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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by blayton on July 19, 2001, at 10:32:16
I have been on Effexor for five weeks now, 4 weeks at 75 mg and 1 week at 150 mg . I was prescribed Effexor for GAD . The first two weeks were very tough with an increase in anxiety levels and a battery of side effects . Then some improvement began . I feel the drug has helped me about 50-60% .
The main help has been that with this medication , I feel the anxiety does not cross a threshold . Also , the racing thoughts I suffer from come at a slower rate . Over the last two weeks , I have not noticed any additional benefits .Instead , last night I was feeling a complete mess . My head felt like jelly and I could not control the shooting spurts of anxiety . Today that feeling has gone and the same low anxiety , slightly depressed state has returned .
My question is , to all people who have taken this drug , are these effects normal or does this indicate the medication is not working properly and must be substituted ? How long a time is it to give a fair trial to Effexor? I take Effexor purely for relentless , non-specific anxiety . I have never suffered depression at any point in my life .
Thanks for taking time to read this . Any response is welcome .
Posted by Jocor on July 19, 2001, at 12:00:42
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor to work fully?, posted by blayton on July 19, 2001, at 10:32:16
I have been told to wait up to 4 weeks at each dose to see if there is an effect. In my experience, this is true.
Give it 4 weeks at 150 mg.Jocor
Posted by Janelle on July 19, 2001, at 18:49:52
In reply to How long does it take for Effexor to work fully?, posted by blayton on July 19, 2001, at 10:32:16
I have been holding on Effexor for several weeks at 75 mg because when I titrated up to the therapeutic 150 I got progressively worse. I also tried it for GAD.
I feel the drug has helped me about 40% (maybe less) with depression and a bit with anxiety. As you so eloquently put it, the anxiety doesn't cross that threshold and my racing thoughts are slower. However, I KNOW that I can do "better" with a different a-d, so next visit to the pdoc, we do a taper off schedule for Effexor and put me on to something else.
My head always feels like jelly (lightheaded) on this stuff, and I also get shooting spurts of anxiety, and am in a chronic moderately depressed state. I've heard that the lightheadedness side effect should have gone away by now.
To answer your actual question(!), I would say the effects you are reporting ARE "normal" and would agree with the other person who posted just above to stick with 150 mg Effexor for at least 4 weeks - you seem to be tolerating it, with nothing out of the ordinary in terms of side effects, and if those go away, it could really work well for you.
Good luck!
-Janelle
This is the end of the thread.
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