I am 18 years old, and I have always had
somewhat of an anxiety problem since I was
a child. Recently it got really bad to the
point of being dizzy, tired, nauseous,
irritable, all of the time. I have a
headache and I have frequent panic
attacks, and I feel as if I'm trapped in
my own body or something. I can't sleep at
night, and I feel not at all like myself.
The things that used to make me happy no
longer do. And I am very easily
overwhelmed.
I was just diagnosed with depression with
anxiety. I was put on effexor (37.5mg). I
have not taken it yet, because after
reading the long list of side effects, I
got scared off from taking it. The doctor
I saw did not seem to care much either.
She asked about my side effects and then
went on to say, "Ok I am going to put you
on this..." meanwhile I feel she should
have referred me to a psychiatrist to
better diagnose me.
Has anyone ever taken effexor before? Does
it work? And are the side effects bad?
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mominashoe
Supporter
Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 1646 Location: , KS USA
Thanks: 23
Thanked:10
Posted: 03-22-08 21:05pm
I don't know about effexor, but I do know
that every medication comes with a very
long list of side effects that can be very
scary and even scarier to people with
anxiety because that's how people with
anxiety tick. Everyone is different, so
everyone is going to experience different
side effects if any and each person will
have varying degrees of relief of their
symptoms.
If you are not comfortable taking effexor,
then don't! There are many different
drugs on the market that you can talk
about with your doctor to find out which
one is best for you. Some you won't know
if they work well for you or not until you
have given them a try.
Your doctor works for you, not the other
way around. She is supposed to care how
you feel, so you may need a different
doctor. Either that, step up for yourself
and tell her what you feel and what you
need. You will probably need to get a
referral to see a psychiatrist, so you
need to ask her for one....and then you
can talk to that person for a better
prescription for you.
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marvel
Supporter
Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1096 Location: Toronto, Ontario (but only a private message away)
Thanks: 50
Thanked:8
Posted: 03-23-08 10:19am
Hi, andrea.
I was on Effexor for a couple of years. It
changed my life. I, like you, was
diagnosed by my doctor, and she prescribed
it for me. I was informed of the side
effects, and still decided to take them.
Sometimes, and especially when extreme
anxiety is involved, doctors will
prescribe anti-depressants. The only major
side effects I experienced were sexual. I
lost all sexual urges and feelings for the
first month or so. After that, once my
body got used to the change, I started to
come around. Some people claim that
Effexor can become addicting, however I
didn't experience this problem.
Your first couple of weeks on this
medication might feel a bit weird. Your
body is going through some chemical
changes. I noticed that during my first
week, my pupils were dilated and I felt a
bit jumpy, but it wasn't anything too
intense.
I definitely recommend it. Remember,
though... Sometimes the side effects
associated with many medications like
effexor are a result of an already
existing medical problem. So if you're
healthy, you'll be fine.
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Seraph
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 276 Location: , South Africa
Thanks: 2
Thanked:0
Posted: 03-25-08 10:32am
Andrea
A lot of people has bad experiences with
anti-depressants (Including my self and
mister Effexor * HISSSS *) but that's not
to say that you would have an adverse
reaction to it.
Anti-Depressants is THE most difficult
medication to prescribe. The medication
that works for one person brilliantly
might cause another to feel totally
horrible and vice-versa. Like Marvel
says, the first couple of weeks is usually
the worste.
The most important is that you keep your
doctor informed so she/he can keep an eye
on it to know if you need a different
dosage and/or medication.
I was taken off of Effexor after a trial
of nearly two months didn't work out for
me...I am ok'ish with my current
prescription (Altough it has dwindled in
it's effectiveness and my dosage has now
been doubled).
Finding the right medication for you IS
going to take time.
Hang in there and All of the best!
You can come and cry...hmm maybe not on my
left-shoulder cus it's in spasmism again
and I don't want another three cortezone
injections ...but you most
definately can come and cry on my right
shoulder if you ever need to!
...but you most
definately can come and cry on my right
shoulder if you ever need to!