is anyone taking or tried effexor xl

Hi Nanas4

I take 225mg of Effexor xl for GAD and depression and did get side effects when i started taking this medication but these did ease after a few weeks. Like most antidepressants effexor takes upto 6-8 weeks to have any positive affect, It is an SNRI and is usually prescribed for people who have tried other medications with out success. We are all different and what works for one person may not work for an other so chat it through with your doctor also Effexor is one of the harder medication to get off. I personally have not had much luck with antidepressants and I have a meeting with my pdoc to discuss some other options as my circumstances are changing. I hope you have success with Effexor and take care.

Ben

I was on Effexor XL for almost 2 years at a really low dose for my IBS/anxiety - 75mg daily. I liked it a lot while I was on it. It helped curb a lot of my anxiety and I think that helped control my IBS somewhat. I eventually went off of it because I (1) felt better (2) was still having a lot of diarrhea and figured the meds weren't helping as much as I would have liked and (3) I was gaining weight from it- 10 lbs. Another thing that bothered me, at the time I was not good about taking my meds at the same time every day. If I missed a dose of Effexor and took it a few hours later or missed one entirely, I got the brain shivers and a horrid headache. That was rough for me.

However, it never made me feel tired or listless. I had lots of energy. It barely affected my sex drive. The first few weeks were rough adjusting to the meds. I definitely had side effects, namely insomnia, diarrhea and headache. And I am not going to lie, the withdrawal for me was awful!! But, everyone is different of course. Plus, with your doc's help, you may be able to wean with very little problems if you ever have to.

If I were in your shoes and was needing/wanting meds, I would try it. You don't know unless you try, right? I have a friend that switched from something else..might have been paxil in fact...to effexor and she said she didn't have adjustment side effects. So, perhaps you may not even feel a change.

Good luck to you no matter what you choose to do!

 

I was on Effexor a few years ago and it worked wonderfully! My anxiety was under control. Of course during stressful situations I had the usual feelings, but that's normal. I felt so good that I decided to wean from it. I don't like taking meds unless I really need them. What I did was taper off the 75 mg per day by taking it every other day for like 2 weeks. Then every 3 days for about a week or two I think. This was at my doctor's suggestion. I don't remember having any terrible withdrawal symptoms or anything.

I was off all meds for about 2 years, and last month my anxiety came back full force. :( I am back on the Effexor. Just started week 3. I was having insomnia so the Effexor isn't really doing that to me, but it did last time. That subsided in about 2 weeks from what I remember. I do get headaches normally, but do feel a bit more achey lately. Not sure if it's the meds, the weather, or just my stress level. Probably a combination of all. The only weird side effect that I'm really noticing is that my pupils are larger and sometimes not exactly even. The pharmacist said that will subside after a few weeks.

Good luck to you!!! Sometimes it takes trying a few things until you find what works the best for you.