![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 8176 to 8200 of 10407. Go back in thread:
Posted by dancingstar on January 24, 2005, at 16:46:06
In reply to Re: Benadryl is safe for some and in certain forms, posted by eeyorena on January 24, 2005, at 16:27:06
...as usual, thank you :-)
Posted by not2late4u on January 24, 2005, at 21:36:03
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD IS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE, posted by FaithT on January 24, 2005, at 12:56:50
FaithT, GREAT! I think its so important to have a big picture of Effexor. As you know Im withdrawing now, because its just time for me and I did have some fatigue issues, but I'd take it again if needed to. Thanks for posting a new thread, its needed.
Posted by not2late4u on January 24, 2005, at 21:39:20
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE, posted by FaithT on January 24, 2005, at 4:19:29
FaithT, here's another thread you know about thought it'd be good for those who are withdrawing or want to: "Effexor Withdraw, Tapering Off - CAN BE DONE" is another positive post. God Bless you FaithT!
Posted by not2late4u on January 24, 2005, at 21:41:22
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE » FaithT, posted by corafree on January 24, 2005, at 12:02:19
CF, sounds like youre doing better. Really happy for you. Anxiety was my primary dx, depression came afterwards for me to. Anyways, sounds like we might have that in common :) Renee
Posted by not2late4u on January 24, 2005, at 21:48:53
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE, posted by medhed on January 24, 2005, at 12:20:22
Medhead, Sorry for your experience and glad you were able to get the help you needed. I think, as others do, thats its just as important to know the POSITIVE experiences as it is the negative, so thank you for letting us know that you know of others who sweat by it. God Bless, Renee
Posted by FaithT on January 24, 2005, at 23:52:53
In reply to Has anyone had success on Effexor » FaithT, posted by dancingstar on January 24, 2005, at 16:44:45
Bebe~
In all due respect, people also need a place to find positive experiences on the drug. Do they not? People do need hope, Bebe, and not every single person feels lied to by their Dr., or tainted by Effexor.
I do not wish to debate this. So, I kindly ask you to not post directly to me, and I will do the same.
Faith~
Posted by FaithT on January 24, 2005, at 23:57:55
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD IS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE » FaithT, posted by not2late4u on January 24, 2005, at 21:36:03
Thanks so much Renee~
A agree, and I think that there needs to be a balance of postive and negative about Effexor.
I found your post,and I think it's awsome that your journaling your withdrawl. I posted to you there,as well.
You know I'm behind you...You will get through this,and be just fine.
Many hugs, Faith~
Posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 0:23:41
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE, posted by eeyorena on January 24, 2005, at 16:30:13
You know what, I don't think so. I thought I'd been on everything out there, but never an MAOI. Can I ask you; why do you think they were never suggested to me, and for what form of depression are they indicated? Tks cf
Posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 2:14:32
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor » dancingstar, posted by FaithT on January 24, 2005, at 23:52:53
Well, Faith, you have certainly told me. I feel appropriately chastised.
(hanging my head in shame.)
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 25, 2005, at 8:11:11
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor » FaithT, posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 2:14:32
> Well, Faith, you have certainly told me.
If someone asks you not to post to them, please don't post to them.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, please see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#harassed
Follow-ups regarding these issues should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration. They, as well as replies to the above post, should of course be civil.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by tatarka on January 25, 2005, at 10:07:12
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by Jen2 on January 23, 2005, at 19:25:43
Hey Jen, couldn't stop myself to follow up your post. So many similarities in our situation! I moved to another country three and half years ago, and I knew NOONE beside my husband with whome I have very difficult relationship. Plus I couldn't speak English at all! The only thing that excited me was that I'm far away from that nightmare in my original country.
I also had heart palpitations all the time and felt like i'm going to die. I was really-really depressed, and decided try to see psychiatrist as psychologist didnt help much and besides psychiatrist is for free - by referral from physichian.
Just wanted to share these similarities with you and let you know that someone like me perfectly understand your feelings. I still dont have any friends here (just one buddy-girl at work), and my marriage life didnt improve much (although therapy sessions do help to solve some issues).
I'm planning to get off Effexor as soon as possible, but I still need smth to switch to :( Good luck to you!!> Hi all,
>
> Thought I'd add my two cents. I just posted the same stuff to the newbies group, so it'll be a duplicate if you read it there first.
>
> I've been reading psycho-babble and the newbies group for the past week after I started taking Effexor, and these boards have been a great help to me. Thanks for the insight and advice and facts - they sure helped during a bad time. I've decided to post for the first time to let you know some of my story and maybe hear back from you.
>
> Two years ago I moved to a very large new city - halfway across the country, where I knew exactly one person (aside from my partner with whom I moved - and with whom I have a difficult relationship). I had 4 months of misery, then worked for a while (which was also miserable - almost intolerable) and then returned to school to do a masters degree. And that's been kind of miserable too.
>
> In November I had a bit of a, you might say, nervous breakdown. I was suffering from school /performance anxiety and intense pressures from relationships (too much and too difficult to go into now), although I think the fact that I'm a workaholic and that I've been working for the past 10 years in extraordinarily stressful jobs (in politics) didn't help matters. It was the worst three weeks of my life. I was extraordinarily anxious, paranoid, incredibly depressed, not quite delusional but almost, heart palpitations constantly the whole time. It was like something snapped in my brain that then affected my whole system. I felt like I was going to die.
>
> I went to my doctor, who initially prescribed Lorazepam. It made me feel dead inside so she prescribed Effexor instead, but I was afraid of taking an antidepressant so decided I would just coast through Christmas and see how I felt afterwards. Well, Christmas was depressing, I felt a bit better but not great, and then after returning to school for two weeks I thought again that I was going to die. So I started taking the meds. I had to do something.
>
> Well, here's where it gets interesting. The first couple of days were fine - I didn't feel anything at all. Days three through five, however, were a living nightmare. Nervous, anxious, sweaty, horribly depressed, couldn't focus my eyes (which also happened throughout my anxiety), felt disconnected from myself, crying jags, horrible horrible horrible. Spent three days on the couch watching bad TV and could barely cope with that. Days six and seven were tolerable, but day eight was a return to the pit of despair and physical terror. So I had a week of hell - I was white knuckling it through my days.
>
> Day nine was OK, but on day ten the clouds parted and the sun came out. I'm on day twelve now, and I'm feeling more content and able to cope than I have in months if not years. (I am, however, feeling no anxiety at all, which isn't good because I have very little motivation to get my work done. But right now, it's better than the anxiety and depression so I'm not going to sweat it for a while.)
>
> The nasty part of this is that, while the doctor prescribed the starter 37.5mg dose - which I thought I was taking - the pharmacist actually dispensed the 75mg dose. I didn't figure that out until day ten - who would think, especially in the depths of despair, to examine your pills to ensure the pharmacist gave you the right dosage? Not me. So I have been taking double the dose that I should have. No wonder I felt like I was going to die. I thought it was just my anxiety and depression, but it was actually the meds. I'm so angry about this. I couldn't cope for an entire week - I lost a week out of school and out of my life and it's the damn pharmacist's fault.
>
> So not only am I angry about having been prescribed a drug that, I now find out thanks to all of you on these boards, has such serious side effects and the potential for horrible withdrawal, I'm also angry that my pharmacist screwed up and made my already hellish life more hellish for a week.
>
> So thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I hope that I will continue to do well, although I know now to take my good days when I find them. I'm also getting psychotherapy and that's helping a bit. And I know enough now to start planning to manage the withdrawal when the time comes.
>
> Best to all,
> Jen
>
Posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 10:14:33
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor » FaithT, posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 2:14:32
I guess there must be a structure to every organization or idea?
When I post, I feel like I am posting to all the people involved in a particular discussion, and don't necessarily expect that certain person who posted last, to respond to me, but rather anyone who has the time, to offer their opinion or knowledge, regarding the discussion.
I dislike seeing good discussion come to a halt, because it involves many people searching for knowledge. Never been quite politically correct myself. cf
Posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 11:15:33
In reply to Has anyone had success on Effexor » FaithT, posted by dancingstar on January 24, 2005, at 16:44:45
> Everyone has been telling people how wonderful the drug is, and it's nice to be able find out that it is a potentially dangerous drug before one takes it, not some time down the line after it's already in one's body.
SOME people have reported how wonderful Effexor has been for them. (Just as some here have reported that Nardil or Wellbutrin or whatever have been wonderful for them.) SOME have also reported that Effexor was only a so-so or temporary solution for them. Then, yes, SOME have reported that Effexor has been a bad, or even horrible, experience for them.
The truth is that one only needs to be a member of this board for a short while to see that failures or bad experiences -- on ALL KINDS of drugs -- get reported more often than successes or good experiences. That seems to be why so many of us are here: We want to share what's not working and try to get advice about what might work. The truth as I see it is that Effexor has been good for some people (myself included, a few years ago) and bad for others... just like the dozens of other drugs discussed here.
I strongly urge all newbies here to not just take a doctor's or drug company's word about how safe something is, or a few posters words about how dangerous. One also has to do research, read those confusing package inserts carefully, and understand that all drugs have benefits AND risks. That's what you have to weigh with your doctors and your most trusted family members or friends.
Finally, I would urge everyone to carefully consider the decision to stop any med cold-turkey. I had to once because of an allergic reaction (not Effexor) and it was very painful. Both starting and stopping prescriptions should be carefully planned.
Posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 11:49:45
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 10:14:33
I made the mistake, CF, origianlly, of checking the box adding the name of the previous poster, though the comment was not directed at anyone in particular.
Nothing changed. I just won't address the poster that asked me to not address them, which is fine.
Posted by eeyorena on January 25, 2005, at 12:06:19
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE » eeyorena, posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 0:23:41
I have atypical depression, which is characterized by mood reactivity, sensitivity to rejection, excessive sleeping (versus insomnia), leaden paralysis, increased weight (vs. decrease), and chronic dysphoria (anxiety, depression and unease).
MAOIs have been around for absolutely ever. In the 1950's, little was known about the interaction between MAOI's, blood pressure and dosage. Dosages were too high (which caused liver damage). Patients' diets were not restricted. There is an early case study (from the 50's) of a patient in the UK on an MAOI who died after consuming three kinds of aged cheeses plus alcohol for dinner, then who had more aged cheese for breakfast.
Now, we know a LOT more about MAOI's.
There is a lot of misinformation about MAOI's still floating around out there which makes many doctors hesitant to suggest it to patients. They will try other meds first which require fewer lifestyle changes.
However, for people with atypical depression or treatment resistance who are not responding well to tricyclics, SSRI's, or newer classes of meds...MAOI's can be an excellent choice.
Doctor's will NOT prescribe Parnate (which is one kind of MAOI...the one I'm on) to patients with the following:
-cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disorders
-pheochromocytoma
-anorexia
-Parkinson's disease
-Diabetic patients
-liver disease or abnormal liver tests
-in combination with any of the following drugs...Marplan, Furoxone, Eutonyl, Mardil, Natulane, Elavil, Endep, Etrafon, Triavil, Anafranil, Norpramin, Petrofrane, Janimine, Tofranil, Aventyl, Pamelor, Vivactil, Adapin, Sinequan, Tegretol, Flexeril, Asendin, Surmontil, Wellbutrin, Redux, any SSRI, meperidine, dextromethorphan, Buspar, amphetamines, OTC weight-reducing meds, or OTC cold/hay fever meds.How do MAOI's work?
A doctor will give you a more educated answer. An incomplete but easier to visualize answer might be this: Your body produces a chemical that keeps your blood pressure from getting too high. If you eat certain foods or take certain drugs and your blood pressure rises, your body will try to bring your blood pressure down by releasing this chemical...an MAO...which acts as a kind of "safety valve." Parnate is an MAOInhibitor. It inhibits the production of MAO. That is why it is important, when on this drug, to take care of your blood pressure.
What about this "MAOI Diet" I hear about?
Patients on Parnate follow a special "diet" which elimates foods with high tyramine content. Tyramine occurs in foods which are required or have been allowed to age, but not all foods have to be aged to contain tyramine. Foods to avoid: Aged meats (sausage, salami, etc.), aged cheeses, beer/wine/sherry/liqueurs, yogurt, pickled herring, anchovies, caviar, sauerkraut, pods of broad beans, liver, canned figs, avocados, overripe fruit, sour cream, soy sauce, tofu and high quality chocolate.
There are many "MAOI diet" lists out there which have some misinformation on them. I've found that "faux chocolate" (most commercial American light chocolate) contains lower levels of tyramine. Some diet lists include bananas, when (actually) banana peels and overripe bananas are the culprits. Young cheeses (such as fresh mozzarella) or faux cheese (such as American cheese) have not created problems for me personally, but I am not a doctor or a dietician.
On Parnate, I eat better than I ever have. I eat a lot more fresh or frozen vegetables and meats, as well as less cheese and chocolate. I avoid foods with a lot of additives. I started to because I was nervous, but now I do because I've noticed an improvement in my overall health. Strangely, I don't have the cravings for carbs, caffeine, chocolate or cheese that I used to...which really makes me wonder about how I used to self-medicate with food. When I started Parnate, it was a little worrisome because I lost my appetite completely and dropped a LOT of weight. Eventually, I stabilized but still don't have the weight gain I had on other AD's.
I wear a Med Alert ID bracelet (a pretty one actually) with my other med names on it...I take Parnate, Allegra, Cytomel and Neurontin. This is really a good idea for anyone on meds anyway. I got one when my husband suggested it. He was nervous that he wouldn't remember all of my meds if something happened. With Parnate, it is a good idea because hospitals will want to be very careful about administering anethesia if you are on Parnate. Better that they know.
So, it's a bit more complex than Prozac or Zoloft. But, I've been on it for 2 years and it has worked wonders for me. So...I like it.
Posted by not2late4u on January 25, 2005, at 13:13:43
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 11:15:33
AMEN.
Posted by S. Bartel on January 25, 2005, at 13:54:41
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 11:15:33
Thank You.
Posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 14:21:19
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 11:15:33
"Everyone has been telling people how wonderful the drug is, and it's nice to be able find out that it is a potentially dangerous drug before one takes it, not some time down the line after it's already in one's body."
Since these are my words, I just wanted to add that what I meant to imply was that in many places other than on this website people are being told how wonderful the drug is and that we don't hear much at all about potential problems and that it is nice to be able to locate information or find people that have had different experiences than some of us were originally exposed to.
Though doctors have prescribed drugs to me for one reason or another throughout my lifetime, this is the first time I have ever had any problem when I stopped taking one. No one should for one single moment begin to think that it is normal or acceptable for you to have a problem when you stop taking Effexor. It seems as though it was not until June of 2004 that Wyeth Pharmaceuticals did not let doctors or patients know that they could not stop taking Effexor without in many cases experiencing great physical and emotional distress, and it may well be only thanks to England that we now know as much as we do.
Posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 14:57:56
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE, posted by eeyorena on January 25, 2005, at 12:06:19
> I have atypical depression, which is characterized by mood reactivity, sensitivity to rejection, excessive sleeping (versus insomnia), leaden paralysis, increased weight (vs. decrease), and chronic dysphoria (anxiety, depression and unease).
" mood reactivity - yes, sensitivity to rejection - yes, excessive sleeping - well, I do now, didn't when younger - don't know what leaden paralysis is - weight low since father passed away - had PMDD really bad, so had a TAH-BSO"
>
> MAOIs have been around for absolutely ever. In the 1950's, little was known about the interaction between MAOI's, blood pressure and dosage. Dosages were too high (which caused liver damage). Patients' diets were not restricted. There is an early case study (from the 50's) of a patient in the UK on an MAOI who died after consuming three kinds of aged cheeses plus alcohol for dinner, then who had more aged cheese for breakfast.
>
"I always have quite low blood pressure"> Now, we know a LOT more about MAOI's.
>
> There is a lot of misinformation about MAOI's still floating around out there which makes many doctors hesitant to suggest it to patients. They will try other meds first which require fewer lifestyle changes.
>
> However, for people with atypical depression or treatment resistance who are not responding well to tricyclics, SSRI's, or newer classes of meds...MAOI's can be an excellent choice.
>
> Doctor's will NOT prescribe Parnate (which is one kind of MAOI...the one I'm on) to patients with the following:
>
> -cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disorders
> -pheochromocytoma
> -anorexia
> -Parkinson's disease
> -Diabetic patients
> -liver disease or abnormal liver tests
> -in combination with any of the following drugs...Marplan, Furoxone, Eutonyl, Mardil, Natulane, Elavil, Endep, Etrafon, Triavil, Anafranil, Norpramin, Petrofrane, Janimine, Tofranil, Aventyl, Pamelor, Vivactil, Adapin, Sinequan, Tegretol, Flexeril, Asendin, Surmontil, Wellbutrin, Redux, any SSRI, meperidine, dextromethorphan, Buspar, amphetamines, OTC weight-reducing meds, or OTC cold/hay fever meds.
>
"Don't take any of the above"> How do MAOI's work?
>
> A doctor will give you a more educated answer. An incomplete but easier to visualize answer might be this: Your body produces a chemical that keeps your blood pressure from getting too high. If you eat certain foods or take certain drugs and your blood pressure rises, your body will try to bring your blood pressure down by releasing this chemical...an MAO...which acts as a kind of "safety valve." Parnate is an MAOInhibitor. It inhibits the production of MAO. That is why it is important, when on this drug, to take care of your blood pressure.
>
> What about this "MAOI Diet" I hear about?
>
> Patients on Parnate follow a special "diet" which elimates foods with high tyramine content. Tyramine occurs in foods which are required or have been allowed to age, but not all foods have to be aged to contain tyramine. Foods to avoid: Aged meats (sausage, salami, etc.), aged cheeses, beer/wine/sherry/liqueurs, yogurt, pickled herring, anchovies, caviar, sauerkraut, pods of broad beans, liver, canned figs, avocados, overripe fruit, sour cream, soy sauce, tofu and high quality chocolate.
>
> There are many "MAOI diet" lists out there which have some misinformation on them. I've found that "faux chocolate" (most commercial American light chocolate) contains lower levels of tyramine. Some diet lists include bananas, when (actually) banana peels and overripe bananas are the culprits. Young cheeses (such as fresh mozzarella) or faux cheese (such as American cheese) have not created problems for me personally, but I am not a doctor or a dietician.
>
> On Parnate, I eat better than I ever have. I eat a lot more fresh or frozen vegetables and meats, as well as less cheese and chocolate. I avoid foods with a lot of additives. I started to because I was nervous, but now I do because I've noticed an improvement in my overall health. Strangely, I don't have the cravings for carbs, caffeine, chocolate or cheese that I used to...which really makes me wonder about how I used to self-medicate with food. When I started Parnate, it was a little worrisome because I lost my appetite completely and dropped a LOT of weight. Eventually, I stabilized but still don't have the weight gain I had on other AD's.
>
"I'm really happy for you!> I wear a Med Alert ID bracelet (a pretty one actually) with my other med names on it...I take Parnate, Allegra, Cytomel and Neurontin. This is really a good idea for anyone on meds anyway. I got one when my husband suggested it. He was nervous that he wouldn't remember all of my meds if something happened. With Parnate, it is a good idea because hospitals will want to be very careful about administering anethesia if you are on Parnate. Better that they know.
>
> So, it's a bit more complex than Prozac or Zoloft. But, I've been on it for 2 years and it has worked wonders for me. So...I like it."Glad for you, certainly, but w/ low blood pressure, do you think I was never suggested this because of my weight (5'4" 106lbs now ? .. always a steady 112lbs before dad passed away; in a week will be a year"
"I have quick reactions to certain food. Once I ate some fresh cooked spinach and felt 'happy', and another time some low-fat yogurt and it did the same thing."
"Thank you. I'll save your post! cf"
Posted by jubilee on January 25, 2005, at 17:23:42
In reply to Re: not posting to someone » dancingstar, posted by Dr. Bob on January 25, 2005, at 8:11:11
This is a very important question for me to ask as I am going through different changes for other reasons , but are you having at least one anger attack once a day or so anybody ????? I am thinking its the effexor as I don't remember dealing with such anger until I started going down and off effexor . (only off two weeks) Please let me know if you Identify. I know people cry easily I've heard before. Please respond so I know what I am dealing with.Later and thanks ,Jubilee
Posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 17:55:43
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 14:21:19
I went and did some Google-ing and Yahoo-ing to see what I could find -- good or bad -- about Effexor, and aside from about a b-zillion sites that are hawking drugs online, I found a pretty wide mix of glowing testimonials, horror stories, and everything in between. The EffexorXR.com web site itself has an "Important Safety Information" statement at the bottom of the pages I clicked on. It says *IN PART* that common side effects include "anorexia, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, sexual side effects, sleepiness, sweating, and weakness." It warns that when you suddenly stop takng or lower your daily dose that discontinuation symptoms may occur. It says to talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of Effexor XR.
At Askapatient.com 423 respondents rated Effexor XR:
96 (23%) were Very Satisfied with it
117 (28%) were Satisfied
102 (24%) were Somewhat Satisfied
39 (9%) were Not Satisfied
70 (16%) were DissatisfiedThe overwhelming majority had taken it for depression and/or anxiety. I'm not sure what time period the survey covers, but the main page is copyrighted 2004. The link is at http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20699&name=EFFEXOR%20XR
Once again, it is my opinion that Effexor may be a bad drug for some people, and that it is also a good drug for others, just like all drugs discussed on this board. It certainly has a slew of potential side effects -- like other drugs discussed here -- and a potential for nasty discontinuation or "withdrawal" effects -- also like other drugs discussed here.
Has Wyeth known from the start what may be "bad" about the drug, or disclosed everything it knows about what may be bad? I don't know. But I do think it has been and continues to be good for many, many people.
Posted by S. Bartel on January 25, 2005, at 18:34:42
In reply to Anybody else have rage or anger attacks????, posted by jubilee on January 25, 2005, at 17:23:42
Yes Jubilee, I had what I guess you could call Anger attacks when I stopped effexor xr. I would get upset over the smallest things. I was ok if I was by myself, but if anyone was around I always found something to be angry about. It's a lot better now and I have been off effexor about 3 months. I still have anxiety attacks that I never had before taking effexor and still get irritated easier than I used to. I have thought all along that it was caused from the effexor, but hope it all goes away soon. I just explained to those around me what was happening to me and asked them to please be patient.
Sammi
Posted by FaithT on January 25, 2005, at 18:44:41
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 17:55:43
Minnie~
I just wanted to say that your post was great! I agree with everything that you said. Thank you.
Faith~
Posted by dancingstar on January 25, 2005, at 20:54:15
In reply to Re: Has anyone had success on Effexor, posted by Minnie-Haha on January 25, 2005, at 17:55:43
Thank you, Minnie-Haha, for posting the link. It's a great one.
> I went and did some Google-ing and Yahoo-ing to see what I could find -- good or bad -- about Effexor, and aside from about a b-zillion sites that are hawking drugs online, I found a pretty wide mix of glowing testimonials, horror stories, and everything in between. The EffexorXR.com web site itself has an "Important Safety Information" statement at the bottom of the pages I clicked on. It says *IN PART* that common side effects include "anorexia, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, sexual side effects, sleepiness, sweating, and weakness." It warns that when you suddenly stop takng or lower your daily dose that discontinuation symptoms may occur. It says to talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of Effexor XR.
>
> At Askapatient.com 423 respondents rated Effexor XR:
> 96 (23%) were Very Satisfied with it
> 117 (28%) were Satisfied
> 102 (24%) were Somewhat Satisfied
> 39 (9%) were Not Satisfied
> 70 (16%) were Dissatisfied
>
> The overwhelming majority had taken it for depression and/or anxiety. I'm not sure what time period the survey covers, but the main page is copyrighted 2004. The link is at http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20699&name=EFFEXOR%20XR
>
> Once again, it is my opinion that Effexor may be a bad drug for some people, and that it is also a good drug for others, just like all drugs discussed on this board. It certainly has a slew of potential side effects -- like other drugs discussed here -- and a potential for nasty discontinuation or "withdrawal" effects -- also like other drugs discussed here.
>
> Has Wyeth known from the start what may be "bad" about the drug, or disclosed everything it knows about what may be bad? I don't know. But I do think it has been and continues to be good for many, many people.
>
Posted by eeyorena on January 25, 2005, at 21:43:25
In reply to RE: NEW THREAD - POSITIVE EFFEXOR EXPERIENCE » eeyorena, posted by corafree on January 25, 2005, at 14:57:56
Well, if you've lost weight lately (and grief will do it), your doctor might hesitate to put you on Parnate. It definitely squashes your appetite. I had to remind myself to eat...often. Having structured meal times in the day helped.
But it also might be that he doesn't have a lot of experience with MAOI's. When SSRI's became available, MAOI's were left by the wayside for a bit. Now they are making a comeback because they act so differently on atypical depression than many other things available. When I moved and switched pharmacies, they had to order it 'specially for the first few months because they weren't used to stocking it.
Doesn't hurt to ask about it. It's not for everyone and I would pursue other SSRI's and possibly tricyclics first.
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