[LearningMe01]

To make a very long story short - I've dealt with depression on and off for most of my adult life. There have been times when it was almost completely gone - for sometimes years at a time (and not controlled with medication) but eventually, it finds it's way back. This last time was one of the more severe "episodes" as it was shortly after my child was born and diagnosed as postpartum depression (yes, I'm aware there is a sub category for that.) I saw my Dr. shortly after the symptoms started and she prescribed me effexor XR (extended release) I have heard some of the effexor horror stories, but nothing else seemed to work (we tried various ssri's before going to the effexor) I'm on a very small dose (37.5mg) I usually take it in the morning because it has a tendency to wind me up a bit (It's an snri, similar to the ssri's except it effects your adrenaline). Well, the other morning (3 days ago) I forgot to take it, and I didn't realize until early evening - when I started experiencing some of those awful withdrawl effects. So I took it. The next day I woke up feeling extremely depressed. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I didn't want to leave the house...I took care of my Baby, but I can't say I wanted to do that either. My Husband came home and I pretended I was asleep. I tried to go shopping and literally had to leave the store. I just wanted to climb in bed and pull the covers over my head. I woke up the day after that feeling the same way. Only today am I starting to feel a little better. I can't say my depression was ever "cured", for the past year or so I've been walking around with it to some degree, but it's been very tolerable and manageable. The past couple days though, it was barely tolerable. I felt very hopeless and just basically ******. My question is, do you think that could have happened because I changed the time I take my effexor? (I take it in the evening now) could something as small as a a time change effect me that much? If it was a normal pill I would say no, but being that it's an extended release I kind of wonder. It makes me nervous because I don't want to slip back into a severe depression again. And if it's not the pills, is it common to have a few days were you feel completely depressed and hopeless?

I'm thinking about giving my Dr. a call tomorrow as she's been out of her office....my therapist is also not around this week so I figured I'd consult with the good old PC experts

You should call your doc but you will probably not get "expert" or written in stone answers. I can tell you that I feel consequences if I just take effexor xr a few hours later than the usual time. I would have taken the dose as soon as possible and stayed on the previous schedule but I'm not saying that's what you should have done...that's just what I would have done.
I think it's natural to take a day or two to get back to the way it was.
Also if it winds you up then it seems like morning would be the time to take it. I'm sure the winding up will pass in time.
Hope it gets back to normal soon.

[montanan4ever]

I've taken Effexor for a few years now, and in my experience, yes, missing a dose or two or even shifting the time can cause a few wild and crazy days thereafter. It works well for me as long as I'm very attentive to the schedule. I shudder at the thought of eventually having to get off it, though *cringe*. Here's hoping it continues to do well for years and years and years.....

[cafegrrrl]

don't know if this will help or not..but i took effexor for a few years without any side effects. However, at one point I lost my health insurance and had to quit taking it for about 9 months. Those 9 months were pure hell and I got back on it as soon as i could. But once i was on it again, it had me so hyped up (i think it was only after one or 2 doses) I had to go to the ER because my heart wouldn't stop racing, i couldn't sit still or concentrate on anything, and some other things that i don't recall now. I tolerated those things for about 15 hrs before I had had enough. They gave me a shot of Ativan at the ER and sent me on my way. I haven't taken it since then. I don't know if my chemistry had changed or what caused that. I haven't really researched it though either.

I was able to miss a dose or 2 without feeling it too much as well, during the years I did take it. I think it took me about 3 days to begin to feel bad again if I forgot or skipped it.

[NCgirl]

I was on Effexor Xr for about 4 years and had the same withdrawal symptoms...electric shock feelings in my head and off balance. Unfortunately, now on cymbalta, the feelings are the same when a pill is missed. Take is as soon as you realize you have missed a dose and take it at the same time every day. Hope this helps!

The usual starting dose of Effexor/venlafaxine is 75mg so I'm surprised that you're only on 37.5mg. At such a low dose it doesn't act on noradrenaline (and some studies say it's effect on noradrenaline even at higher doses is minimal) but is an SSRI. I think I remember it switches to SNRI at 150mg but I can't find it on google to check if that's right. Also at very high doses (max dose is 375mg) it apparently has some effect on dopamine too.

Depression waxes and wanes from my experience, but it could have been missing your meds too. I don't understand why you've switched it to evening time now, as I imagine it's still pretty activating. Maybe ask your pdoc to increase your dose as you're probably not on a dose that will impact your depression?

All the best,

*Willow*

[LearningMe01]

Originally Posted by WeepingWillow23

The usual starting dose of Effexor/venlafaxine is 75mg so I'm surprised that you're only on 37.5mg. At such a low dose it doesn't act on noradrenaline (and some studies say it's effect on noradrenaline even at higher doses is minimal) but is an SSRI. I think I remember it switches to SNRI at 150mg but I can't find it on google to check if that's right. Also at very high doses (max dose is 375mg) it apparently has some effect on dopamine too.

Depression waxes and wanes from my experience, but it could have been missing your meds too. I don't understand why you've switched it to evening time now, as I imagine it's still pretty activating. Maybe ask your pdoc to increase your dose as you're probably not on a dose that will impact your depression?

All the best,

*Willow*

Thanks Willow :-)

I know that 37.5 is an extremely low dose, pdoc even said it was "unconventional, but with a shot." She started me off that low because I've been extremely sensitive to psych meds in the past. I was supposed to go up to the lowest therapeutic dose (75mg) but I started experiencing some bad side effects (forgetfulness and stomach sickness). The depression also seemed to get a lot better. She made me promise that I'd tell her if I felt like the depression was coming back and that we would discuss whether we want to try upping the effexor or try something different.