alcohol and effexor

[effexor girl]

AnnaDowles wrote:

I find some information about Effexor (Venlafaxine) at http://venlafaxine.biz There is description of side effects, dosage, using of this medicine. Hope it will be useful.

If you want information go to effexoractivist.org all you could ever want to know and more.
a live chat on the subject at tribe.net effexor

a search on paxilprogress.org will net tons of hits from people who have lived it

[KCP]

my doctor added 75mg of effexor when i was in the hospital and it kicked in in just over a week and I woke up one day on the ward and felt like my old self. I drink less than I did before my hospital stay and rarely do anything impulsive. My only complaint is constipation which I can deal with.

[Photi]

I too get NA beer. To make it more "bitter" like "real" beer, I put in some drops of Grapefruit extract. Healthy, too; even with Xanax or other drugs neutralized by regular grapefruit.(Extract is different, trust me, I know-- my Xanax works fine!)
I don't drink it all the time, but it helps with the craving for a tall cold bubbly bitterish drink. The buzz is missing, but sometimes that's not the point but the taste IS!!
Best to all.
Photi

[Photi]

I have been weaning cold turkey from Effexor 37.5 for 9 days. Ability to really feel (laugh & cry as well as become sexually aroused) has returned.
Likewise so has some aching and subdued mood when tired but THAT'S WHAT'S NORMAL TO FEEL, RIGHT?!
"Electricity" (feel and sound) in my head is going away, as is the lack of balance and nausea that was strong on the third day.
Noticed that sleep was difficult on the 3rd day, but has gotten better since.
I am working fine and have normal energy and mood.
This was a support med for Hep C chemo for the past year or so and I am now virus free and so very healthy compared to before.
Life is good. Take care all.
Photi

[Photi]

Kathy wrote:

<quoted text>
That is one of the problems. When I was on effexor I drank three large glasses of red wine every night. I had gained 50 pounds and I was beginning to worry that I would not be able to stop drinking. I craved tha alcohol. Once I stopped taking the drug, my cravings for alcohol subsided and in fact, I can't really tolerate more than one or two drinks and then only once in a while.

I believe I was craving alcohol on Effexor as well. When I would drink I would just relax and pass out-- great feeling while on Hep C chemo which kicks one's butt and doesn't feel good.

[Nicole]

i have been on effexor 75 mg and now raised to 112.5mg and i also am taking Lorazapam 1 mg three times a day... i was a heavy drinker and quit about a year ago COLD TURKEY went through withdrawls and everything... now i am wondering if a couple glasses of wine on a saturday would hurt me to drink i dont want to get drunk just not feel like a loop when out with my friends and fiance who will drink on occasion CAN SOMEWONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOMETHING? And by the way i have recoverded from the panic/anxiety about90%

[btdt]

SSRi's and Alcohol
__________
http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/2009/11...d-alco...

An interesting pdf file was sent to me from a fellow advocate last night. I only have the summary but it throws light on the subject of consuming alcohol whilst on SSRi's.

The findings:

from
Abstracts of the 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry, Paris, June 2009

P-10-004
Violence as a side - effect of antidepressants: Provocation by alcohol
David Menkes
University of Auckland, Waikato Clinical School, Hamilton, New Zealand
Andrew Herxheimer

Objectives: Based on case-reports and epidemiological data, we reported the rare induction of serious violence by antidepressant treatment (PLoS Med 3(9): e372). Given alcohol’s prevalence and tendency to disinhibit behaviour, we studied its association with SSRI-induced violence.

Methods: We analyzed some 200 cases drawn from our medicolegal practices, web-based patient discussion lists, and ADR reports to government authorities in Canada and the USA. Assessment was based on standard criteria for drug-effect causality (CIOMS), taking into account apparent sources of bias.

Results: A distinct syndrome of uncharacteristic disinhibition with alcohol was detected in 40 individuals of either sex during treatment with SSRIs or venlafaxine. Outcomes included 12 homicides (2 of which were double), suicide, serious assault, unintended sexual intercourse, and other damaging or markedly embarrassing social behaviour. In the majority of cases, memory for the episode was lacking, often completely so. For most individuals, modest or usual amounts of alcohol were involved, with evidence that these had been well tolerated before antidepressant treatment,and after its discontinuation (challenge-dechallenge). In several cases, re-exposure to the same or related antidepressant reproduced the phenomenon (rechallenge).

Conclusions: We identify a distinct and forensically important interaction between alcohol and SSRI antidepressants. Aggregated pharmacovigilance data (in preparation) corroborate the existence of this phenomenon. We suggest that antidepressant product warnings regarding alcohol, hitherto non-specific and unhelpful, will need to be reconsidered.
__________
Fid

http://fiddaman.blogspot.com

[Photi]

Ya know, I just don't think that all these mood drugs are getting us where we want to be unless they are conscientiously monitored by patient, doctor & family-- probably most especially family (including friends) as they are the ones who are around us the most especially when using alcohol, probably...?
Everyone take care, drink NA if you have to drink!(But just the beer-- NA wine is horrible!!)
Best,
Photi

[pmd]

Stephanie wrote:

<quoted text>
First, I would like to say that I'm sorry some of you had such terrible reactions to Effexor. I have been on effexor for a little over two months and I LOVE it!!!
I have a long history of depression and have tried paxil, celexa, wellbutrin, combo of celexa and lamictal.... they didn't work. Now I am on 75mg of Effexor and 100mg of lamictal and I feel GREAT. I actually take showers and "do" my hair and makeup, I dress up, and, get this.... I leave the house!!! If I have to stay on this for the rest of my life I do not care. It beats feeling the way I did for so long. I wanted to die. Now I am back to feeling how I used to feel before major depression took hold.

I agree, but am also new to the drug...the shower and hair thing hit-home here! Thanx for that in the midst of all the negativity...

[pmd]

thanx for ONE ray of hope in all the negativity...I also think effexor has helped me alot so far. The shower and do-your-hair thing really hit-home here!

[btdt]

AT the start of using effexor most people love it this is known as the honeymoon period. I am glad you have the benefit of others experience and are reading here so you know what can happen that is something I did not get to do. It is still your and your doctors choice. I will say one more thing there are other biological causes of depression look them up see if you were tested for them before being given effexor seems that is the least you could ask your doc for could be you need a vitamin like B12 or thyroid just a thought.
There are other ways of treating depression did you have any other choices offerred or just a pill. I was only offerred a pill didnt know there were other things at least you are informed.

[effexor girl]

I would like to add that the reason I was first put on an antidepressant was for nerve pain in my leg after a car accident. The depression came after a severe adverse reaction to prozac 18 years later I was still on one effexor. I had gone off the antidepressants many times over the years and always ended up back on as I was told there was no withdrawal so when it hit I doctors took that as a sign I needed the meds again and of course it worked getting the drug again will always stop withdrawal. Then effexor turned on me(tolerance) made me not only crazy but sick too. Until I got sick I thought I would just have to take a pill for the rest of my life but I had to choose... sick really frinkin sick like dying or quit. I was afraid to quit but had too.
After 8 months of cold turkey I found paxilprogress.org and started reading the pieces started to fall into place. It is a gradual process learning about these meds and seeing time and again the same issues you will learn if you are lucky that ...it is the drugs.

[Carly]

It seems like some people are happy with this drug and others miserable. I wonder if it makes a difference if it is given for depression or anxiety. It seems like the people treated for depression think its good the ones for anxiety hates it. Does anyone see this correlation.

[Carly]

pmd wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree, but am also new to the drug...the shower and hair thing hit-home here! Thanx for that in the midst of all the negativity...

Cant agree more when the simple things like being clean becomes a chore there's something wrong. There was a time I wouldn't go out without a manicure and pedicure now i dont care if Ive showered. But apparently depression is all in our minds ya right.

[cristina]

Stephanie wrote:

<quoted text>
First, I would like to say that I'm sorry some of you had such terrible reactions to Effexor. I have been on effexor for a little over two months and I LOVE it!!!
I have a long history of depression and have tried paxil, celexa, wellbutrin, combo of celexa and lamictal.... they didn't work. Now I am on 75mg of Effexor and 100mg of lamictal and I feel GREAT. I actually take showers and "do" my hair and makeup, I dress up, and, get this.... I leave the house!!! If I have to stay on this for the rest of my life I do not care. It beats feeling the way I did for so long. I wanted to die. Now I am back to feeling how I used to feel before major depression took hold.

i know exactly what you mean about doing your hair and make-up! i feel alive again and i feel like i am finally the person i always thought i was, but depression never allowed me to be. I've been on effexor for about 2 months now 112.5 mg. i've had some very mild side-effects in the beginning but they have vanished. what seems to come up a lot in this forum are the alcohol-related black-outs. i must say i've been having problems with that, too. i used to have a very high tolerance for alcohol but now even just a few drinks knock me out. the solution is that i drink much much less and less often and it works!

am am able to focus and because i am not depressed anymore i can feel a multitude of feelings again!

i agree that all medications come with risks and the side effects are truly individual but i think people should also be able to read the good parts of the story. it's mostly the unhappy people that want to complain, people that have good experiences don't necessarily feel the need to post it on a forum

effexor helped me enormously!

[btdt]

Honey moon period it will pass. There was a time I liked it so much I recommended it to people hence some of my relatives are now taking it. I feel like such a shit for that as they are now in trouble but as of yet do not believe it is the effexor seems like me they have to try everything else before they let the beloved drug go. I just hope they don't go as far south as I did. To make up for it I have turned a few people off effexor and other antidepressants maybe that will in some way make up for the bad karma of once recommending it.
At least you guys know what to look out for and KNOW the problems these type of drugs can cause so you are way ahead of me and many others who just believed what the doctors said. good luck to you

[leaving effexor]

Stay safe if you do try to drink while on effexor (even though you aren't supposed to). While I was taking the drug I developed an alcohol problem and was raped three times when I was blacked out from the effexor/alcohol combo. I am tapering off this medication and can't wait until I'm completely free of it.