Posted by Badger on November 26, 2002, at 10:51:56
In reply to Re: Effexer and Effexer xr, posted by jannbeau on September 13, 2002, at 16:39:23
I understand that Effexor XR is an extended release formulation of Effexor (thanks to Jannbeau's posting of September 13), but I'm curious to know what differences, if any, there are in the effects (and side effects) of the two formulations.
By way of background ...
I've just started on Effexor (regular) about nine days ago - 75mg/day (37.5mg in the morning and in the evening). This medication was prescribed by my family doctor - I'm not sure how much experience she has with it or with other anti-depressants, although she is definitely not a 'pill pusher'. At the end of two weeks, I'm supposed to up my dosage to 75mg (2 tablets) in the morning and 37.5mg in the evening, and we'll evaluate from there whether to increase, maintain or decrease that amount. FWIW, I'm a 47 year old man, weighing approximately 95kg (~210lbs).
This is the first time I've taken an anti-depressant, and I realize that it will take some time for my system to adjust. In retrospect, I knew next to nothing when I was prescribed this drug, and have been reading the posts here with great interest. So far I've had a few side effects - nausea for a day or two, some loss of appetite (a good thing in my case), some muscle tension, and fatigue - but overall, nothing too serious. I've been sleeping better than I have for a while, even though I'm still tired. Actually, it's probably too soon to tell, since my insomnia was back last night (I can fall asleep without any problem, but wake up around 4AM and can't get back to sleep). I think I may sleep better if I take my last pill shortly before bedtime, although I need to test this theory a bit more.
It's hard to say whether the drug is having any effect on my depression. I was quite down last Sunday (day 7 since I started), but have had a few bouts of feeling up since then. I realize that it may well take several weeks before I can really judge its effectiveness, and this will also require finding an optimum dosage.
Although some people specifically mention that they have been taking the XR formulation, I don't know if the others (i.e., those who refer only to Effexor) are taking the 'standard' version or just don't bother to spell it out. I'm wondering if anyone who has experience with both could comment on which they preferred and why. Or, if anyone knows of refernces on this subject, perhaps they could respond with links.
I recognize that not everyone reacts the same way to this drug - it can either make you tired or keep you awake, give you constipation or diarrhea, make you gain or lose weight, etc.... Still, I'd like to be able to discuss alternatives with my doctor the next time I see her (in another couple of weeks), and would feel more confident if I knew some of the pros and cons of the XR option.
Thanks in advance for any information that you can provide.
Badger
poster:Badger
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021122/msgs/129407.html