Has anyone discovered they don't REM sleep while on 225mg of Effexor XR?
Question posted by josephsmaw on 8 April 2022
Last updated on 20 December 2024
I had began to fall asleep while talking to people and wanting to fall asleep behind the wheel. At my therapist appointment I nodded off 3 times in 45 minutes. I already was established with a sleep specialist for severe Restless Leg Syndrome so I was sent back to him and he orded a sleep study. The findings showed my leg movements were minimal taking 2 MG of Requip 3 times a day and 1.5 MG of Klonopin at night. My sleep study did show that in the 6.27 hours of straight sleep I never achieved REM sleep once. Upon follow up visit he insisted I be titrated off the Effexor because it is known to keep people from achieving REM sleep and more than likely causing my exhaustion. Effexor also is known to make Restless leg syndrome worse in patients.
I am curious to know has anyone else had same problem.
OH MY GOD... MY PEOPLE!!! I have been struggling for the last 10 years at least with constant exhaustion and sleep deprivation. I found out today that my Effexor XR and Wellbutrin are probably the issue (after 20+ years of being on them). I was starting to think it was all in my head until my sleep dr. told me today about the lack of REM sleep I got during a sleep study and that antidepressants can cause this. NO ONE in the medical field has mentioned this to me. And I've been taking them at night for as long as I can remember. Makes me wonder what else I don't know and somewhat thankful I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure earlier this year at 48. everything is starting to come together. THANK YOU to those that have posted this. Because of you I was able to google and get some answers.
Votes: +0
WI
WildcatVet
20 Dec 2024
Hi, Mom! I’m in the medical field myself and my doctors said it’s true but generally not to the point of it interfering too greatly and in most cases it resolves within a couple of weeks after the initial trial period. In fact, they are often prescribed to improve sleep quality. According to the PubMed reports from the National Library of Medicine bupropion (Wellbutrin) may increase the time it takes to reach REM sleep but not the total amount. Venlafaxine (Effexor) on the other hand was found to significantly reduce the percentage of REM sleep. Have you tried other antidepressants? They don’t all have the same side effects so maybe you could do a trial. I hope any of this is helpful. Best regards, Wildcat
WI
WildcatVet
20 Dec 2024
P.S. 225mg is a pretty hefty dosage - have you ever tried reducing your dosage some?
EF
Effects
19 April 2022
I’m in a similar situation with Cymbalta. I don’t have RLS, but I’m always tired and oversleep. My sleep study shows that I’m not getting enough REM sleep and the doctor claims that all antidepressants cause this.
Votes: +0
WI
WildcatVet
19 April 2022
I've been on Effexor, Lexapro, Paxil, Zoloft, and now Wellbutrin without any problems with sleep.
PU
Purple_Unicorn
11 April 2022
I have been on many different antidepressants until I discovered Effexor was the best for me. I am on 300mg of Effexor, 300mg of Trazodone and 2mg of Klonopin to help me sleep. My sleeping patterns change on me so it’s rare that I ever complete a full REM cycle. It’s probably worth noting that my insomnia pre-dates my use of ALL of those drugs. Trazodone is a great drug I was prescribed for insomnia. I don’t think I would be able to sleep without it.
I, too, have a horrible case of Restless Leg Syndrome. I have psoriatic arthritis, which only makes things worse. I started out on the same dosage of Requip as you. I know I have a rapid metabolism when it comes to medicine. My psychiatrist noticed it, but unfortunately these days they treat everyone like a junkie. I’ve never even smoked a cigarette and I’m 45.
It sucks that the people who really need the medicine can’t get it because all these idiots are misusing them. Sorry, I got off track there.
The Requip didn’t do anything for me. It might as well have been a placebo. I told my rheumatologist about how frustrating it was getting. I’m sure you know how hard it is to go to sleep when you feel like you have to keep moving around and no position makes it better.
Have you tried Gabapentin? I am on it, taking 1800mg/day. I had been prescribed a higher dose originally, but I told them they could scale it back after a while since it didn’t help at all either.
I discussed the restless leg syndrome with my rheumatologist. He just looked at me and said there wasn’t anything else he could do so I was just going to have to find a way to deal with it - not quite the answer I was looking for.
I wish I had a better answer for you. Just wanted to let you know about the Gabapentin I’m on. Just because it doesn’t work for me, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work for you. I think it may be worth mentioning it to your doctor.
Wishing you the best of luck in finding something to help your RLS. Please share if you do.
Votes: +0
SK
Skpierce
8 April 2022
I take Effexor XR at same dosage as you’re taking. The Dr had recently bumped mine up to this. I have restless leg syndrome. This has only begun since the Dr put on a 225mg dosage. These last couple of weeks have been severe As far as the RLS is concerned. Never knew that Effexor could be the cause. Sleep is elusive. I wake up multiple times at night. Some nights I literally cannot sleep. It’s exhausting!
