... anxiety attacks and they are getting worse. Is there anyone in here taking Effexor XR and how is it helping you? Thank you, Nikki
Hello all, one ? I am currently taking Effexor XR for anxiety and depression. But I'm still having?
- Posted:
- 14 Nov 2009 by FDSAnxiety
- Topics:
- effexor, effexor xr, depression, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder
Details:
Responses (14)
silmarien
neil kenn...
barbles241319 Nov 2009
I took Effexor XR and since it is just a ssri it really did not help with anxiety. However there are new meds that address both anxiety and depressipn ssri and a ssnri. Cymbalta, Prestiq are two that I know of. I am now on Cymbalta x 2 weeks I still have anxiety my doc said that it takes about 4 weeks to start working and that it will start helping the depression before the anxiety maybe the Effexor will work for you the same way but do let your Doctor know how you are feeling maybe he/she can change it or add something to it for the anxiety.
mitjason16 Dec 2009
I had the same problem with Effexor XR. I talked to my doctor about Abilify. Abilify is a "Mood Stabilizer" used with antidepressants such as Effexor Xr when you feel like you're not getting the full effect of the antidepressant. I take it and it works Great! It takes a few weeks to start working but it's amazing. It does cost a fortune but it's worth it in my opinion. If you're having anxiety you should check out xanax. I also take xanax. It gets a bad rep do the addicts that abuse it but if you take it as prescribed you shouldn't have a problem. Hope this helps!
28 Jan 2010
I took effexor for anxiety panic attacks and sleep disorder. It caused me to have heart palpalations and didn't help very much with the anxiety , I took it for almost a month and then I was switched to paxil later. Paxil stopped the panic attacks for me and also helps me sleep at night
13 Feb 2010
I took effexor xr until the dose could go no higher. It had no possitive effect on me what so ever. I can tell you I did have positive outcomes with my anxiety useing; lorazapam(adivan) ; (clonzapam) unsure of correct spelling on this one but it is pronounced; ca- lon-apen; and the most recent perscribed to me was ; (valum) I can confidently say these all provide positive outcomes. Everyone is different but I would say give one of those a try.
till33
eleng
5 Jan 2011
Hi adassel... How long did it take for you to kick in. I have been on diff meds, but since I tried Effexor Xr (75mg for the first week, 150mg for the second, and 225mg for the third) I had at least no side effects at all. The third week I started to feel better... I was doing housework, cleaning (but still like disconnected outside). I was so excited to feel a little better that the fourth week for ONLY TWO DAYS I increased myself to 300mg twice daily. It's the fifth week right now and Im going again through hell, eventhough after those two days I put myself on 225mg once daily, but I'm still not feeling like that third week. I'm so dissapointed because I thought OMG finally I found the drug for me. Today I was crying a lot (I have two small children that need me) and I told my husband there is no reason I should continue living..My doctor told me he doesn't know why I'm feeling like this this week... I think he is a stupid..how come he doesn't know...
eleng
7 Jan 2011
Hi everybody:
If anyone remmeber mu first posting I'm back on 225 mg of effexor Xr and I;m feelin better with this rather than 300mg (which killed for the two days). I'm getting so anxious with those drugs. Back to 225mg at home I feel myself, but still not connecting with the outside, and still like having no heart. The point is I'm getting a full time job at the college I'm working on (it was my dream before getting sick), and the irony I am not sure if this drug will work for me so that I will be able to keep my job. My promotion starts March 18, 2010. I cant believe how this illness changes everything in your life... It's teh WORST OF EVERYTHING. Also, my doc wants me to try wellbutrin with Effexor XR, and I dont know why since I'm tolerating Effexor 225 well... he believes that 4 weeks I should feel connected with the outside... he is confusing me and stressing me out...
LaurieShay28 Feb 2011
Hi. I have taken it for about 7 years and it helped alittle at first but I still get panic and anxiety. My one doctor who is taking me off it does not like it because of the side effects and boy going through withdrawal is very hard. I went from225 a day and now this week I am down to37.5 and it is hard.
vincent1905
24 Apr 2011
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter and also Happy passover. Take care friends.
Koalamaiden
27 Aug 2011
Vincent - I have been 3 times on Effexor XR - yes, it sint easy, BUT it is a lot better than Aropax (paxil) how Ive done eachvb time is just to prolong the taking of the dose. Now I did it with out doctors help the second time and it took a week. If I took it at night, I'd take it later, then when the mind spasms kicked in, I'd take one, then it just took longer and longer then they went away. Believe me the side effects of coming off in my opinion are alot easier than others. I hope this helps.
2 Mar 2011
Hi this is vincent 1905. I have been taking effexor xr for 7 years. My doctor I am going to now is trying to get me off it. I am having some bad withdrawels and it is not easy but I want to get off it. I have a good doctor and I want to get to the real problems which is my past. Things that happen to me. I have had this all my life but did not know what it was. My mother and grandmother also suffered from panic and fear of prople. Today I had a really bad melt down but my doctor talked me through it. Stay well and there is hope.
21 Mar 2011
Hi Iam weening off effexor now. I find for myself that the anxiety and panic attacks are something that I have been going though all my life. Since I have gone into therapy that is helping more then the pills did. Don't get me wrong I have my bad days. I still have to take xanax when I get an attack. Talking in therapy has helped me understand why I have the problems I do. I don't know if that makes sense, but I have things from my childhood that have triggered a lot of these disorders that I have now.I don't have answers to everything and I may be like this the rest of my life, but talking and getting to know what is going on inside me has made a big difference. I now have a part time job 2 days a week and I am painting again. Before even on the medication , I could not leave the house. Pills are good but in my case I wanted to know why I was like this.
puckiemull21 Mar 2011
Hi
Yes i was also on effexor but it did nothing for me.Made my panic attacks worse and anxiety hit the roof,i had to wean off it.Im now taking prozac and xanax which is very good for anxiety and panic.I had not a good experience with effexor but then some people swear by it,everyone is different and what suits some,might not suit another.
Good luck with it,maybe suggest something else with your doc if you are not comfortable with the effexor,i'm sure you'll find something that suits you,there are so many to try and test,i know its frustrating but you'll get there in the end!
Take care
caringsonbj21 Mar 2011
I have taken Effexor in the past but my advice to you if you are currently taking Effexor XR and still have symptoms that do not allow things to improve then you need to call your doctor and discuss this with him, sometimes it takes changing medications or using a combination of medications before you obtain the best results.
eleng
21 Mar 2011
Hi there:
I have been taken Effexor Xr 225mg for two months now. It has helped me a lot in terms of functioning and at least still keeping my job. However, emotionally not at all. I can't enjoy my kids and this is bringing me very down. My doc added 2 weeks ago Wellbutrin 150mg, and I'm feeling a little bit better, but still disconnected, and not feeling my children as before. I don't know if this helps... and I don't what else I can do... I am so tired of having that disconnection feeling... Fortunately, I have my job and it keeps my hope alive... GOD BLESS
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I was on Effexor XR for several years and I did not experience the anxiety. I switched to Cymbalta which is a SNRI and a SSRI and I am now experiencing anxiety so I can say I know how this feels and I am looking for the same answer about Cymbalta. Good Luck with finding your answer hopfully it is only a temporary side effect. Or may they can change you to something else.
I have taken effexor for a year now and I've been on cymbalta and that was an aweful drug I had to go off it. I just feel like I'm getting no where with the effexor, and I'm having panic attacks every day now.
Thanks for answering, Nikki
I have been on Effexor for about 1 1/2 years. I only took 75mg for a year and then it stopped working. My doc changed it to 150mg and it is finally working. It did take about a month or two for it to really start to work. I do still have anxiety attacks every now and then but not on a daily basis. What dosage are you on? Maybe they can change that and it may start to help. I hope you get the answers you need. I know how bad it feels to have anxiety attacks everyday and it is not fun.
I also am on Effexor XR 75mgs, and recently started having major anxiety and panic attacks, so my doc also has me on Ativan .5mg, which has helped me alot. I just wish i could find one pill instead of having to take two, but for now it works, so I'm happy and feeling much better.
Effexor can make you anxious at first, and its horrible, then settles - well did for me. It wasnt pleasant BUT I have been on it 3 times now, am again on it as for depression its brilliant. I have been on Cymbalta, Zoloft, Paxil (Aropax in Aust) , and Remoron. Now for me Remoron (Avanza in Aust) sent me violent, agro, irritated, agro agro agro. I had to stop it after a week. Some of these have caused me to feel low moodsfir anxiety zoloft & paxil are brilliant - but Effexor XR helped. Its hard. Know who you are & get good advice. Like some of them can worsen your symptons then mellow out to be ideal. Its hard.
Update: I'm still taking Effexor XR 75mg (name brand), and recently added Klonopin .5mg (generic version) I feel great. This is the perfect combination for me. I haven't felt this good in years. I liked the Ativan, however it didn't last very long, but the Klonopin last much longer. I'm happy and enjoying life again.
Thanks for all the comments.
From my experience (and I'll say upfront that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT), that Effexor XR is not one of the best drugs for Panic Disorder. Also, it has the worst withdrawal syndrome of all the SSRIs/SSNRIs (this is from experience and from much research-See crazymeds.com's page on Effexor).
I was put on Wellbutrin XL, which increased my anxiety; however, I was in a deep, suicidal depressive state, and it DID help that. It caused horrid insonmnia, though, so I've stopped it. And it's BS that there's no withdrawal symptoms if you don't taper - I had muscle aches, depression, was tired ALL the time, etc.
Right now I'm just on Xanax (for panic attacks only) and Klonopin 2mg at bedtime for insomnia. The Klonopin hasn't been working for insomnia but it's decent for preventing panic attacks. Before Klonopin, I was having them up to 5x per day.
Expand this post...
I think Serotonin is just NOT always the reason for many mental illnesses, including panic disorder, for some people. They've done studies that show that low serotonin in the brain does NOT correlate with depression, and high levels of serotonin in the brain does NOT prevent depression. I know that many SSRIs/SSNRIs work quite well for people, so I'm not discounting that it does help many people. Just not all of us.
I've tried pretty much EVERY drug for insomnia, with no luck (Doxepin, Nortriptyline, Amitriptyline, Trazadone, Remeron, Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta, Restoril, Dalmane, Benadryl, Meditation, Klonopin, Xanax, Ativan, Valium, Flexeril, and others).
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the hell is wrong with my brain?
My histamine receptors adapt after ONE DAY. ie if I take Remeron one night, it works fine. The next night, I feel NOTHING (except a huge carb craving, ugh). What's up with that?
I have been taking effexor XR since i was 33 i am know 47. I haven't had any problems but i worry of the effects later as i get older?
I've was on Effexor for 2 years till I hit the max dose, and now on Cymbalta for the past year for depression and chronic pain. I couldn't handle the cymbalta until the doc added Bupropion to mask or rid some of the unwelcome cymbalta side effects. These helped with depression, but I still had anxiety attacks - most I could get thru with 'mind' exercises, but some I need Lorazapam or Valium to handle an attack... Both lorazapam and valium work for me, but my doc switches up on them about yearly to reduce chance of dependency.
I have found there is no one pill to solve my problems.