Effexor/Venlafaxine
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I've been on it for about 10 years for anxiety. I initially lost my appetite and lost about 7-8 pounds over the first 6 weeks and I didn't have any weight to lose. I'm only on half the dose I used to be, but have maintained my weight within 5-10lbs for all 10 years (with the exception of pregnancies of course!). One thing I feel I must say is DO NOT stop this medication without consulting a doctor first!! The withdrawals are horrendous!! Just missing one dose would cause me to feel like I was in another world.
Whoops, just realized this was an old thread...0 -
Whoops, just realized this was an old thread...
Was trying to remove my prior post to take some of my personal info off the web. Sorry to bump this again.0 -
I've had this drug suggested to me but I cannot begin to imagine taking it. I've cycled through five/six different AD's in the last 10 years and the only one that has worked on a stable(ish) level is Fluoxetine.
Might be worth mentioning that they think my mental disorder may be linked to mood rather than anxiety, so may end up on mood stabilizers.
With fatigue and fear of weight gain my strong advice from a personal perspective is to avoid Mitazepine at all costs. This tablet pretty much made me relapse; I put on two stone in weight, was constantly tired and couldn't get out of bed and my mood swings were horrendous. I was always hungry and irritable and...ugh...it was horrible. I got put on Trazadone afterwards which again, gave me horrendous fatigue but my appetite disappeared rapidly to the extent where after 3 months of being back on Fluoxetine and only 2 months of taking Trazadone, my appetite still hasn't returned back to normal.
It's also worth noting that all tablets work in different ways for different people.
EDIT: Just seen this is an old thread - oh well, if it helps somebody else
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I have been on Effexor for the past several years. First 75 mg 1x/ day, then 75mg 2x/day. Now I am trying to get off it and am down to 50mg 1x/day. I have not had any problems loosing weight.0
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Let me know your plan to get off the Effexor. I field weird and terrible if I just miss a dose and take it late.0
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nvm.0
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I had to get off of it almost cold turkey.
I was literally falling asleep at stop lights.
I became entirely useless and could not function much less prepare for exams...0 -
Thanks hun, that was still VERY useful.
I took fluoxetine years ago and unfortunately it made me suicidal and was discontinued within a couple weeks.
Since then Ive been on at least 5 others as well...0 -
i WAS JUST SEARCHING AROUND ON THE INTERNET FOR THIS VERY QUESTION AND CAME ACROSS THIS...i HAPPEN TO BE A MEMBER SO i TRUST EVERYONE'S OPINION ON HERE...this IS WHAT HAPPEND FOR ME....I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SLENDER PERSON...I'M 6 FOOT SO EVERYTHING KIND OF LENGTHENED OUT I THINK HAHAH...I STARTED TAKING EFFEXOR IN NOVEMBER 2011....AS OF TODAY I HAVE GAINED 30 POUNDS....I STILL EAT MY EGG AND TOAST AT BREAKFAST, VEGGIES AT LUNCH AND A LIGHT DINNER (AS I HAVE EVERY DAY OF MY 26 YEARS) ONLY SINCE I HAVE STARTED TAKING THIS PILL HAVE I GAINED THE WEIGHT...AND THAT IS A LOT OF WEIGHT QUICK FOR EATING LIGHT AND EXERCISING AT LEAST 2 TIMES A WEEK....I DON'T KNOW IF IT REALLY IS THE PILLS OR NOT BUT IT SEEMS FISHY TO ME...THUS NOW I'M ON HERE TRACKING EVERYTHING ANOTHER THING WITH THIS PILL IS NO MATTER WHAT I DO...EXERCISING MORE OR WHAT HAVE YOU...IT JUST WILL NOT COME OFF....I'M LUCKY TO GET A POUND OFF BEFORE IT'S SMACKED RIGHT BACK ON...AND IT IS ALL IN THE MID SECTION.....I HAVE A LONG WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND SO I'M PLANNING ON GETTING OFF THE PILLS AND SITTING ON THE COUCH WITH A COUPLE GOOD MOVIES BECAUSE THE WITH DRAWLS ARE GOING TO BE CRAP. 0
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In my experience, and I have a lot, with anti-depressants and other psychological drugs, the weight comes on fast. I gained 60 pounds in 2 months on Seroquil and Depakote. I am on a very high dose of Effexor and I'm efficiently losing weight.
Are you sure it's not something else? I would see my doctor before quitting.
I ran out and couldn't refill for over a week and I was a wreck, slid into a bipolar depression cycle in took months to get out of. You have to be really careful when stopping anti-depressants and get weaned off of them, not just quit. You're changing your body chemistry.0 -
I was on it.....WAS. It constantly made me fall asleep no matter where I was. The moment I hopped on a bus to go pick my son up from school.... by the time I got 10 meters I was asleep. I was always asleep.
I went off it cold turkey. It almost killed me. The 'shocks' were like someone hitting me with a low voltage wire in the head. This went on for longer than I had actually taken the stupid drug.
Now I take St Johns Wort. Best thing I ever did. No side effects for me, not one 'sleepy episode' and no more shocks ...and 100% natural.
I'll never ever go on prescribed meds again.0 -
I am so glad that I refused to start taking this when my Dr kept pushing it on me for fatigue. Fatigue! It sounds like this is the last thing that I'd want to take! It turned out, I was hypothyroid but still have periods of extreme fatigue since I'm in the "gray area" that my Dr considers normal yet he still wants to push this instead of bumping my thyroid meds a little. No thanks.0
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Im sorry so many persons have had such a crappy experience. Im not on anything right now. Honestly ive simply run out of things to try...0
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Im 5'10" but I worried more about how crappy in felt. I couldn't stay awake much less work out!0
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Do not take Venlafaxine Efexor. My advice comes purely from experience, and the opinion of both a psychiatrist and a chemist both adamant that this drug should NOT be given to anybody. It is a demon drug. I was on it for two years and it simply made me a zombie, and the side effects are numerous and common, and not worth the horrific numbness it gives you. It is one of the most awful drugs to come off, too. A simple google search will tell you how horrendous the discontinuation syndrome is. It took me over three months to finally be off it, and those three months were sheer hell. I have nothing but regret for the time I was on that drug, and would have come off sooner, had the withdrawal not been so completely crippling. If I could, I'd have it wiped off the face of the Earth. It's nasty and addictive.
I've had a lot of experience with psychiatric drugs, both anti-depressants prescribed for depression and anxiety, and anti-psychotic prescribed for BPD. The 'best' drug I was on was Quetiapine, one of the latter kinds, and that only because it didn't really do anything to me and there was no withdrawal.
I've recently come off another awful drug, Citalopram. Next I'm trying Mirtazepine, and I'm hoping that after 10 years of trying different medications, this one may just help.0 -
I gained 26lbs in 6 weeks on it (no way it was from over eating, I actually lost my appetite) And its been two years and I've only lost 10lbs no matter what I do.0
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Im sorry so many persons have had such a crappy experience. Im not on anything right now. Honestly ive simply run out of things to try...
If you can..... Vitamin D & St Johns Wort. Trust me they are a godsend. Swisse brand of 'MOOD' tablets are just great as well. I really do not know where I'd be if it was not for those natural supplements. Have not taken a prescribed medication for my depression in about 5 years now. Not bad considering I was borderline manic.0 -
i took it for a year and lost weight consistently with diet and exercise, never had any weight gain from it but i did have other bad side effects and had to quit it0
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I have actually done both vit. D and SJW however I didn't improve. Thank you thoughIm sorry so many persons have had such a crappy experience. Im not on anything right now. Honestly ive simply run out of things to try...
If you can..... Vitamin D & St Johns Wort. Trust me they are a godsend. Swisse brand of 'MOOD' tablets are just great as well. I really do not know where I'd be if it was not for those natural supplements. Have not taken a prescribed medication for my depression in about 5 years now. Not bad considering I was borderline manic. 0 -
I was on venlaxfine after my last pregnancy for post partum depression and while I was on it I lost just under 50lbs 0
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I have actually done both vit. D and SJW however I didn't improve. Thank you thoughIm sorry so many persons have had such a crappy experience. Im not on anything right now. Honestly ive simply run out of things to try...
If you can..... Vitamin D & St Johns Wort. Trust me they are a godsend. Swisse brand of 'MOOD' tablets are just great as well. I really do not know where I'd be if it was not for those natural supplements. Have not taken a prescribed medication for my depression in about 5 years now. Not bad considering I was borderline manic.
Go for the Swisse brand ones then.....omg they are great. They have a different ingredient in them.
www.swisse.com/au/vitamins-and-supplements/sleep-mood/81/swisse-ultiboost-mood0 -
I take 150 mg of Effexor along with Abilify, Lexapro, and Nadolol. I gained about 40 pounds while on these medications going from 140 pounds to 180 pounds. But I don't blame the meds for making me gain weight. I'll be honest, the past 3 years I've been very sedentary and I've had a very poor diet. I'm talking like 5+ cans of Coke per day and fast food at least 6 days per week. I know I can lose weight on these meds because I recently dropped 7 pounds (187 to 180 pounds). I'm going to start dieting and weight lifting soon.0
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Oh, and one really noticable thing I personally found with Effexor is that the withdrawl symptoms come on really quickly, like missing just one dose can give you some weird *kitten* nightmares and anxiety. ...But then again everybody is different, and will react differently!
Agreed! It's a wonderful drug that saves lives. It's the drug that is given to people when most other things fail and should never be taken as a starter antidepressant as it's a very serious drug with lots of potential side effects. But when someone needs it and it works, it's wonderful. But as the poster above says: never miss a dose. You will start noticing withing two or three hours if you do, and it will be horrible. No nightmares or anxiety for me but horrible dizziness. Make sure you have an extra emergency dose at work, in your car, in your bag, etc. You do not want to have to go through the day without your daily dose.
On the original question: no effect on weight for me. Maybe I gained a pound or two in the beginning but only because I was in a better place, joined friends for dinner again, enjoyed things. In that sense: gaining a pound or two was definitely a good thing. Been on it for about 4 years now (after trying unsuccessfully with other meds for about a decade) and it has not affected my weight in any significant way.
Good luck!0 -
I have long discontinued the drug. No intention of going back.
As for Saint John's wort it isn't effective as the dosage required would be impractical. I would take upwards of 6 tablets per day.0 -
Oh, and one really noticable thing I personally found with Effexor is that the withdrawl symptoms come on really quickly, like missing just one dose can give you some weird *kitten* nightmares and anxiety. ...But then again everybody is different, and will react differently!
Agreed! It's a wonderful drug that saves lives. It's the drug that is given to people when most other things fail and should never be taken as a starter antidepressant as it's a very serious drug with lots of potential side effects. But when someone needs it and it works, it's wonderful. But as the poster above says: never miss a dose. You will start noticing withing two or three hours if you do, and it will be horrible. No nightmares or anxiety for me but horrible dizziness. Make sure you have an extra emergency dose at work, in your car, in your bag, etc. You do not want to have to go through the day without your daily dose.
On the original question: no effect on weight for me. Maybe I gained a pound or two in the beginning but only because I was in a better place, joined friends for dinner again, enjoyed things. In that sense: gaining a pound or two was definitely a good thing. Been on it for about 4 years now (after trying unsuccessfully with other meds for about a decade) and it has not affected my weight in any significant way.
Good luck!
Not taking it again but thank you!!0 -
awesome! Thanks for responding!I was on venlaxfine after my last pregnancy for post partum depression and while I was on it I lost just under 50lbs0 -
I've been on Effexor for a few years now. It is a short-acting drug, so your will notice symptoms if you miss a dose. It has never affected my appetite, and I have been losing weight just fine while on it. Don't know if it caused any of my weight gain, but if it did it was not because it caused me to eat more. I've always wanted to eat too much.0
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Hey just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this drug...both good and bad.
Has anyone lost weight while on Effexor? I know ppl will say they've gained but frankly just wondering if anyone has seen it NOT affect their weightloss efforts.
Just started and I want some well-rounded reviews
Much thanks,
Char
Hi there,
I'm actually on it right now and slowly in the process of weaning myself off.
I haven't noticed any weight gain or loss just based on the drug itself, but I have gained because I ate like crap, lol.
If you have any questions at all I'd be happy to talk to you about this, I've been on it for about a year or so. Add me if you like :-)0 -
I have been on Effexor and Wellbutrin for almost 1 year, loss of appetite only lasted 1 week, had to lower dosage of Effexor because lost sex drive completely. I go to the Dr. all the time so she can check my meds, to make sure I have the right dosage, everyone will respond differently to different dosages.
It was the first drug I was put on and the first couple of days I thought it was a miracle drug, but you shouldn't stop anything without consulting your Dr. first0
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