Zoloft vs Effexor?

[piddysmom]

I have been taking zoloft for about 5 years now.  I am having some problems that I have only just now realized may be the medication.  I am continuously fatigued, have no libido, and have gained about 70 pounds.  

My sister has been taking Effexor for about 4 months now & loves it.  Nothing else has worked for her the way that Effexor has.  And, she claims that it has helped her lose the weight that other medications have put on.

I am thinking about talking to my doctor about the switch.  Can anyone offer any input about the benefits of one or the other?  does this sound like a good idea?  or will I have the same problems on the Effexor that I do on the Zoloft?

[justlikeyou]

only 1 way to know for sure, try it for 6 months.

[elitemom]

I'm on the highest dose of effexor and it helped when I first started but I still have break downs!

[Danni_32]

I have been on Effexor XR for 3 1/2 years following a hysterectomy.  I have no energy (VERY tired all the time!), no sex drive (NONE!), & have gained lots of weight (about 35 pounds!).  All medicines affect people different ways.  This is the way Effexor affected me!

[94helpneeded94]

  I have tried Lexapro, Zoloft, Abilify, Risperdal (which I was allergic too) and a whole sleu of other anti-depressants.  I finally ended up on Effexor XR.  In the beginning it seemed that all is well.  After almost 3 years fo taking Effexor Xr I've been getting nothing but worsening sypmtoms.  Anxiety, DEPRESSION 10 fold.  My social life if gone, due to my fear of people.  I had a Dr. appt. yesterday and asked to be switched backto Zoloft.  I am a 6'1 male in my mid 30's and since I started taking the Effexor Xr, I went from a prefect 208 lbs. to 150 lbs.  As you can imagine I look disgusting, which is probably why I have a hard time meeting new people.  Please think long and hard about gettng on this drug, as I have had nothing but madness since I started on it.  Thaks.
Hope this helped.  Kevin T.

[Hensley258]

I took Effexor for 4 years (before it stopped working for me)
In that time it was far more effective than Zoloft.

Effexor XR is my all time favorite anti-depressant. If it still worked for me then I would still be taking it.

Many people don't know this, but Effexor XR is the higest grossing anti-depressant of all time. It makes Weith 3.5 Billion dollars a year in sales. (not million BILLION)

Reason it is so popular is because it works well when SSRI's like Zoloft or paxil fail.

It a bit rough to get off Effexor when the time comes, but I get withdrawls from just about any AD discontinuation.

[shonsmom]

I took effexor 37.5 mg for several months and although I was extremely fatigue, it worked as a dietary supplement. I did not crab carbs all the time. I am a depressive eater and I actually lost weight taking effexor. My family was making me nervous, talking about the addiction and withdrawals etc.. so I stopped. I did not have any withdrawal symptoms. I gues s because I didn't take it long enough. A side effect was very dry mouth and it takes longer to have an orgasm. Before that I tried PAXIL and hated it. I just called to see if I can get effexor again because I have been extremely moody and irritable and lately I have been suffering from insomnia. I would definitely recommend making the switch. I guess it affects everyone differently. You will never know until you try it.

[constantissues]

Just over 10 years ago I became very symptomatic. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong.I had stumbled onto to one finally that did...Started me on Paxil and had allergic reaction. Then Zoloft. It was a miracle. Once a year I would taper off and stop med's to see if I needed it still. Lasted about a month or so and then was right back on it. But going off  it for a bit and then back on it seemed to kinda refresh it's effectiveness.The down side..I am about 40 lbs. overweight and now Z isin't working anymore. Weight causing different issues. Trying to switch over to Effexor but don't like symptoms. Feel dehydrated, face breaking out, itcy and uncomfortable. Just lowered dosage...we'll see how it goes...Good Luck All!

[CrescentRoses]

I've been taken Zoloft for 3 1/2 years. First I was on 50mg and now that I'm done with counseling, I've upped it to 100mg, and honestly I don't feel any different. I feel like I'm on an emotional plateau where I am happy sometimes but then when it's over, I just go down to a range of "ok" to "angry" and "upset." Is this normal? Is it ok to try another anti-depressant?

I'm not sure if I even have depression anymore because I'm on the meds for it, but I know that without it, I don't know if I could cope with everything.