depression and anxiety question...

I will be seeing a psychiatrist Wednesday about going on medications. I have depression and social anxiety. Reading about medications and going on things I know from friends who are on them, I'm very afraid to take any of the SSRI medications. I have know two people that took SSRIs and they both experienced the muscle spasms/zaps (whatever you want to call them). When I see that happen to them it terrifies me to no end. For this reason I am going to suggest Effexor XR. I've only know one friend who went on this and she said that the side effects were generally mild. I have read negative things about this drug, especially getting off of it. The truth is that I need something to help me. So my immediate question is, has Effexor caused spasms in anyone? Can anyone discribe the sexual side effects in men? Thank you.

Not me and I've taken it for years. In fact, no other AD has helped me like this one.

Keep posting and let us know how you are doing!
Okie

my experience with effexorxr is this: i lost 38 lbs, no sexual appetite whatsoever, thought i was going to die while taking it, took months to get off of it.

i was wearing a size 0 pant when i started trying to get off of it. my head felt like it was full of tumbling rocks. my pharmacist helped me get off of effexorxr.

i am very afraid of that drug. there are many, many others that you might consider before you try effexorxr.

until you've been through something like that, you can't even imagine how miserable and sick you can become due to a med. i only ate every two or three days due to the loss of appetite......please keep me updated on what you do. xoxoxo pat

p.s. i worked in ER while this was going on and my job could not have been harder to do while the withdrawal was taking place.

i've gone back to the old tried and true prozac now and am doing great.

I've been taking effexor xr for over 3 years. I'm coming off of it now without withdrawal symptoms. I didn't have weight gain, but I watched what I ate. I did have a slight decrease in libido, but nothing problematic, even at 300mgs. Effexor xr is a very effective AD for many people. Keep researching it and make your own decision. My experience is only one person's experience, fwiw.

Good luck! And I'm glad you are taking an active role in understanding the AD's so that you can discuss them with your doctor.

Hello and welcome to Psych Central. If you are concerned PM Dr wylie (Psisci) and he may help to direct you to the right meds to take, or PM Doc John. You should also tell your Dr when you go to see them that you have certain concerns about certain medication, and you prefer not to take the medication, Drs need to know your concerns, and most will work for the best interest of the patient. Take care Soidhonia

David - When taken properly SSRIs and SNRIs (like Effexor XR™) are relatively safe and can be extremely effective. As for muscle spasms/zaps, I am not sure what you mean. I have not seen either of these in relation to SSRIs.

As for Effexor XR™ (venlafaxine), I have seen it used quite often for depression and anxiety. Effexor XR™ does have a fairly short half-life, so you must be diligent in taking it every day, preferably at the same time every day. To avoid what I call "start-up" side effects you should start at a low dose (usually 37.5mg/day) for about a week, then raise the dose slowly to the target dose (usually 150mg to 225mg daily, depending upon what your psychiatrist deems the dose that will need: he may play with that dose depending upon your needs). The start-up side effects may include some mild nausea, mild headache (more of a slight pressure in the forehead) and a "funny" feeling. These side effects lessen and disappear with in first couple weeks of starting the medication, and are due to your body adjusting to the drug.

As for sexual dysfunction, Effexor XR™ usually does not cause this, but I have seen a couple cases where this has happened. More commonly, men have said that occasionally they may experience some slight delay in ejaculation, which I did experience when I took this medication. I, and my wife, did not believe this to be a problem (rather the opposite, if you know what I mean ).

This said, Effexor XR™ is not for everyone, as fayerody can attest to, but it is worth a try. Make sure that you ask your psychiatrist how he/she feels about prescribing Effexor XR™ for your condition, and ask what kind of success rate that he/she has had in treating others with conditions similar to yours.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. - Cam