Effexor XR affected by Rulide.

[Rhysiee]

i've been taking Effexor XR for almost 2 years now with 150mg a day. It's been fabulous and has always manage to control my anxiety and depression.
On Monday 25 i came down with a fever and started to get really sick. On Wed 27th i was prescribed Rulide, and I took it asap.  By Friday morning i was suffering from bad anxiety attacks in the morning, weird and just disturbing dreams in the morning, and a sense of low self worth and depression. It got worse on Sat, and progressed Sunday and by Monday i was having regular anxiety attacks, I was feeling very very depressed and wanted to run and hide somewhere.
I went and saw my psych and was advised to stop taking Rulide as it has been known to counteract the effects of Effexor XR.
Can you please give me some info on this and other common type drugs that could affect Effexor's effects. how long will it take for Effexor XR to take control of my depressoin and anxiety again. CBT is about all i can depend on atm and it's hard when you have the horrible symptoms on anxiety and depression.  
PS I was eventually diagnosed with Whooping Cough and doctor has decided not to treat me with anymore antibiolitcs so that it won't affect the effexor (I've had 2 sets of antibiotics and it should have killed the bug).

[Hensley258]

I see. Yea, I think you can rule out that you have already built up a resistance to Effexor.

I suppose it's possible, but very unlikly.

Have you noticed the Effexor starting to kick back in after stopping the Rulide?

[Rhysiee]

I've only taken effexor for 18 months.

[Hensley258]

I've never taken Rulide, but I did once take Zithromax antibiotic while I was on Effexor.

I doub't it's that you have already built up a resistance to Effexor. I am very med resistant and it too just under 5 years for me to build up a resistance to Effexor.

How long have you taken the Effexor?

[Rhysiee]

Yeah the drug Rulide is an antibiotic that is used for lower respiratory infections like brochitis, pneumonia. And for some reason it managed to interfer with effexor. I don't think effexor has run out of steam on me yet.
I do feel anxious in the morning. But that eventually soothes out when I get distracted. I hate waking up anxious.

[Hensley258]

Wow, that is news to me. I had no Idea there was a drug that could counteract the theraputic effect of Effexor XR.

What kind of drug is this Rulide?

I used to take Effexor for 5 years. It was my favorite AD medication. I got almost 5 solid years of complete remission from Effexor XR. Unfortunatly it slowly stopped working for me, (as they all do at some point) and I had to switch meds.

Let me see, at one point I took a couple different antibiotics when I got sick, None of them seemed to effect my Effexor. also, Advil, Tylonol and Excederine, none of them cause any issue with my Effexor XR. At the time I drank alcohol every weekend and that seemed to work ok with the Effexor.

That's about all I can think of that I mixed with my Effexor.

Try to do a google search on "Effexor drug interactions" and see what pops up.