![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 48 to 72 of 87. Go back in thread:
Posted by Lorraine on February 20, 2001, at 9:45:10
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects » normama, posted by Ryan on February 19, 2001, at 23:37:17
> > > I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR NOW FOR 8 MONTHS AND IT IS THE ONLY AD THAT HAS WORKED FOR ME. I TAKE 300MG EVERY MORNING. I AM HAVING TROUBLESOME SIDE EFFECTS HOWEVER. ITCHING SCALP, WEIGHT GAIN, ABSOLUTELY NO ENERGY, AND INSOMNIA. IF ANYONE HAS ADVICE OR KNOWS OF A BETTER AD PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
Re insomnia--when do you take your dose and is it a split dose. I have to take mine early in the morning and I take GABA (a natural enzime you can get at the health food store) before bed to help me sleep.
Re energy and weight gain--perhaps your pdoc will augment with amphetamine or Wellbutrin which may counter balance these effects. You may be able to lower your dose of effexor in this event as well. Good luck.
Posted by Ryan on February 21, 2001, at 22:42:53
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Lorraine on February 20, 2001, at 9:45:10
Thank you for the reply Lorraine. I am starting Wellbutrin SR 150mg. and Sonata today.
Posted by Jani on February 23, 2001, at 19:39:05
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Lorraine on February 20, 2001, at 9:45:10
> > > > I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR NOW FOR 8 MONTHS AND IT IS THE ONLY AD THAT HAS WORKED FOR ME. I TAKE 300MG EVERY MORNING. I AM HAVING TROUBLESOME SIDE EFFECTS HOWEVER. ITCHING SCALP, WEIGHT GAIN, ABSOLUTELY NO ENERGY, AND INSOMNIA. IF ANYONE HAS ADVICE OR KNOWS OF A BETTER AD PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
>
> Re insomnia--when do you take your dose and is it a split dose. I have to take mine early in the morning and I take GABA (a natural enzime you can get at the health food store) before bed to help me sleep.
>
> Re energy and weight gain--perhaps your pdoc will augment with amphetamine or Wellbutrin which may counter balance these effects. You may be able to lower your dose of effexor in this event as well. Good luck.This is in response to your weight gain and also to Carol's earlier. I, too, gained a significant amount of weight both on Celexa and Effexor. I tried Welbutrin after going off Celexa and before Effexor and lost the weight, but experienced terrible agitation, etc. My doctor insists it is not due to the Effexor but because I am feeling better, I am eating more. With 1 month, I will be weaned from the Effexor and will see what happens with the weight. I will write back to notify you of the results.
Posted by welch on February 24, 2001, at 9:35:16
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects » Lorraine, posted by Jani on February 23, 2001, at 19:39:05
Hi
I have been on Effexor for 3 weeks. All of the side effects are gone except the terrible insomnia.I was taking it in the am but am now taking it in the pm to see if the insomnia would go away. Didn't work. Should I try it in the am again since the other side-effectsare gone? I can't take any sleep-aids so that is out of the question. I hear Serzone does not cause insomnia. Or will this insomnia go away if just wait it out.
Posted by prl on February 24, 2001, at 15:00:28
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects » Sunnely, posted by SLS on July 6, 2000, at 7:38:08
> Dear Sunnely,
>
> This is great information.
>
> I am curious about the grapefruit juice. What kind of interaction occurs?
>
> Also, can you describe in a bit more detail the interaction between Propulsid and Serzone?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> - Scott
>
>
> > Watch for drug interactions with Serzone. Certain drugs may raise the blood level of Serzone and cause a return of the visual trails even though you're keeping same dose. These drugs include: certain antibiotics such as erythromycin and Cipro; antidepressants such as Prozac and Luvox; antifungal drugs such as Nizoral and Sporanox; Tagamet for ulcer. Avoid grapefruit juice, too. Propulsid (cisapride), drug for stomach reflux, should not be combined with Serzone. Serious medical consequences may occur including sudden death. (This drug should be off the market by now, anyway.)
I was wondering if you or anyone else knew of any conflicts with vitamins or soy/protein supplements. I have been trying different ADs and mood stablizers for many years with no real lasting luck yet. I just started on effexor less than a week ago and am feeling good so far(except for insomnia). I was taking alot of diff. vits and supplements for years but quit taking any for almost a year now to see if they were interfering somehow. Nothing changed except for the worse but the meds I was on weren't helping either so it is hard to tell. I always felt so much better all over and had more energy while doing the above. I am taking 37.5 of effexor in a.m., 25 of thyroid med in a.m., a prescribed diuretic, and 250 of Lamictal in p.m, with estrace. Do you see any problems with going back to taking vit supplements?
Posted by cessna on February 24, 2001, at 21:08:32
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by welch on February 24, 2001, at 9:35:16
> I HAD INSOMNIA FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS -- WAKING AT 4 AM FOR THE DAY, USUALLY -- BUT IT DID GO AWAY. EXERCISE (2MI WALKING) IN AM HELPED ME TO BE SLEEPY IN PM. FRANKLY IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING NOT TO BE HAVING PANIC ATTACKS THAT I WAS EUPHORIC AT 4 AM. HOWEVER STARTED BIRTH CONTROL PILLS 30 DAYS AGO AND HAVE MAJOR RECURRENCE OF DEPRESSION. I AM GOING BACK TO BOTH GYN AND PSYCHIATRIST THIS WEEK. HAS ANYONE FOUND THAT EFFEXOR LOSES ITS PUNCH AFTER A YEAR OR SO?
Posted by Marty7294 on March 24, 2001, at 2:54:32
In reply to Effexor-side effects, posted by Lisa on December 30, 1998, at 12:34:47
Hi there...
Has anyone out there with diabetes experienced
particular problems with withdrawl from Efexor?
My stepfather has been off of the drug for 5 weeks
and still suffers pretty badly from side effects,
including drowsiness and muddy thinking...
Any info much appreciated.
Cheers!
Posted by alyce on March 25, 2001, at 12:36:44
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by cessna on February 24, 2001, at 21:08:32
> > I HAD INSOMNIA FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS -- WAKING AT 4 AM FOR THE DAY, USUALLY -- BUT IT DID GO AWAY. EXERCISE (2MI WALKING) IN AM HELPED ME TO BE SLEEPY IN PM. FRANKLY IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING NOT TO BE HAVING PANIC ATTACKS THAT I WAS EUPHORIC AT 4 AM. HOWEVER STARTED BIRTH CONTROL PILLS 30 DAYS AGO AND HAVE MAJOR RECURRENCE OF DEPRESSION. I AM GOING BACK TO BOTH GYN AND PSYCHIATRIST THIS WEEK. HAS ANYONE FOUND THAT EFFEXOR LOSES ITS PUNCH AFTER A YEAR OR SO?
i have been on effexor xr for approx 1 year. i have not experienced any problems getting to sleep however the nightmares are something else. i could probably write some pretty scary novels. i do feel like my dosage might need to be increased. has anyone experienced pvc's (premature ventricular contractions) while taking effexor xr?
Posted by Heather L. on April 13, 2001, at 18:02:41
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Lisa on January 8, 1999, at 9:54:52
I am taking Effexor XR. It is an extended time release capsule. I take it after I eat breakfast. Must take right after food or it will hurt your tummy. I felt better from the very first dose.I have a little trouble getting to sleep. What I have done for this is gone to bed about 45 minutes earlier than I usually do. Then I toss and turn for a bit and fall asleep within about 30 minutes or so and am not getting to sleep to late. Once I am asleep I am fine. And when I wake up I feel refreshed:) I had MAJOR anxiety and depression before trying this medicine. I also have A.D.D. I am so happy I have Effexor. I haven't felt this calm and relaxed in years.
> > > After trying just about every kind of anti-depressant,
> > > my psychiatrist put me on Effexor. I am currently
> > > taking 300mg a day (150mg twice a day) and I really
> > > starting to feel better, but does anyone ever have
> > > muscle spasms? I have noticed that not only do I have
> > > trouble sleeping because of the strange dreams, but
> > > everytime I try to sleep I can feel my legs jump and
> > > quiver uncontrolably. I never feel rested.
> > I also had uncontrollable muscle spasms when taking Effexor. I found it unbearable. I shook so hard I could not hold a pen, nor sign my name, nor drive my car. And I never slept. As you can probably guess, I stopped taking it entirely. Even after months the effects did not wear off.
> I have found it hard to write and my mind starts racing a lot lately. I really do not want to stop taking Effexor because I haven't felt this good in years, but the side effects are wearing down on me.
> It's almost like I have two choices Mental health or physical health.
> Depression is such a nasty disease and I am just trying my hardest to not let it take the best of me!
Posted by Heather L. on April 13, 2001, at 18:11:48
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Leslie on June 2, 2000, at 0:35:33
Your dentist can make a mouth piece for you if you are clenching your jaw. I clenched my jaw even before Effexor. I haven't been clenching it as much now but still do some. My dentist is making a mouth piece to help with it. it takes the pressure off your jaw when you clench.
> I've been on Effexor for about 6 months and "mental" health-wise it has definitely made a HUGE improvement, however I have developed an irritating problem that really interferes with my sleep. I clench my teeth and I keep hearing a popping noise in my ears at night, when I go to bed. Does anyone else have this??? It got so bad that I cut back on my dose by 75mg, then I tried to get completely off it - what a mistake that was. I became so disoriented and dizzy that I had to go back on the meds.
Posted by Cindylou on April 13, 2001, at 23:00:30
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Heather L. on April 13, 2001, at 18:11:48
YES! I clench my jaw all the time, especially at night. In fact, a dentist and a chiropractor both mentioned how messed up my jaw was (I think one of them said the muscles were "shattered" or something...obviously not literally shattered)
Anyway, I had never attributed the jaw clenching to the Effexor before ... I've been on SSRIs for several years now; it makes sense that I could have started the clenching when I started the meds. HOW INTERESTING!
I've been learning so much here...
>
> > I've been on Effexor for about 6 months and "mental" health-wise it has definitely made a HUGE improvement, however I have developed an irritating problem that really interferes with my sleep. I clench my teeth and I keep hearing a popping noise in my ears at night, when I go to bed. Does anyone else have this??? It got so bad that I cut back on my dose by 75mg, then I tried to get completely off it - what a mistake that was. I became so disoriented and dizzy that I had to go back on the meds.
Posted by michellec on April 14, 2001, at 13:54:53
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Cindylou on April 13, 2001, at 23:00:30
Hi
I know exactly what your talking about however
I don't think it's from the effexor. I have done
this for years and only been taking effexor for the
past 8 months or so. I would suggest that you get a
mouth piece to wear at night. You can have one made
by your dentist or you can simply by a football mouth
piece and try that.
I discovered I was doing this because I was having
AWFUL headaches. I would clench mine so hard that I
would wake up in the morning and my teeth would be aching
I attribute it it this wonderful thing called
"stress!!!"
Hope this helps
Take care
Michelle
Posted by SalArmy4me on April 15, 2001, at 8:06:18
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by michellec on April 14, 2001, at 13:54:53
Have a mouth-piece made by the dentist instead of one that is sold over-the-counter for football use. Otherwise your entire mouth will pay the forfeit.
> Hi
> I know exactly what your talking about however
> I don't think it's from the effexor. I have done
> this for years and only been taking effexor for the
> past 8 months or so. I would suggest that you get a
> mouth piece to wear at night. You can have one made
> by your dentist or you can simply by a football mouth
> piece and try that.
> I discovered I was doing this because I was having
> AWFUL headaches. I would clench mine so hard that I
> would wake up in the morning and my teeth would be aching
> I attribute it it this wonderful thing called
> "stress!!!"
> Hope this helps
> Take care
> Michelle
Posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:01:53
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Heather L. on April 13, 2001, at 18:11:48
i am on 300Mg of effexorXR i take it all in the morning is this a high dose of this medication i also take 40Mg of adderal also is anyone on this combo of meds and if so do you to feel like a insomniac?
Posted by SalArmy4me on April 17, 2001, at 4:33:36
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:01:53
I don't think you are on a particularly high dose of Effexor. The PDR says that 375 mg is the maximum dose, but doctors violate that all the time... Perhaps you can reduce your dose of Adderall, or at bedtime take some Benadryl or Tylenol Simply Sleep.
> i am on 300Mg of effexorXR i take it all in the morning is this a high dose of this medication i also take 40Mg of adderal also is anyone on this combo of meds and if so do you to feel like a insomniac?
Posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:49:27
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects » Ryane01, posted by SalArmy4me on April 17, 2001, at 4:33:36
> I don't think you are on a particularly high dose of Effexor. The PDR says that 375 mg is the maximum dose, but doctors violate that all the time... Perhaps you can reduce your dose of Adderall, or at bedtime take some Benadryl or Tylenol Simply Sleep.
>
> > i am on 300Mg of effexorXR i take it all in the morning is this a high dose of this medication i also take 40Mg of adderal also is anyone on this combo of meds and if so do youis there a recomended dose for teens i am only 17 now
Posted by SalArmy4me on April 17, 2001, at 16:22:52
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:49:27
Effexor has not been shown to stunt growth or impair mental development, so I can't imagine why teenagers would need a different dose than older adults.
Effexor is an ideal antidepressant for teens because it seems to work for some of their ADD/ ADHD and Anxiety disorders.
> is there a recomended dose for teens i am only 17 now
Posted by jerz on April 17, 2001, at 18:01:22
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by SalArmy4me on April 17, 2001, at 16:22:52
> Effexor has not been shown to stunt growth or impair mental development, so I can't imagine why teenagers would need a different dose than older adults.
>
> Effexor is an ideal antidepressant for teens because it seems to work for some of their ADD/ ADHD and Anxiety disorders.
>
> > is there a recomended dose for teens i am only 17 now
My daughter is almost 15. She's been on 225 mg of Effexor XR and 30 Mg of Adderal for a little over a year. She splits the dosages of both... 150 mg of Effexor and 20 mg of Adderal in the am and the rest after school. It hasn't impacted her sleep at all. However, she's in the process of weaning off the Effexor, as she started to 'relapse' into depression again. We're now down to 18.75 mg of the Effexor, and she's still on the previously mentioned dose of Adderal. Things seem to be much better now. Jerz
Posted by Joe K on April 18, 2001, at 9:42:17
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:01:53
> i am on 300Mg of effexorXR i take it all in the morning is this a high dose of this medication i also take 40Mg of adderal also is anyone on this combo of meds and if so do you to feel like a insomniac?
Posted by fanderson on April 20, 2001, at 16:54:07
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Ryane01 on April 17, 2001, at 4:01:53
> i am on 300Mg of effexorXR i take it all in the morning is this a high dose of this medication i also take 40Mg of adderal also is anyone on this combo of meds and if so do you to feel like a insomniac?
I was taking 300mg EffexorXR and 80mg Ritalin. At first I slept for short periods then woke up.
Later, I could not get up in the morning. Cured it all by going down to 150 Effexor.
Posted by Tamar2 on April 21, 2001, at 17:16:13
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Carol on November 24, 2000, at 20:46:41
> I've been taking 450mg (300 am & 150 pm)of Effexor XR (time-released) for about 6 months and was taking the non-XR before that, a year at least combined. I also take .3mg of Menest and 200 mg of Acyclovir each day. I suffer from chronic constipation. How lovely I know. I have incorporated more fiber in my diet, I drink lots of water. Most OTC laxatives such as Perdiem and Ducosate give me severe stomach cramps. Metamucil alone does nothing. My doctor has recently put me on a concoction of 2 Tbsp Milk of Magnesia + 1 Tbsp Mineral Oil + 1 Tbsp Metamucil twice a day. Mmmm sounds yummy huh? I don't like the idea of using Mineral Oil because I've read that its use strips the body of fat soluble vitamins. My skin is so dry now. I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing constipation from this drug and if so what are you doing about it? I appreciate any comments on this.
Posted by willow on April 21, 2001, at 21:12:19
In reply to Re: Effexor-side effects, posted by Tamar2 on April 21, 2001, at 17:16:13
Tamar
My stomache really slowed down when I started the Effexor. Initially I was constipated. I added the more fibre and water like yourself, but my stomache still was slow. My doctor prescribed domperidone for me (it isn't available in the States but to my understanding there are alternatives) and this worked. It wasn't overnight though.
This medication had a side-effect that I didn't care for and the doctor prescribed an alternative which I didn't get filled. Instead I'm eating about half a cup of raw unsalted sunflower seeds, about four prunes and an orange, plus the regular stuff everyday. This is helping though the orange gives me cramps which I've always gotten from them.
GOOD LUCK
Willow
Posted by ShelliR on April 21, 2001, at 23:19:06
In reply to constipation ..., posted by willow on April 21, 2001, at 21:12:19
Willow, you might try 1/4 cup of flax seed each day. Not only is it good for constipation, but it also the same omega fatty acid that is being used in trials to see if it has a positive effect on depression (as the early evidence is pointing to) and is supposed to be good brain food. I crush the seeds in a little electric coffee grinder and eat them with peanut butter, or with cereal. They actually have a nice nutty flavour.
shelli
Posted by willow on April 22, 2001, at 18:20:27
In reply to Re: constipation ... » willow, posted by ShelliR on April 21, 2001, at 23:19:06
"They actually have a nice nutty flavour."
Sounds like a great idea with an added bonus. The first time I tried peanut butter, at the age of four, a clump got stuck on the roof of my mouth. Since then I haven't been able to bring myself to eat or drink anything with a nutty taste. : 0
Willow
Posted by Tamar2 on April 22, 2001, at 18:44:45
In reply to Re: constipation ..., posted by willow on April 22, 2001, at 18:20:27
> Thanks for the suggestions you guys. I did try flax seed some weeks back. My doctor suggested soaking 1 tbsp whole flax seed overnight in the fridge covered with water. In the morning it becomes kinda slimey, but if you drink it quick and chase it with a cup of water, it's ok. I did this three days in a row and nothing happened.
I put raw sunflower seeds in my salad everyday and I also eat an apple and an orange most days and raisins too. I guess I'm surprised that more people aren't having the same problem as I am. I have not tried anything at the health food store, perhaps I'll give that a try. Hey, thanks again.
Tam
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.