[Vilatus]

Hi everyone, I'm in need of some help figuring this out.

I finally started a new antidepressant after a long while of taking one that wasn't working for me. I'm now taking 150mg of Effexor daily. Before, I was feeling very hopeless, I had no desire to do anything, and I was constantly depressed.

Now with the Effexor, I still don't have the desire to do anything, but I'm not feeling so hopeless or so sad. I don't know what to do... It's like my brain won't allow me to be happy or excited over anything. I don't want to participate in any hobbies, because I won't feel any pleasure from them. The only things that I feel I "enjoy" are things I can become immersed in or focused on and forget everything, like cleaning, playing video games, or sleeping.

I've only been taking the Effexor for about a week. My psychiatrist told me to just start it and drop my other medication because it would replace it. I don't know if part of this is just my body adjusting? I'm not having any withdrawal side effects from switching, but I know new medications can come with new symptoms.

I'm really stuck here. I have no idea how to stop being so apathetic towards everything. Any help would be appreciated.

[Skeezyks]

Well... I don't really know anything about this. I was on Effexor twice & I have to say that both times it ended badly for me. The only antidepressant I ever took that I thought was at least somewhat helpful was Cymbalta. But what I found, even with Cymbalta, was that it didn't restore my desire to do things. In fact, if anything, it made me feel sort-of groggy day-in & day-out. But what it did do was that it "kept a floor under me" as I used to like to say. Whenever I would begin to slide back down into depression, it seemed as though the Cymbalta would sort-of kick my sorry butt back up to a manageable level, so to speak. But I still had to work at keeping myself motivated to do things.

You mentioned you've only been on Effexor for about a week. That's not a long time period within which to judge the effectiveness of a medication I would say. (You probably didn't need me to tell you that!) But my thinking, for what it's worth, (probably not much really) is to give it at least a couple of weeks or perhaps even a month before giving up on it. And, of course, talk with your pdoc about how you're doing as well. Good luck!

[Vilatus]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

Well... I don't really know anything about this. I was on Effexor twice & I have to say that both times it ended badly for me. The only antidepressant I ever took that I thought was at least somewhat helpful was Cymbalta. But what I found, even with Cymbalta, was that it didn't restore my desire to do things. In fact, if anything, it made me feel sort-of groggy day-in & day-out. But what it did do was that it "kept a floor under me" as I used to like to say. Whenever I would begin to slide back down into depression, it seemed as though the Cymbalta would sort-of kick my sorry butt back up to a manageable level, so to speak. But I still had to work at keeping myself motivated to do things.

You mentioned you've only been on Effexor for about a week. That's not a long time period within which to judge the effectiveness of a medication I would say. (You probably didn't need me to tell you that!) But my thinking, for what it's worth, (probably not much really) is to give it at least a couple of weeks or perhaps even a month before giving up on it. And, of course, talk with your pdoc about how you're doing as well. Good luck!

No worries, just hearing someone else's thoughts on it is helpful!

I've only ever taken Celexa before this, and it worked pretty well for about a year before doing nothing for me. I feel as if Effexor is doing what you say Cymbalta did for you. I'm functional, and can actually go about my life like a "normal" person, without feeling like my chest weighs a couple tons. It could just be the adderall right now though. I'm not very sad honestly, just disinterested in things and therefore frustrated to the point of being sad at times. Do you have any suggestions for motivating yourself?

Yes, I am aware of that, and I'm trying to keep it in mind. (Just hoping it maybe kicks in faster since I didn't have to wean from my Celexa???) I'll definitely give it some time and keep my therapist and psych up to date on how I'm doing with it. Thanks for sharing!

[still_crazy]

antidepressants...can be hit or miss. sorry. anhedonia is one symptom that often doesn't respond to ssri and ssnri drugs. now and then people get better results with maoi drugs or tca drugs, but...those are older drugs that carry serious risks.

amphetamines help some people w/ depression, alone or in combination w/ antidepressants. ritalin, provigil are useful, too.

wellbutrin can sometimes help lift mood w/o as much emotional numbing as the ssri or ssnri drugs, but it has risks, too...the big one being seizures at higher doses, although that's not as big a deal w/ the er and xr versions. in multi-drug cocktails, though, it can be...tricksy.

now and then people find low dose 'atypical' tranquilizers/antipsychotics helpful. i wouldn't personally recommend it unless you're desperate for relief, but some people do report good results with abilify, latuda, seroquel, etc. others find that class of drugs to be a nightmare.

i did OK an an old tca drug (Tofranil) with an amphetamine. Later, a different doctor told me they try to avoid tca+stimulant combinations because of some risks involved, but...for a while there, it lifted me up out of the pit. not an option if you're prone to overdosing, have cardiovascular problems...blah blah blah. the tca drugs are older, more sedating, more toxic...but sometimes remarkably effective.

ok. obviously, i think you should lay things out for your prescriber and see what he or she has to say. i seem to recall reading that some neurology drugs, such as mirapex, are sometimes used in depression.

good luck.

[possum220]

You mention that its only been one week on this medication. Anti-depressants take about six weeks to reach a level in our bodies that is the best for us. Be patient while you adjust.