# Does anyone have experienced positive effects with Effexor XR?



## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

Hello Everyone!

I started using Effexor XR just last month. I started with the lowest dosage and I'm now taking 150mg everyday. And so far, I feel like it doesn't do much for me. I mean apart from waking up a little easier (even when I don't get enough sleep), and having very vivid, realistic but often times weird dreams, I don't think it has any effect on me.

Luckily, I don't seem to experience any side-effect either. Just a few hours of excessive yawning for 1-2 days when I'm titrating (increasing my dosage) and then everything's back to normal. Like I'm not even taking it!

So yeah I just want to know if anyone has any positive experience to share when they were taking effexor xr and how long before you experienced those positive effects?

Thanks!


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

No one does?  Just my luck!


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## coldsorehighlighter (Jun 2, 2010)

The only part I liked about Effexor XR were the vivid, almost lucid, dreams...other than that, it was a terrible experience.


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

Yeah, I look forward to sleeping because of it. :dead


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

dont give up 
I found it takes at least a month to work and thats on a dose of 225mg or more
Over all it lessens anxiety, eases depression and helps OCD and for me its been a life saver in terms of weight loss and maintenance much better than any other Antidepressant I have tried

Its not effective for mood disorders and bipolar but it has not made me insanely manic like SSRIs did and on the positive you are not getting bad side effects so thats good
How long have you been on them? you said last month so mid to late april was it?
you need to give it four to six weeks


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

I've been taking it for exactly 6 weeks now. I was on 37.5mg on the first week and then took 75mg for 3 weeks and then took 112.5mg for 1 week and since then I've been taking 150mg. I'll be seeing my doctor next week so maybe if I tell her that I don't feel it's working, she'll up it again. 

You know what I noticed about my dreams this past week is that I don't remember much of it as I used to during the first few weeks of taking effexor. Is it normal? I miss my vivid dreams. lol! I still feel good when I wake up in the morning though and I'm no longer as lethargic as I used to be when I'm at work.


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## TheoBobTing (Jul 8, 2010)

If you're interested in having epic dreams have a bit of strong cheese shortly before bedtime. Blue stilton is excellent for this.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

The drugs are probably working if you can wake up and no longer feel as lethargic as you dod. I dont know how successful they are for treating SA alone, but they are good for depression in general  not major depressive episodes but they can help especially at first


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

I hope so but the positive effects doesn't last long. I mean at around 3pm or so... I start to feel like I can't function anymore. I'm seeing my psychiatrist this coming Monday... I hope she'll figure out why.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Well my pdoc told me that usually short term sedatives are prescribed to help a person ease into takinf SNRI/SSRI meds 
Klonopin has been very useful but its addictive so there is that however remeron and seroquel are evil and build tolerance too so i would much rather take klonopin


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

I just got back from my psych... still taking effexor at 150mg but I'll buy the branded one now. The pharmacist gave me the generic the past 2 times that I bought... hopefully it'll be a little different. I told her that my ADD is one of the causes of my anxiety and depression so she gave me prescription for Concerta (lowest dose 18 mg for now). I saw from the other threads that you are also taking it. So how was it? I hope it'll work well with effexor.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

I have taken concerta with effexor as well
IF you have ADD it should be great and help you concentrate
I started on 18mg of concerta then went up by 18mg each day until i was on 4 x 18mg
It made me very bipolar but then again i am prone to manic depression. Its great for highs but horrible for lows however if you do not have any concerns or symptoms of mania it should be good for you 
I dont know how well you will sleep on two rather stimulating meds though


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

I was on Effexor and the worse experience ever. I couldn't concentrate and focus in school. It made me have a numb feeling. I also cried a lot and had weird and violent behavior. Do you research first before taking. Good Luck.


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## QuietBoy99 (Sep 7, 2010)

the cheat said:


> The only part I liked about Effexor XR were the vivid, almost lucid, dreams...other than that, it was a terrible experience.


I agree.


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## dustbunnies (May 18, 2011)

Arisa1536 said:


> I have taken concerta with effexor as well
> IF you have ADD it should be great and help you concentrate
> I started on 18mg of concerta then went up by 18mg each day until i was on 4 x 18mg
> It made me very bipolar but then again i am prone to manic depression. Its great for highs but horrible for lows however if you do not have any concerns or symptoms of mania it should be good for you
> I dont know how well you will sleep on two rather stimulating meds though


I'm pretty sure I have ADD. I could recall incidents as early as kindergarten and it's really taking its toll on my life now. The 18mg help a little with my concentration.. I think. I don't surf the web at work as I used to... maybe 15% less hehe! But I think I need more to be truly effective.

Regarding the effexor... I think 150mg is not yet the optimum dosage for me. I still have anxiety when talking to people... I still get tongue-tied because my mind goes blank and I can't think of anything to say. And usually whenever I'm not busy or I've just done something that's enjoyable/entertaining like watch a movie or anything... I get really sad and the only way for me to shake off that feeling is to cry. If I don't cry, I'll still feel the sadness until the next day.

I don't think I'm bipolar though. I mean, I get extremely depressed, agitated, annoyed/upset but I never get extremely happy/elated. I can smile and laugh a few times but none that you would call extreme.

My sleeping pattern is still the same though. Unless I'm really tired, it usually takes me an hour to sleep... nothing has changed. I used to take effexor in the morning but it makes me sleepy so I moved it to noon and now I'm taking it around 5pm. That schedule works for me since I'm taking concerta in the morning.

I'm seeing my psych on Monday again (I have weekly sessions since it's free anyway), I hope I'll get better results this week.



QuietBoy99 said:


> I was on Effexor and the worse experience ever. I couldn't concentrate and focus in school. It made me have a numb feeling. I also cried a lot and had weird and violent behavior. Do you research first before taking. Good Luck.


What dosage were you taking and how long did you take it? I've had that numb feeling when I was taking 37.5 until 112.5 mg. I don't feel it anymore now that I'm taking 150mg although I don't think it's enough as I still feel depressed and anxious most times.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

Effexor Xr didnt do jack for me.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Hang in there i think it sounds like you were fortunate enough to get methylphenidate and its being used properly as you seem to have ADHD or you would certainly know by now if it was making you feel manic/sad/mad/crazy/sleepless and anxious and its not effecting your sleeping patterns so you seem to be handling it well.

Effexor is a good drug it just needs to be augmented with something 

For those on this thread who had bad experiences that made them violent, i would look into other mood/personality type medications for BPD/Bipolar lol not that i am a doctor but it would seem effexor is not for you


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