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Mental Health  (Expert Forum)
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Effexor Long Term Side Effects..
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
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MedHelp Member's Question

Effexor Long Term Side Effects..

by Katchoo, May 06, 2001 12:00AM
Hello...I'm new.



Considering I can't seem to find *any* info about Effexor and what it does to the CNS - I've been on it since...November.  And it's been working wonderfully for my anxiety and depression, but not being able to construct a sentence - verbally - all the time??  It's driving me crazy, and I dont' know whether this is Effexor, or me.  I have some head trauma, I don't know which is which, or what's what for that matter.  



Any info would be seriously appreciated.



Katchoo
Doctor's Answer

by Roger Gould, M.D., May 10, 2001 12:00AM
Effexor may create some cognitive slowing..but if you have had trauma, you might consider neuropsychological testing. Ask your doctor about Aricept to combat the cognitive slowing.
Member Comments (12)

by humanbeing, May 08, 2001 12:00AM
About the Effexor I would really like to know if constructed a sentence has to do with it because today my doctor started me on 37.5 mg this week and she told me to double next week. I am scared because I am prone to severe headaches.  Is this a symtom?

What are the major side effects of the drug?

by Rib, Jun 03, 2001 12:00AM
Hello.  I have been on Effexor for over a year now.  I had depression strike after the birth of my beautiful little girl. My husband and I both lost our jobs within a month apart of eachother. I was 8 months pregnant!  I ended up almost losing our baby due to complications, and for a year after that I just survived by picking myself up everytime I would fall.  The depression got worse, including dabilitating migraine headaches.  I did very well on the Effexor.  Within two days I could tell a difference!  My problem now is that I changed to Zoloft due to wanting to have another child.  I no longer suffer from the depression, but I live in fear of the migraine headaches.  The Zoloft is suppost to be safer for the fetus if it is exposed to an anit-depression medication.  Well, the Zoloft made me feel awful!  After two weeks of taking it I have gone "cold turkey" and now am experiencing the withdrawl symptoms I had only previously been reading about.  The doctors may tell you that the medications are not addicting, but they are pschologically and physically!  I no longer want to take the Effexor due to preparing for another pregnancy, and I refuse to continue taking Zoloft or anything else.  If anyone is interested I will keep you updated as to how I progress.  Think happy thoughts for me and wish me well.  I will do the same for all of you.  God Bless.

by alrdyc, Jun 11, 2001 12:00AM
I have been on Effexor XR for a little over a week and I started feeling like my self within three or four days after my doctor upped my dose to 150 twice a day.  I felt like myself for about three days and now I am starting to have the same depressed feelings.  I was just wondering if this has happened to anyone else?  I know it says it can take six to eight weeks to work, but I don't know why I felt so much better last week and bad now.  I was wondering if that is just how the medicine works until it gets to a theraputic level.  If anyone has comments about effexor it would be a great help.  Thank you!!!

by sweetsilk, Jun 22, 2001 12:00AM
I have been on Effexor for only a short time as well, but also noticed a drastic change in my mood right after taking it. It helped with my depression much better than remeron for sure. It did take some time to "level out" however, so if depression is a big problem for you, stick with it. I don't think it should be taken by pregnant women unless advised to do so by your doctor, but if it were me, after I had the baby and still felt symptoms of sever depression, I would get on Effexor IF it seemed to help YOU. I am far from an expert, since I was just recently diagnosed (my husband was the one who actually figured out what was wrong with me) with bipolar disorder, but here is my opinion for what it is worth.

by koanwrangler, Jul 31, 2001 12:00AM
CAUTION!



I am two days into quitting effexor "cold turkey" after over a year of treatment and let me tell you it's a *****.  If you thought quitting smoking was tough, this is gonna give you a whole new perspective on tough.



this drug does help treat depression, but it is PHYSICALLY ADDICTIVE.  I've had visual and aural hallucinations, physical discomfort, inability to concentrate, and just generally feel awful.



I'm hoping this is the worst-



by gothica, Sep 06, 2001 12:00AM
To: ANY FEEDBACK???
I HAVE HAD TERRIBLE HEADACHES FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AND JUST WENT TO A NEUROLOGIST TO ASK FOR HELP.  I WAS PUT ON EFFEXOR, BUT NOTICED IT IS USUALLY PRESCRIBED FOR DEPRESSION.  I DO NOT HAVE  DEPRESSION!  SHOULD I BE TAKING THIS WITH ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS?

by openeyez, Aug 16, 2007 10:37AM
what are the side effects of quitting effexor cold turkey?  I have been taking 300mg a day for a couple of years and I want to quit because I have no sex drive.

by openeyez, Aug 16, 2007 10:38AM
I should add that my diagnosis was PTSD with extreme anxiety, charecterized by agoraphobia.

by BrainShock, Aug 16, 2007 12:58PM
Don't quit cold turkey. The withdrawal symptoms are ridiculous! Shocks run through your brain and then through your body, headaches, vertigo, nausea, and more I'm sure. This is just some of what I have experienced. The symptoms last a week every time I step down. I can't imagine what it will be like just stopping cold turkey. Ask your doctor to step you down VERY slowly.  He or She may have samples to reduce the cost of stepping down.

Please report any symptoms to Wyeth and your doctor as you step down.

Best wishes.

by AJC, Aug 17, 2007 04:00AM
Look up "Gwen Olsen" on youtube or google video.

by vanep.r, Oct 01, 2007 10:49PM
To: the room
hello am latina ive been taking effexor 75 mg  since febuary ive had bad headaches ,sometimes i feel so down i really would like to stop treatment but then i think al go back to being depressed,but i dont want to be addicted to this pill ,i dont want to suffer side effects plz help Vane from P.R
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