Hi all...just started Concerta and Effexor XR. I'm switching from Focalin XR and Cymbalta to this combination. It'll take me a couple of weeks to do the switch from Cymbalta to Effexor.

Has anyone else used this combination?

Also, I'm taking Zyrtec for allergies. Seems to have an impact on the stimulant. It seems to lessen the effect. Anyone notice something similar.

So far I like the Concerta, it seems to keep me even all day. I've done generic Ritalin and didn't do well with the highs and lows.

Anyone's experience with this would be great.

You were on Focalin, why are you changing to Concerta? I ask because I am moving the other direction.

Primarily wanted to try out the delivery method of the Concerta. I didn't really notice a difference between Ritalin IR and Focalin XR.

So far so good with Concerta. I can tell that it's consistent rather than the ups and downs with other extended release meds.

Effexor XR, ughhh. I was on it for about 6 months. Never ever again. I could not stand the side effects such as nausea (when increasing dosage), sweating, dizziness (big time). If I ever missed a day I would start going through withdrawal symptoms (listed above). I switched to prozac and never looked back. Prozac has huge half life so missing a day or two dose won't effect you. J

No problems yet with the Effexor. I’m taking a break for a couple of days from the Concerta. It seems that still getting off Cymbalta and starting up Effexor has some impact, for me, on Concerta. Might be my imagination, but I want to get on the right dose of Effexor then add back in Concerta.

The withdrawal symptoms people get from Effexor are scary, but, I think if done right I can avoid them. We’ll see, only way to do it is getting off them, which hopefully I won’t do for a while.

Once I get back on both Effexor and Effexor (couple of days) I’ll post again.

Cheers!

I'm on both the Effexor and Concerta. Has been a good combination for me for a few years now. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

I havent taken Concerta but I feel that I need to tell the whole world about my experience on Effexor. I know all meds affect all people differently, but effexor only affected me when I went a couple of hours without it. I started on IR 37.5 mg 2 times a day. Im in Norway so I think the dosage might be a little different. If I didnt take the first pill at the exact same time everyday (as well as the second), I would begin to get serious panick attacks. I couldnt sit still, I would hyperventilate. I think that if I had been left alone I would have tried to pull my skin off. One day I went to get my prescription refilled and they were out. I went to every pharmacy in the city and everyone was out of it. They told me all the same thing, that they wouldnt be getting another shipment of it for 1-2 weeks. I sat down in the middle of the sidewalk and just started crying my eyes out. I was completely out of the stuff and I was 5 hours late from taking my last pill for the day. All of a sudden, all alone in the middle of Oslo, I had no idea where I was or why I was even outside. I grew up in California and thought for a good several minutes I was back in CA but still had no idea where I was. I wondered around a little bit (I should add that I was probably a 5 min walk to my apt at this time and still didnt not recognize anything) until I finally got the guts to ask someone where I was. I was so confused, disoriented, depressed, and my brain felt like it was contantly being shaken. I couldnt deal with it and decided I had probably come out to kill myself so that what I was going do. I was literally about to run in front of a bus when my cell rang and it was my mom. I started crying uncontrollably telling her about what was going on. She was able to give me directions back to my apartment on the phone. I stayed inside for the next week before I got a refill refusing to go outside in fear that this would happen again. I got off of it right after that, but that in itself was just as scary, but at least this time I knew as well as my mom and my boyfriend what might happen so I was a little more prepared.