I hope that you're going to be taking the extended release version of Effexor. I've taken both and with the non-extended release version I had to take it 3x/day and I'd be having withdrawals between every dose (like tingling lips and fingertips.)
Do you know what dose of Effexor your doctor has in mind for you? When I took it, I was a high dose (375 mg/day) because I was taking it for chronic pain as well as for depression. I took it for about 5 years but eventually switched to Cymbalta because the Effexor started making my blood pressure high.
When I first started taking Effexor, it was energizing and helped my focus.
I've actually taken Effexor two different times - the first time was in 1995 when it wasn't available in extended release form. That was also the first time that I had taken an SNRI type antidepressant. It took nearly a month before I adjusted to the drowsiness and slight dizziness.
The next time I took it, it was the extended release version. When I switched from that to Cymbalta, I didn't even really notice the difference as far as getting any side effects.
Since you're already taking Fetzima, that should make your transition easier.
Did you doctor say why she wants you to take Effexor rather than Cymbalta or Pristiq?
Just curious.
Quote:
|
I really don’t care anymore, however; I remember I used to feel a ray of hope when my doctor prescribed a new medication - kind of like getting a shiny new toy / silver bullet that would solve all my problems. I really feel like I have a form of depression that is untreatable, and that the medication is not helping matters at all. For all I know it is exacerbating the problems I mentioned before:
|
That's pretty much how I feel, too. Even with my medication, I only manage to achieve a medium-bad case of depression instead of a horribly bad one.
I used to get massages every two weeks and I felt like it helped my depression. I can't afford it now, but it's something I would recommend. Medical insurance usually won't pay for it.
I have also tried acupuncture, meditation, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, biofeedback, nutritional supplements, special diets, limiting caffeine and alcohol, good sleep hygiene, exercise, and of course psychotherapy.
I got the best results from the massage and certain types of psychotherapy. Another thing that helped was choral singing, although I didn't get into that with the idea that it would be a depression remedy. The yoga was good as well, although I felt that it mostly helped with stress relief and helped to keep my spine and muscles in good shape. That's helpful if you have depression, because the emotional tension also takes up residence in your body.
For me, it has been helpful to accept that it's possible that I'll always be dealing with depression at some level. That doesn't mean that I've stopped trying to get better. Not everyone agrees with this attitude. I want to be as well as I can, but I won't let myself feel like a failure if the depression won't go away.