want to try Effexor but im scared

frenchiebull · 06-23-2003, 02:36 PM

I saw my psychiatrist recently and we spoke about my being frustrated with all my health problems and the fact that i have low estrogen and progesterone and im on the pill so there is nothing really that my doctor can do for me.Im only 30 and i get hot flashes and im going through an early menopause.My cortisol levels are high from being so stressed out.im on xanax and it controlls my panic attacks but not the everyday worrying and driving phobia and lack of energy and motivation.so he suggested a small dose of effexor and i told him that i would think about it.IM SO CHICKEN TO GO ON THIS!!!!! I have heard so many horror stories about antidepressants.I need to exercise and lose some weight to help with my pcos but i have no energy and my doctor suggested that i may have fibromyalgia because just doing simple everyday tasks like house work wear me out and make me achy all over.The psychiastrist seems to think effexor will help me but i have heard that antidepressants can agrivate pcos symptoms like acne,weight gain and excessive hair growth and these are things that im trying to make better not worse.My psychiatrist told me that not everyone gets those side effects.but im still nervous about it.Can anybody please give me some enchouragment?Im having such a hard time trying to decide what to do that it's becoming an obsession with me.All i did all weekend is research Effexor!

santa'sbaby · 06-23-2003, 03:09 PM

I can tell you that I am currently taking 75mg of effexxor and I notice a big difference.

Actually it's effexxor XR which is absorbed faster. I honestly noticed a difference almost right away ( in about 3 days to be exact.) I have more energy and more interest in doing things again. Sure I still have down days and frustrated moments but I no longer feel defeated.

The only thing I notice, is that you have to keep taking it and don't stop cold turkey. To come off of it should be done gradually and under a doctor's supervision.

For me anti-depressants are a good thing, bottom line.

Good Luck and Keep Us Posted!!
April

frenchiebull · 06-23-2003, 03:23 PM

Thank you so much for your reply.Did you get any yucky side effects from it?Like nausea or dizziness or anything?Does it help with appetite(over eating out of stress for me)?When im stressed(alot lately)i over eat and find it impossibly to eat healthy.

santa'sbaby · 06-23-2003, 04:28 PM

Nothing serious, a slight decrease in sex drive and vaginal dryness. Other than that not much.

I also found that if you can try to get on Metformin that helps alot with appatite. Effexxor however will not make you gain weight it's one of the only ones that don't.

meglet · 06-24-2003, 12:24 PM

its very natural to be freaked out by antidepressants, but they can be a godsend. i would absolutely not be alive if i hadn't found one that worked.

my mother is on effexor and she absolutely loves it. i am too, i had some problems with it at first, but then it turned out that i have bipolar so i needed to add a mood stabalizer to the antidepressant, once i did that my quality of life improved so much.

there are side effects, but i've found them to be tolerable, and if you don't there are always other antideps that might work better with your body chemistry.

good luck!

frenchiebull · 06-24-2003, 04:36 PM

Thank you for the replies im gonna seriously think about this and speak to my primary care doc first and she what she thinks because she has been handling all the pcos testing and treatment for me so far.Some stuff i have been reading on the internet says that they actually are giving women with hot flashes antidepressants now because it controlls the flushing.Interesting.

taah · 06-26-2003, 10:10 AM

Not to scare you or anything because people all have different experiences with anti depressants. I had a bad time on effexor xr, I became very suicidal on it and it did not help me at all. However, I had awesome results on zoloft without any side effects at all.. We all react differently to meds though so it may take a little while to figure out which med is right for you. I had problems on so many anti depressants , which I am an odd ball anyways....lol....... zoloft is the only one I did not have any side effects from and I will say it saved my life. Good luck with whatever you and your doc decide to do.