and now am on day 10 of that. The wirey and tingling feeling has went away but now I'm extremely tired and feel very unmotivated. I'm waiting to hear back from anybody if this is just a temporary side effect. I haven't really started feeling better yet but I'm trying very hard to keep a positive mindframe that I will feel better soon. I know everybody is different and every med is different but in the past I started feeling better in about 2 weeks. For some reason this med seems to be taking longer :-( Best wishes to you and keep us informed on how you're feeling...
Posted by vines123456 on August 31, 2005, at 19:03:53
In reply to Re: Effexor, posted by mellymel_d on August 31, 2005, at 11:21:11
I started taking Effexor about 2 months ago. I can honestly tell you that everything you have experienced will pass in about 6 weeks or so. I started on a very low dose and gradually increased to 150 mg. I had all the side effects mentioned in the above post but the one that really bothered me was the wierd dreams. Every night it was something different and they seemed VERY REAL! My husband thought I was going nuts as I tried to tell him about them. I hated to sleep. I never knew what to expect and I would wake up several times a night in sweat and my heart pounding. After reading other peoples post on this web site I realized that I was not the only one experiencing this. Anyway, many of the side effects I had are now gone. I have very few dreams like I did before. I cant say that I really like Effexor because it make me feel numb at times but it does seem to calm me down. I suffer from depression and social anxiety. I now take it at night and I really can tell a difference. When I took it in the morning before work I felt like a zombie for most of the day. Since taking it at night I feel somewhat refreshed in the morning. Anyway, please give the drug alittle time. (I use to hate it when people would tell me that) It really does get better.
Sherri
Posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 19:23:28
In reply to Re: Effexor » mellymel_d, posted by vines123456 on August 31, 2005, at 19:03:53
I wish I'd listened when it was Rx'd for me years ago. But being the wimp I am I took 37.5mg and quit after a week. It didn't help my anxiety and I was already on xanax. But maybe if I'd not been so afraid I wouldn't still be depressed. But seriously how did you manage to work with the side effects? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by mellymel_d on August 31, 2005, at 21:09:59
In reply to Re: Effexor » vines123456, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 19:23:28
well I was going to try to fight through these side effects but my doc doesn't like that they're not easing up at all yet. So, after a 3 week trial of the effexor she's weaning me off...She will wean me off for a week and then start me on wellbutrin and continue to keep me on the lexapro 10mgs. I'm soooo nervous about these next couple of weeks because I know alot of changes are ahead- but hopefully in the long run, they will be changes for the better.'
Best wishes to you guys...I'm sure you'll be hearing from me flipping out a lot soon...
Posted by erynn on September 2, 2005, at 23:40:26
In reply to Re: Effexor, posted by mellymel_d on August 31, 2005, at 21:09:59
I have been doing a little reading about Effexor and am getting even more nervous. My side effects have not stopped and I feel drained. I work as a photographer and am having a hard time being up beat and clear at work.
I have also been thinking about having another baby and Effexor has a lot of horrible side effects on newborns. Has anyone had experience with depression and motherhood?Thanks
erynn
Posted by vines123456 on September 5, 2005, at 17:24:12
In reply to Re: Effexor » vines123456, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 19:23:28
It was hard. Everyone in the office knew something was wrong. Not many people know that I suffer from depression and anxiety. A few people just said that I looked sad all the time. I had a hard time concentrating due to the headachs and I got very nervious when a I had a deadline. I was very tired due to the dreams. I drank so much coffee & diet coke that it eventually gave me the shakes which did not help at all. Eventually I just got though it. I wish I would have done some research on this drug before I started taking it. I have been on several meds over the past 20 years and I have never had side effects like what I have experenced with Effexor. Now that I have been on it for a while I feel numb. I dont feel happy....just numb. Sherri
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.