Effexor/Venlafaxine for MS fatigue?

[coco31]

Hi all,

I woke up yesterday morning with numbness all over left side of face and a slight droop. Saw neurologist today who said there was a small palsy there probably brought in by fatigue. He said steriods wouldn't be useful and prescribed me Venlafaxine for the fatigue. Upon reading dosage, instructions etc it looks like it is precribed for anxiety and deepression. Has anyone else been prescribed this for any other reason? I am not depressed or anxious but very fatigued......

Sharon.

[jojojo2323]

Well, Effexor increases your norepinephrine, aka adrenaline... more adrenaline means less fatigue. Maybe that's what they were thinking.

[HVAC]

I have been where you are. I felt like giving up. I felt like a burden to my husband. My husband let me know in no uncertain terms that he wants me around no matter what. I also distrusted mental health professionals. A friend of mine's husband was a psychiatrist. I started seeing him. he never labeled me beyond MS. He did get me on medications which helped with my depression. I have tried getting off of them then I get depressed and anxious again.
  
I was depressed since childhood. Now at 52 I am happy. On top of MS I do have a terminal cancer. I realize life is too short for me to allow my demons to control me. For me I would rather take a pill and not feel anxious or depressed. I used to think I was weak if I could not handle my own problems and that people would look down on me. Depression and anxiety are like having diabetes or high blood pressure. People need help for those things too.

It can get better. My GP deals with my depression and anxiety since the psychiatrist retired and I don't trust anyone else.

Alex

[Spqqk]

Hi,

I was diagnosed with cerebal RR ms in 1999 Its mild and I can manage most things if I avoid a few triggers. My Neurologist put me on Venlafaxine about 9 months ago for fatigue. It really has helped in reducing the tremors in my legs and with the general fatigue. Now the down side. As I write this 05/11/15 I am on a day off from work. I am having some serious mental problems that I do not feel I can talk about to anyone. I have vivid and weird dreams sometimes incredibly violent, like movies violent. Despite the fact I have a stable marriage and job etc I am having to find a reason every day not to end it. I do not fear death the only thing keeping me here is the pain it would cause my wife. No one else matters to me anymore I have broken all other relationships and abandoned all family and friends. I am seriously withdrawn. I cannot say this is all down to the Venlafaxine but I do not know what else it could be. I will not go to the doctor as I mistrust any mental health treatment and do not want to be labelled that way. I believe it is only a matter of time for me now. If I am right then don't take this medication. There are so many chemicals in the brain, the doctors may mean well but its like a child with a scalpel in a miriad of complicated cells. They have no idea what they are doing. Its a best guess scenario.
Good luck.

[kwarendorf]

Hi Tim- Welcome to our group.

Sadly, twopack passed away last year. She was a great presence here and is fondly missed.

I would encourage you to Post a Question and tell us a little bit about why you think you may have MS. We're a pretty friendly bunch :-)

Kyle

[Chipbone]

Hi twopack, I know your comment was written a number of years ago, but I am very interested in what you have written, in regards to my own symptoms...

' Is sensation normal in your tongue?  Is your sense of taste effected?  Is there any change in tear or saliva production?  Is there any pain in or behind your ear? '

I am experiencing all of the above - and more - and have also been prescribed Venlafaxine, as of today, whilst further investigations are taking place.

Why did you ask these questions, and what's the correlation with Venlafaxine?

I have an inkling that I have MS, but the Neurologist has given little away.

Hope you are still out there and able to offer me a reply.

Thanks,
Tim

[twopack]

Hi Sharon,

I don't know why Effexor was ordered for you.  I do wish the physician had told you what he hopes to see from this therapy.  It's a good reminder for us all to ASK QUESTIONS at the time of our appointment.  This isn't done to challenge physicians but to let them know we need/want to be educated about our personal health care and maintenance.

It's just my personal opinion that anti-depression drugs are way over-prescribed.  They can be very effective in treating a variety of symptoms yet they seem to often be prescribed simply because there is no other specific drug the doc can think of that might help.  Then the patient isn't monitored well and they stop taking the drug before it has a chance to work OR they continue to take it long term even though it is offering little or no benefit to counteract the side effects.

I'd be interested to know if you can close your left eyelid completely.  You will need another person or a hand held video to research this accurately.  Is sensation normal in your tongue?  Is your sense of taste effected?  Is there any change in tear or saliva production?  Is there any pain in or behind your ear?  Are you diagnosed with MS?  How long did your neuro say he expected this side effect of fatigue to last?  How long before he is interested in seeing you again?

Whatever the cause of this palsy, please be sure to take care of your eye.  If it isn't closing completely you may need to tape it shut or cover it while sleeping.  You may need artificial tears to keep that eye normally moist. You would also need to protect it from irritating dust, wind, and sunlight.

Here's hoping this resolves quickly for you.
Mary