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What to do about my depression medicine?
I have been on effexor xr for almost four years now and my doctor put me on it not only for depression but for another disorder that has to do with my circulation. About six months ago I decided I wanted to get off the effexor and I tried decreasing my dose from 225 mg to 150 mg. I feel even more tired than before. Also, before I decreased the dose I started to get anxiety which I never did before, and now that I decreased the dose my anxiety is even worse, along with depression. Before I went on the medicine I was only mildly depressed so that is why I don't know what to do. My doctor told me to go back up to 225 and he gave me the dose for that but I actually have still only been taking the 150 without my doctors knowledge. I am scared to go back up to the dose because I am at such a low point and if my anxiety and depression does not get any better I will go insane. I already feel like I am going insane. Is it possible that I have built up a tolerance for my effexor? If I am becoming tolerant on it I want to get off of it. Should I try going back up to 225 or decreasing my dose even more?
Thanks for the advice!! At least now I don't feel so alone and that I'm not going crazy. So do you think that I just have built a resistance to effexor and this is why I am having all this anxiety and depression?
I am just nervous because I know it says on the bottle to talk to your doctor if you have suicidal thoughts while on this medication so that is what worries me. I'm scared that if I go back up to my 225 mg dose that there is a chance it will make me even worse. I guess I worry a lot.
I am just nervous because I know it says on the bottle to talk to your doctor if you have suicidal thoughts while on this medication so that is what worries me. I'm scared that if I go back up to my 225 mg dose that there is a chance it will make me even worse. I guess I worry a lot.
Yes, Effexor can absolutly lose it's theraputic effect over time in some people.
I happen to be one of those people.
I used to take 350Mgs Effexor XR a day for 4 years. Upon the 4th year I started to notice my Effexor was losing it's ability to fully control my severe depression and anxiety. Eventually it got to a point where it felt as if I was not taking the drug at all.
At that point I was tapered off and switched to another antidepressant which also stopped working in only two years.
At this point even antidepressant changes do not help much as my body has become almost completly resistant to all forms of antidepressants except the most powerful Tri-cyclics. Now I am starting to build resistance to even the Tri-cyclics.
That's why some people must break down and start taking MAOI's. They have no choice because they have simply built up a resistance to all other antidepressants.
Once you build resistance to MAOI's..... Well I'm not sure what one would do. Maybe ECT I guess.
I happen to be one of those people.
I used to take 350Mgs Effexor XR a day for 4 years. Upon the 4th year I started to notice my Effexor was losing it's ability to fully control my severe depression and anxiety. Eventually it got to a point where it felt as if I was not taking the drug at all.
At that point I was tapered off and switched to another antidepressant which also stopped working in only two years.
At this point even antidepressant changes do not help much as my body has become almost completly resistant to all forms of antidepressants except the most powerful Tri-cyclics. Now I am starting to build resistance to even the Tri-cyclics.
That's why some people must break down and start taking MAOI's. They have no choice because they have simply built up a resistance to all other antidepressants.
Once you build resistance to MAOI's..... Well I'm not sure what one would do. Maybe ECT I guess.
Hi again,
Yes 225 mgs of Effexor is not a big dose relatively. It is the generally accepted maximum that general docs, GP's should prescribe as it is a drug that requires expert knowledge above 225mgs.
When I started on it, 10 years back nearly now, I was on what you are but quickly had the dose upped to I think 450 initially, over a couple of weeks, and then eventually to 550 which lasted for a time until it petered out.
Many GP's give people 37.5 as a dose initially but that is generally because the doctor is not very experienced with the drug and is unsure of the depth of the problem as well. My own partner was given such and complained she felt nothing. She visits my doc with me often and he advised her to ask to go to 225 as she was seeing a GP at that time.
CLearly the usefullness of any med varies depending on the patient as another here has said. I have seen others write here and elsewhere that they've been on one med for 10 - 12 years as well. My own experience defies those statements of course so I tend to not think they are really providing therapeutic assistance for that many years on one med on the same dose.
Rather I think the comfort factor is at play for such people. They fear going off it, as I do too often, so they don't. I have to as, like the other writer here, when my meds peter out I know it big time and need to change quickly or head down the pit!
I'm not much help on the fatugue issue really as I don't really know the difference any more. You see I developed depression at age 10 but didn't know about it until 25 years later. All those years though I felt like I was wearing a lead coat. Lethargy plus!
Since finding out what it was etc all the meds and the depth of depression have always made me feel tired, exhausted and lethargic. So I can't tell what is responsible any more. It's just how I am is what I think really. Meds for life, tired for life. But OK mostly these days. Thank God!!
Yes 225 mgs of Effexor is not a big dose relatively. It is the generally accepted maximum that general docs, GP's should prescribe as it is a drug that requires expert knowledge above 225mgs.
When I started on it, 10 years back nearly now, I was on what you are but quickly had the dose upped to I think 450 initially, over a couple of weeks, and then eventually to 550 which lasted for a time until it petered out.
Many GP's give people 37.5 as a dose initially but that is generally because the doctor is not very experienced with the drug and is unsure of the depth of the problem as well. My own partner was given such and complained she felt nothing. She visits my doc with me often and he advised her to ask to go to 225 as she was seeing a GP at that time.
CLearly the usefullness of any med varies depending on the patient as another here has said. I have seen others write here and elsewhere that they've been on one med for 10 - 12 years as well. My own experience defies those statements of course so I tend to not think they are really providing therapeutic assistance for that many years on one med on the same dose.
Rather I think the comfort factor is at play for such people. They fear going off it, as I do too often, so they don't. I have to as, like the other writer here, when my meds peter out I know it big time and need to change quickly or head down the pit!
I'm not much help on the fatugue issue really as I don't really know the difference any more. You see I developed depression at age 10 but didn't know about it until 25 years later. All those years though I felt like I was wearing a lead coat. Lethargy plus!
Since finding out what it was etc all the meds and the depth of depression have always made me feel tired, exhausted and lethargic. So I can't tell what is responsible any more. It's just how I am is what I think really. Meds for life, tired for life. But OK mostly these days. Thank God!!
I think you've received some very good advise from the above posts. I was on Effexor myself for 5 years. Not as high a dose as your on, much lower. It took me a long time to taper. After being on it for 5 years it quit working and besides that it was causing alot of side effects. The best thing to do is taper very slowly. Your going too fast. When I was tapering off the Effexor I had terrible anxiety, I think that's fairly common. Keep us up to date on how your doing and don't go too fast on the tapering. Take care. Corena
I'd appreciate it if you could update me after a while and tell me if you still like being on pristiq. I have seen commercials about it and I'm curious how it is.
Thanks for the advice I appreciate it. Effexor has helped with my illness that I have in most ways. One of the problems is that with the illness I have, extreme fatigue comes with it and I am still just as tired being on the effexor and fatigue is sometimes a side effect to effexor.
But are you sure that 225 mg is not a big dose for effexor xr? I heard that 150 was the average dose people take and also my doctor told me that.
But are you sure that 225 mg is not a big dose for effexor xr? I heard that 150 was the average dose people take and also my doctor told me that.
This doesn't seem unusual. I have been on antidepressants for 15 years. Prozac worked the best for me but ever couple of yrs or so, i would have to take a break from it bc it seemed to quit working as well. So i'd go on effexor or celexa or lexapro or zoloft or wellbutrin or paxil (think ive tried all of them) but within a few months go back to prozac for a few more years. But the old prozac seemed to poop out again this month so my dr put me on the new "pristiq"! I have been on it a 10 days and i love it! So, maybe you just need to change meds for a while. Your dr will tell you how to decrease/replace the effexor. Good Luck!
Hi there,
Your basic question about are you tolerant by now. I'd say absolutely you are. To be on 225 mgs for 4 years is rather a long time and Effexor often only lasts about 6 months for people before it becomes tolerated.
We're all different of course but 225 is actually a lower dose and is tolerated quickly often.
Effexor is a very hard drug to come off so take all care in doing so. Often people come down by 37.5 mgs a week depending on how they feel and react but certainly a drop from 225 to 150 after 4 years would hit you quickly.
I would not go back up and I would not just stop. Instead I would change docs and get their advice as this doc seems to me to have let you swing in the breeze really.
You clearly agree with that as you are now not taking his advice so you doubt him don't you? When that occurs a change is needed as you can't trust them again and that will destroy and help you deserve, even if he has the best of intentions which I am sure he does.
Did Effexor help with the other problem at all? I assume it did if you took it for so long.
If you can't get to see another doc quickly ask the current one for something for anxiety, valiuym is good for 2 - 3 days only so don't expect that to help long term.
Effexor is actually one of the better treatments for both anxiety and depression and it may actually be the best for you right now. But not while you don't believe the doc. I was prescribed 550 mgs of Effexor the first time I used it so there is plenty of scope for inprovement, but a psychiatrist would have to prescribe that.
Your basic question about are you tolerant by now. I'd say absolutely you are. To be on 225 mgs for 4 years is rather a long time and Effexor often only lasts about 6 months for people before it becomes tolerated.
We're all different of course but 225 is actually a lower dose and is tolerated quickly often.
Effexor is a very hard drug to come off so take all care in doing so. Often people come down by 37.5 mgs a week depending on how they feel and react but certainly a drop from 225 to 150 after 4 years would hit you quickly.
I would not go back up and I would not just stop. Instead I would change docs and get their advice as this doc seems to me to have let you swing in the breeze really.
You clearly agree with that as you are now not taking his advice so you doubt him don't you? When that occurs a change is needed as you can't trust them again and that will destroy and help you deserve, even if he has the best of intentions which I am sure he does.
Did Effexor help with the other problem at all? I assume it did if you took it for so long.
If you can't get to see another doc quickly ask the current one for something for anxiety, valiuym is good for 2 - 3 days only so don't expect that to help long term.
Effexor is actually one of the better treatments for both anxiety and depression and it may actually be the best for you right now. But not while you don't believe the doc. I was prescribed 550 mgs of Effexor the first time I used it so there is plenty of scope for inprovement, but a psychiatrist would have to prescribe that.
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