Flatness with Effexor

[AnnieUnix]

Hi -

I take 375mg of Effexor RX a day. It's helped a lot over the past 6 years. But I found I no longer feel joy or despair, in fact I feel mostly flat. My therapist said we could try some other drugs, but I hate to experiment. I've been on Effexor since I got sober, and I fear going to the miserable place I was should something new not work at all.

Plus, I still feel the need to sleep a lot, which is a common side effect.

Anyone have this experience with Effexor, and have any suggestions as to what can be done?

Annie Unix

[C61]

Annie,

I take the same amount of Effexor plus 200 mg. of Wellbutrin per day and have similar symptoms. I have just been sober for four and a half months. I was on the effexor before. I am really happy with the way I feel compared to before, but I can see how I would want something better in the future. I do want to sleep too much.

Like you I don't want to experiment especially until I have some more time sober.

After I detoxed I had little trouble staying sober. I don't know whether that has anything to do with the medication or whether my primary problem with depression rather than alcohol.

Clark

[DietCoke]

Hello,

About five years ago I was in a major depression over my divorce. I had my shrink put me on Prozac. It worked within two days. However, I felt absolutely nothing about nothing. I am very laid back and my emotional/mental state is always usually steady, but I did get pissed off or happy when the occasion arose. After a couple weeks, and sleeping a lot and the "sexual side effects"(basically impotence), I got doc to give me something else, which was effexor. It was worse than the prozac. So, I took the advice of a friend, and "got the hell over it."

I know this is not much help, but I'm just letting you know that I have had similar experiences with the same drugs. I wish you all well and good luck!