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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by wiley on September 10, 2000, at 12:57:04
In reply to Electric sensations on the top of the head, posted by Lindsey on September 9, 2000, at 19:23:38
> The electric sensations do go away. I have been off Effexor for almost 2 weeks now, and I feel much better. The withdrawal effects were bad, but they did go away for me in 1 1/2 weeks. I am now on Zoloft, and doing much better. Like so many have said, it is hit and miss with these drugs, as different people will get different reactions. It does help to hear other's descriptions of these effects, as they are common to alot of people. Feeling much better now! Brenda
Posted by Martha Price on September 10, 2000, at 14:40:24
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by Noa on October 24, 1999, at 18:36:00
> I take effexor xr. Currently on 75 mg a day, which I understand is not a large dosage
but the side affects for me have been numerable. From. One uncommon one I have is the sound of a radio playing in the distance
(with it getting louder when I am near electrical appliance).I get very dizzy, especially at night when I lay down. Can't get up and
walk at night time without holding onto the wall or whatever. Have fallen down and had to
hold the floor to steady myself. My skin burns all night long, like I have been
put in a bath of hot water. I am jumpy all night long and my feet occasionally
kick out and wake me up (when I do sleep). Have a tingling feeling in the left
side of my body during the night and during the day it is the lower part of both legs.Talk about feeling weird or like you are going to die!!
But the good news is that Effexxor works for me like no previous medications
for dehibilitating depression and I have been on quite a few different
things through the years of trial and error.Have been given several things to work at night time to calm me down, but so far
haven't found anything that works. Don't want to go back to the depression,
but also don't want to feel like I may be dieing. I live alone, so
when these happen during the night it is extremely terrifying!Thought I was going crazy until I read your write - ups from all the different people
who had similar problems.martha
Posted by Kara on September 11, 2000, at 8:41:42
In reply to Electric sensations on the top of the head, posted by Lindsey on September 9, 2000, at 19:23:38
> Both my parents died in 1998 and I went on Prozac, only to gain weight. After a year, I switched to Effexor, which seemed to be effective for a while. Now, after one year on Effexor, I feel the electric sensations in my head and I am sweating like crazy! I didn't know how to describe the head sensations before until I read postings here. I always described it as a feeling of falling a few inches. I want to get off and am worried about the dreaded tapering off, etc. Do the electric sensations go away after you stop?
**I have been on Effexor XR for about 4 weeks now, and I have been feeling an electric sensation in the back of my head towards the top since the beginning. It's like a tingling sensation, its strange but it doesnt really bother me.
Posted by tdb on September 11, 2000, at 11:04:29
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
Hi,I've been on Effexor XR for about 2 months; I started at 37mg for 2 weeks & have been at 75mg since. I felt like my side affects were minimal compared to what I was feeling like before. I was really starting to feel good, (more like myself than I had in a year or more) & then all of the sudden the bottom fell out & I feel like I'm almost back at square one. Any ideas?
Posted by Lindsey on September 11, 2000, at 17:26:58
In reply to Re: Electric sensations on the top of the head, posted by wiley on September 10, 2000, at 12:57:04
I'm glad you are feeling better. Did you use Prozac as part of your weaning off? What about the chamomile tea and other things I have been reading about? Did you use any of those to help you? Lindsey
Posted by wiley on September 12, 2000, at 9:12:47
In reply to Re: Electric sensations on top of the head-wiley, posted by Lindsey on September 11, 2000, at 17:26:58
I used Zoloft, and will continue on that. I did not try tea or other methods other than the Zoloft. It took about 1 1/2 weeks, and it seemed so bad at the time, but now the symptoms are all gone. Doesn't seem so bad now, but while in the thick of it it was awful, even went to the ER thinking I was about to pass out. But for me, it did go away! :) Brenda
Posted by RL on September 12, 2000, at 21:46:14
In reply to Was on Effexor now on Celexa, posted by SmilyAngl on September 9, 2000, at 22:58:55
> I was put on Effexor XR after taking Paxil for 6 months... Now I was taken off of Effexor and put on Celexa. The reason for going off of Effexor was because my face broke out with Acne real bad. Also, my appetite increased. Did anybody have this problem?? I loved Effexor b/c of the fact that I had more energy and I felt more clear-headed... I've been on Celexa for 5 days now and my head is in a fog. I feel lousy... I feel like my brain does not catch up to what my eyes see.. does that make sense?? If I turn to look at something, I get this weird sensation in my head then my brain catches up to register what I'm looking at. What do ya'll think I should do??
> > >That isn't the Celexa! That is Effexor withdrawals. I had that exact same experience because my doctor apparently didn't know about the withdrawals. I too thought it was the new medicine (which happened to be Celexa) You need to taper off Effexor slowly. But the last jump, the one from 37.5 mg to nothing is the most difficult. What I did was to crush the 37.5mg tablet and mix it up to make sure that the active ingredients were distributed evenly. Then I took half of that, then a quarter, then I was down to dust and was finally off!!! You taper off concurrently with the new medicine.
Best of luck to you
Posted by Mark H. on September 14, 2000, at 18:35:34
In reply to Effexxor Side Affect - Horrible!!, posted by Martha Price on September 10, 2000, at 14:40:24
Hi Martha,
I don't have time at the moment to read through the other 50 responses, so please forgive me if I'm repeating things that others have already said.
Two things help me:
1.) DO NOT take the extended release version if you have these types of side effects. Rather, take your entire dose after breakfast and it will have gradually worn off (some) by the time you go to bed at night. DO NOT take Effexor after about 3 or 4 pm.
2.) Ask your doctor if it would be appropriate for you to try clonazepam. It is the least addictive of the benzodiazepines, helps with sleep, and HELPS WITH RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME, which is a lot like the Effexor side effects you describe. I take 1/2 of a 0.5mg tablet a night and have no trouble getting up the next morning.
Best of luck,
Mark H.
Posted by Lisa C. on September 14, 2000, at 19:19:28
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
> Hi there,
>
> I've been taking effexor about 1-1/2 weeks now and only had headaches for the first two days,
I've been feeling the best I've felt in a long time. I hope this one works for me. I've found it
works better for me to take it around 8:30-9:00pm just before bed. Never had much luck on any
others.
> please share your thoughts on this.
Posted by robinbird on September 20, 2000, at 23:42:21
In reply to Re: Lisa C who's about to start, posted by A on September 3, 2000, at 21:27:00
Have the "brain trying to catch up with the eyes" thing. Never thought about it 'til I read your submit. Bothersome but not a big concern...there are worse side effects. Though I agree it is frustrating and even scary.
robin
Posted by denisencalin on September 21, 2000, at 9:43:00
In reply to Effexxor Side Affect - Horrible!!, posted by Martha Price on September 10, 2000, at 14:40:24
Hi Martha.
I am currently taking 150 mg of Effexor daily. When I started out I had similar side effects. At times I though I might jump out of my skin. I was always dizzy. I had terrible limb tiking and jumpimg all the time. The side effects are very minimun now. My doctor had mentioned I would get use to it.
I have tried many anti-depressants Zoloft, Celexa ext., nothing has worked for me as well as Effexor has. I have been on it now for about 5 months and I feel like my life has just begun. Try to stick it out. Give it a try.
Denise
Posted by SKM on September 21, 2000, at 17:08:00
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
I've been on Effexor for 2 1/2 years. Had tried a series of medications before settling on this one. After about 1 year, added Buspar to augment. Effexor definitely has helped. I was going through my 2nd serious depression when I began taking it.
Side effects were many: muscle spasms, loss of appetite for a long time, vision blur, etc. Those eventually subsided as I was told they probably would. The long-term side effect has been sexual. After 2 1/2 years I feel like I have almost a zero-level interest in sex. When I do have sex, generally I don't have an orgasm. I get an erection but just don't orgasm. My psychiatrist put me on Viagra to see if that would help and, I would say, it did help for awhile. But it's hard to create an interest that I don't feel. Of course, this can cause problems in relationships.
I was wondering if anyone else has sexual side effects from their Effexor. I take 375mg a day. I used to be on the regular stuff, now I'm on XR. It's certainly easier taking it all in one dose than having to spread it out through the day.
I usually take only 75mg on a day when my wife and I are planning (yes, have to plan that now) to have sex; this tends to create a more positive outcome. However, the withdrawal on that day always makes me feel like crap by the time we get around to lovemaking; very dizzy, unconnected, clumsy, blurred vision...overall rotten feeling.
For those who are beginning a course of medication, my doctor began slowly. Usually we increased my dosage every 2 wks until I was at a level that seemed to be working. If, in time, it was losing its effect, we increased slowly. The same plan should be followed when weaning; slowly.
I've actually had another long-term side effect; that has been in sleep disruption. So, every now and then I take ambien to get my pattern straightened out.
So, if anyone has any comments, I would be happy to hear.
Thanks,
SKM
Posted by Amie on September 22, 2000, at 13:08:13
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by maggie on April 13, 2000, at 14:32:34
< snip > BUT I have found - from missing doses - that the withdrawal effects are real. For me, they have included strange effects in my brain. A feeling of electricity or shocks, also vertigo when I move my head from side to side or up and down. Then it feels like my head has moved too fast and my eyes take a few seconds to catch up. This prohibits driving, makes me dizzy and feels very bizarre.
> Snip >
> Maggie
Maggie i have all the same stuff when i miss 2 dosses--i currently take 75 mg of the effexor xr...what bugs me most is i lost 35 pounds before i startedt aking it and i SWEAR the meds have made me gain almost all of it back...I tried paxil for 2 months w/no luck..i'm very sensetive and i can tell if they will work or not..and i tried remeron--made me worse than i was if i was not medicated....so far the effexor xr does good except the weight gain and i still feel sub normal though i'm able to function..i hate my dr. and i'm getting a new one next month bu ti have to have on last visit w/this one...sighthansk for letting me vent
amie
Posted by Amie on September 22, 2000, at 13:08:19
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by maggie on April 13, 2000, at 14:32:34
< snip > BUT I have found - from missing doses - that the withdrawal effects are real. For me, they have included strange effects in my brain. A feeling of electricity or shocks, also vertigo when I move my head from side to side or up and down. Then it feels like my head has moved too fast and my eyes take a few seconds to catch up. This prohibits driving, makes me dizzy and feels very bizarre.
> Snip >
> Maggie
Maggie i have all the same stuff when i miss 2 dosses--i currently take 75 mg of the effexor xr...what bugs me most is i lost 35 pounds before i startedt aking it and i SWEAR the meds have made me gain almost all of it back...I tried paxil for 2 months w/no luck..i'm very sensetive and i can tell if they will work or not..and i tried remeron--made me worse than i was if i was not medicated....so far the effexor xr does good except the weight gain and i still feel sub normal though i'm able to function..i hate my dr. and i'm getting a new one next month bu ti have to have on last visit w/this one...sighthansk for letting me vent
amie
Posted by pullmarine on September 24, 2000, at 3:07:48
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by Amie on September 22, 2000, at 13:08:19
yup, those are normal withdrawal symptoms for effexor, and the weight gain while you're on it will go away when you stop taking the stuff. By the way, i gotta tell ya, there's no magic pill out there. they all have unpleasant side effect, and ultimately, your progress with the disease will depend a lot on how much effort you put into getting better. Life is painful and unpleasant. Happiness is scarce and fleeting. All I want in life is to be functional, and the pills help me get there.
Posted by smokingun35 on September 24, 2000, at 14:09:31
In reply to Re: effexor xr and side effects, posted by Cindy W on April 23, 2000, at 20:48:09
I started taking effexor xr 2 almost 2 weeks ago,my first anti-depressant(possibly last), and felt tired and terrible and dazed every waking hour of the day while taking it, headaches, cannot reach an orgasm at all. I took 37.5 mg aday for 7 days and 75 mg for 2 days and have now stopped cold turkey. I have yet to experience any side effects, been about 55 hours since last dose, still cannot reach an orgasm, wife is very upset and I'm not far behind her. Will this go away or could this be a pemanent development?
Posted by kdw on September 24, 2000, at 14:53:44
In reply to sexual side effect- effexor-xr, posted by smokingun35 on September 24, 2000, at 14:09:31
> I started taking effexor xr 2 almost 2 weeks ago,my first anti-depressant(possibly last), and felt tired and terrible and dazed every waking hour of the day while taking it, headaches, cannot reach an orgasm at all. I took 37.5 mg aday for 7 days and 75 mg for 2 days and have now stopped cold turkey. I have yet to experience any side effects, been about 55 hours since last dose, still cannot reach an orgasm, wife is very upset and I'm not far behind her. Will this go away or could this be a pemanent development?
I,too, have this problem. For me, it is weighing which is worse--the depression or lack of orgasm. I am now on 225mg. per day and I read a post somewhere that the higher dose could possibly help the situation because of increased dopamine. I certainly don't know about the long term effects. I have only been on this dose for two days.
Posted by shirl on September 24, 2000, at 15:47:50
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
> Have been taking 37.5 mg Effexor, pill form, for six weeks. After first dose have had minimal side effects, other than some sleepless nights and slight tremor in my hands. Dr. said my system not yet adjusted to the medication. Plan to stay on 37.5 mg. as long as it works for me.
Don't give up if you have just started on it. It takes awhile. It's amazing how much sweeter everyone else is since I started taking Effexor!!
Posted by Cindy W on September 25, 2000, at 9:27:15
In reply to Re: sexual side effect- effexor-xr » smokingun35, posted by kdw on September 24, 2000, at 14:53:44
> > I started taking effexor xr 2 almost 2 weeks ago,my first anti-depressant(possibly last), and felt tired and terrible and dazed every waking hour of the day while taking it, headaches, cannot reach an orgasm at all. I took 37.5 mg aday for 7 days and 75 mg for 2 days and have now stopped cold turkey. I have yet to experience any side effects, been about 55 hours since last dose, still cannot reach an orgasm, wife is very upset and I'm not far behind her. Will this go away or could this be a pemanent development?
>
> I,too, have this problem. For me, it is weighing which is worse--the depression or lack of orgasm. I am now on 225mg. per day and I read a post somewhere that the higher dose could possibly help the situation because of increased dopamine. I certainly don't know about the long term effects. I have only been on this dose for two days.smokingun35 and kdw, I take Effexor 375mg/day...it interferes a little with orgasm (but much less than Prozac, Luvox, and Zoloft, for me). When this gets frustrating, I just decrease the dose a little, and have no problem. Talk to your pdoc about the situation...a different antidepressant might help (e.g., Serzone); also remember that the effects are temporary, and after you have stopped Effexor-XR, this side effect should go away. Most of all, don't just get anxious about it (anxiety can interfere with sexual functioning a lot!). Hope this helps.--Cindy W
Posted by pullmarine on September 25, 2000, at 14:20:47
In reply to sexual side effect- effexor-xr, posted by smokingun35 on September 24, 2000, at 14:09:31
don't worry, your libido and your orgasms will return in a couple of weeks.
john
Posted by smokingun35 on September 25, 2000, at 20:50:07
In reply to Re: sexual side effect- effexor-xr, posted by pullmarine on September 25, 2000, at 14:20:47
> don't worry, your libido and your orgasms will return in a couple of weeks.
>
> john
THANKS for the re: I don't think I am depressed enough to take that crap anyway, it made me feel much worse than before,think maybe my problem is more stress and nerves anyway, 2 young boys at home,lots to do, almost too much at times, but the effects of that med convinced me that things could be much worse! Thanks to everyone who replied. Hope everyone finds what they need to help them out.
Posted by Wilkie on September 27, 2000, at 15:37:16
In reply to Re:Intractable Effexor Withdrawl , posted by cjl on August 23, 2000, at 21:07:19
I was on Effexor 75 mg a day for about 3 months for depression and to counter the extreme fatigue and lethargy brought on by Depakote. The biggest side effect was how it affected my dreams. I basically felt like I was tripping in my sleep every night, which I at first thought was pretty cool. But as time went by my dreams became more and more vivid and intense and sometimes a little too fucked up, and I was waking up in the mornings feeling exhausted from dreaming all night long. So I talked to my psychiatrist about this and she switched me to Serzone, taking me off of Effexor cold turkey. I thought nothing of it, trusting the MD behind her name. A day after stopping Effexor I became really sick, experiencing the whole multitude of withdrawal symptoms associated with Effexor. I called her and she thought I was experiencing side effects from Serzone so she told me to stop taking it. She had no idea that what I was experiencing was withdrawal. I didn't find out until I watched 20/20 one night and then got on the internet and looked up "effexor withdrawal" which is where I came across all of these threads. So needless to say I fired her and found a new psychiatrist. My point of all of this is to address everyone's concerns about withdrawal. There was obviously no weaning off of it for me. I went off it cold turkey. The first week was brutal -- vicious withdrawal. The second week wasn't as bad, much more bearable. Withdrawal effects lingered for an additional 2 weeks or so and now I don't feel anything from it. I just stuck it out and suffered through it, knowing that I wanted to be free from what I consider to be a horrible drug which I will never ever take again. I need antidepressants, so my new doc put me on wellbutrin which is supposed to have fewer side effects and no withdrawal associated with it. We'll see, but anything has to be better than Effexor. So for all of you trying to get off of Effexor, keep at it, and just stick it out as long as possible and I can promise from my experience that after the first 2 weeks or so it gets much better and WILL eventually go away.
Posted by Tammie on September 28, 2000, at 11:36:49
In reply to Quiting Effexor and Why, posted by Wilkie on September 27, 2000, at 15:37:16
I went to the doc due to occassional days of feeling blue, sad, emotional. This happens just a few times each year. And when it does, it tends to be around the time of my menstral cycle. She had me take Zoloft, which gave me headaches, then switched to Serzone, which did not help at all. Now she wants me to take Effexor XR. I am curious if anyone else was given this med for just having a few days of feeling sad a couple of times out of the year? I am hesitant to take it due to all the negative feedback about withdrawals. Thanks for any info you want to share...
Posted by StaceyLacy on September 28, 2000, at 13:42:00
In reply to Is Effexor XR the right pill?, posted by Tammie on September 28, 2000, at 11:36:49
I changed 4 weeks ago from 60mg of Paxil and 15 mg of Buspar per day to 37.5 mg of Effexor XR per day. Since the change over, I have had nothing but irritation/anger all day long which ends in explosive, hour long crying spells. When I explained this to my Dr. last week, she increased the dosage to 75 mg per day. Today is one week later and there has been no improvement. I am concerned and wondering if anyone else has experienced feelings of severe irritation, anger or crying while adjusting to this drug?
Posted by smokingun35 on September 28, 2000, at 19:27:04
In reply to Is Effexor XR the right pill?, posted by Tammie on September 28, 2000, at 11:36:49
> I went to the doc due to occassional days of feeling blue, sad, emotional. This happens just a few times each year. And when it does, it tends to be around the time of my menstral cycle. She had me take Zoloft, which gave me headaches, then switched to Serzone, which did not help at all. Now she wants me to take Effexor XR. I am curious if anyone else was given this med for just having a few days of feeling sad a couple of times out of the year? I am hesitant to take it due to all the negative feedback about withdrawals. Thanks for any info you want to share...
WOW, I hope you have read all the withdrawl side effect probs of this drug on here before considering it unless you REALLY need it. I'm definately no doc but it's obvious from what I've read and experienced that this stuff is the last resort. I know I have mild depression and anxiety, runs in the family, but that crap made me feel like a zombie!! I only took it 9 days and thank god had no withdrawls but am still dealing with a side effect, I feel much better off it than on, all I can tell you is research the hell out of it before you try it!! Good Luck....
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