Effexor question again

[Done_With_It]

Sorry guys, I know there's always question about effexor on here.

Just wondering if any of you on it have experienced getting really
tired, but not like normal tired, like abnormal sleep tired.

I've taken it before and it worked great, but this time something else
is going on with me, and I'm not sure yet if it's the effexor making me
this tired.

When I took it last time, I was addicted to diet pepsi, drank tons of it.
Now I don't drink cafeiine.

Just wondering if anyone had this same experience or not, no big
deal if not.

Yes, I'm under a doctors care, I'm just looking for answers myself as well.
Cause I'm sick of being so tired.

[Done_With_It]

Okay nevermind, I found my problem I think.

[Ten Chips Down]

Doners:

Knowledge is, honestly, more valuable than gold--even if anecdotal and pertaining to only one individual.

Experience gives us knowledge acquired firsthand.

Care to share the loot? (What did you find out.)

[OnRecoveryRoad]

I tried Effexor for two weeks. It did make me tired, but worse, it made me crazy!! I kept thinking about drinking constantly! I don't know how this drug changes the chemical in my brain, but it was scary how much I thought about alcohol. I got off this drug immediately.

Thankfully I was able to restrain myself from the monster!

[Ten Chips Down]

Amen to that ORR. The Beast, as I (and Rational Recovery) call it.

Going completely off my ADs for that 3 months (or 2 or whatever it was) did this to me:

After 10 freaking years, not only was I suffering some serious rebound depression, but I was thinking that 'at that rate', hell, going back to EtOH wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Anything which I sense is going to have me thinking like that--that drinking is an option on the table--I consider with the gravest of weight:

Probably never again in my life will I ever venture off ADs.... Can't afford to play in that arena.

[Nina Kay]

Hi Miss Done,
I don't know what you've figured out and I would be interested to know, but I can tell you that Effexor has given me that tired feeling when I've taken it at night before bed. I have to take mine first thing in the morning, in order to sleep well.

[BSPGirl]

Effexor fex0red me up (oh oh I'm lame today) lol

Marte

[Ten Chips Down]

^ LOL Uhhh. Yep, pretty lamers.

- -

I reckon Miss Done is electing not to share her find. Which really makes the post kind of pointless then, doesn't it?

Anyway. Just a peeve. Don't mind me.

[shutterbug]

Done...please share!

I've done really well with my depression on Effexor for quite some time now, but my sleep issues are another story.

To this point I have attributed my severe sleepiness and difficulty waking or staying awake....to my major depression/bipolar. But I'm not in the major depression anymore and still having off and on issues with this severe, unable to keep my eyes open, kind of sleepiness that's similar to narcalepsy....even though I don't have narcalepsy.

You may have something of a connection here....you've definetly got me thinking about it....that's for sure!

[fstedy62]

hi dun with it.i too am on effexor,im also onseroquel im bipolar and an alcohalic.at fist it was ok but the last few weeks ive been wanting to sleep frome like 10 at nite till 2 or soin the afternoon.it drives me crazy and i dont know what to do. god bless and be safe!!!!

[Ten Chips Down]

Tedy, first of all tell your prescribing doctor about this. Be very communicative. He cannot address what he doesn't know. (The doses may be too high. It could be a myriad of things.

And second, it is my great honor to be first to welcome you to SR!!

Ten
__________________

DYK?

Imipramine, namebrand Tofranil, the first successful TCA antidepressant synthesized in the '50s, actually remains the standard by which all new ADs are measured in efficacy. The advent of the newer SSRIs, etc., are "better" only in their side-effect profiles, some having virtually none, whereas the TCAs typically carry the unwanted side-effects of drowsiness, difficulty urinating and dry mouth, to name a few.

[fstedy62]

ten wentto the dr and he got me off the seroquel,i still take my effexor and lithium but the sleepiness is not as bad.thanks for your help!

[mikiglen]

hey, so what was the problem???
effexor did this to me, too, lol
what's my problem?
oh, nevermind, don't answer that....

[reader]

oh wow, I am Effexor's biggest Fan. I've tried almost all ADs and this one works great for me. I am addicted to coffee too, so that may have had something to do with your fatigue you may have been caffeine crashing. I take my dose at night and I am just great. Are you eating healthy and having a healthy lifestyle? I like lots of fresh air and my pets. Vitamins are great they can be like the fountain of youth. Do u exercise, that may help if u don't already!! Just some thoughts here. Take Care, Kerry

[Lady_Blue]

Hey all, I; too; an on Effexor XR (extended release) tabs. I take 300 mg. EVERY MORNING. My Dr. told me never to take it at night, that I would most likely have problems sleeping....and to TRY to take it at the same time everyday. I've been on it for several years. Thus; the higher dose. Could be; all of us are tired because of the time change? The "darkness" in the daylight makes me tired...maybe seasonal affective disorder? He**, 1 more "disorder"...to deal with; or not to deal with; is the question. I wish each & all of you well.

[stonespike]

I was on Effexor XR about a year ago. I took it for about a month, and just like ORR, I was constantly thinking about smoking. I couldn't stop. It would be on my mind all the time. i knew something was up, and this stuff was just bad news for me. If it works for somebody else, than thats great, but for me it just wasn't giving me that normal functioning human-being feeling. And this was before I tried quitting drugs. I was smoking cigarettes like crazy, and then on top of that... my mind was also extremely crazy and infatuated with marijuana too. It was insane for me to say the least.

And I gotta add that it actually gave me alot of anxiety! My hands would shake, I couldn't sit still, etc. Typical stimulant really. I felt like I was on Excstacy, but without the euphoria. I was on 37.5mg for the first week, and then my doctor(realizing now was a pill pusher who diagnosed whatever he could) raised me up like 125mg or something like that... it was just absolute craziness. That experience left a bad taste in my mouth regarding anti-depressants. I know it shouldn't totally keep me away from possibly finding something that works, but the experience was bad, and not forgotten.

I'm not currently on any AD's, although sometimes I think I should be. Those Oxy's really screwed up my brain chemistry. Even now. So, I know i'm depressed... and the anxiety can be unbearable at times. Something just isnt right...

[reader]

Wellbutrin works well for helping people quit or cut down smoking, my mother really likes it for that reason. Her depression is lifted too. U might want to think about it Stonespike if or when u are ready to try again, Kerry

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by Nina Kay

Hi Miss Done,
I don't know what you've figured out and I would be interested to know, but I can tell you that Effexor has given me that tired feeling when I've taken it at night before bed. I have to take mine first thing in the morning, in order to sleep well.

Nina, If they made you tired, how come you take them in the morning?

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by Ten Chips Down

^ LOL Uhhh. Yep, pretty lamers.

- -

I reckon Miss Done is electing not to share her find. Which really makes the post kind of pointless then, doesn't it?

Anyway. Just a peeve. Don't mind me.

You do know what the word assume means don't you.
I've been extremely sick and wasn't even on the boards at all.
Even if I had been, the end of my post said nevermind,
so chose to be peeved all you want that's your issue.

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by shutterbug

Done...please share!

I've done really well with my depression on Effexor for quite some time now, but my sleep issues are another story.

To this point I have attributed my severe sleepiness and difficulty waking or staying awake....to my major depression/bipolar. But I'm not in the major depression anymore and still having off and on issues with this severe, unable to keep my eyes open, kind of sleepiness that's similar to narcalepsy....even though I don't have narcalepsy.

You may have something of a connection here....you've definetly got me thinking about it....that's for sure!

We talked about this in pm's right? I may have more to tell you after this week.

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by fstedy62

hi dun with it.i too am on effexor,im also onseroquel im bipolar and an alcohalic.at fist it was ok but the last few weeks ive been wanting to sleep frome like 10 at nite till 2 or soin the afternoon.it drives me crazy and i dont know what to do. god bless and be safe!!!!

Oh gosh, I would bet that, that is the seroquel. I'm not a doctor, but they prescribe me the stuff to for sleeping, it's kind of a weird story cuz I'm supposed to mix mine with something else, but even if I just take a seroquel
it knocks me on my ass.

Be careful driving on that stuff, I reended someone on it, cause I was so tired.

Oh, just read your next post. Good for you, that stuff can be brutal when it comes to sleep.

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by mikiglen

hey, so what was the problem???
effexor did this to me, too, lol
what's my problem?
oh, nevermind, don't answer that....

Your so funny. I thought I figured it out, but then I found out
I was sick, so it might be from whatever this sick thing I have
is. So I didn't figure it out like I thought.

[Done_With_It]

Originally Posted by Lady_Blue

Hey all, I; too; an on Effexor XR (extended release) tabs. I take 300 mg. EVERY MORNING. My Dr. told me never to take it at night, that I would most likely have problems sleeping....and to TRY to take it at the same time everyday. I've been on it for several years. Thus; the higher dose. Could be; all of us are tired because of the time change? The "darkness" in the daylight makes me tired...maybe seasonal affective disorder? He**, 1 more "disorder"...to deal with; or not to deal with; is the question. I wish each & all of you well.

See, it used to work wonders for me,now I just don't know what is going on.
I'll try taking them same time and in the morning.
thanks!

[Nina Kay]

Miss Done,
That is so funny that things can sound so completely different than you mean them, when you leave things out. I meant that if I take the Effexor in the evening, I can't get to sleep and when I do, I don't sleep restful, so I am so tired and draggy all the next day, but if I take it in the morning, it does well for my depression and I can get to sleep that night. Thus, the Effexor causes me to be draggy and very tired all day, if I take it before bed the night before. I hope that you can understand this. LOL !!!

[sisterray]

I was on effexor for about 2 years. The doctor had to keep increasing the dose because I became so used to it that I needed more for it to work. Went off about a year ago when I was pregnant (I had gone off before for a few months too). I found that getting off, even slowly was hell. My nerves kept feeling like I was being zapped or something. I was tired and slow. I gained huge amounts of weight on it. I did a lot of research before going on it again after I had the baby, and realized I don't want to be on it again. The head zaps that I got if I forgot a dose, and the weight gain are common side effects. I talked to my doctor, and went on cymbalta, feel much better. He says it works much in the same way as effexor, but without the side effects. I am so glad! Lori