Effexor-XR - Does anyone else take this..

Hi, my doctor has just changed my medication to Effexor-XR, just wondered if anyone else here has taken it and if it has worked well?
Cheers!

reboxitene?
so much stuff out there its hard to know
what is what these days.

Hi,
I don't use them sorry, but here is a link to the Govt's Medsafe site with specific Consumer Information on Effexor-XR - I hope it helps.

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/e/Efexor-xr.htm

Thanks.. its Venlafaxine..

yup we take it only antidep that works for me, been on few years now only side effect is headaches if i forget to take them.

Hiya. I also take Effexor-XR. When i had depression a few years ago i was put on Prozac but this time i had a new dr and he tried something else first before trying Effexor-XR but i had a reaction to it so he tried the Effexor-XR. If i dont take it then i spin out of control. If i keep taking it im ok even though there are days i dont want to take it.

Hi angelwings, I am also on venlafaxine/Effexor-SR, 375mg per day. Any lower I get anxious and wound up.

I have found it good overall except for night sweats and nightmares, but these do taper off after a while, except when you forget a tablet.

Never, ever try to take yourself off this stuff suddenly though. You need to reduce at about 37.5mg per week to two weeks, or the side effects are hideous.

It has certainly stabilised me, but as with other antidepressants, your sex-life does go to the dogs, and you do tend to find yourself a bit flat moodwise...

hi lowdown i'm on the same dose as you, have been slightly higher but dr put it down as my blood pressure was getting too low - yep low not high

It has a lot of side effects and is very strong.

Yes, I didn't take too kindly to venlafaxine. I had really bad nausea.

No nausea, thank goodness for me.

Chatz, that is really interesting, as my blood pressure is low at the best of times...the doctor checks my blood pressure when I get repeat scripts for the pill and hasn't commented on any change up or down so maybe that is one effect I have managed to avoid - phew!

hi
im on 150mg of venlafaxine and it is working well for me...no side effects (affects??) as such, although the dr does monitor my blood pressure. oh and maybe TMI but my sex drive has increased drastically since taking it.....

Just checked back in.. its good to see its helped people! I'm on day 4 now.. and the side effects that I seem to have are clenching/grinding jaw/teeth.. and I'm yawning all the time.. I have a slight headache but think that could be due to the jaw thing.. I'm hoping these will slowly get better.. I'm just happy that the side effects aren't nausea or anything yucky like that! So far so good

What dose have you been started on, angelwings?

I did find that my side effects faded after a while on it.

I started on 37.5..and will go up to 75 on Friday and then I need to go back to docs and she will evaluate things.... I was paranoid about side effects so made the doctor give me the lowest dose to start!

It has a very short halflife, which means that you will know very quickly if it is having any effects or not, good or bad. I know that if I forgot to take a tablet when I was at a higher does (225mg+) I'd have 'withdrawal' effects within an hour!

Oh ok.. well so far so good for me.. :-) I'm feeling pretty good! I will definitely make sure I take the pill same time each day!!!

How much are you on at the moment lowdown?

187.5mg a day. I was on 300mg at one stage but weaned back.

Good that you know about the 37.5mg tablets, the chemists don't always stock them and it does mean that you can increase/decrease more gently than the 75mg tablets...

Yes.. I wanted to be extra careful.. may I ask what you take them for.. have you tried many other medications before this one?

when i first started taking them i was tired after i took them but that lasted about 2weeks....and i was really angry aswell -although not sure if that was from goin off paraoxitine or starting these ones-

Hey angelwings, for some reason I haven't been able to get on the site! I take effexor for plain ole depression, nothing else

Hey lowdown.. I was worried I had offended you by asking! Hehe.. :-)

I'm up to 75mg and I feel great.. no side effects at all now and less anxious and depressed.. I can't believe it has started working so quickly.. this might finally be the right drug!

If you are feeling good, perhaps you can stay at that dose for a while and see how you go?

Yes... I will definitely do that.. :-)

I was put on effexor a couple of years ago at 450mg a day. Worked brilliantly and everyone noticed a change (for the better) in the first couple of weeks. I came off it after about 5 months or so as continuously felt nauseated on it and it never went away. Thinking of asking doc though to go back on it short term, maybe a lower dose and something to control the nausea as fluox didn't work and citralopram which am on at moment isn't really working either.