• N&PD Moderators: Skorpio | thegreenhand

Efexor (effexor, veniafaxine) - full on phenethylamine

I take 150mg daily now. Last night I took 300mg at once to see what the effects would be like.
This euphoria is beautiful. It feels like AMT without all the nasty racing thoughts.
 
I agree with F&B. Have any of you read the insert. It expressly states that there is significant risk for hypomanic episoids (paraphrasing). Yet they (pharma company) insist that it's indicated for anxiety. My idiot GP dedided to prescribe that garbage to me while I was having extreme anxiety and almost a continuos panic attack. Needless to say, the first few days were absolute hell as I had not been able to get a decent sleep before and this made it worse. He did fortunately prescribe some Xanax, but like 12. Good god, I was making the freaking nurse who drew my blood nervous.
While still just taking the introductory doseage, I decided to write several letters to the U.S. Government, and the shrink I had never even had my first appointment with. I was in the middle of writing another several page diatribe when I mentally took a step back and realized that I was in a full blown paranoid manic state. I immediately took the blisterpack packages and threw them in the trash. I finally convinced my GP to just get me back on the stupid SRRIs since I typically stop taking them after about six months and fall into the black hole within another six months. I just wish I didn't have to beat the frigin dolphen every now and then to make sure it works. SSRIs, got to love them too.
 
senzou said:
craving makes the difference.

I agree. For instance, I take methadone which is prescribed for pain as I have rheumatoid arthritis. Anyone taking the dose I do over a long period of time will become physically dependent, but only those susceptable will get addicted. Addiction is craving the substance, misusing it, being unable to control a week's or a month's supply so that it all goes well before it should.
 
Took this drug for three months at 75mg extended release with no effects save for withdrawal (at which time I got bad vertigo and nausea but that was pretty well it). Ate normally, slept normally, normal sex drive, normal moods (for me anyway).
 
^^
Coming off Effexor is a piece of cake IF you do it properly which means taking a dose of prozac every 4 or 5 days as you rapidly step down off it. No Prozac? Nurofen Plus also works a treat at stopping the whole brain zap nastiness.

I have just gone back on it, today, 3 hours ago. Man I forgot how hot this stuff makes you! Some people talk about it making them sleepy but the First time I took it I took up jogging and going to the Gym, every day.

I really do wonder though if this stuff is neurotoxic, anybody have an opinion on that?
 
which substances does nurofen plus contain in your country that are helping with venlafaxine-withdrawal?
 
vanlefaxine may look like tramadol (on a molecular level), but pharmacologicaly, they are quite different beasts. vanlefaxine has practically no opioid agonist effects (less than that of common table sugar). you will never get any opioid effect from it.
 
sarbanes what effects are people getting from it then? And how could nurofen plus be helping withdrawal? Just relieving the discomfort? I can't see it stopping withdrawal itself.
 
I have only been on it for 4 days but now I am remembering why I stopped using ssris a couple of years ago. I have felt better but more agitated, pacing, jaw clenching is quite severe and I have been pursing my lips and cheeks. From what I read this is tardive dyskinesia and akethesia related to damage done to the dopamine pathways and the treatment is ceasing the causative drug.
I have never been on neuroleptics asides from a single dose here and there. I have although been on ritalin in my teens (I am 30 now) and SSRIs for several years in my early 20s when I first noticed these symptoms.
So I guess I am going to have to go back on Nardil and try not to faint in the street and put up with having no sex life.
Great
 
Everywhere I read they claim some DRI properties-but Venlafaxine and its metabolite have at best mmolar activities at the Dopamin transporter.Is this all a marketing myth?Or does it release Dopamin?All in all it seems to me mostly a SRI,like Fluoxetin somewhat unselective towards NA.
 
Everywhere I read they claim some DRI properties-but Venlafaxine and its metabolite have at best mmolar activities at the Dopamin transporter.Is this all a marketing myth?Or does it release Dopamin?All in all it seems to me mostly a SRI,like Fluoxetin somewhat unselective towards NA.

If anything, I think it gives yet more evidence that the idea of Dopamine = fun is wholly inaccurate.

I just don't believe that one can "feel" a drug's dopaminergic or serotonergic activity... the level of "feeling" is entirely emergent.
 
Be careful with very high doses of Effexor, it can cause seizures.

I've been on it for over three years. I'm undergoing a taper to get off it. I was prescribed 300 mg's, then down to 150, thus down again to 75. the past few weeks I've been taking 37.5 mg's approx. I'm breaking the tablets in half. Next month it'll be down to 18.75 mg's for four weeks, then I'll be clean of it.

In my very humble experience, which is long and varied, Effexor withdrawals i.e. stopping "cold turkey" makes Xanax withdrawals feel downright pleasureable. However the taper is going well and I'd advise anyone who wants to quit, to go this route. Possibly supplemented with low doses of Prozac if needed.

I'd say to anyone considering taking Effexor to be damn sure that they really need it. As an anti-depressant it worked for me, but left me apathetic, with an anti-libido..Lol. It's effectiveness comes at a price. Be sure you want to pay it!

Keep well and safe everybody.
 
one thing i forgot: as long i was on this stuff mushrooms and LSD almost completely ceased to work for me. with mushrooms i only got some slight annoying buzz (and i am very positive on the potency of the mushrooms i ingested). LSD i only tried once at a, i think, moderate dosage (shared a blotter with a friend, he had effects somewhere between ++ and +++) - maybe a higher dosage would have worked better.

I found this highly interesting .... I recently got some LSD (and took shrooms a while back) and when I took the LSD I made a point of taking 300mg effexor (non modified release) with the stuff. Do you think I prevented the full effects I could have got from the acid (and/or shrooms) by doing this? I take 2 x 75mg in the morning and 1 x 75mg at night (prescribed) but if I thought it was having an adverse effect on a trip, I'd make a point of not taking the evening dose if I was going to indulge in trippy stuff :)

Ximot you don't seem to get what people are telling you. Physical dependence would happen to everyone who took a substance like methadone, heroin regularly for a long time. They may not have the addictive personality though, and would merely suffer the unpleasant withdrawals if they suddenly stopped. These are the people it is usually safe to give a month's dose of methadone to in one go (or pain) because they are not likely to abuse it, or be tempted to take more because it makes them feel good. On the other hand, I just can't seem to control a large dose, hence I pick up daily except on Fridays, when I get three days out to cover the weekend.
 
Ok! I,only read a few posts but here's a short version of what anti d meds are good for and one reason effexor helped me! And yes I used to take "pavement drugs " lol.

After rocketing through family issues and using any and every drug I could find, I hit rock bottom, then I gained insight on everything.
After taking LSD I put the pieces together. Thank God it stuck.

SSRI -> for people with drive, a functional life, well, "functional",
Allows the good feelings associated with reward to actually stick. (Accomplishment lasts and feels good rather than just knowing you did something)
SNRI-> allows you to have the drive to feel happiness AND keep being happy until something bad happens. Or achieve "contempt state" (I'm going to ride my bike, for exercise. Allows you to associate that with happiness and repeat)

...these are NOT!! for rec. Use. Effexor shouldn't be euphoric. If it is, Buckel up for Drug psychosis and bi polar episodes. Like effexor? Do some dope. Not a joke.

Guess this isn't so short because I am about to re continue my medications for MDD and psychosis, after a year of studying all aspects of drugs.

If your here wondering if effexor is good for you, I'll give you a story.
- misdiagnosed with depression was givin Prozac. Amplified my addictive personality. (Feel good, dispite reward association that I lack) as a result, CAUSED bipolar 2. (That diminishe after switching) no reward and no pleasure lead to suicidal ideation and binge drinking.
- switched to effect as my mom had taken it. Now she's been on more pharmaceuticals that anyone I know.
As a result it only took one instance of feeling reward (dopamine release) to get the ball rolling. Depression and anxiety are different. If you take Anti-D drugs you will change period.

In other words, feeling SAD constantly, and reach out for support? SSRI.
Feeling stressed and unmotivated, no matter how good things are going? SNRI. Effexor was mine.

I also have psychotic visual symptoms related to the 3 major mood transmitters. Seeing as taking a benzo lowers every problem I have.
 
i hated venlafaxine, but both fluoxetine and citalopram were nice. but combining both gave me a rather bad headache.
 
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