Antidepressents - SNRI/Effexor (Venlafaxane XR)

[1114]

Does this shit even work? I've been on 75mg for almost two months now and they upped me to 112.5mg. They say they'll give me the normal dose of 150mg if I still need it after 30 days. I'm upset they aren't being more aggressive, but I've read Effexor has a relatively high toxicity to similar drugs so maybe they're scared of a lawsuit. The thing is I don't know if this is working at all. I started feeling better with the placebo effect and all, but 8 weeks later I'm not doing a lot better.

Anyone had success with effexor? Any other antidepressants that you'd recommend? My problem is that I feel anxious almost all the time for no apparent reason, making me depressed, and I drink, smoke weed, and pop various pharms every now and then as temporary alleviation.

 

[Supeudol]

Effexor XR is actually a very effective medication. I take it myself. (Currently taking 112.5mg). I was on 150mg, but after I quit opiates and attempted to quit benzo's again, I found out that 1550mg of Effexor might be a little high for me. (Although there are people that are on all the way up to 300mg).

All I can say about Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) is that don't miss your dose for more than 2 days! I was crawling out of my skin I though I was back in full withdrawals again from something.

If you need more help or info/questions comments you can PM me once you get your bluelighter status. :D

Venlafaxine (Effexor) structure is different than the SSRI's. Although Venlafaxine has SSRI properties no doubt about that. Venlafaxine also effects norepinephrine or as you guys would say down in the US (Noradrenaline).

 

[SpoonFullOfSugar]

I was taking 150mg of Venlafaxine for around 12 months (after starting on 75mg) It worked pretty well for depression. When i decided i wanted to stop i switched to Fluoxetine (prozac) and tapered down with that...

All I can say about Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) is that don't miss your dose for more than 2 days! I was crawling out of my skin I though I was back in full withdrawals again from something.

True story!!

I tried to taper off of Effexor very slowly, but that gave my some wicked bad zaps and general shitty feeling.

If you're depressed, i'd try and steer clear of the weed for a while too. I know it's hard - i'm a daily smoker myself - but if you can occupy yourself with other things instead of blazing you'd be amazed at how much better you feel after a couple of weeks. Just my 2 cents anyway.

Good luck man.

 

[1114]

I was prescribed clonazepam along with the effexor, and I've ended up taking all 20 0.5mg pills within a week and a half or so after I've been getting them. I've been chewing oxycontin once a week (never more) with a buddy for the past several months, but I doubt that I have any addiction to oxycontin and I haven't found anything that said weekly use could result in addiction.

How did opiates/benzos affect the venlafaxine? Or alcohol for that matter... my pharmacist and doctor didn't say I shouldn't drink while on it, and I've been careful to not to drink and take them too close together. I just haven't noticed any notable improvement from this drug.

Sorry I don't have my blulighter status yet, but can you cut me some slack? I'm also from Alberta, so I assume you either pity me or are joining me in sorrow for the Oiler's shitty season and Taylor Hall's injury.

 

[1114]

I was taking 150mg of Venlafaxine for around 12 months (after starting on 75mg) It worked pretty well for depression. When i decided i wanted to stop i switched to Fluoxetine (prozac) and tapered down with that...

What made you decide to switch?

If you're depressed, i'd try and steer clear of the weed for a while too. I know it's hard - i'm a daily smoker myself - but if you can occupy yourself with other things instead of blazing you'd be amazed at how much better you feel after a couple of weeks. Just my 2 cents anyway.

Good luck man.

I understand that this is pretty standard advice, but it seems counter-intuitive to me. Weed doesn't make me anxious or depressed, it relaxes me when I'm stressed out. I'm not saying you're wrong, but for me to believe that quitting weed would make me less depressed would require a bit of a leap of faith.

 

[SpoonFullOfSugar]

What made you decide to switch?

I tried to taper off of Venlafaxine and that was too hard by itself - Even though it's an SNRI and Fluoxetine is an SSRI, the taper off of Fluox was a lot gentler. I just did my research, went to the doc and he had no probs with it... all good

I understand that this is pretty standard advice, but it seems counter-intuitive to me. Weed doesn't make me anxious or depressed, it relaxes me when I'm stressed out. I'm not saying you're wrong, but for me to believe that quitting weed would make me less depressed would require a bit of a leap of faith.

Weed relaxes me when i'm stressed out too, but in this case i'm coming from the point of view that when you get home from work every night feeling tired and shitty and depressed - sitting home alone in front of the TV and sucking down a few cones is counter-productive to breaking the cycle of depression. Different strokes for different folks though - if it works for you, go for it i say %)

 

[1114]

That's the fucking paradox that's bugging me. Do I do drugs because I'm depressed, or am I depressed because I do drugs? To find out, I'd have to stop doing drugs for an indefinite period time and be depressed. I'm a successful university student and I need to maintain some sanity for the next little bit, so the quitting drugs option is my last resort.

 

[SpoonFullOfSugar]

That's the fucking paradox that's bugging me. Do I do drugs because I'm depressed, or am I depressed because I do drugs? To find out, I'd have to stop doing drugs for an indefinite period time and be depressed. I'm a successful university student and I need to maintain some sanity for the next little bit, so the quitting drugs option is my last resort.

Yeah i hear ya mate. That's a good way of putting it "Do I do drugs because I'm depressed, or am I depressed because I do drugs?" I've asked myself that question a million times.
Only the person asking themselves that question can answer it though hey.
For me personally - wether or not the drugs were making me depressed i discovered that not smoking myself into oblivion every night actually made me feel better about myself.
I found that i was avoiding social situations (even just hanging out at a mates for a beer), just so i could sit home by myself and smoke it up. Then when i forced myself into a social situation i was feeling extremely anxious cos the only thing i could think was "when can i get out of here and smoke some weed!?!"
It's tough man. Now i try and keep my weed smoking till the weekends.. umm, except for this week.. hahha

 

[Supeudol]

I was prescribed clonazepam along with the effexor, and I've ended up taking all 20 0.5mg pills within a week and a half or so after I've been getting them. I've been chewing oxycontin once a week (never more) with a buddy for the past several months, but I doubt that I have any addiction to oxycontin and I haven't found anything that said weekly use could result in addiction.

How did opiates/benzos affect the venlafaxine? Or alcohol for that matter... my pharmacist and doctor didn't say I shouldn't drink while on it, and I've been careful to not to drink and take them too close together. I just haven't noticed any notable improvement from this drug.

Sorry I don't have my blulighter status yet, but can you cut me some slack? I'm also from Alberta, so I assume you either pity me or are joining me in sorrow for the Oiler's shitty season and Taylor Hall's injury.

^ Neither reasons actually. I'm actually a Flames Fan as well in the cold City by the mountains.

I totally understand where you are coming from. Shit, I've been on Paxil, Cipralex, Luvox, and then back to Paxil, and now Effexor XR at 112.5mg/day.

I am also very curious about this Antidepressant. The reason I asked my doc to switch me to Effexor XR was that apparently according to wiki is that [60] Venlafaxine interacts with opioid receptors (mu-, kappa1- kappa3- and delta-opioid receptor subtypes) as well as alpha2-adrenergic receptor, and was shown to increase pain threshold in mice. When mice were tested with a hotplate analgesia meter, both venlafaxine and mirtazapine induced a dose-dependent, naloxone-reversible antinociceptive effect following ip administration. These findings suggest venlafaxine's seemingly superior efficacy in severe depression. [61]

The reason I chose Venlafaxine was because of this partially, even though it has very 'weak' action that those receptor sites. I am a recovering opiate addict, and I have been doing a lot of research on E.D.S. (Endorphin Deficiency Syndrome). WHere you never get that 'runners high' feeling anymore. None of the SSRI or other Antidepressants work for you like an opiate type drug would.

The other SSRI's I had mentioned I'd been on before, Paxil was the only one that really helped. But I think I had been on it too long and it just stopped working for me unfortunately. This was also before and after using opiates & benzo's for 7 years.

I hate it in Alberta here, as it is VERY hard to to find an understanding doctor to do a proper benzodiazepine taper with you. Especially if you have been using them long term. At detox centres, they don't have a clue what they are doing here when it comes to benzodiazepine withdrawal & taper methods.

Hopefully I can find a doc who is willing to do a Diazepam or Clonazepam taper with me.