new on efexor ...smbdy pls help - Depression Message Board

07-04-2003, 10:22 AM

hello
i m from greece so you'll have to excuse me on my english...and of my big topic:P
well.. for the past nine months i ve been experiencing anxiety disorders and panic attacks.
6-7 months now i m taking lexotanil by the times i feel nervous or i feel that i m gonna enter in panic mode.
3months now i ve been seeing some psychiatrists who gave me some medications
the first one who was completely nuts said nothin to me except ...."what do you think you have" i told him that i did my research (i forgot to mention i am a new doctor...just finished the medical school) and i think i suffer from mild depression anxiety dissorder and panic attacks.He then told me that i was right and gave me seroxat...of course i didnt take it

after 2 weeks i saw another one who by his sayings seemed to me he was very good
He said to me to start efexor 75mg and gradually go on 150 mg after 2 weeks i think....
i did nothin for 2-3 weeks when my symptoms were going worse....so i decided to go and see a new psyychiatrist ..a friend of my family doctor ...
She told me that i should start 2 days with amitriptyline along with lexotanil and from day 3 start efexor along with the other drugs ...

And that is what i did.I have to accept that i was very afraid of taking the drugs and too nervus when i took them...the first 2 days i was ok sleeping good 8-10 hours.Though on day 3 before taking efexor i was too nervous and my anxiety was too much.by 10 pm i took efexor xr 75 mg ...everything ok ...except a bit anxiety ...after 3-4 hours i went to sleep with a bit of nausea...and suddenly after a 2 hour sleep i'm waking with a very strange dream and with heart palpitation...anxiety and sweating...after a minute or 2 i m starting to getiong warmer and warmer all over my body and my heart began to pound quicker...i checked my pressure and was normal ...but the warmth and the sweating was intolerable.. my hands and feet were starting to tremble and i felt anxiety and nausea increasing.I went through a panic attack for about 5 mins and then i was unnable to walk due to exhaustion and trembling...i went to the ER and the docs told me that it could be efexor side effects or it could be a phobia of the sife effectes that i read about before taking the capsule..
I told my doc about it the next day and she told me that it could be efexor and my body reacted this way on the dose and the new medication..so she told me to give it another try... after 3 days of no efexor ...yesterday i took it again and i had the same symptoms ...with the exception of the panic attack...but also ...i was too anxius and nervous before taking it so that i took lexotanil in order to calm down..
i had a little problem sleeping cause whenever i closed my eyes i felt bad and at last when i was able to sleep i did it only for 6 hours when i woke up with needles and pins ...continuing nausea and a bit of fear and anxiety...
i called my doc and she told me to continue taking the drug because my body accepts the drug periodically and with time...The nausea is not too much and all the other symptoms are nothin considering the panic attacks i had on the past 9 months...
So pls help me ...is there anyone who had same symptoms starting the efexor ??
Will they be gone after some days or will they be worse...?? i was reading many many things about efexor and about withdrawal etc and i pretty freaked out...so if smbody can help pls inform me ...

thnx a lot

Windy · 07-06-2003, 09:38 AM

Wow, what a story! I suggest you stick with Effexor...because it will take longer than 3 weeks to feel good. Try taking it for 3 months. I honestly have to say that Effexor works for me.

Please give it a chance and I am sure you will be feeling alot better down the road.

Hope I have helped!

wannabehotguy · 07-06-2003, 02:57 PM

I suggest you learn how to handle life. That takes a lot of learning. Please learn more about panix attacks, anxiety, and depression. Anti-depressants did not work for me. They made my symptoms worse. I suggest taking communication classes, and most importantly going to a cognitive therapist. Most of the times panic attacks and anxiety have to do with past traumas that you have ingrained into your brain. These traumas are still directing on how you should feel and deal with issues. You might have gotten over the trauma etc. BUT you still have to learn how to deal with these problems as an adult. It is easy to do and much less harmful than antidepressant drugs. Good luck!

Sleepless · 07-07-2003, 09:52 AM

I have been on Effexor for 8 years and am currently tapering off the medication. I thankfully did NOT experience the kind of symptoms you describe when I began. Honestly I don't think of Effexor as the "drug of choice" for anxiety disorders - isn't Paxil more often prescribed for this problem? I was prescribed Effexor for depression, and it did work for me for many years - until after 3 years when I became chronically fatigued (which I blame on the drug). Perhaps because you are having such severe initial side effects, it is not the appropriate drug for your condition. I would get a second opinion (or third actually!) if I were you. Try to find a doctor that doesn't give these pills out like aspirin (and I hope that you never do!).

But all in all I don't recommend ADs for long-term use. The clinical trials are conducted for 12 months only - so long-term effects haven't been documented. Also, I would try every other form of therapy before medication - I agree with wannabehotguy that you should try cognitive behaviour therapy, which is supposed to work wonders for panic disorders. I think that especially since you are beginning what is quite a stressful career, you should get to the bottom of the cause of your anxiety.

Wish you all the best!

CJHaisten · 07-07-2003, 12:58 PM

I have been on effexor xr for two weeks. I did the 37.5 for the first week and 75 for the second week. I cannot tell any difference except I have had a severe headache since starting the 75mg. Has anyone suffered like this??? I have not taken any today thinking the med is what is causing the headache. Any suggestions????