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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
EFFEXOR
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
by Tammy, Feb 18, 2000 12:00AM
I HAVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION. I WENT TO A DOCTOR WHO PUT ME ON EFFEXOR, I WAS ON EFFEXOR FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS EVERYTHING WAS GREAT IT HELP SO MUCH. I FELT SO GOOD I STOP TAKING IT IN JULY OF THIS YEAR. BY OCT I COULD TELL IT WAS STARTING TO COME BACK THE ANXIETY AND THE DEPRESSION. I WAITED AS LONG AS I COULD. THEN I WENT BACK TO THE DOC AND WAS GIVEN SOME MORE. SAME DOSE SAME DRUG BUT THIS TIME WHEN I TOOK IT I HAD VERY VERY BAD SIDE EFFECTS FROM IT.WHAT CAUSE THIS AND IS THERE ANYWAY AROUND IT. IM AFRAID OF THE DRUG NOW AND ANY KIND LIKE IT. BUT IT HELP SO MUCH IN THE PAST. THE DOC HAS ME ON XANIA AND CLONPIN NOW WHICH DOES VERY LITTLE EXCEPT MAKE ME FEEL DRUGGED AND TIRED ALL THE TIME.CAN YOU GIVE ANY INFO TO HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND AND GET OVER THE FEAR OF THAT DRUGS AND THE ONES LIKE IT.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD-JM, Feb 19, 2000 12:00AM
Tammy,
It may be that the Effexor was started at to high of an initial dose. Even if you were taking 150 mg in the past you should be restarted on either 75 mg or possibly 37.5 mg to minimize initial adverse effects. Xanax or Klonopin may ease the transiton to the proper dose of Effexor. If this is not helpful then a trial of a different medication would be the next reasonable step. Please discuss this issue further with your physician(preferably your psychiatrist).
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Effexor, Effexor XR
It may be that the Effexor was started at to high of an initial dose. Even if you were taking 150 mg in the past you should be restarted on either 75 mg or possibly 37.5 mg to minimize initial adverse effects. Xanax or Klonopin may ease the transiton to the proper dose of Effexor. If this is not helpful then a trial of a different medication would be the next reasonable step. Please discuss this issue further with your physician(preferably your psychiatrist).
Sincerely,
HFHS MD-JM
Keywords: Effexor, Effexor XR
Member Comments (1)
by PamD, Feb 21, 2000 12:00AM
Tammy, I'm also on Effexor, and I know that if I get off it for any length of time, for whatever reason, I have to go slow starting up again. This is something that my psych told me in the very beginning. I was started at 37.5, and now I take 225 mgs. Talk to your psych, and be honest about being on and off your medicine. And try to find a way to take it every day without fail until you AND your psychiatrist agree for you to TAPER off of it. It's hard, believe me I know, but it's so important, not only for ourselves, but for our families, who can be the victims of our depression or anxiety.
