Barelas 24

Hello all,
I wanted to share my concerns and experiences with the Anti-Depressant medication Effexor. I have been taking Effexor for 2 days now. Yesterday, I had a severe reaction to the medication. The medication triggered a massive Anxiety Attack. I almost had a mental breakdown. I was ok in the morning, then about 2:00 pm, I started to shake. Then, my pupils dialated massively. Then, the anxiety set in. I started to feel uneasy, then, I started to shake more and I also couldnt seem to stay still or pay attention. Then, Depression set in. It didnt calm down until the evening. Additionally, I couldn't sleep while under this medication. I have since stopped taking the medication. It was the the worst Anxiety attack of my life. If you are taking the medication Effexor, be very careful. If I got this bad of a reaction, so, can you. Be careful. In my opinion, if you are taking this medication, stop it IMMEDIATELY.

Thank you,
Barelas24

twoboys

I'm not, and I assume you're not, a doctor and I personally have grave concerns about your instructions to readers to stop effexor immediately. I do not mean to minimize your bad reaction, and I am fully in agreement with you that what you experienced was a bad reaction to the drug, but please please do not use scare tactics that could really harm someone who is on the drug, needs the drug, and benefits from the drug. Whenever any of us take a new drug, we should be particularly attentive to side effects, and follow instructions with regard to dealing with them. And please be sure to talk with your doctor about these awful side effects, which are not unheardof with effexor and many other drugs, (ironically, including many that treat anxiety!). To anyone taking effexor, or for that matter any other drug for any other symptom or syndrome, please talk to your doctor before coming off cold turkey. Suddenly stopping some drugs cause life-threatening side effects.

eveie

I agree with two boys, but havent heard any thing GOOD about the drug effexor. Always talk to your doctor, about possible reactions and side effects, and I always have found that web md has a very reliable source of medical info, I verified this with my doctor. Any time you have a reaction to ANY medication , seek medical attention IMMEDIATELY! Talk to your pharmacist about other medications you are on for possible reactions to new medications, alot of the time they will catch these!! Thats all I had to add...

runningfree

I have been taking effexor for about a year and I did not experience any "reactions" that were really bad, but it didn't seem to be doing the trick. I have since added two new medications to the current effexor. I am with a new doctor since starting the effexor. This new doctor said that he does not prescribed effexor because of the side effects caused when coming off the medication. He clearly states that it can help people, but coming off of it is VERY hard. It is never good to stop a medicine, but one like this can be very damaging if not done correctly and with a doctor overseeing the process.
Good luck on your new medication.

Laura_298

I've been on Effexor for about two years. It really stabilized me and helped me in my state of really down, debilitated, angry, obsessive depression. I suffer from major depression for about 8 years and tried many other medications like Celexa, Paxil, Depacote, etc. no of which worked for me. But those will work for a lot of other people so I can't say what's right for somebody else. Effexor can be too stimulating for some people, but obviously not all. Works for me!
Just my two cents since I've experienced its effects for a while and never had that reaction. There is no right medication for everybody, it seems.

rock_bottom

hey, i am a new member. i have been taking Effexor for almost a year. yes, some freaky stuff can happen with that medication. it all depends on the person and what other medication it is being mixed with. if you don't mind me asking, do you take any other medications? i take lithium as well as effexor and they seemed to balance eachother out. also if you don't mind me asking, what milligram did you take and when did you take it? medication is very weird sometimes. i had major anxiety attacks with paxil. oh by the way, i take 75mgs of effexor and take it in the morning. enough about that, i just thought i might learn the details on your effexor. my name is seana, by the way

Morning Glory

Welcome Seana,

If your medication is working that's all that matters. I'm so glad you found the right combination for your needs.

I personally had a horrible experience with Welbrutrin, but others take it and it helps them a lot. That's why is so so important to keep your doctor informed of all side effects you experience. Even the anti-depressants have different ways of working for different people. Some anti-depressants calm you done, some assist with added energy and so on.

If you have any concerns about a medication that your General Practitioner prescribes than I always recommend an appointment with a psychiatrist for a medication review. They are the experts in that field.

Hugs,
MG

sidney

I tried effexor for about a month and was terribly sick. I had to wean myself off of it. The one thing I do know about it is you cannot just stop this med. You have to back off it very slowly. This is very important.

Sidney

junem

I take both effexor and wellbutren and would be in deep doo without it. I also take an antpsychotic to battle anxiety,hypervigalence and insomnia. The antipsychotic is nonaddictive and does the job of a mjor tranquillizer without the mood alterating addictive properties. I guess I am lucky because I have had no problems with my meds except some weight gain.

sidney

The antipsychotics are know for wieght gain. My son has gained a great amount of weight several times on different antipsychotics. I dont think its diet or exercise. I think it messes with your metabolism. You just have to decide whats importent to you. Jared is now on clozaril, which is the only one that has taken the edge off his psychosis. Quality of Life is the issue here.

Take care,
Sidney

novemberlady

I have started taking my effexor again (150mg) and I started having some of the same symptoms. My Shrink told me to take the pills in the morning when I wake up, not before bed. The symptoms that I had lasted only about a week. Unfortunately I never had a panic attack... but I did feel the depression hard in the evening. My doctor put me on Zoloft to help sleep when I needed it only... I personally like what effexor has done for me and I hope that thinks work out for you.Let me know how things work, sometimes your doctor will put you on something different or slowly increase your dose... good luck.

shutterbug

I too have been on Effexor (150mg) for more than a year now. In the last 7 years I've tried all kinds of anti-depressants. Some didn't work, others had bad side-effects for me, but mainly...I couldn't remember to take them everyday.

The side-effect that makes it hard to come off of Effexor suddenly is the side-effect that works to help remind me if I've missed a dose. I start feeling strange and I don't like that feeling so the sooner I take the missed dose, the sooner I feel better. It's worked like a charm for me.

Although, as far as treating the depression... first the improvements were very noticible and wonderful. Everything was going great. Then I started slipping into a deep depression that I am now struggling to get out of. I don't blame this on the Effexor because I went through the same thing 7 years ago. I do however think this sever depressive episode would have been far worse had I not been on the Effexor. I just haven't found the right dosage or combination yet I think.

shutterbug

I forgot to mention that Effexor can have another "good" side affect for people like myself. It can actually help you lose weight. Like I said, I've been on it about a year and the first 10 pounds I lost was due to my direct efforts to trim down...the next 35 pounds that I lost were by no means my doing. I just lost my appetite for weeks at a time (which I must admit could have been stress induced). But under the listing of side affects, it actually lists weight loss, which has been an unexpected, but very pleasing aspect for me.