KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Got a new antiD today- Effexor. As per usual, does anyone have any stories to tell about taking it? I feared the side effects when I began taking Celexa, weight gain and loss of sex drive being the most feared, but didn't experience them (gained a few lbs but probably from bad habits and my sex drive actually returned). I'm going to begin weaning from Celexa to Effexor tomorrow. So- anyone? Stories? Advice? Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Here you go again... Link to post Share on other sites
johan Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Is this the chewable kind that are different colors and are shaped like little stoneage people? If so, I consider them to be pretty uplifting. I say go for it. Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Is this the chewable kind that are different colors and are shaped like little stoneage people? If so, I consider them to be pretty uplifting. I say go for it. I must be missing out. What a great idea! The breakfast cereal of choice for people who barely survived the night. Link to post Share on other sites
oppath Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 No experience with effexor. Zoloft works for me now but effexor is the next one on my list, aleady having tried prozac and paxil. I hope it goes well for you. Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 No experience with effexor. Zoloft works for me now but effexor is the next one on my list, aleady having tried prozac and paxil. I hope it goes well for you. Is there an antidepressant cocktail? Shaken, not stirred. With a little toy umbrella (because it's always raining). Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 No experience with effexor. Zoloft works for me now but effexor is the next one on my list, aleady having tried prozac and paxil. I hope it goes well for you. I'm a tad nervous because there seems to be a lot of negative press on it, especially in terms of coming off of it. Then again, I read a lot of bad stuff about celexa too and it's been good to me, simply not effective on my persistent "sad feeling". So I'm gonna give this a try and cross my fingers I don't end up with any worse side effects than the celexa. Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 Is there an antidepressant cocktail? Shaken, not stirred. With a little toy umbrella (because it's always raining). That's quite enough from you, Trunk Butt. Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I'm a tad nervous because there seems to be a lot of negative press on it, especially in terms of coming off of it. Then again, I read a lot of bad stuff about celexa too and it's been good to me, simply not effective on my persistent "sad feeling". So I'm gonna give this a try and cross my fingers I don't end up with any worse side effects than the celexa. If the negative press amounted to anything, then the FDA would have pulled it. I wouldn't worry about that. Link to post Share on other sites
johan Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 ...Trunk Butt. Ooo! Burn! Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 That's quite enough from you, Trunk Butt. Get used to the side-effects, sweetie. Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Ooo! Burn! She's just telling me (subliminally) where she wants it. In her dreams. Link to post Share on other sites
dropdeadlegs Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I took Effexor XR for awhile three years ago. I preferred Prozac, which I took many years ago, but it killed my sex drive. Effexor didn't have that effect, but it made me feel weird. I felt tired all day yet needed Sonata to sleep. I took the medication at night and I switched to taking it in the morning, but that didn't help me. I can't remember what my dosage was, but I think it was 70 mg. for some reason, although that sounds like an odd number. It did alleviate the depression, but I was experiencing what I call situational depression due to a horrible divorce and as I said I was also taking Sonata to sleep, and Xanax for anxiety. I'm not so sure that my experience is helpful because I had so many problems at once. A friend took a lower dosage and she seemed to like it. I just quit taking it after awhile, even though just stopping is not recommended. I felt that anxiety was my biggest issue at the time. There are so many drugs and dosages and finding the right one is hard, but surely one will work for you. I have heard many good things about Lexapro but I didn't stay on antidepressants long enough to keep adjusting dosages and trying other options. Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I felt that anxiety was my biggest issue at the time. I think they are definitely useful for getting your "fight or flight" response under control, but beyond that I am concerned by the mounting evidence that these things can permanently alter your brain chemistry. If you're concerned with side-effects, then taking a "minimalist" antidepressant might be more the go. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluvoxamine Hopefully Effexor works for you. Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 There are so many drugs and dosages and finding the right one is hard, but surely one will work for you. I have heard many good things about Lexapro but I didn't stay on antidepressants long enough to keep adjusting dosages and trying other options. I know I'll find something eventually. As much as I sound like a headcase on LS most of the time, the celexa worked wonders on my anxiety and led me to have less social anxiety, which I wasn't even aware I had (I no longer get nervous or tongue-tied in unfamilar work and professional situations, etc). I'd stay on the celexa if it weren't for the persistent sadness. I don't feel depressed per se, because my energy and confidence is fine, just very sad and hopeless. (which is truly weird because I feel hopeless, yet I don't think my life is hopeless at all, if that makes any sense) In any case, I'm looking for something that helps alleviate this feeling. Hopefully Effexor will be it. Oh, and the dosages are really weird- I think you were right with the 70. I'm starting on like 37.5mg, which is split into three capsules. I gave my psych a weird look and she was like "Yea, their dosage is really odd". Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 I think they are definitely useful for getting your "fight or flight" response under control, but beyond that I am concerned by the mounting evidence that these things can permanently alter your brain chemistry. That's pretty much the point. To alter your brain chemistry permanently. The caveat is that you just get to cross you fingers and hope it changes it in a positive way. It sounds extreme, and I was the #1 anti-meds person not too long ago, but you can only go on being sad everyday for so long before you get desperate. And since I can remember these feelings going back nearly to childhood, I'm gonna take the gamble. Although, in addition, I'm working on altering my diet and exercise as well, so hopefully that will have some affect. Link to post Share on other sites
dropdeadlegs Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 KM, I agree that persistent sadness is debilitating. I was so sad when I went on Prozac and felt almost immediate relief even though I was taking a very small dose. Lifting the gray curtain was a big improvement. I still suffer from mild depression from time to time, it was when it was moderate on a daily level that I sought help. My daughter took Prozac and felt like a zombie. All these brains and all these different chemistry's are confounding. The chemicals in the brain that are caused or released when in love are amazing. I don't like that my happiness hinges on a particular man, per se', but have noted that being in love seems to keep me from being overly depressed. It certainly makes me feel less lonely just knowing someone out there loves me so much in return. Enough about magichands.... Link to post Share on other sites
kitten chick Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I was totally normal (ok normal is relative:laugh:) before I went on the birth control patch, before it was pulled by the FDA. The hormones from that really screwed me up, I was a total mess, extremely emotional and severely depressed. Nobody really knew how to fix that because there was no precident set with the amount of estrogen that was released into women on the patch. So the doctors decided to try anti-d's. I really didn't want to go on them because I got totally screwed over by a "drug" that my (now former) doctor had recommended (the patch). I took lexipro and it didn't do much for me except make me feel numb and tired. Did that for about 3 months. It took another year or so for the doctors to convince me to try another one so I did and they gave me Effexor. I only took it for a day because it made me hallucinate which was insanely scary. I do know other people who are on it and love it. I think when we hear stories we tend to come across the negative ones. I was hesitant again to start another one but I did it and went on Zoloft for a year and I had the crappy side effects like tiredness and weight gain but I gained my sanity back. I feel totally normal again. I get sad and depressed at times of course but it's at appropriate times. As someone who was totally against them I can without a doubt say that they can work. I hope that was more coherent than I think it was, I'm kinda tired, and I hope it helped. Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 Oh yippy. Took my first pill about an hour ago- here comes that "new dose medicine head." Exciting! Link to post Share on other sites
Author KittenMoon Posted March 6, 2007 Author Share Posted March 6, 2007 All these brains and all these different chemistry's are confounding. It makes me want to go back to school and become a brain chemistry researcher! The chemicals in the brain that are caused or released when in love are amazing. I don't like that my happiness hinges on a particular man, per se', but have noted that being in love seems to keep me from being overly depressed. It certainly makes me feel less lonely just knowing someone out there loves me so much in return. Enough about magichands.... I think this is the #1 reason my break-up has so debilitated me. Being with my ex nearly eradicated my depression for years, and helped keep it at bay for a long time. Damn lovey brain chemicals.... Link to post Share on other sites
Smurfingawaymyday Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I have been taking effexor for a few years now. I started because of anxiety and things in my life spiraled out of control so I ( well my GP ) upped the dosage to 225 mg. Way too much but it did help in calming me down. I didn't cry as much and I was much less sensitive than normal. There were no other side effects that I experienced when taking a regular dosage, no weight gain, no loss of sex drive, etc. I started feeling better in the past year so I decided to come off of it. The withdrawal symptoms and what you have heard about them are mostly true. It's a really awful perpetual hangover which seems like it will never go away. BUT it can be done as long as you come off very slowly. Often pairing it with another AD when coming off will make things much easier when you come to that time. I guess the most important thing is to find what works for you and stick with it and feel better. That's all that matters in the long run Good Luck!!! Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 I'm sure you'll be fine KM... Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Being with my ex nearly eradicated my depression for years, and helped keep it at bay Seems like these antidepressants are your substitute for the lovin' of a good man. Alpha has always been big on empathising with you. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 6, 2007 Share Posted March 6, 2007 Seems like these antidepressants are your substitute for the lovin' of a good man. Alpha has always been big on empathising with you. i'll pass....already got enuf drama in my life Link to post Share on other sites
magichands Posted March 7, 2007 Share Posted March 7, 2007 i'll pass....already got enuf drama in my life :lmao: Sorry, KM - couldn't help it. Link to post Share on other sites
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