I've been diagnosed as combined type and have tried a variety of meds, which I've documented here.

Basically I've tried bupropion, Strattera, ritalin, Vyvanse, and Adderall. Nothing has helped without causing side-effects that were worse than the original problem.

I went to a new psychiatrist Friday. I went to her because she "took the place" of the previous one I went to (residents at the medical school here). She said she was willing to try something besides more stimulants.

After I got there, she started talking about Focalin, which she said is different than the others. I haven't looked up how it is different, because she didn't end up prescribing it.

What she concluded is that she thinks I'm more affected by anxiety and stress right now than I am by AD(H)D.

None of the clinicians I've seen before (3) have even talked about anxiety and depression. (Of course I'm anxious because I'm getting nowhere. And it's depressing! lol )

So she gave me a prescription for Effexor. I said I hadn't heard about it and she said it's good for anxiety and depression. I said "am I depressed?" and she said she didn't think so but it should calm me down.

When I picked up the prescription, the pharmacist asked if I'd ever taken anything like it before. I said no. She asked why I wasn't given something "milder" than Effexor. I said "is this strong stuff?". She suggested I might want to read about it before taking it and if I had concerns, to discuss it with my doctor.

Well, after reading about Effexor, I certainly have concerns!!!

First: without knowing me, does anyone think that jumping over to a whole new diagnosis/treatment is appropriate?

Second: should I have tried something with a less "scary" withdrawal profile first?

Your input is invited and welcomed.

I have never taken Effexor, but both my brother and mother have. My brother didn't notice a difference if he took it or not. My mother hates it, but stayed on it because she did not treat her clinical depression seriously. Effexor worked for her depression, but she developed tremors and vision changes so that she could neither hold a newspaper nor read it. When she tapered off of Effexor, she was sick for a week and swore she would never take it again. From my limited reading here about Effexor, it works for serious, stubborn depression - often when other meds don't work. Hopefully others who have taken it can tell you more.

Thanks for that feedback. From what I've read, it sounds like a pretty frightening drug.

Do you know how long your brother took it?

It seems like it would have made sense to give me something milder and with fewer radical side effects & withdrawal problems for my first try on this type of medication. This Dr is "new" so doesn't have a lot of experience to draw on. I'm not real keen on being one of her test subjects.

I hope to hear from others with experience with Effexor, too. Maybe it's not used by that many people.

At one point in my life I was immobilized by depression and Effexor worked miracles for me. It was the only thing that was able to kick start me after trying many different SSRIs. This was before I was dx for ADD and, as with many of us, I have a complicated comorbid history of other things. In hindsight, it was always the more "up" antidepressants that worked for me, which makes perfect sense now.

Anyway, bottom line is that I loved it and it helped me so much. I had to stop taking it after about 2 years because I couldn't stand the sexual side effects. Coming off of it wasn't too pleasant, you get these weird brain "pings," but slowly following Dr.'s instructions is was doable for me.

I think that it's great your doc is taking anxiety and depression into consideration because I think that ADD meds can affect these things so you need to consider the whole picture.

Thanks for the info on your experience, wondra.

I'm not on any ADD meds. None have worked for me.

What were the sexual side effects? My conversation with the Dr was interrupted because we'd gone over our allotted time and she had another patient waiting. So we didn't get to talk about it.

What are brain pings? It sounds like you tapered off it - correct me if I'm wrong. How long did you taper off and did you have these brain pings during that whole time? How long did you keep feeling these pings? Did you experience any other withdrawal effects? Did your Dr give you anything to ease the withdrawal effects?

Thanks again!

I 'm back on Effexor 75 mg,as my nearly 10 year old same dose of Wellbutrin quit

working.

This happened once before about 12-15 years ago.

I went on Effexor for about 15 mos or so, before giving Wellbutrin another try.

That strategy worked then and it's working again now.

They're both atypical antidepressants,in that they're in ther own category.

I'm also on 90 mg of Vyvanse .

Everyone is different in the way their bodies metabolize meds.

I seem to be able to have no problem with either one of these.

Either way, I wish you much good luck and also good health.

tc

mctavish23

(Robert)

I cannot tell you how effective this medication would be, I know nothing about it. It would FREAK me out tho if I got a new doc, I don't know and sure don't trust give me something scary that was so non traditional. That it also has significant side effects and withdrawl symptoms etc.. No way would I fill it.

This is just how I would feel, and not intended as any kind of advice. Just maybe a bit of reassurance that your reaction is not the least bit out of line.

Thanks, Robert.

Did you go through any kind of withdrawal when you stopped the Effexor?

Did you taper off or just switch back to Wellbutrin?

Thanks, ginniebean. I appreciate that I'm not skewed in my caution. I'm looking as much for experiences here as I am advice or suggestions.

Thanks for the info on your experience, wondra.

I'm not on any ADD meds. None have worked for me.

What were the sexual side effects? My conversation with the Dr was interrupted because we'd gone over our allotted time and she had another patient waiting. So we didn't get to talk about it.

What are brain pings? It sounds like you tapered off it - correct me if I'm wrong. How long did you taper off and did you have these brain pings during that whole time? How long did you keep feeling these pings? Did you experience any other withdrawal effects? Did your Dr give you anything to ease the withdrawal effects?

Thanks again!
I've experienced two different kinds of sexual side effects with meds (I think only the antidepressants). The first is inability to orgasm, still interested in sex just CANNOT get off. The other is loss of libido - no interest in sex whatsoever. Effexor was loss of libido, and if I'm remembering correctly I could orgasm but never had the desire to try - no arousal at all. It was actually REALLY weird and felt kind of surreal, especially because it's not at all how I usually am.

Brain pings are hard to describe. It's like all of a sudden your brain goes "ping!" It's sort of like a flinch or twitch, almost as if it were being flicked with a finger. It doesn't hurt, it's more of a sensation. I can't remember how long I tapered off for, it was per Dr's instructions. I want to say 4 to 6 weeks but I could be wrong. This I remember, pings were during the whole taper time and for some weeks after. Then it would be sporadic - it went on for quite a long time definitely months and gradually became less and less until it went away altogether. I have to say it didn't bother me that much but I'm an addict and hate to say it but I like altered states. Also, I was on a high dose of Effexor - I think maximum allowable.

Dr. didn't give me anything to counter withdrawal, but I was switching to a different medication maybe Welbutrin but I'd have to think about it. At that time they usually had me on at least 3 different things so that may also have been a factor. Though I've been on Effexor a few times and both times had the pings...

As someone was saying about the stubborn depression, when I went on the Effexor both times I was clinically depressed and nothing else worked. For me, I feel like it was a life saver. But I also feel that at the dose I was taking, the fact that it did lift such debilitating depression and the brain pings that it's a pretty powerful drug.

they have tried everything on me even ECT,i had a bad experance w/effexor .....landed in the ER thought i was having a heart attack .......i hope i gives you relief

Nope. I didn't have any type of withdrawal(s).

The first time I switched, we tapered the Wellbutrin, as there is a potential to lower the siezure threshold.

This time,however, we didn't.

I believe the thesis was that I'd been on this same dose so long that the change wouldn't be hazardous;which it hasn't been

(for me anyway).

I hope things go well for all of you.

tc

mctavish23

(Robert)

Update:

I haven't taken any of the Effexor.

I called to cancel my follow-up appt with the Dr (left message and said why) and haven't heard a word back.

I have called another doctor in town. I called last Tuesday and again on Friday. I haven't heard a word back. An actual person never answers the phone -- you can only leave a message.

The first one was somewhat rambling. So on Friday my message just gave my name, phone number, and that I was a new patient wanting to make an appointment.

It seems odd that I don't even get a call back.