effexor -long term effects

[E-JS]

Cindy wrote:

Hi, I think it's time to share my story with the rest of you...I've been taking 225 ml of Effexor since 8-05 and the only thing it has done for me is add on pounds that I don't need! My doctor has added 10 ml of Lexapro to the mix and I need to take Rozerem to sleep. I made a decision a few days ago to just STOP the pills. I feel like I'm trying to recover from a weekend drunk, and my heart feels like it's missing beats. I'm only 5'2 and have no room for anymore weight, not to mention a closet full of clothes that no longer fit. If anyone has a suggestion about what my next move should be please share.
Funny, I went to see the doc because of fatigue, I was and still am VERY tired, so because I'm tired they decided I must be depressed. I guess if you hear it long enough you believe it and now I have more pills on hand then my pharmacy!

This is a very dangerous thing to do! You could have a withdrawl seizure. Never stop taking all your meds at once like that! Please see the doctor for a guideline for reducing your meds gradually. I am a psychiatric nurse.
Good luck.

[paulette]

I had take effexor for a year and half and as you said i have very often pain on my back muscles. my doctor also told me that could be fibromalgya. when i wake up in the morning is when i have the worst pain, so i stretch and do some yoga movements. it works.

[noams999]

Hi I have been taking Effexor xr for the past two years for anxiety and depression, from the beginning I have suffered from multiple side effects all of which I was happy to put up with if it meant I was able to one day be free from my illness. But now that I am well the side effects are causing me to question my reasons for staying on the drug for maintenance purposes.

from day one I experienced brain zaps and chills, extreme nausea and tiredness. I have had on going problems with memory, have black outs and I wake up in a cold sweet often. Lately I have been getting aching muscles in my neck and back and i have been having trouble with weight gain. I believe this drug changed my personality and I feel like I have been trying to find myself.
I have tried giving up a few times but the pain and nausea got over bearing and having a lack of supportive people around me, being a single mother I chose to go back on the drug. I would like to give up more than anything and am about to give it another go, I have heard that some people take a few grains out of the pill each day to slowly lower the dose, I will give that a go.
Advice to any one who is about to take this drug, it may help your depression and anxiety but you will end up with a new illness in the end ( drug dependancy)

[permanent weightgain]

THE WEIGHT GAIN IS PERMANTENT!
My story is the same as all of yours. Its been 8 months since I stopped taking efexor and Im not taking anykind of medicine. I consulted so many doctors to find the answer why I could not lose the efexor weight. Eventually, I was refered to a hospital. The doctor was really nice and understandig. He did some reports exactly on this matter actually. Unfortunately, he told me the weight gain from paxil/efexor ( these were the ones he mentioned) is permantent in most cases and that there is nothing to do about it.Nothing! After saying that I didnt listen as I was so choked and miserable! So can't tell you what the exact reason is, but it was something about leptin. I will call him on monday and ask him again and I will post the answer.
I have almost been suicidal because of this weight gain. I used to be anoretic, but weight is still a huge deal for me. I tried to starve myself but nothing I did made me drop the efexor weight - on the contrary I am still gaining. Im sorry to read that so many people are affected by this problem. I feel for all of you. I know what you are going through.

[Debby]

Georgette wrote:

I have been on Effexor for about two years and it has helped my anxiety and IBS tremendously. I have, however,gained about 25 pounds. I also have slowly developed severe muscle pains which the doctors cannot explain other than fibromyalgia. I am wondering if anyone else has developed muscle pains while on Effexor. I hope to wean off in a few months but I am very concerned due to the problems others have experienced.

I have also had severe food cravings gained at least 25lbs, headache, muscle ache,(i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia prior to effexor)sex drive way down, skin itching,dizziness, irratability, and shocky feelings (feels like my body cant keep up with my brain) As I post this I am on the way to my doctors as i have been called in because of test results. I have kept all these symptoms to myself because no other docter has asked.(im forced to go to walk-in clinic because of shortage of doctors)Please anyone out there complain your doctor doesnt know unless you tell him.(right now im scared?

[Debby]

E-JS wrote:

<quoted text>This is a very dangerous thing to do! You could have a withdrawl seizure. Never stop taking all your meds at once like that! Please see the doctor for a guideline for reducing your meds gradually. I am a psychiatric nurse.
Good luck.

For Gods sake Cindy go to your doctor immediatly. I have been on a lot of different meds over the yrs and no not to ever go off without doctors concent. They cant help you if you dont say anything. I have always advocated to anyone I know with any kind of mental health issue to speak up, it is your body and you are not complaining

[Nate B]

This is a miracle drug. I had severe, severe depression and after trying gorilla doses or Prozac to no avail, i was started on Effexor XR. I have been taking 300mg/day for the past year and it brought be back from the brink. I have experienced 0 fluctuation in weight, no sexual side-effects (outside of lasting longer... which isnt bad at all), and I feel great.

The only annoying side effect I can notice is that you sweat a hell of a lot. But, certainly worth it for the benefit. MIRACLE DRUG. I sh*t you not. Don't let the 'horror stories' on this site scare you, 50% of the people who are prescribed anti-depressants dont need them because they dont actually have a chemical imbalance, and the other half of the remainder don't necessarily respond to drugs the way you would. GIVE IT A CHANCE if you need it.

[debby]

i have been on 450mg of effexor for 4yrs i also take 450 of trazedone to sleep. I have all the side effects and am tired of them. Ive recently had my doctor lower my dose to 300 and have an appointment to see a phychiatrist to find out what it is I really need. My proplem is i stopped saying anything and just lived with whatever. I want to feel normal whats the point of being on an antidepressant if youre depressed all the time?

[Lis]

I am going through the same thing! I finally found a reason for my weight gain and loss of energy. I used to be very active and always at the gym. I NEVER took naps, now I have traded the gym for naps. I love sleeping. I have gained tons of weight and have to motivation because I have no energy. I now know why all this is happening to me.

[ronFROMgoldcoast]

weight gain hasn't been a problem for me, but decresed libido and an increase in the amount i sweat is deffinitely something i have noticed. ive been taking 3 75 mm/day for about 8 months and it's worked pretty well. thinking of switching to paxil after hearing how well it works for anxiety which is really what bothers me more than anything still.

[Kelly]

I have been on Effexor since I was about 20, and I am 28 now. Doctors put me on meds for Bi-polar when I was 15!! I have noticed, and do not enjoy (neither does my fiancee) the lack of interst in sex. I have no appatite, and when I do miss a dose, I am useless and need to stay home until I get back on the meds. I too am sleepy all the time, and my doctor wanted to put me on Provigil to keep me awake, but I already hate medicating myself.

[j j j]

It has been 1yr since I came off effexor. I had the side effects if I missed a dose by a few hours. Brain zaps, dizzy, spaced out feelings, feelings of depression for no apparetn reason. I had tryed reducing that amount slowly.The side effects are the same, so in the end I went cold turkey. I had 4 days in bed. Brain zaps were knarly, dizzy, sick,thought I had lost my mind. It took a week until I felt alot better. The first 2-4 days are the worse. I had strong urges to give in and take the pills again. Its evil stuff. The brain zaps slowly go, the fog slowly lifts. The withdraws are bad, but they do go! have hope!

[peanuts]

WOW!!! Reading all of your posts has been really wild! I have been on Effexor XR since 2000 and have experienced some of these withdrawl symptoms just from forgetting a dose! My question is: Has anyone tried to go from the brand version to the generic version and back again? I am experiencing HORRIBLE constipation and weight gain and am wondering if this has anything to do with the change around... I am also experiencing "side effect" feelings now that I am on the brand version now (the generic was not XR and I had to take 2 doses per day for a total of 200 mg a day). I have never really had any major side effects so, I was ok with all of this until I was reading this site. Now I don't know what I think! I wish I didn't need it but, I do...

[Woman55]

Georgette wrote:

I have been on Effexor for about two years and it has helped my anxiety and IBS tremendously. I have, however,gained about 25 pounds. I also have slowly developed severe muscle pains which the doctors cannot explain other than fibromyalgia. I am wondering if anyone else has developed muscle pains while on Effexor. I hope to wean off in a few months but I am very concerned due to the problems others have experienced.

Yes, I have taken Effexor for about 19-years. I had muscle pains and was told it was Fibromyalgia, Until I went to a GOOD Neurologist and found out that my pain and weakness was due to Post-Polio-Syndrome (PPS). Due to having polio as a child. To my knowledge I have had no adverse side effects from Effexor. I have tried to get off of Effexor several times. But, each time the withdrawals were very bad and I became even more depressed and had to get back on Effexor. Good luck to you.

[Patty]

I have been on 150 mg for about 4 years now and the weight gain is out of control.You take a drug for depression but then you gain so much weight your depressed. I am willing to try and start to wean myself off but can anyone tell me that if the weight came off once you stopped the meds? I know a lot of you said you were tire taking the drug and I am too but I have to sometimes think that is because of the weight.

[permanent weightgain]

Its very different. Some people loose the weight - some dont! I am one of the them that will not loose the weight gained from Effexor. Pls read my contribution above.
Good luck to you. I hope you find out what is the best for you.
Cheers

[alpinist]

I have to throw in here.

I've been taking 150mg or Effexor XR for over 10 years. I am in great shape, if I do say so myself. I am 49, run marathons and duathlons, and bike race, and rock climb.

I had terrible side effects with Zoloft and Prozac.

No problems with Effexor.

I did recently have a couple of episodes of hypomania. My doc said my increased activity level this last year or two may be the cause. A week ago he lowered my dose from 150mg to 75mg. Few problems except 'brain shivers' for a few hours on the second day - no big deal. A little moody, a bit deoressed yesterday morning. But I expected to see a difference after taking that for so many years, then suddenly changing the dosage.

I'm just hoping he plans to wean me off of it completely sometime in the next year or so. If he doesn't bring it up, I will.

[Karen]

I am on day 8 without effexor. I have head zaps and crying spells and sweating. No sex drive yet, but i am keeping my fingers crossed on that coming back soon.(so is the hubs) How long does this crap take to really "get out of your system"?

I weened from 50mg to 25mg to 12.5 mg to half of that. Then I went every other day for a few weeks. I just stopped taking it 8 days ago. After 6 years on this, it is HARD!!!!

I will take any advice or suggestions anyone has on how to get through this last part. I am trying to stay strong and not cave in for feeling "normal" and taking any effexor. I have come too far.

I HATE EFFEXOR!!!!

[Patty]

Did you ever call the doctor to find out why the weight gain would be permanent? I am facing the same problem and trying to decide the lesser of the 2 evils:

1) Take Efferox and be depressed about the way you look (fat).
2) Don't take efferox and be deprssion in general

[nikki]

I took effexor for a year and half for depression and anxiety as well. It did work for all of that off and on for a few months. Then the effects seemed to wear off. But every time I went to the doctor he would up the dosage or add something else. He tried concerta and abilify. I hated the abilify, it made the weight gain way worse. So I stopped and the weight gain seemed to slow. I started going to the gym, but my motivation to continue seemed to disappear. It was crazy because I thought it was due to my hubby being in Korea for a year. Then when he came back and we moved to Vegas, it got worse. I had no desire for sex, was feeling even worse about myself and my marriage, and had the worse fights with him that caused us to separate for the summer. I went back to the doctor who upped the dose AGAIN and added klonopin and trazadone. They helped me through the separation. Me and my husband worked through our issues because I was feeling so much better. I was back in the gym every day, lost 15 pounds. Not to mention not eating all the time!! I am now back home, and since I ran out of the meds and wasn't able to be seen for another few weeks decided to go off effexor completely. I have had some serious withdrawl syptoms. I thought I was crazy till I cam to this site. I was experiencing the brain zaps and still am but could not explain it properly till I came here. I have had the craziest dreams, been extremely hot all the time, and all I want to do is cry. I left the house today and was really irritated because my tire needed air. I am generally in a good mood but still these withdrawl symptoms are horrible. I refuse to go back on the drug though. Me and my husband are finally able to be intimate and I dont think I will be putting myself or him through that nightmare again. But what do I do to get through the next few MONTHS of coming off this drug? I feel as though I was on crack!! I feel like my brain has been damaged in some way from it. I agree it worked great sometimes, but for the most part I had no desire for anything and the doctors always want to point the finger at depression. My thing was just being tired of being tired ALL THE TIME. I would exercise then be in pain. But being away from the husband made me numb, so I didnt care about it I suppose. Now no drug and back home, Im happy but I still have no energy, and my body is so sore. Is this coming off the drug? I had this on the drug too. So I just want to be rid of this. I wont go back, it's day 6 I think now. Any words of advice or any one else that is going through the same thing please keep posting. My hubby doesn't understnad my feelings because he has never been on it so it only can help so much to talk to him. But my continuous choking back tears and muscle aches dont make sense to him.