Do you, or have you taken Effexor???

I have a history of Anxiety and depression, and because of this I'm prone to PPD. As soon as I started noticing something wasn't "quite right" I talked to my Dr. She prescribed lexapro...but it didn't help much. I went back recently and she prescribed effexor. I've been on SSRI's (Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors ) most of my adult life (and some when I was a teenager) things like Zoloft, Celexa, lexapro ect. Effexor is in a different class of anti-depressants called SNRI's (Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors ) they give you a little more energy to do things by messing with your norepinephrine, which is basically adrenaline.

I started them early today, it's a very small dose to begin with (37.5mg). I've been "hooked" on energy drinks (I know they are BAD for you) since Aiden was born, I got into the habit of drinking them when I wasn't getting any sleep and needed to be up with him at night. I got up to two a day, and when I started the Effexor I decided to quit the energy drinks...I didn't think I needed another stimulant on top of the SNRI.
When I first took the effexor I felt a little "Jumpy". It lasted about 2 hours and started to level out. I had a MAJOR headache all day due to the lack of caffeine....I tried ibuprophen and diet coke but it didn't work. At about 10pm I finally decided to have an energy drink to try any knock out the headache. I figured I'd try "weaning" myself off of the caffeine rather than just dropping it cold turkey. It had been over 12 hours since I took the effexor, so I figured I'd be ok.

Wrong. I feel like I'm on crack. Seriously. I'm shaky and buggy and completely uncomfortable. I really should have known better, but I just felt kinda desperate to get rid of the headache. I absolutely will not be drinking another energy drink with these pills.
My question is..have you taken effexor? Did you ever mix caffiene with it? How long will this feeling last? I looked it up online and didn't see any serious side effects of mixing the two...just a lot of people complaining of the same weird feeling.

IDk about the caffeine stuff. My mom takes effexor and drinks like 20 cups of coffee a day lol.. But my mom like goes nuts if she runs out of meds and stops taking the cold turkey. She will just start crying and sleeping for days and gets super shaky and weird. Her dr told her it's one of the worst to wean off of.

I can't help at all, but since you seem to know a lot about antidepressants thought maybe you could help me?  

My husband tried ONE type, and it made him sleepy, so he decided on his own to stop taking it after being on it for 8 months. Just stopped cold turkey. He is insistant that all antidepressants make you tired, and he works shift work, so he's decided he can't take them. He needs to take something though - he's getting worse and worse all the time   Any advice for me? (Sorry for stealing your post)

I'm on Effexor. I ran out this weekend and you can only get them from your chemist and the withdrawals are a bitch. BIIIIIIIIIIIITCH

<blockquote><b>Quoting Vivian [♥]:</b>" IDk about the caffeine stuff. My mom takes effexor and drinks like 20 cups of coffee a day lol.. But ... [snip!] ... just start crying and sleeping for days and gets super shaky and weird. Her dr told her it's one of the worst to wean off of."</blockquote>



You just exactly described my mother whom is on Effexor xr. She has horrible withdrawal reactions. She actually just ran out this week. My sisters warned me ahead not to even bother coming around to visit my parents lol
Lots of coffee for her too. Probably why she sleeps like crap though, mixing Effexor and so much coffee.

Quoting *Mary Moon*:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Vivian [♥]:</b>" IDk about the caffeine stuff. My mom ... [snip!] ... visit my parents lol Lots of coffee for her too. Probably why she sleeps like crap though, mixing Effexor and so much coffee."

ya she cut down to 2 cups a day. It was a problem, lol, she's drank coffe everyday of her life though haha. But the first time she went off her meds it freaked me out. She just laid in bed and cried, it was out of character for her, just weird. Didn't know what to do really  

Quoting LumpySpacePrincess:" I'm on Effexor. I ran out this weekend and you can only get them from your chemist and the withdrawals are a bitch. BIIIIIIIIIIIITCH"

uuugh, i've heard!!!

I almost didn't want to take them because of this....but I was feeling pretty smurffy. I have a 4 month old, so I really need to be on top of my game.

I hate that crap! I was on it and it was horrid!! It turned me into a evil zombie. Lol. But seriously all I did was sleep. Like 16+ hours a day. But when I was awake I was so mean. I had bad side effects to it. Sorry I have no help with the "jumpy" weird feeling. It done the opposite to me.

Quoting Mommy of a giggler!:" I can't help at all, but since you seem to know a lot about antidepressants thought maybe you could help ... [snip!] ... needs to take something though - he's getting worse and worse all the time   Any advice for me? (Sorry for stealing your post)"

You didn't steal my post...you're fine  

I've noticed that most of the anti-depressants I've tried (in the SSRI class) made me tired in the beginning. It really only lasted a few days for me, but I'm sure it's different for everyone. The SNRI's that I'm on now are supposed to help you with energy - but they aren't for everyone, and you kind of need to decide it the benefit of taking it outweighs the risk (risks like bad withdrawals when trying to come off of them). It's never good to stop taking things like this cold turkey though, so def. tell him he needs to be more careful with that next time. I'd def. recommend having him go back to the Dr. and talk about it though. There is always help , and no need for him to suffer.

Quoting Vivian [♥]:" IDk about the caffeine stuff. My mom takes effexor and drinks like 20 cups of coffee a day lol.. But ... [snip!] ... just start crying and sleeping for days and gets super shaky and weird. Her dr told her it's one of the worst to wean off of."

I heard that these were a bitch to wean off of also, but I kinda thought it was worth the risk. I understand about your Mom, withdrawals are horrid when it comes to Anti depressants.

Quoting Ashley R [[x3]]:" I hate that crap! I was on it and it was horrid!! It turned me into a evil zombie. Lol. But seriously ... [snip!] ... I was so mean. I had bad side effects to it. Sorry I have no help with the "jumpy" weird feeling. It done the opposite to me."

Oooh, no good!!!

I once tried something called "Buspar" for anxiety. That stuff made me evil....EVIL.... I mean seriously, I was making nasty comments at people in public....and I threw taco bell at my Husband, lol...I came off of it ASAP!

Quoting !!Katie!!:" You didn't steal my post...you're fine   I've noticed that most of the anti-depressants I've tried ... [snip!] ... def. recommend having him go back to the Dr. and talk about it though. There is always help , and no need for him to suffer. "

Well, after he punched a foot long whole through our wall by the back door because his life "is just so worthless and stressful" I called and made him appts with both mental health (who he stopped seeing before going off the meds) and his doctor. Both appts are next week. He's all over the place- some days he's super happy and almost giddy, then he just drops. If he doesn't get enough sleep he's horrible. This is the first time he's been destructive though.  

I'm on Effexor, have been for over 2 years.
I used to drink coffee before I was pregnant and it was completely fine with the tablets.
But yes the withdrawal symptoms are so extremely horrendous!
I tried to go off Efexor because I thought it would be better for my baby, but I have been hospitalized 3 times from it.
I get the shakes, heart palpitations, uncontrollable vomiting, hallucinations, a pounding headache, dizzy, can't stand or walk, and I just feel like screaming and crying.
Twice I tried to quit cold Turkey, biggest mistake ever!
Last time I tried to wean off them. It took a month to go from 75mg a day to 37.5mg a day, but I was just not myself, I started getting depressed and sick and angry at everything.
So now I'm just staying on my original 75mg a day, a lot happier.

Quoting !!Katie!!:" uuugh, i've heard!!! I almost didn't want to take them because of this....but I was feeling pretty smurffy. I have a 4 month old, so I really need to be on top of my game. "

I totally understand, I started on 75mg, I'm on 150mg now, I have two young boys and hopefully starting school this year, I am going to make sure I am NEVER without meds again! The withdrawals are awful. That said, it is a good medication

Quoting Mommy of a giggler!:" Well, after he punched a foot long whole through our wall by the back door because his life "is just ... [snip!] ... then he just drops. If he doesn't get enough sleep he's horrible. This is the first time he's been destructive though.  "

Hmmmm....well, the part about his life being worthless and stressful - that's classic depression talk. Good job on making the appointments for him, sounds like he needs it. I'm not destructive, so I don't really know what to say about that. BUT, you said some days he's super happy and giddy and then he crashes? That sounds a lot like Bi-polar disorder. I don't have that, but I've known people who do, they have things like lithium which is a mood stabilizer and used a lot with Bi-polar disorder....it evens out the ups and downs. You definitely want to mention the mood swings to the Dr.!

He's lucky to have someone so understanding and willing to help....it's a very hard thing to deal with, and a lot of people don't understand. Good for you.