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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by barry79 on December 22, 2006, at 18:05:19
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by MaggieinATL on December 19, 2006, at 17:33:53
hi there........i have just been prescribed effexor xr by my doctor due to having feelings of dissasociation. i have no past history of anxiety or depression. i have had increased anxiety and insomnia from effexor but i have only been taking it for 2 days now at 75mg a day. im not to sure if this is the drug for me but my doctor seems to think so. the dissacotiation has been going on for about 7 months now sometimes worse and sometimes better. any ideas??? thanks
Posted by bjoj on January 15, 2007, at 12:34:55
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
Just started on the 37.5 mg of this medication, to be stepping up pretty rapidly I think. However, just like with the Celexa I was on last year, when I first started I had some sexual side effects, specifically that I could not achieve orgasm.
However, with this med, although it took a loooong time getting there and a bunch of concentration, I was able to get there...and it was mindblowingly good. Anyone else get this?
Posted by Hagbard on January 17, 2007, at 17:39:33
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by barry79 on December 22, 2006, at 18:05:19
Hi. I take 225mg/day. The general sleep disturbances have typically discontinued after a couple of weeks at the same dosage, though one persists for me. I awaken 3 to 4 hours after falling asleep and feel alert and rested for about an hour before becoming quite tired again. If i go back to sleep, it takes significantly longer to become alert once I awaken.
More disturbing for me were the 3-4 weeks of lucid dreaming I experienced for the first hour or so after getting up. These experiences also lessened in frequency, duration and intensity after I had reached my optimal dosage, though it took nearly 2 months.
I would also suggest to anyone here that they peruse "The Chemistry of Joy" and explore the nutritional and spiritual paths to coping with depression.
Good Luck
> hi there........i have just been prescribed effexor xr by my doctor due to having feelings of dissasociation. i have no past history of anxiety or depression. i have had increased anxiety and insomnia from effexor but i have only been taking it for 2 days now at 75mg a day. im not to sure if this is the drug for me but my doctor seems to think so. the dissacotiation has been going on for about 7 months now sometimes worse and sometimes better. any ideas??? thanks
Posted by KristiVegas on January 17, 2007, at 22:44:08
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? » barry79, posted by Hagbard on January 17, 2007, at 17:39:33
You just described the same symptoms I continue to experience & I've been on Effexor since July 2006. I'm on 300 mg now and have been for a month working up from 37.5. The additional item for me is the tremors and jerking I experience when I'm falling asleep. I actually fell asleep at a conference last week and upon waking up starting jerking and twitching as well as talking in my sleep. Thankfully there were only 6 other people in the room and I was sitting at the end of the table. But it's things like that that make we wonder whether it's worth all the additional issues.
KristiVegas
Posted by Dr. Bob on January 18, 2007, at 19:44:29
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? » barry79, posted by Hagbard on January 17, 2007, at 17:39:33
> I would also suggest to anyone here that they peruse "The Chemistry of Joy" and explore the nutritional and spiritual paths to coping with depression.
Welcome! And sorry to make things complicated, but I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding nutritional and spiritual paths to Psycho-Babble Alternative and Psycho-Babble Faith. Here's a link to the former:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20070114/msgs/723786.html
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by markymark on February 17, 2007, at 19:44:24
In reply to Re: Quitting Effexor, posted by Cam W. on April 24, 2000, at 7:31:48
hey...i was on effexor xr 75mg for 5 years. In the past 4 months I felt like it wasnt working. I got down to 37.5mg and surprisingly felt no side effects. Now I am trying to come off of it. I skipped one dose the other night and the next day I was exhausted and really felt "out of it". Obviously it's going to be difficult but a friend suggested to buy some empty capsules at the health food store and put granules from the 37.5 in those, that way I can cut down real slowly. Anyone have experience with this method? Knowing that it will all pass is very comforting. YOGA really helps!
Posted by vanni on February 19, 2007, at 20:55:54
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
My pharmacist gave me the new generic version of Effexor XR and told me that it is for sure 100% exactly the same thing. The cost is significantly less. Have you found it to be the same?
Vanni
Posted by dsm3r on February 19, 2007, at 21:29:34
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by vanni on February 19, 2007, at 20:55:54
> My pharmacist gave me the new generic version of Effexor XR and told me that it is for sure 100% exactly the same thing. The cost is significantly less. Have you found it to be the same?
>
> Vanni
Hi Vanni -Could you keep us posted on how you are doing using the generic version of Effexor? If it's cheaper and works just as well as the brand name, I'd like to talk to my psychiatrist about it. Could you also post the generic name as well?
Thanks much and blessed journeys
dsm3r
Posted by vanni on February 20, 2007, at 9:22:43
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by dsm3r on February 19, 2007, at 21:29:34
> > My pharmacist gave me the new generic version of Effexor XR and told me that it is for sure 100% exactly the same thing. The cost is significantly less. Have you found it to be the same?
> >
> > Vanni
>
>
> Hi Vanni -
>
> Could you keep us posted on how you are doing using the generic version of Effexor? If it's cheaper and works just as well as the brand name, I'd like to talk to my psychiatrist about it. Could you also post the generic name as well?
>
> Thanks much and blessed journeys
> dsm3r
>
Thanks for responding dsm3r.
The name on the bottle is venlafaxine and the capsules are the same except they have an N on them instead of the Effexor name . I take 75 mg in the morning. I have been on them only for a week so I will update as time passes (have been taking the Effexor XR for about 11 months).Vanni
Posted by KristiVegas on February 20, 2007, at 22:09:38
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by vanni on February 20, 2007, at 9:22:43
Please keep us posted-it's about time we got some relief on these brand-only meds.
THX,
Kristi
Posted by Jouezmoi on February 22, 2007, at 16:55:51
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
All .... I have great news. A solution that has worked and I am finally Effexor free.
After suffering for 3 months trying to get off of this drug, I finally got my doc to do something. He did some thinking and some research and came up with the simplest thing that worked immediately. Understand, I was down to 37.5mg a day and could not get below that without the debilitating withdrawal effects that you all have described, and had only been on 75mg a day for about 7 months.
The solution? Tranxene. This drug is also used for severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and for some reason it worked perfectly for me.
I started with Tranxene T, 10mg twice daily. By the 3rd day, the symptoms were gone ... gone ... no brain shocks, no brain shivers, no nausea, no nightmares .. back to normal. The regimen is 10mg twice daily for 1 week, then once daily for the 2nd week and thats it.
I am finally free, and tranxene is a cheap drug. I think my doc needs an award for this one, because nowhere in all my research have I seen this as an option.
You gotta try this.
Posted by dsm3r on February 23, 2007, at 17:04:34
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by vanni on February 20, 2007, at 9:22:43
> > > My pharmacist gave me the new generic version of Effexor XR and told me that it is for sure 100% exactly the same thing. The cost is significantly less. Have you found it to be the same?
> > >
> > > Vanni
> >
> >
> > Hi Vanni -
> >
> > Could you keep us posted on how you are doing using the generic version of Effexor? If it's cheaper and works just as well as the brand name, I'd like to talk to my psychiatrist about it. Could you also post the generic name as well?
> >
> > Thanks much and blessed journeys
> > dsm3r
> >
> Thanks for responding dsm3r.
> The name on the bottle is venlafaxine and the capsules are the same except they have an N on them instead of the Effexor name . I take 75 mg in the morning. I have been on them only for a week so I will update as time passes (have been taking the Effexor XR for about 11 months).
>
> VanniHi Vanni -
Thanks for the info. I will check with my doc about these. Again, please keep us posted on your progress. I, for one, am interested if it works better than the name brand.
Blessed journeys,
dsm3r
Posted by Fivefires on February 23, 2007, at 19:39:14
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by KristiVegas on February 20, 2007, at 22:09:38
Yes, and, I think the little house-shaped tablets of Effexor were better 4 me than the E-XR.
5f
Posted by vanni on February 24, 2007, at 10:29:55
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal Solution, posted by Jouezmoi on February 22, 2007, at 16:55:51
>Thanks for sharing your experience with Tranxene. I will keep this in mind to tell my doctor when I come off the Effexor. It is a relief to have a plan. Other people have shared their solutions too and the more we have the better!!
Posted by bear38 on February 25, 2007, at 17:33:54
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR?, posted by KristiVegas on February 20, 2007, at 22:09:38
I was told by the doctor that the patten ran out on exffexor,,,so other companys can make it now,,,no difference
Posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 9:54:44
In reply to Re: Anyone tried the generic Effexor XR? » KristiVegas, posted by bear38 on February 25, 2007, at 17:33:54
Hi all,
My brain chemistry problems don't seem to be related to serotonin. We have tried almost every SSRI without success or very weird results to my thinking process. I have tried other meds as well, but am really in need of something with an AD effect. (Jeepers, even a stimulant would be acceptable to me now....as long as it didn't increase my anxiety and insomnia).
I had tremendous success on Remeron at a HIGH dose. I called it my "anti-suicide" drug. It worked wonders. I was on it for two years, but after gaining about 70 pounds and reaching an all-time high of 200 pounds (WOOZY!!!!!!), I just had to quit the medication. I'm happy to say that I'm back down to 130 pounds now (phew!). I am still on clonazepam (3 mg per day) and Lopressor SR (100 mg twice per day) for anxiety. But I need something to help with the depression and suicidal ideation.
I tried Effexor XR (starting at 75 mg daily), and I had high hopes because it's basically in the same class as Remeron. But, of course, the first neurotransmittor it starts impacting is serotonin....and I was going weird in the head again, not to mention having intolerable insomnia that even the clonazepam wasn't helping. I just couldn't handle being "psycho", so I had to quit it after a short time.
I would like to know at what dosage do we get away from the major impact being on serotonin and instead being upon norepinephrine?? As I said, it was a HIGH dose of Remeron that worked so incredibly well for me. I need to stay as far away from serotonin impact as I can. Do you know if Effexor XR at 150 mg or 225 mg is at the dosage I'm trying to locate?
Thanks so much.
Sandy
Posted by Hagbard on March 3, 2007, at 19:16:44
In reply to XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 9:54:44
Hi -
For me, 225mg/day is best during most of the year and though sleep disturbances really suck initially, they seem to lessen after 4-8 weeks. Of course, that's 4-8 weeks after building up to that dosage with sleep disturbances throughout. I moderated those best with plenty of walking (my dog loved it) phasing out caffeine and alcohol and as much exposure to the sun as I could get. My body mass is twice yours so 150mg may be about right.Suicide ideation is an ongoing struggle for me, even when I'm at my ideal dosage - so I began looking for other coping methods and if medication alone doesn't seem to help you, I encourage the same. Talk to your therapist about Cognitive Behavior therapy and meditation. If you want to know more and would like details about therapists who have studied (and are continuing to study) that approach, please respond. I'll repost the info in a different thread and attempt to link to it from here.
Best of luck,
Hagbard
Posted by Phillipa on March 3, 2007, at 19:20:22
In reply to XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 9:54:44
Sandy have you inquired about cymbalta same classification as effexor but I think not sure that the norepenephrine may be more dominant? Love Phillipa
Posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 23:19:58
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact? » SandyWeb, posted by Phillipa on March 3, 2007, at 19:20:22
> Sandy, have you inquired about cymbalta same classification as effexor but I think not sure that the norepenephrine may be more dominant?<
------------------Sorry to say that Cymbalta is not available in Canada. It takes awhile after meds are approved in the US for them to become approved in Canada....we have to do our own testing, which could take a few more years. *sigh*
Thanks for the advice. All the best to you, hon.
Sandy
Posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 23:40:11
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact? » SandyWeb, posted by Hagbard on March 3, 2007, at 19:16:44
> For me, 225mg/day is best during most of the year<
---------------------Well, jeepers, I almost felt like crying when I read your message. I had only been on Effexor XR 75 mg for a little over a week, and I just *couldn't* continue.....even though I knew it was basically my last option. But the serotonin impact was just TOO much for me. I need to get past that point and start targeting the other neurotransmittors. Not only was my insomnia way over the top, but I was focusing on events that had happened in the past (playing them over and over in my mind, day and night, like I'm reliving each step....such as a airline crash that I assisted in the morgue with and the times I slit my wrist), I start imagining fake incidents (like a plane crashing in the ballfield by my apartment or a car wreck down the road from me....things that haven't happened, but walking through them step by step....and NOT being able to STOP), my startle reflex is back with a vengence, I tense when I hear someone walking down the outside hallway (couldn't tell you why), my tummy is scared.......and all this even when I'm still taking anti-anxiety and beta blockers. DANG! So I stopped taking the 75 mg, and my brain said, "Thank you!!".
But now.....I really know that I can't just leave it at that. I can feel the depression wanting to make an entrance again, and I've got to DO something. And you mentioned 225 mg. Oh, I just want to cry. And that is actually one of the doses that the doctor told me that he thought I would have a response at. *sigh*
So.....I took 75 mg again tonight. I'm going to take another 75 mg tomorrow morning. The following day, I'm going to take a whole 150 mg at one dose. I know that is ramping up fast, but I'll dump the whole darn bottle of clonazepam down my throat if it will keep me calm during this (just an exaggeration, but you know what I mean). I'll wait at least 4 days on the 150 mg to see if my brain starts being busy and talking and thinking....and if it still is reacting like serotonin, I'll up it to 225 mg. From there, I'll just hold on until I either throw the pills away or go see the doctor.
As for therapy, I'm waiting to hear from a counsellor who would come to my own home to conduct therapy. I have social anxiety and agoraphobia, so it's rather difficult for me to get out to any appointments. The pdoc at the hospital said that he would get this set up for me if he could......so I'm waiting. But right now I've just got to grind my teeth, hope the insomnia doesn't put my anxiety through the roof, and hang on for good results.
Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.
God bless,
Sandy
Posted by exquilter on March 3, 2007, at 23:52:49
In reply to XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by SandyWeb on March 3, 2007, at 9:54:44
Sandy,
I have had good luck with atypical antipsychotics at very low doses for rumination and suicidal ideation. Might be worth discussing with your doc.
Exquilter
Posted by Hagbard on March 4, 2007, at 2:36:43
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by exquilter on March 3, 2007, at 23:52:49
Sandy,
I'm very concerned about you ramping up that quickly. I always increased to 150mg/day in 37.5mg increments (a week of each) before jumping a whole 75 mg to 225mg.
Are you, by chance, bipolar II? If you are, the insomnia you're describing may actually be the effexor pushing you into a manic phase. that can be moderated with antipsychotics and/or some anti-convulsants (like Neurontin). Please hold on and wait to dig into effexor until you talk to your doctor in person.
Also, read the following links: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62706
lower left below where it says "Find out now" in pink.
http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/103362.htm?z=7777_00000_4045_hm_04this one is about Omega-3 fatty acids (like in fish and flax)
http://epic4health.stores.yahoo.net/depbipdisand.htmlAnd since your tone worries me, I'm going to step outside the thread topic for a moment and suggest you read this next bit. Its about mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavior therapy and how, with practice and commitment, a person can change the way their brain is working. I'm not suggesting it can replace medication for everyone, but some people have moved away from psychopharmacology to treat their depression. Anyway, please read it and give it consideration. If you're not open to buddhism, I'll be willing to help you find another philosophical paradigm within which you would feel comfortable.
http://www.dalailama.com/news.112.htmHang in there,
Hagbard
> Sandy,
>
> I have had good luck with atypical antipsychotics at very low doses for rumination and suicidal ideation. Might be worth discussing with your doc.
>
> Exquilter
>
Posted by SandyWeb on March 4, 2007, at 20:48:47
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by exquilter on March 3, 2007, at 23:52:49
> I have had good luck with atypical antipsychotics at very low doses for rumination and suicidal ideation.<
----------------Thanks for responding. Actually, the only time I have problems with rumination is when chemicals are messing with my serotonin levels. Lol. Normally, my brain is pretty normal in its thinking process. But once I start interfering with the serotonin, all sorts of my thoughts can go really strange.....including hearing a man talking in my head (and I'm a woman!). It wasn't until after 2 years of trying almost all the SSRIs, and then experimenting with other meds, that I figured out that it was best to leave my serotonin just the way it is! Lol. So I'm very happy to say that I don't have a rumination problem unless it's chemically induced. (That being said, I *do* also have PTSD and there are times when I think about events for a little while....but certainly not obsessively).
As for the suicidal ideation, I'm not really sure how that came to be part of my make-up. I had a breakdown about 2.5 years ago from a lot of different stressors that seemed to all be happening around the same time, and I slit my wrist open. Since that time, I've found that suicide is a much easier option for me. I think maybe because I've already gone through MOST of it, and it is something that I've found that I can do. But it's not an easy decision and your soul really fights you for all it's worth, but.....it just seems easier now. And when the stress becomes overwhelming to me now, I tend to become despondant. Thus the need for an AD.
I've tried two different antipsychotics. One was Seroquel, but I honestly found that it didn't do a thing for me at 100 mg per night (it didn't help me sleep one bit). I raised it to around 300-400 mg one time, slowly, to see if it could help me....but it made me feel scared, almost. I can't remember exactly, but I was so glad to get that level out of my system. Antipsychotics impact dopamine, don't they? I think my problem is norepinephrine. I've also tried Nozanon (an old antipsychotic), but it wasn't great and certainly wasn't worth getting EPS from.
Thanks for all your help.
God bless,
Sandy
Posted by SandyWeb on March 4, 2007, at 21:12:11
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact?, posted by Hagbard on March 4, 2007, at 2:36:43
> I'm very concerned about you ramping up that quickly. I always increased to 150mg/day in 37.5mg increments (a week of each) before jumping a whole 75 mg to 225mg.<
------------------Oops, I mustn't have explained myself very well. I'm great at that! I always say that I'll be describing an apple to someone, and they will think I was talking about an orange!! LOL.
I'm not going to jump from 75 mg straight to 225 mg. Gosh, I'd probably end up in a padded room, for sure! Lol. My starting dose was 75 mg XR (I was never given anything lower), and it only takes 3 days to reach steady state. So, TECHNICALLY, I could increase by another 75 mg every 4th day. I know that's not the easiest thing due to trying to keep the side effects to a minimum, BUT.....I need to get past the serotonin impact that causes my brain to go completely bonkers on me. Once the norepinephrine is the neurotransmittor that is being affected more so than the others, THEN I should be safe from going kookoo. *smile*
I took 75 mg last night and then I took another 75 mg this morning. So far, so good. I feel fine. No side effects whatsoever, and my brain still feels like me. I haven't decided if I'm going to take another 75 mg tonight or not, but tomorrow morning I'm going to take the 150 mg in one dose. I'll do that for another 2 days.....see how my mind and body are reacting....and then add another 75 mg to make it to 225 mg. I'll stay at that dose if it works. I'm not expecting miracles, but I do have some hope in this med since it is so much like my wonder drug, Remeron.
As for being Biplar II, I've never been told that. But I've had insomnia for years....long before my introduction to psych meds 4 years ago....and it's just a part of my life (that I hate, let me add! Lol). I don't think the Effexor is making me manic at all. I think it's just a side effect that will PLEASE subside with time. I generally only get about 2 hours of straight sleep per night, and I just can't afford to lose out on any more. The more tired I get, the higher my anxiety goes. Ugh. Oh, and yes, I've tried Neurontin for over a year. I never found it to make me sleepy (I know, I'm just weird. Meds don't like me!). At the very beginning, I found it to relieve my anxiety VERY SLIGHTLY....but that stopped working ages and ages ago. I was taking 3200 mg per day (high dose, BUT you would need a whole factory of these pills in order to OD on them!!!!). It was just such an extremely mild med for me. But I really appreciate the suggestions.
And please don't worry about my tone. I'm not suicidal or feeling hopeless. I'm just trying so hard to find something that will HELP, not neccessarily CURE. All I ever did was research medications when I first began this whole process 4 years ago, and it is exhausting! It has been nice to be free from that researching for the past 2 years. But now it looks like I have to go back to it again. And I'm still waiting to hear from a therapist that will visit me in my home. I think that CBT would be absolutely terrifying, but I sure would give it a shot!
Thanks for all the links. I'll look into them and let you know what I think. Thanks again for all your time.
God bless,
Sandy
Posted by SandyWeb on March 6, 2007, at 10:25:30
In reply to Re: XR: What Dosage Passes Serotonin Impact? » Hagbard, posted by SandyWeb on March 4, 2007, at 21:12:11
I just wanted to mention that this is my 3rd day of being on 150 mg XR, bypassing the 75 mg/daily that I was supposed to begin with....and had such a HORRIBLE time with the first time around. I have to say that I am doing sooooooooo much better on this dose. I don't even have any side effects. I'll stay on this dose for a few days more, and then move on to the 225 mg. I want to move as far away from the serotonin impact as I can get. I still have great hopes that Effexor XR will work as well as the Remeron did. WooHoo!! I just need to find the stable dose for me, and I'm on my way!
Thanks for your suppport!!
God bless,
Sandy
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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