Just saw my doctor this morning and renewed my prescription for dexadrine. I think it has helped me focus and stay sharper. I've been taking it for over a year and there appears to be no side effects.

However, for the first time in my life, I think I may be suffering from depression. I don't know how someone knows this for sure. How do you tell "clinical" depression from despair and sadness. All I know is either I am clinically depressed, or I am very sad.

I mentioned this to my doctor and within two minutes, he wrote me a prescription (and gave me a starter pack) for an antidepressant called Effexor. Before I start popping these, I'd like to know if anyone else has used it and what your experience has been.

I still don't know if more medication is the answer. My marriage of 10 years is essentially on the rocks and I feel so sad and overwhelmed. I don't want to be in this position and I'm not sure how I got here. I think I still love my wife, but I'm not sure of anything any more.

I admit I am not very good at intimacy and relationships. I suppose the ADD is at least partially responsible for that. However, I don't know how much of the problem is related to ADD and how much is because I simply don't know what it takes to sustain a marriage.

I find my feelings change wildly from moment to moment. One minute I am completely sympathetic with my wife and her issues. The next, I am convinced she has simply given up on me and is bored. I feel sense her anger and impatience with me. We have trouble communicating on even the simplest of topics. She is no longer my friend.

I can't say I'm suicidal but there is a strong appeal to running away and disappearing. I don't have as much passion for anything in my life right now, nor does it seem worth the effort to change that. I wonder if I'm just wallowing in self pity but I don't want to grasp at straws. That's why I'm asking about this medication. My rambling here is meant to provide some context.

Thanks,
:(

Sometimes I find it hard to tell the difference between depression and anxiety but it's kind of the same thing really. Effexor does work, especially with dex but I don't take it any more coz I put on so much weight with it and that made me more miserable.

I also had really bad nausea when I first started taking it. Going off it was even worse.

Like all antidepressants, effexor may not be right for everyone, but if you can tolerate the initial side effects -- I've seen first hand that it can do wonders. An AD can really be no more than a crutch, and it sounds like you may need one right now. My sister is currently on this med to help her with a stressful job, and I watched the metamorphasis from an overwhelmed, emotional wreck to a happy and productive person. And if you're the inattentive type, an antidepressant/stimulant combo is reputed to be the best thing. Good luck...

Thank you tudorose and bhooker for the feedback. My doctor assured me there were no side effects other than perhaps a diminished sex drive so it is interesting to read both of you mentioning side effects. Can you specifically tell me what side effects you are referring bhooker? And how long did it take for your sister to experience this metamorphosis? I'm not looking for miracles or quick fixes, but I do want to be as informed as possible.

There are, in fact, known side effects for Effexor. You may wish to direct your Doctor to this website: http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-e02.html or his PDR.

Here is an excerpt:

"Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions:
The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of venlafaxine (incidence of 5% or greater) and not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients (i.e., incidence for venlafaxine at least twice that for placebo), derived from the 1% incidence Table III, were asthenia, sweating, nausea, constipation, anorexia, vomiting, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness nervousness, anxiety, tremor, blurred vision, and abnormal ejaculation/orgasm and impotence in men. "

Nineteen percent (537/2897) of venlafaxine (Effexor)-treated patients in Phase II and III depression studies discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction. See table at: http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-e02.html#Head_6

Thanks Big. I printed this out and will likely be studying it closely. I formally started taking the effexor today, and I hope it works. My wife told me she can no longer go on in this relationship and wants to separate. I've been through a few lows in my life but I think this one tops them all. I'm numb.

Blueguy,

You're welcome. I know all about the lows. Hang in there, and hopefully your wife will take into consideration your attempts to find the right combination of medications.

Good luck, and let us know how things go for you.

Well, here's an update. I've been taking effexor for over two weeks. Started slowly with 37.5 mg per pill once daily and have built up to 75 mg per pill once per day as per doctor's orders. I think my results are inconclusive so far. I'm told the medication will sometimes take a few weeks to have full effect though my doctor seems to think I would notice a difference in a week.

Part of my problem at measuring the success are the complications from my marital relationship. My wife has essentially decided she can no longer live with someone like me. We've discussed separating, probably shortly after the new year. December 31 is our 10th wedding anniversary. This sucks.

For all I know, without the effexor, I would be a train wreck. It's tough trying to figure out how medication like this is working when my personal life is so volatile.

However, I've decided to be as "clinical" as possible and give this medication another full month before I try to re-asses its effectiveness. If I or my wife do not notice any significant changes, I think I'll ween myself off of this and try something different.

Side effects? I've noticed some. I've had the occasional upset stomach. I'm prone to increased sweating, perhaps even borderline hot flashes. I've got kind of an odd feeling all the way through my torso, almost like constant butterflies. I'm not nervous or anxious, but it sort of feels like it.

My doctor only mentioned one side effect (he says he didn't want to taint my ability to asses the benefits by giving me a long list of potential side effects). I don't think that's an issue. I try to be as objective as possible and not draw any forgone conclusions. Anyways, the one side effect he mentioned was perhaps "a decrease in my sex drive." Perhaps? For all intents and purposes, I've died down there. Not that it matters because my wife and I have been anything but intimate for months now, but at least I was experiencing "regular activity" on a daily basis. Now... nothing.

Sex drive had been an issue with me before I started taking this medication. Viagara was truly helpful. But mixing dexadrine, effexor and viagara? It conjures up images of Elvis.

Bottom line? I'll keep going for a little while but unless I start experiencing some "renewed activity", I don't think this is the long-term solution.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

:(

I've been taking Effexor for 6 months now. It's been a very good thing now. The side effects will go away. After 2 months I bumped up to 225 mgs (the max dosage) and stayed there until a week ago, going down to 150.. the lack of anziety towards spending money really started to hurt my bank account... so I'm counting my dollars again, but my jaw clenching has picked back up.

Effexor has been a good thing for me. You should stick with it and consult your doctor about uping your dosage if you don't notice improvements pretty soon. 75mgs is hardly enough to make a difference.

I'm on Effexor now as well, in addition to Adderall. Very interested to hear people's reactions to the medication. I am only on 75mg right now, but we'll see.