My doctor just gave me Effexor XR I am starting 37.5mg tomorrow for 1 week then 75 mg. Is there anything I should be concerned about or watch for?
Thanx a bunch
Robin :D

He probably didn't tell you how hard it is to get off. The withdrawls can be very difficult if done cold turkey without the doc's supervision. Don't run out while on vacation! Actually for me it wasn't that bad and I think most people get through pretty well as long as they are careful.

Sleep problems were a big issue for me as a side effect. I had to play around with the time I took it. I've heard others suggest breaking the dose with the main part in the AM & a booster in the evening.

I felt the effects within 20 minutes and it really did a job on my anxiety. It did take a few days/weeks to adjust though and get the side effects to clear up. It's good stuff but quite powerful though the side effects are supposed to not be too bad compared to other AD's

Here's a couple of your old posts for background (for others):
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=76338#post76338
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=76647#post76647

Hmm, I see you've tried paxil & prozac. Effexor IS sometimes used for ADD as it has a certain amount of stimulating effect though supposedly not until you get to the really high doses it kept me awake at night and sleepy during the day.

See how you tolerate it. If it doesn't bomb like the others, give it a shot. Other possibilities are wellbutrin which is prescribed for depression and sometimes helps ADD. Strattera is for ADD and shouldn't freak out your doc, no triplicate, not a controlled stimulant.

OK well since you ask, I think effexor is more than you need since your depression is pretty mild. Wellbutrin would certainly be the first choice IMO unless you have anxiety as a big issue. But try it if you want, it might be good. Just be careful about getting talked into a huge dose. I think you'll know with your experience if it's helping within a couple weeks. You could even get wellbutrin added to it.

Good luck!

Well thanks for all of the info. See my problem is.....My daughter (7) was diagnosed with ADD inattentive and impulsive this April. After all of the research I did, I found that I too have all of the same characteristics (sp). It was really hard to deal with. You have children love them, nurture them, and take care of them as best as possible. You think that your children are going to be fine and that nothing is ever going to hurt them phsyically or mentally. So when all of this happened I kinda downward spiraled and this is how I got on the antidepressents. Well now I feel better mentally, but i'm having a really hard time focusing.

Let me see.... my husband has been laid off for 5 months his salary has be cut in half, my daughter was diagnosed, my 2 1/2 year old broke his femur (left thigh bone, alot of people ask me what the femur is LOL) and he was in a body cast for 6 weeks and still isn't walking by himself, my mortgage is going on 4 months late, both my car payments are late.

HOLY S**T that is alot of stuff in 7 months :rolleyes:

Anyway it could be depression, it could be ADD, or it just could be me. All I know is that something in my life has got to change and I have to rely on me not my DH, not my kids, not my mom or dad or sister ME. And all I can say is that I am on my way to getting better even if it is with the meds and I will succeed in life and have enough money to go on vacation if I want.

This has nothing to do with anything. I guess I just need to say all that and get it off my chest.

Have a great night and I will keep you posted on how the drugs are going.
Robin

That's a lot to deal with. Depression is understandable and hopefully just temporary. Effexor is powerful stuff and ought to work on that. Probably a small dose is fine. If you feel good on 37.5mg don't bother upping the dose. My doc insisted I go up and I wish I hadn't. I believe it's no problem to open the capsule and split them (though I'm not absolutely certain).

itlang, you sound like me. My hubbys job is pretty questionable right now. My adopted daughter has ADD OCD and is giving us a really hard time. She has a brother and sister ages 5 and 2 that are learning bad behavior from her. We are sighning the adoption papers tomorrow morning. I have been a bit depressed this weekend and just started taking Effexor and Adderal. I hope it helps. I am worried about hubby's job and all. I hope things start to look up for you too. I want to start going back to church but have not made the committment yet. I know it would give me added strenght it is just getting off my butt and doing it. I hope the Effexor helps with that too.

i've tried a countless number of medications in an attempt to manage and treat my adhd and chronic dysthimia, and i have to say that thus far effexor xr is the only one that actually did help to some degree. the problem was however, that i was at the max dose (225mg) for my weight (100lbs), and i was still fairly depressed and hyperactive, just not as much as usual. as i tapered off effexor i became terribly depressed, paranoid, irrationally fearful, irritable, scatterbrained, and gained weight (25lbs). i also has weird nerve sensations in my legs and felt sick to my stomach. this was back in january or february, and since then all the withdrawl effects have subsided. i've tried a few other meds since then, but none have been effective. i'm actually starting dex tomorrow and might consider trying dex in combination with effexor if the dex alone isn't enough. it definately did help me a little, and hope you find the same for yourself. if it doesn't you may want to ask your doctor about taking it in combination with something else to make it more effective. good luck and take care ;)