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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Effexor side effect - acne??
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.
Effexor side effect - acne??
by sammyacne, Feb 22, 2002 12:00AM
Hi. I've been taking Effexor XR, 150 MG per day, for 4 years. About 3.5 years ago, I developed severe adult acne. I had clear skin in my teen years (am 34 now) and was shocked to develop acne so late.
I've tried everything: 2 rounds of accutane, which had awful side effects and is quite dangerous; ortho-tricyclyn (not working); dermabrasion; antibiotics (erythromycin, etc.); avita and retin-a creams, etc. the acne is now causing me more problems than the depression.
have you heard or read about acne as a side effect of effexor? would you advise that i switch to a different med that does not induce acne?
also - is there anything i can do about the night sweats with effexor?
thank you.
sammyacne
I've tried everything: 2 rounds of accutane, which had awful side effects and is quite dangerous; ortho-tricyclyn (not working); dermabrasion; antibiotics (erythromycin, etc.); avita and retin-a creams, etc. the acne is now causing me more problems than the depression.
have you heard or read about acne as a side effect of effexor? would you advise that i switch to a different med that does not induce acne?
also - is there anything i can do about the night sweats with effexor?
thank you.
sammyacne
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Feb 25, 2002 12:00AM
, Feb 25, 2002 12:00AM
There is nothing in the mechanisms of effexor that suggests it would have an effect on your skin. Acne is not common, and not tied to effexor in any obvious way. That said, there may be rare instances, and the people who can help you find out about that data are the pharmacists, the manufacturer, and your dermatologist.
Regarding night sweats, that is related to the mechanism of the drug, although it is not suppose to effect those bodily systems.
Regarding night sweats, that is related to the mechanism of the drug, although it is not suppose to effect those bodily systems.
I was on effexor for 6 yrs and it really cleared up my skin. Now, i am off it and my acne is back. I'm probably no help to you there but, i didn't find a problem with my skin with taking effexor. I love that Clinque stuff i get it at the mall. It is pink stuff in a bottle and it really gets all the dirt off my face. I wish i could be more help.
YES!!!! Effexor causes acne!!! I have tried many meds for my anxiety, have been on Effexor only two months but have incredibly horrible acne (I'm talking pea-sized cysts on my neck and back) I never had acne as a teen either. My psych. is taking me off because of the awful side effects Effexor is having on me (sweating, acne, hair loss, weight gain, sweets cravings- the list goes on!!)
Effexor is a heavy hitting drug-
Beware!!
Hope this helps some of you...
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