Effexor

[detcharlielucy]

I have been on Effexor for about 5 years now.  Over this time I have gained about 20 pounds - which is a lot for my small frame.  I'd always been very thin.  I've also been having a real lack of sex drive for the past year or two, which has gotten even worse over the past 6-9 months.  

I decided to go off the Effexor about 2 weeks ago when my prescription had run out and I was already into slight withdrawal(the withdrawal symptoms have since stopped except for slight depression and weepiness).  My husband and I are trying to have a baby, so I know I'd have to go off as soon as I concieve anyway, so it seemed worth trying to go without it.

My question is:  Can I expect my weight to start going back down now that I am off the medication (as long as I don't eat more or exercise less than while I was on it, of course)?  And will my sex drive improve?  How quickly should  I see improvement in these areas?

Thanks...

[clayray]

This is the first time participating in a message board of this sort. I wish I would have found an outlet like this earlier; it would have proved extremely handy. I

[fallingalone]

Like i said i have only been taking effexor for about a year now and even through out the year there were times where i didnt have my pills..  however i havent experiance any brin shivers or anything... peoples comments on discontinued use of effexor.. i think you should reduce ever so slightly if u want to get off the meds  good luck with that

[daisychain]

i stumbled accross this site last night & i am so pleased that i did. i have been taking efexor for approx 4 years now, i wanted  to stop taking it in feb this year but my community psychiatric nurse persuaded me to stay on it for 6 months longer as he was concerned because i was due to start counselling.  i had never given it another thought until last night when i came across this site.  i have had real trouble losing weight since having my baby 20 months ago, and i dont feel the meds are doing any good now anyway.  i was quite scared when i read some of the side effects you guys were experiencing but i feel it is time to start reducing.  i have tried cold turkey once - NEVER AGAIN!!! i felt like i was going to die!!  i have now decided to take some control back in my life and i would really appreciate any support you can give  i am also going to take vitamin supplements that i read last night on here.  hopefully with some natural supplements, lots of willpower and supporti will get there.  love and peace to all of you Helen xx

[campingman]

WELL IM RELEAVED IM IN THE SAME BOAT.THIS IS MY THIRD DAY OFF OF THIS Fn DRUG . I AM GOING TO PUT A SIGN ON THE BACK OF MY CAR . AND PARK AT THE DOCS OFFICE.MAYBE BECOME A ACTIVIST FOR A EFFEXOR FREE AMERICA. I THINK I CAN DEAL WITH A FEW PANIC Attacks i already feel better can tell you that this is pure hell. I'm not a small man. but I'm not stronger than this effexor right now. i had to stop because i lost my insurance . and it gave me high blood pressure. and my kidneys were in pain. now my blood pressure is better my kidneys feel better. and now hell has set in for while. can anyone tell me if this has happened to them.

[fallingalone]

Im 23 years old  and i have suffered from depression  since i was 16  my first anti-depressant was zoloft, witch made me feel very sick, then I was put on paxil  witch also made me sick.. however being a teenager and going through what I as a teenager went through i didnt last too long on either.. i would refuse to take the meds...on a brutal episode of mother and daughter arguments i decided to leave home. where was living after i have moved out was my cousins house.. however after being there and being away from all the **** that i had gone through living at home i found myself slipping in a more extream and uneasy depression i was contantly crying, constantly saying how i did not want to live anymore... sad to say but it was somebody across the world who i talked(about everything) to over yahoo. and it was him to presure me to call the doctor.. so i did.  the first few visits where awfull tears and snot. and hurtfull thoughts and feeling toward anyone who was breathing to thinking once again about distroying my life...it got easier after a while<- going to the doctors...i was put back on paxil becasue my doctot felt as if i wasent on it long enough to have any effect time went on it made me sick but i continued to take it.... soon after i quit school moved out of the appartment and moved back home with my parents.... from there I started to have terrible panic attacks, anxiety attacks  horrable i wouldnt get on a bus by myself go anywhere by myself... i noticed i had a routine that if the routine got interrupted or i got short of time i got really frustrated and irrate..(ex wash hair twice -condition once, leave conditioner in till befor the second body wash..  wash body once  rise condtioner out wash body again.) i constantly wash my hand. and i am sickened by  body fluid from anyother person on my body or on my clothing.. (obsessive compulsive). since i have been home with my parents i have become. so anti social, i never go anywhere i hardly ever leave my room (agrophobic) i have had medical books taken from my hands cuz i convince myself i have a fatel illness.... i take effexor  since october 2004... in the beinging  it was all well i didnt go anywhere but i felt a lil better.. it didnt let me cry. i would feel it in my nose and then it would stop.. my dose went from 37.5 to 75 daily. with 75 i found myself still depressed wanting to gain knowledge of lots of things mental and phisical. dose was upped too 150 and here i am, i still dont leave the house, im still depressed, i have tried to commit suicide once (failed) i get unexplained bruses and i find that i pinch myself in my sleep to a point where i bruse in certain areas (lower stomach, innner groin, and inner arms,) there are time i find myself talking to noone but myself. i write poems and i read books...

[Ms Parker]

I am just wondering how long it is until the brain zaps go away. I really liked the effexor xr but I have lost my insurance and can no longer afford it, so I have begun the weening process, and boy does it suck