Hello all! I went to the doctor this Friday & was told I had symptoms of Fibro, but instead of sending me to a specialist for an actual diagnosis, he wants to first put me on a very low dose of Effexor XR (37.5 miligrams) to see if this helps with the symptoms. I was told this would probably be a similar treatment a specialist would prescribe anyway, so we would just by-pass that step for the time being. Has anyone else taken this, and if so, what were your results? I'm extremely leery of taking an anti-depressant because I'm not depressed and don't want anything mood-altering or anything that will cause weight gain. I'd greatly appreciate your experiences.. Thank you, Casey :)

I tool effexor a few years ago, I'm not sure if I had fibro then or not-some days my memory just really sucks- anyway, have had back and hip pain for years and I don't remember feeling any better on any anti depressants. A couple moths ago I was put on Cymbalta another anti depressant- and my shrink said it has been shown to help with fibro pain, but before I was put on it I guess a flare up got going and doesn't seem to have let up at all.
So this is my little bit of info. Let us know if the effexor seems to help
April

Hi Casey - I've been taking Effexor and my doctor believes it will help with the Fibro symptoms. It has definately helped overall but, unforunatley not with my sleep so far. I'm hopeful though. I must admit when my doctor mentioned this I was pretty suprised as I had not heard that. My other doctor the Rheumatologist though didn't believe in it - he's very old school. Normally 37.5 is a ramp up dose & that's the lowest that it goes so it's a good starting point. But, it may take a month or two to really get the full effect of how it can help you. That's great that your doctor is up to date on the latest treatments that are possible for Fibro.

Antidepressants
Perhaps the most useful medications for fibromyalgia are several in the antidepressant class. Antidepressants elevate the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, including serotonin and norepinephrine (which was formerly called adrenaline). Low levels of these chemicals are associated not only with depression, but also with pain and fatigue. Increasing the levels of these chemicals can reduce pain in people who have fibromyalgia. Doctors prescribe several types of antidepressants for people with fibromyalgia...Mixed reuptake inhibitors - Some newer antidepressants raise levels of both serotonin and norepinephrine, and are therefore called mixed reuptake inhibitors. Examples of these medications include venlafaxine (Effexor) and nefazadone (Serzone). Researchers are actively studying the efficacy of these newer medications in treating fibromyalgia.

Hope that helps!

PS: No weight gain for me on it.

I've never been diagonosed with FMS. After reading all the info on FMS I truely believe this is what I have. (need to mention it to the dr. next time) I was diagnosed with GAD about 4 1/2 yrs ago. At that time I went on effexor starting with 37.5mg and after 3 yrs I was maxed out at 300mg. At the time I thought the effexor wasn't working but after weening off it about 6 months ago. I realized it was working. I then tried the chiropractor with very little luck (still going). I also went on Burspar two months ago. I have not gotten the same effect as the effexor yet. Still hoping. I am considering going back on the effexor. Oh yeah the weight gain. I gained about 20 lbs in the 4 yrs I was taking it. That wasn't too bad considering I was always considered thin by most people, but it did bother me a lot. Good Luck with the Effexor hope it works for you.

Casey, it may help you.

I was on it for 8 months at 150mg and it did little for me. however I think it did help my dizziness and since I have been off it I have gotten doule to triple the burning pain.

I was diagnosed with Fibro in 1998 and it started with the most severe constant inner leg pain that I have ever felt. I too am on Effexor 225mg. I dont know that it has helped with the Fibro but it has helped w/the depression that accompanies it. I am also on Wellbutrin 300 mg and Ultracet/Ultram and Flexaril ... the combination of the Ultracet and Flexaril have a much more effective relief than the Ultracet alone ... although nothing takes the pain completely away ... the doctors in my area are very limited in their knowledge of Fibro and with no insurance I can't go anywhere else ... the constant pain gets really old and some days I can hardly bare it, but I don't have much choice ... It is extremely hard for me to hold down a job yet I was denied disability ... What is a person supposed to do? ... Am thinking that the constant pain is my destiny and that's pretty pathetic in this world that we live in. Good luck w/you ... hope you have better results than I have!

Thank you all for your responses.. I started taking it Monday night & woke up in the night in a panic, shaking really bad. Later in the day, I was very anxious. Today I've noticed everytime I do anything physical (shower, do laundry) my heart rate seems to be pounding really fast. I'm going to keep taking it for a little while because I figure my body's probably just not used to it yet.. I'm still exhausted and hurting real bad, but it's only day two.. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed and try to stay optimistic. Thanks again for your responses.

Hi Casey if this continues call your doctor. Having your heart race everytime you do something is not normal. A little dizziness perhaps can occur but, not a racing heart like you are describing.

Do you take your pulse rate when this happens? Check it to see how fast it is going so you can tell the doctor. Are you on any other new medications that could be causing this?

When i was on effexor I suffered chronic vertigo and head aches when the next dose was due. After 6 months of this i decide to get off of it. it took 4 months for the vertigo to end. It was a very horrible experience. I felt sea sick for so long. I had to work and pretend i could focus on my co-workers. Uhg. The same thing happened to a friend of mine. But she coulnd't handle the withdrawels so she took ot for 3 years. after she finally got off of it her anxiety and depreesion were much worse.
I don't want to be a doom sayer i know it works for some. Just be careful.

I was on Effexor for 4-6 months. Didn't help me sleep at all. Helped the pain some, but I insisted on being taken off of it due to gaining weight. Unfortunately I went cold turkey and got VERY sick and dizzy. It was terrible! I hope it works for you, but if not, definitely follow the "weaning off" instructions that your Dr. gives you :) !

Well, I've been taking the 37.5 dose for a week now. I'll have about 2-3 "pretty good" hours a day now, when before I was exhausted and hurting all day, every day. I've already lost 6 pounds this week.. It's really killed my appetite. My heart isn't racing quite as bad. It's mostly when I walk long distances or up stairs, take a shower, or blow dry my hair. I'm going to call the doctor some time this week & ask him about this. Thanks for the recommendation of taking my pulse when this happens.. I'll start doing that. Thanks again & I'll update ya'll on how it's working for me.