Just prescribed Effexor, starting at 37.5 for a week and then up to 75. But my Dr. thinks I will probably need to be on 150 but wants to do 75 for 2 weeks to see how it goes. She did switch me from ADDERRAL XR to ADDERRAL IR (after much prodding from me) but still 20 mgs. Just wondering any and all info. you guys can give me on Effexor and/or the mixture of adderral and effexor.
Thanks!

Oh and one more thing. My "psychiatrist" also felt the need to warn me about heightned suscptibility to seizures on these meds and just wanted to know what your experiences were? Cant believe she did that since I have such bad anxiety that stems from death and that I am proned to bringing on phantom symptoms that will have me in the emergency room with severe attacks. ggggggggrrrrrrrr!

Hey sweetmama - -

I was on 150 Effexor and 30-40 mgs ADDerall IR off and on for about 5 years (I easily develop tolerances to meds so I had to switch back an forth between a combo of Zoloft/Wellbutrin and Effexor). It was an amazing combination for me. It helped me survive for 5 years.

Effexor takes approximately 6 weeks for to really work. The only side effect I had was acid reflux. My doc said that seizures are rare.

It is a difficult med to get off of; the withdrawl is not easy. If you wean off slowly, it is a nicer withdrawl.

If I ever have to take an anti-depressant again I would pick Effexor all over again.

Best wishes! I hope this combination treats you well.

Hey Livinginchaos,
You are just the person I need to ask, I have read about the withdrawal stuff so I want to make sure I am doing the right thing before I start this stuff.
I read that effexor can make you like a zombie with no emotional responses, is this true?
I also read that you can gain weight, I am trying desperatly to lose my post baby fat and get in shape again so I dont want to take anything that I will possibly gain weight from. Did you gain weight?
The high BP with adderral and effexor kinda worrys me, whatcha think? I found out today that our Dr. gave my hubby an EKG before putting him on Adderral but didnt for me. Now Im scared(oh anxiety what a wonderful thing) that maybe I might have some undetected heart issue that the adderral and effexor could kill me but I have no symptoms of heart defect or HBP. Forgive me I am in full blown anxiety attack right now and I am just babbling my thoughts waiting for xanax to kick in.
Thanks

Everyone responds differently to medication, so there is no point in worrying about Effexor withdrawl that may very well not happen to you. The majority of people don't have trouble quiting Effexor, but the few that do can have a tough time.
It's not true that Effexor can make you into a "zombie". Some people find that anti-depressants - in general - can dull their emotional response, but I haven't noticed this with any of the meds I've taken. I think the anti-anxiety effect can make it feel as if this is the case - if anxiety is a major driving force in your life, which for ADHD people is likely more prevalent than average, since I believe we have more anxiety issues.
I wouldn't worry about any weight gain either - Adderall's anorexic effects should easily take care of anything increase in appetite that Effexor might cause.
As far as the EKG goes, it's not a big deal - if you're worried you could ask for one - but if you don't have any heart issues, family history of heart problems, etc then the risks are very very low. A clean EKG doesn't guarantee that you don't have undetected or undiagnosed problems either - even a "stress" or Excersize EKG doesn't guarantee it. There are no guarantees in life, after all. You really don't have much to worry about. The rate of unexplained sudden death for people taking Adderall is not different - with any statistical significance - from the rate of unexplained sudden death in the general population, as far as I know, so you should not be worried about taking it for fear of dropping dead.

Gregster wrote a great post. He has a great way with words.

I did not turn into a "zombie" on Effexor. I was able to go out with friends more, be happy, live a more fulfilled life.

I did gain weight - however, it could be because of Effexor or depression (and eating comfort food). Just make sure you're exercising and eating healthy and it shouldn't be a problem.

Follow Gregster's advice on the medical issues - if you're worried about the EKG - then get one. If you're worried about the BP, then make sure you get it checked every now and then.
The risks are very low. My family has a history of high blood pressure. My blood pressure isn't monitored regularly and when it has been checked - it's been well within the norm.

As I posted earlier, I'd do this combination all over again if I have to.
Feel free to PM me if you have any more q's.

I hate Effexor, every month when I see my doctor, I complain about Effexor, and then ask for more samples, if I even miss one day, all hell breaks loose, I don't even go to the doctor who originally gave me Effexor before getting dxed for ADHD. I feel a mild withdrawal every day. Damn the company for making Effexor, hope they go bankrupt. And stupid doctor who gave me this and didn't tell me anything about it.

I still take effexor every morning, 75mg, not by choice, and I never pay for this med, and I never will, it's the company responsibility that this med is provided to me free till one day I can get myself off of it.

T-Bass

Effexor is a difficult med to wean off of, however, it can really help people. I don't know what I would have done had I not gone on Effexor. It helped me get my life back together.

T-Bass, I weaned off of Effexor over the course of 2 months with minimal withdrawl. Why take a med if you don't want to (rhetorical question)? The key word is wean.

I do not have a seizure disorder, but I believe I may have had two seizures in my lifetime while having severe low bloodsugar reactions (I'm diabetic). I was never told that I had had a seizure, but based on the descriptions from people who took me to the hospital for the low bloodsugars, I'm making an educated guess that I might have had a seizure. Based on this minimal information, my doctor refused to put me on Wellbutrin due to the risk of seizure associated with it. Instead he put me on Effexor, so I assume that the risk of seizure is not very high with Effexor.

I've been using Effexor & Adderall for about two years. Since I've been using the Effexor, I am tons better in terms of depression. I still have periods on unhappiness/mild depression, but it is nothing like it used to be, and it's usually pretty short-lived, and I can usually pinpoint the reason why I'm feeling down (whereas previously, I was just miserable all the time with no specific reason for my misery).

What I have enjoyed as an unexpected surprise with the Effexor is that I started having dreams again. My doctor said some people report having intense dreams/nightmares, but mine are just your avaerage run-of-the-mill dreams. I have recently been experiencing night-sweats, and I think this may be a side effect of the Effexor. It's nothing too bad, but I worry what it'll be like when the hot weather arrives. I'm going to talk with my doctor about this at my next visit.

I know someone who experienced withdrawal sysmptoms if she missed a dose of Effexor ...she said she would start to feel strange even if she was just a few hours late with taking her dose. However, she successfully weaned off it very slowly ...I think towards the end of the "weaning off" process she was taking something like 15 mg of Effexor.

I, myself, have forgotten to take Effexor for a day without any ill effects. However, after hearing about my friend's withdrawal experience, I get very nervous if I forget to take it two days in a row. But based on my experience so far, I'm guessing that is not going to be too difficult for me when I decide to stop taking Effexor.