Hello My DC friends, yet again I need your help?
- Posted:
- 2 Feb 2012 by nenag
- Topics:
- effexor xr, depression, anxiety, venlafaxine
Details:
I have been on venaflaxine since Dec 10. started at 75mg then upped to 150mg on the 14th and on the 28th of Jan upped to 225mg. I have had issues with it, i still feel some symptoms throughout the day and anxious evey now and then. I just dont feel hapiness. I dont have a depressing life, i have a wonderful husband a great 4 year old that i love, but i cant explain it. Its like i have no feelings. I try to tell myself that it is all in my head that it will all clear up in time. Will it? I was on effexor before and it worked great for the depression but now looking back i was the same way on it. I dont have the racing thoughts, or the dreadful "thoughts" anymore, but its like "Blah" Do I make sense???
I dont know if i should just stick it out or ask for something else, im just so scared of the depression returning. I have to many things going on at work and at home that i cannot let myself go through the misery of withdrawals and negative thoughts. Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated. What would i do without my DC friends. Thank you guys SO MUCH!! Luv YA!! - Nena
2 Feb 2012
Hi Nena, sorry to hear your going through this. I just wanted to say I was thinking of you and it breaks my heart hearing you say you don't feel happiness, but you have asked your friends for help and I am sure someone will help you soon. Take care, Liz.
2 Feb 2012
I would be patient dear and let the Effexor (venlafaxine) build in your system since the last increase in dosage. Only been a few days so it can take a few weeks. If you aren't feeling better by the middle of the month then I would talk to the doctor about something else. I take Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) which is real similar to Effexor but improved. You might ask the doctor about it. Wouldn't have to go through the withdrawals this way. Hang in there and keep your chin up. It takes time but it can and will get better.
2 Feb 2012
Hello Nena. I'm not going play the role of a chemist. You known I can do that. Just allow the drug to run its course. Psychiatric drugs work on one part of your body, the brain. The most complex and unique of all the organs and it can and it happens the drug does not work as the directions accompanying your perscription. Depression is an illness. I have said this before, its not like attempting to treat a sore muscle with a balm, cream or a advil. Might sound cold what I'm going to say is once you accept that you suffer from depression, (suffer is the word) and there are at least 8 different ways where depression shows, manifests itself through different diagnosis, then you (my own opinion) will be ahead of your unhappiness. Its simple, sounds hard, but more often than not might be found to be true. Best wishes, have a good evening and try not and worry, its not often needed,pledge
3 Feb 2012
i am sorry but i think that effexor is one of the worse pills on the market for depression, this is my thought and i am not a doctor but i know of 6 friends that are on effexor and they have all complained about what you are feeling and 2 of my friends as well as my sister wanted to end their lives when they were on the drug.. I just got off the phone with my sister who was crying her eyes out and it was over her effexor and how much she hates it and how it has made you feel she feels the same way! I think its a bad drug, everybody i know thats on it hates it and has these problems your feeling. For some reason her doctor will not listen to her and wean her off of it and if she skips a dose she feels like dying she said so i am demanding that her doctor gets her off this drug and try something different. All i hear about it is bad things and what you are feeling.
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This is just my thought and when i read your post it hit home because i just got off the phone with my sister who was crying because she is having the same problems that you are. Good luck and God bless! Mickey from chicago..
3 Feb 2012
Hi,
I am so sorry that you seem to be going through a lot of issues with your vanaflaxine ( Effexor), take the drug myself. I think it gives me a lot of energy, makes me feel like getting up off the couch and do things, maybe too many things sometimes. It is important to have a supporting partner because effexor will destroy your happy feelings down below, but all in all it is better than many of the other options out there. I would give it a little time then discuss with your doc a change or maybe a little something else to go along with it. I am also surprised you are not complaining of insomnia, I had it bad with this drug. My big complaint with this drug is that the company that makes it does not put any information on their website about withdrawals when it comes time to come off the drug. I believe it should be required of them to disclose how difficult this drug is to get off of.
I wish you the best.
3 Feb 2012
i'm on effexor too. sometimes it feel like you have no feeling, no spark, or interest in anything. i too fear the depression returning which is why you need a good support system you are not alone and maybe speak to your doctor about your concerns i hope everything works out
3 Feb 2012
I Nena, I personally took Efffexor ER 150mg from age 22-26, I am 32 now and looking back I cannot complain about it, I stopped actually because I felt good enough to think I was cured! lol, not true the anxiety came back couple years later.
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But I do remember it took time to work, I also remember feeling like you, BLAH, so I do understand, what I did to help that was make myself (even if I didnt feel up to it) do fun and positive things, I love reading so I read I my James Patterson Books, I exercised, I know people say exercising is good, yada yada yada, but when you are getting a new antidepressant in your system, its almost like it helps it get into you faster! I guess cuz your drinking and moving so your body metabolizes it quicker! Hey, it wont hurt to try, Its been such beautiful weather that when I my kids get home from school we go walking, and on weekend mornings I walk early in the morning, there is something about that crisp early morning air flowing through you, that there makes you feel wonderful automatically, lol. I hope the best for you. The good will come to you, this is only a phase that will pass too.
3 Feb 2012
Hi there..
Effexor is working for me - I have just finished my third week, and each day I feel a bit better. (This after trying 5 other ADS over the last 8 months). What really helped was joining a gym again. Actually, before I started Effexor, I was too empty to even think of joining a gym. I go every morning despite how I feel - lazy, tired, etc, because I KNOW I will feel better afterwards. And I do. I still have a long road to go, as there are still things I dont 'feel' like doing, but every day I am getting better. So give it some more time:)
Try listening to some 'happy' music - your favourite stuff that makes you want to dance or sing along!
PS: I was previously on Effexor (four years ago), and it was great.
Withdrawal symptoms are not nice, and never miss a day, you will feel it!
Go easy on yourself, hug yourself lots, and remember we are here for you!
kathy
3 Feb 2012
Hi Nena,
I think i shared with you before my experience with effexor, as you know we all differ when it comes to anti d's,but effexor was a mad med for me,it made me worse than i was before on it and while my pysc kept upping my dose i was just going down hill with that"blah"feeling as you say!!
Maybe staying on the dose for a little longer might do the trick,but in my situation it did the opposite,in the end it sent me into a horrible episode where i thought i would have to be admitted. I'm not saying this will happen to you,many people have good things to say about this med,but for me personally,it would not be a med of choice and when i even hear its name,it gives me the "heebie geebies",but thats just my own experience on it.
I hope if you do continue with the dose that it does work out for you. I understand how frustrating changing meds can be,but just be careful my friend!!
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You know your own body and whats best for you and if you feel this is'nt working for you,speak to your prescriber and see can you come up with something else that will work without leaving you with the "blah"feeling!
Just my thoughts.
I wish you the best and hope you find something that works for you soon!!
Anonymous
3 Feb 2012
Good morning Nena, well it sounds like you have gotten a whole lot of advice on the ups & downs of this drug. You don't sound like you are having the depression thoughts, & you were on it before, so I would suggest you give it a little more time too. We are all different & react differently on each & every drug. Maybe you were brought up on the dose too fast. Seems awfully fast to me, but I'm not any kind of expert on these drugs, just some personal knowledge with my hubby who has terrible depression. Concentrate on that 4 year old & how much he needs your love & affection is one thing I would do. They are so sweet & innocent at that age. You are very fortunate. They can also be a handful too I know, but give him all the hugs & kisses you can whethter it feels goods to you or not he still needs them, just saying, & know you already know that is why you are posting your question. Give it some more time, & then if nothing seems to click, get back to your doc ASAP! Best of luck to you dear...
Anonymous
3 Feb 2012
Dear nena,
There is nothing that I could add to your loving responses,just want you to know you are in my prayers,hugs,c
3 Feb 2012
Hey girl, Gosh you have allready gotten some really good advice from some very loving,caring, and helpful people that care about you. Now that right there shoul put a smile on your face immediately. Please realize that you are not in this thing alone. We have all been through the nightmares with one or two, or several medications. lol. And we needed to reach out and explain what was going on. I know I did. And like you... I got allot of great help and support from this very DC board. You could pq any of us at any time and someone would be there with arms wide open for you. Dont ever forget how special these people are.They are a wonderful group of friends who care about each other and lend out their support support to you. I was going to suggest what Laurie said and try ang give it a little more time to work, and try Pristiq, because I take that too, but I saw where you said you had tried it and didn't like it. I can't add anything more intelligent than what's allready been said to you, but I will say, if you do decide to try something else, Please please please make sure your doctor does a slow taper off of the Venlafaxine. You don't want to stop taking it cold turkey. My son tried that, and thought he was going to die. He got back on it, called me and asked me what to do. I told him to tell his doctor about it and have him do a taper plan. They did one slow, and he is doing great now, and was just sworn into the marines. I'm not trying to scare you, I just want you to know to taper off of it slowly if you decide on something else. I wish you all the luck in the world, honey. Hang in there. This too shall pass. Big hugs sent your way, and God bless. Ruth
4 Feb 2012
Hi Nena,
I had been on Effexor for the last 8 years. It saved my life as I kept having to increase it 3 times. My life has been pretty terrible after a stroke, most especially causing severe migraines daily. I was barely able to function due to the migraines and one of my big issues was that every day I had to get up and eat which I now hated to do since my stroke. I told the doctor that given my terrible life, which it is, no anti-depressant could possibly help me, but increasing the dose on Effexor brought me out of the depression a good 4 weeks later.
I have not personally had the no happiness feelings, unless the Effexor is not high enough. I would encourage you to give the Effexor a good 5 weeks to make sure it is in your system before changing to something else. Everyone is different with medications.
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I got off Effexor about 2 months ago due to the deadening of my sex drive and changed to Pristiq, mentioned by Laura above. That brought my sex drive back.
Pristiq (newer) is very similar to Effexor, so again, you probably won't have to go through the withdrawal which must be done very slooowly. It can make you absolutely crazy which is what happened to my mother when it was discontinued abruptly by mistake at the hospice place.
I do believe that they improved the Pristiq from the Effexor.
I wish you the very best.
Sara
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