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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Sara T. on April 14, 2000, at 21:33:59
Has any had blood pressure problems with Effexor XR? I have been taking 75 mg for a couple of weeks
and also 30 mgs of ritalin/day and my last appointment with my psychiatrist my blood pressure was up
in the 90's, too high. I think it's definitely the ritalin and I'm really disappointed because this
combination seems so good for me. I suffer from depression,
anxiety and I recently discovered ADD. So this combo made me feel really alert and like my thoughts
were really processing better than ever.Anybody else with this experiience?
Posted by saint james on April 15, 2000, at 11:55:34
In reply to Effexor XR and stimulants and BP, posted by Sara T. on April 14, 2000, at 21:33:59
> Has any had blood pressure problems with Effexor XR? I have been taking 75 mg for a couple of weeks
> and also 30 mgs of ritalin/day and my last appointment with my psychiatrist my blood pressure was up
> in the 90's, too high. I think it's definitely the ritalin and I'm really disappointed because this
> combination seems so good for me. I suffer from depression,
> anxiety and I recently discovered ADD. So this combo made me feel really alert and like my thoughts
> were really processing better than ever.
>
> Anybody else with this experiience?
James here...The manufactures info on Effexor states that it can raise BP.
james
Posted by Rick on April 16, 2000, at 1:39:35
In reply to Effexor XR and stimulants and BP, posted by Sara T. on April 14, 2000, at 21:33:59
A few points:
1) As you've likely seen, he Ritalin monograph states that Ritalin can change blood pressure in some people, either up or down. If the Ritalin IS causing a change, this effect might go away after awhile, and if not lowering the dosage could help.
2) I'll bet you're right that it's not the Effexor. The Effexor XR monograph states that BP increases are rare at doses under 200 mg...which is not to say it never happens, but from everything I've read it's usually a good 3-4 weeks before any sign of increase appears.
3) I assume the "90's" refers to your diastolic ("bottom") BP number. While it's certainly better to be at 80 or lower, 90 is only borderline high. Higher in the 90's would be more of a concern, especially over 95. But how often have you been measured? Blood pressure varies from day-to-day and even moment-to-moment. Even someone who is 120/80 most mornings could easily be 130/90 -- or even higher -- on some mornings. And, while it is important to keep tabs on BP, worrying about it while your BP is being read could cause a temporary rise!Just my thoughts...
Rick
-----
> Has any had blood pressure problems with Effexor XR? I have been taking 75 mg for a couple of weeks
> and also 30 mgs of ritalin/day and my last appointment with my psychiatrist my blood pressure was up
> in the 90's, too high. I think it's definitely the ritalin and I'm really disappointed because this
> combination seems so good for me. I suffer from depression,
> anxiety and I recently discovered ADD. So this combo made me feel really alert and like my thoughts
> were really processing better than ever.
>
> Anybody else with this experiience?
Posted by medlib on April 16, 2000, at 4:16:03
In reply to Re: Effexor XR and stimulants and BP, posted by Rick on April 16, 2000, at 1:39:35
> A few points:
>
> 1) As you've likely seen, he Ritalin monograph states that Ritalin can change blood pressure in some people, either up or down. If the Ritalin IS causing a change, this effect might go away after awhile, and if not lowering the dosage could help.
> 2) I'll bet you're right that it's not the Effexor. The Effexor XR monograph states that BP increases are rare at doses under 200 mg...which is not to say it never happens, but from everything I've read it's usually a good 3-4 weeks before any sign of increase appears.
> 3) I assume the "90's" refers to your diastolic ("bottom") BP number. While it's certainly better to be at 80 or lower, 90 is only borderline high. Higher in the 90's would be more of a concern, especially over 95. But how often have you been measured? Blood pressure varies from day-to-day and even moment-to-moment. Even someone who is 120/80 most mornings could easily be 130/90 -- or even higher -- on some mornings. And, while it is important to keep tabs on BP, worrying about it while your BP is being read could cause a temporary rise!
>
> Just my thoughts...
>
> Rick
************************************Sara--Rick is right. Only diastolic (resting) pressures of 95 or higher are of concern--and then, only if 3 measurements show similar or higher numbers.
Some people on Effexor *do* get an immediate modest rise in BP, even on low doses. Even some of these find that their BP normalizes after about 1 month on the drug.
You may be able to lower your dose of Ritalin (the most likely culprit in your BP elevation) as you increase the dose of Effexor, if you do.
If successive readings continue to show BP is too high, a low dose of sustained-release BP-lowering med should solve the problem. If you read the messages on this board, you will find that it is *much* harder to find a psych med combo that works than to deal with a modest elevation in BP. Think hard before giving up something that works for you!
Best wishes--medlib
> -----
> > Has any had blood pressure problems with Effexor XR? I have been taking 75 mg for a couple of weeks
> > and also 30 mgs of ritalin/day and my last appointment with my psychiatrist my blood pressure was up
> > in the 90's, too high. I think it's definitely the ritalin and I'm really disappointed because this
> > combination seems so good for me. I suffer from depression,
> > anxiety and I recently discovered ADD. So this combo made me feel really alert and like my thoughts
> > were really processing better than ever.
> >
> > Anybody else with this experiience?
Posted by Joel on April 19, 2000, at 13:51:07
In reply to Effexor XR and stimulants and BP, posted by Sara T. on April 14, 2000, at 21:33:59
Five years ago I started taking Effexor 150/mg/day. At the time I was still using meth-amphetamine and had a couple of very serious episodes of elavated BP to the point I thought I was going to have a stroke. I believe it was an interaction between amphetimine and Effexor. This was street meth. at very high doses though.
I've been clean since then and took Effexor for three years with a moderate increase in BP.
I would get a BP arm band thing and monitor it yourself closely.
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