feeling very discouraged :(

can you try a moodstabilizer like lamctil to go withit?

Just ask your doc.

Peace and strength
Trina

You can take up to 375 mg of Effexor. I had to. But I don't think you can go much higher. If any.

I started taking a mood stabilizer when I took Effexor. It not only stabilizes your mood, but it makes the antidepressant work better. I would talk to your doc about an increase or adding something to the mix.

I took Effexor for 15 years and it worked well for me. It is expensive though. And it sounds like the generic isn't the same as the brand name, but that happens with a lot of medications. Though they say it is the same.

I hope you find what works for you.

Hugs, Karen...

I take effexor along with abilify and it works good, my dr wants to up my dose of effexor as I'm still on a low dose (37.5mg) but with the abilify it works good. Can you ask your dr to maybe add abilify for me I won't do without it, it works wonders.

Thanks you all. I appreciate your help.
Geez I used to be so strong and confident. I forget how much anxiety and depression can rob us of that.
I keep hoping the old tough mama will return, and I know she's there somewhere! I really hoped that I was on the road to recovery. It sure is discouraging to say the least, but I will keep fighting until I win.

I'm wondering if an antidepressant at a too high dosage could have opposite effects of what it's supposed to do.

My dr upped my paxil dosage from 30 to 40mg and I swear I got more depressed. I went back down to 30 and felt almost instantly better, although it's still not where I'd like to be, because i'd like to be myself again and back to normal. Right now I hover between 70-80% of myself.

I'm wondering if maybe going down to 20mg would make me feel better; my pdoc suggested it but i'm scared that I may get worse. What do you guys think?

Does anyone have experience with a higher dosage causing more depression/anxiety, and lowering it helping?

i'm pretty much the same. The gene test came back that I metabolize pretty much all medicines great except wellbutrin. I just don't know how long I should give the paxil. It's been 3 months and although I can function, I feel very little joy in anything I do. I have some good days, but mostly they're "blah"

Have you tried other medications than what you are on? SNRI's or something?

I don't want to hijack Coopsmom's thread. Would you like to start one of your own? We can discuss this on that one if you want. There are many types of antidepressants. I was wondering what you have tried.

Hey, so I have ... Get ready .. Ok RA/ OA/FM/ osteroperoisis, eczema ( fun) , brusitis in hips and shoulders , tore my rotator cuff, ah sometimes I forget everything that's going on with me. Please note I didn't say WRONG with me. See too often we go into the doctor to find out that something is wrong with us. And now my rhummy wants me to see a psychiatrist. I seem to have major depression. No S. Sherlock ? So I have been all kinds of antidepressants I remember Effexor. It made me feel twitchy. I didn't like it and the twitchy feeling got worse if I missed a dose. The best way to describe it was like the record that is my brain just skipped. Keep talking to your doctor and be honest don't try to make them feel like the miracle worker( oh doc I'm all better now yippee) tell them your not happy with it and tell them why. Don't worry you have like 1000 of people out there just like you who are wondering why am I not getting the results promised. I have to laugh because I have RA and I see these commercials on TV about this drug or that and they show people building playgrounds horseback riding etc << if they could really promise results they would show people using dental floss, sissors , and doorknobs, hair brushes, shoe laces I could go on and on remember also that a drug rep visits your doctor and gives them the run down ( they are in SALES !) so it may take several tries to get you where you feel better. Sometimes your meds have to change. With me it took Zoloft for me to feel confident about talking honestly to my doctor because before I was like a clam keeping it all in, now the Zoloft isn't helping me per se so now they want me to see the psychatrist to see if that can help me deal with both pains the ones on the inside and the ones on the out side. I hope you feel better. I really do. Because I have lived with pain and the depression with it so long I really don't know what to hope for anymore. I know it's cleche but chin up.

Good morning Lisa, Sherlock, and Keaz...

How are you all today???