# Mixing Effexor(SNRI) with Paxil(SSRI)?



## Biron21 (Nov 19, 2003)

I'm currently taking 150mg of Effexor XR daily and i'd really like to keep from upping my dose due to the cost. What i would like to do is start supplementing the effexor with 10mg Paxil. I used to take Paxil but I had too many side effects when my dosage got up around 40mg. I do believe the Paxil worked a lot better for me however.

Is it possible to mix drugs like this safely?


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

I suppose it would be fine to do, but I don't really see the need to do so. The SNRI would work on serotonin and norepinephrine whereas the SSRI would work mainly on serotonin. 
I'm assuming you're self-medicating, though, since you obviously wouldn't be asking a forum this question, but instead, your doctor. When it comes to meds like Effexor and Paxil (the 2 most notorious withdrawal-symptom-inciting meds), I would not take them without the help of a doctor.
Also, if you had side-effects from the Paxil in the past, what makes you think you won't get them this time around? Do you think the Effexor is going to help you with the side-effects? Because it won't. I would simply get rid of the Paxil, since you have already tried it and didn't like it, and simply stick to the Effexor, and you could use the money saved from not buying Paxil and put it towards the Effexor (or you could put it towards a visit to the doc, which would seem the wisest choice).


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

all AD combinations are tried now but I would chose some SSRI other than paxil
read up about paxil discontinuation syndrome on the net


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## Biron21 (Nov 19, 2003)

I"ve gone off Paxil before and it was extremely painful. When I was taking 40mg I told my doctor of some new side effects that I never had before and he had me see another doctor at the same clinic. I told the doctor I wanted to go off Paxil and he agreed with me but gave me like a 3 week schedule to go from 40 to 0. That was much, much, much too fast because the next few weeks I was virtually crippled. The thing is Paxil has done the best for me, but also had intolerable side effects. On effexor so far it's definately not been as effective and my thinking is to add 10mg of paxil because I understand Effexor doesn't hammer seratonin as hard as a drug like Paxil. I'm not due for another appointment for over a month though so i guess i'll see what my doc says.

By the way LDG 124, try not to assume too much of what you don't know, just some friendly advice.


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## workman (Mar 5, 2004)

You could try it and see how it goes. There are other cheap SSRIs you could try instead of paxil.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

Biron21 said:


> By the way LDG 124, try not to assume too much of what you don't know, just some friendly advice.


You can see where I was coming from, though, right? I mean, when someone is asking about legitimate safety interactions (i.e., not illegal drugs), one would ask their doctor. I know I would, at least, because he's gonna be the one prescribing it anyway, so how does knowing if it is safe or not gonna benefit me, unless I was trying to order it online from an online pill bank? Sorry, for assuming that, though.


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## Jimiam (Jan 8, 2007)

Talk to yur DOCTOR. personally, in my opinion, I WOULD NOT TAKE BOTH. But you might could get away with it cuz Paxil and Effexor are metabolized by the liver THROUGH DIFFERENT ROUTES. Paxil get chopped up by liver enzyme CYP2D6 and Effexor by CYP3A4. BUT BOTH AFFECT serotinin so that why I personally would not. It takes A HIGH DOSE of Effexor >225 to affect norepinehrine , so I don't see THE POINT.


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Have a chat with a guy called foxtrot on this board. Both he and I have tried mixing venlafaxine with other things and then sorely regretted it for the following three days.

I was left feeling as though someone has inflated my head with a football pump, scared and off balance. I was shaking like a sh**ing dog for 3 days from mixing it with a NARI. Foxtrot mixed with an SSRI I believe, though it was high dose effexor.

Ross


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## foxtrot (Feb 17, 2007)

it's true that i sorely regretted mixing venlafaxine/effexor with mirtazapine/remeron. 

it is an often used combination i believe, but the way i did it was just asking for trouble- i was in full on lunatic mode when i attempted this as an experiment and just added a load of old effexor on top of my usual remeron- not what anyone would recommend and i paid for it.

gradually working your way up with a combination under the supervision of a doctor will yield the best and safest results of course.

in my opinion, i would never attempt an effexor/paxil combination. this is because effexor withdrawal for me (when i used it as prescribed a long time ago- non of this be your own lab rat combination madness) was terrible and knowing that paxil is also up there for being bad for withdrawal it would scare the life out of me.


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## Robbbie (Aug 29, 2014)

*Paxil and Effexor*



yeah_yeah_yeah said:


> Have a chat with a guy called foxtrot on this board. Both he and I have tried mixing venlafaxine with other things and then sorely regretted it for the following three days.
> 
> I was left feeling as though someone has inflated my head with a football pump, scared and off balance. I was shaking like a sh**ing dog for 3 days from mixing it with a NARI. Foxtrot mixed with an SSRI I believe, though it was high dose effexor.
> 
> Ross


 I think you need to set forth the amount of mgs of each of the two (2) drugs being taken. There is a synergistic effect between paxil and Effexor.


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## Robbbie (Aug 29, 2014)

*Paxil and Effexor*

I think you need to set forth the amount of mgs of each of the two (2) drugs being taken. There is a synergistic effect between paxil and Effexor.


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