Effexor?

[Changing4Best]

Just curious how this medicine has been for you? Has it helped?? Side effects??? Have you had trouble coming off it, if you needed to????

I am on it for Seasonal Effect Disorder. So I may need to come off it if I go into a manic next Spring which is likely. I tend more toward the manic side of Bipolar and get more manics than depressives.

I kind of had the loss of appetite, mild nausea stuff today so far, but nothing else yet. This is my first day on it, so I cannot say it is benefiting me in any way yet, I know that will take time.

Your experiences and thoughts are welcome!

 

[Deleted member 541]

It's a nasty drug to come off of. One of the worst actually.

 

[Changing4Best]

Now I have heard that from 3 people.... I think I need to call my Dr.

 

[illusionist]

I'm not taking it, but have googled about the withdrawals.......looks like poison to me, going by the problems people have had coming off it. Best to see your doctor, and read up as much as you can.....better to have an informed choice imo.

 

[MisterCatLady]

I love Effexor so much! But I have major depressive disorder so I can't say how it is from a bipolar standpoint.

 

[Changing4Best]

I just threw it into the garbage. I will be calling my Dr. tomorrow. Drugs.com says it can cause low blood sodium, one of my major health problems. I'm thinking maybe Prozac? It was one of the others that my MD recommended. None the less, it too can cause low blood sodium. I guess I am just doomed to drinking ZERO or GATORADE for the rest of my life. Dang that stuff gets expensive on a low budget!

 

[joeylittle]

I am on it for Seasonal Effect Disorder. So I may need to come off it if I go into a manic next Spring which is likely. I tend more toward the manic side of Bipolar and get more manics than depressive

Others have said it - Effexor is not a drug you go on for a slight help with seasonal depression and then go off again.

This was your GP, or a psychiatrist?

A simple SSRI is more the right idea, but what are you on for the bipolar, and why aren't they adjusting that? (Just curious)

 

[StarChild]

I guess I am just doomed to drinking ZERO or GATORADE for the rest of my life.

How many mg of sodium intake does your MD exactly recommend? Gatorade and other such energy / electrolyte drinks do contain an enormous amount of sugar, but not that much salt! (240ml of Gatorade contain only 110mg Sodium but 15.4 gram (!) of sugar! The best thing to do, and I have to do that as well, since many years, is to buy a can of fine-grained, fat free bouillon, prepare the amount of bouillon you need per 24 hours (measuring container) and take it in sips during the day. OR, you drink 1 or 2 of said bouillon a day. And during the day drink plain water or tea, but no black tea or coffee (as they'll dehydrate your body). That's actually the cheapest, and more important the healthiest solution. As you simply don't need the sugar, you'll only gain weight that way!

 

[Changing4Best]

I drink ZERO, which has no sugar in it at all.

My MD recommended 3 antidepressants. I chucked the Effexor into the garbage last night. I will call today and see what other options there are. drugs.com says that all 3 of the antidepressants that my MD recommended specifically because they would not cause low blood sodium, would in fact do exactly that, and it seems that all SSRIs and SSNIs cause it. So I am severely limited in what I will be able to take. I am going to do a search on DRUGS.com today to see what I can find, seeing as they do warn about the low blood sodium in their side effects section on each drug.

I am pretty fed up at this point.....

 

[Jenfa]

Just curious how this medicine has been for you? Has it helped?? Side effects??? Have you had troub...

It is extremely hard to come off of. For me, it triggered mania. I decided to go on the extended release thinking that was it, but it got worse. Be careful and I hope it doesn't do to you what it did to me. Good luck!

 

[AJayzinme03]

Hi there yes you are right, Evil Effexor I'd not a drug you go on for seasonal depression; in fact I wouldn't advise anyone to go on Effexor.I have been on Effexor for fourteen long years and I have suffered worse depression from it.It does NOTHING for OCD except make it worse, and it does NOTHING for PTSD except make it worse.And guess what? It makes depression worse as well.I've tried 75mg and 150mg a day and it dies nothing positive.It also makes paranoia worse.I'm going to ask my Dr if I can switch me to another antidepressant because I'm not prepared to let effexless ruin my life any longer.Oh and I can't eat oats or wheat or dairy with effexor as it interacts and brings on unbearable drowsiness and depression. but this is only my experience.

 

[AJayzinme03]

I am switching to another antidepressant after effexor.oh and yes it'd hard to come off but if you do it slowly or cross taper its OK.