# How do I know if Effexor is working for me?



## daniel34 (Mar 6, 2007)

My doc switched me to Effexor from Paxil after I complained that Paxil wasn't quick doing the trick for me. The problem was that I still experienced anxiety in certain social situations that were very problematic for me.

I just finished week one on Effexor (37.5 mg dose/day) and so I far I've noticed some similarities to Paxil (decreased appetite, lots of energy in the morning). I heard it takes 6-8 weeks to really take effect. Is this true? For those that found Paxil effective in treating their SA, what did you notice?


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

6-8 weeks is an accurate timespan to give an SSRI to work


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## jeremynd (Jun 10, 2007)

I think that is what I screwed up on.. I did'nt give it enough time to run its course before I stopped taking it.

I took 37.5 mg for 2 weeks, then I started 75mg and took those for 9 days and then stopped.

Basically I felt like a zombie, I did not care about anything. Felt a little empty inside. I would have nightmares every single night and they would last all night. They never really worked for my anxiety. I still have about 21 75mg pills sittin onto of my fridge for 6 months now.


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## longway (Mar 3, 2007)

In the matter of fact, Efexor has more more rapid onset of action than tipical ssri's meds - usually between 2 - 4 weeks. my experience is I had noticed a change after 2 weeks. when I was at 150 mg a day.

For all, I must say that 37.5 is very small dose and 75mg/day is the best dosage to start with the treatmant. most of the cases people are steadily feel good at 150 to 222.5 mg a day.

wish you best of luck. give it more time to work... =)


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## daniel34 (Mar 6, 2007)

Thanks. I'll keep on it for a few more weeks.


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## pdcarpen (Mar 4, 2007)

horrible experience w/ Effexor, but good luck hope it works for ya


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

good luck, will be a huge help if it works for you
you will need to gradually work the dose up to 75, the smallest effective dose and perhaps go higher later
early side effects should be endured, unless too severe, benzos help


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

Take a look at the other effexor thread in this board at the moment.

For some, (like me) effexor is the uber-med. Why do all you yankees seem to be given the instant-release version? Harrass your doctors!! The extended release is 100 times easier on side effects and you take it once a day. Its also great for weaning off because you can separate out the little beads inside into a vegicap in order to gradually reduce your own dose - this keeps the withdrawal at bay (in fact I had none the second time I was on it for 8 months by using this method).

When coming off, docs just give you the next dosage step down and tell you to take them less often .. HELLOOO BRAIN ZAPS, HEAD FOG AND SPASMS .. WOOO!! The vegicap / beads method works wonderfully, so if you can get on XL, you are doing well.

Ross


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## daniel34 (Mar 6, 2007)

Ross,

From your past post dealing w/ effexor it sounds like it did amazing things for you. Why did you stop taking it? Did you find that its effectiveness diminished with continued use?


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## yeah_yeah_yeah (Mar 27, 2007)

I thought I didn't need it anymore and stopped.

DUMB.

Went back on it a few times, and lately the 150mg's werent doing anything so I awitched meds. Now I'm going down the no meds route.

Ross


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## progressivelady (Jan 16, 2017)

*Effexor SNRI*



Speak Easy said:


> 6-8 weeks is an accurate timespan to give an SSRI to work


Effexor is actually an SNRI just want people to have good information.
As an SNRI, Effexor works slightly differently from antidepressants in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. SNRIs help block the reabsorption of both serotonin and norepinephrine, while SSRIs focus solely on serotonin levels.


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## littleghost (Oct 29, 2016)

daniel34 said:


> My doc switched me to Effexor from Paxil after I complained that Paxil wasn't quick doing the trick for me. The problem was that I still experienced anxiety in certain social situations that were very problematic for me.
> 
> I just finished week one on Effexor (37.5 mg dose/day) and so I far I've noticed some similarities to Paxil (decreased appetite, lots of energy in the morning). I heard it takes 6-8 weeks to really take effect. Is this true? For those that found Paxil effective in treating their SA, what did you notice?


It takes 6-8 weeks to take full effect. I would hope you'd start to notice a difference after about 4 weeks, it doesn't just turn on like a switch, it's a gradual change.

Effexor helped my general anxiety, but I don't think it did much for my social anxiety. I think with time, my social anxiety became a learned response. I'd gotten anxious so many times around people, that I had already started to fear it, I fear the usual response I get. I need to un-learn the social anxiety, but it's very difficult to change a conditioned behavior, especially when the conditioning wasn't consistent. It's going to take me really going out of my comfort zone and seeing if I can talk to people without an anxiety response.


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## watertouch (Nov 4, 2013)

For GAD /generalized anxiety disorder. Improvements have been seen for up to 6 months since starting the medicine....( yeah who have 6months to spare....)


How fast will it work, well then we are gonna Assume that you reach an effective dose...

From Stahl's prescribers guide:
Dosing Tips
• At all doses, potent serotonin reuptake
blockade
• 75–225 mg/day may be predominantly
serotonergic in some patients, and dual
serotonin and norepinephrine acting in
other patients
• 225–375 mg/day is dual serotonin and
norepinephrine acting in most patients
✽ Thus, nonresponders at lower doses
should try higher doses to be assured of
the benefits of dual SNRI action
• At very high doses (e.g., >375 mg/day),
dopamine reuptake blocked as well in some
patients
• Up to 600 mg/day has been given for
heroic cases


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## Gillman fan (Sep 24, 2016)

It is advertised as an SNRI but most doctors never go to the high doses necessary for NE inhibition lol.

Effexor is actually very complicated. The exact way it works isn't really understood. It works differently than normal SSRIs, and I don't just mean the extra NE reuptake inhibition. Dr. Gillman noted Effexor is like 2 times as likely to cause serotonin syndrome as other SSRIs. Withdrawals much worse than standard too.


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## Captainmycaptain (Sep 23, 2012)

When the placebo effect kicks in, you are cured!


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## zeusko87 (Sep 30, 2014)

lol


When you start loosing interest in every activity that you liked before... when you start to feel emotionally numb, flat and empty...when you want to cry but there are no tears... when you can not laugh because you feel totally emotionless... then you will know that Effexor is working


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## Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Nov 3, 2016)

zeusko87 said:


> lol
> 
> When you start loosing interest in every activity that you liked before... when you start to feel emotionally numb, flat and empty...when you want to cry but there are no tears... when you can not laugh because you feel totally emotionless... then you will know that Effexor is working


Well put


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