Nervous to start Effexor - Please share your experiences!

I also take it for the hot flashes....wonder drug! Works like a charm. As far as stopping, I don't see that happening anytime soon for me. However, I know you can't stop cold turkey. You need to slowly wean yourself off or you will have some unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. I will worry about that if/when the time comes.

I was on a very high dose of effexor 300 mg, back when I was going through my divorce four years ago. I took it for about a year, and my Doc weaned me off with no problems.  I am back on it now, 75mg for depression, however now I deal with other side affects such as low libido.   My tears have dried up, but now I kind of just "fuction" through life.   I do think going back to work will help my spirits, as well as the sun and warm weather.  I have one more treatment of adryiamiacin and cytoxin and then three months of taxol, and try to fous on one day at a time.  I look forward to the days of being able to have some sense of normalcy in life.   Oh and btw, I never realized how much hot flashes can disrupt a womans routine.  Mine were made worse by taking Percocet for the pain brought on by the reconstructive surgery/expanders.   Its not safe for me to take ibuprofen, due to my low counts, so this in my only option for pain meds.   But if I can get myself comfortable without meds, then I have less hot flashes.....Hope the effexor helps you....take care....

I started 37.5 mg of Effexor 16 days ago. I was on 40 mg Prozac, but I needed to switch due to taking tamox. I stopped Prozac for 4 days and then started Effexor. I think I had a little lethargy from dropping Prozac so fast, but now it feels like Effexor is getting up to speed. The hot flashes have virtually disappeared, I still have some night sweats. I take Effexor about two hours before bed and it knocks me out. I have very vivid, but generally not scary dreams. I think as long as you taper off it will be fine. I took Xanax for about a month after diag. Now that was some scary stuff. But I tapered off that over about three weeks and it was fine.

Effexor is an antidepressant. It has what is called serindipitous qualities like helping with hot flashes. Another quality it has is it also helps with anxiety. The best anti anxiety medicines are antidepressants as they lift the mood so that you can deal with the anxiety. It is not addictive, but does have side effects if you go off of it instead of stepped down. Benzodiazipines such as zanax and Valium are addictive. (I am a mental health counselor on an emotional health and recovery unit) We prescribe effexor a lot and most do very well with it, so don't be afraid of it.

It was difficult for me to discontinue, but I was taking it for depression and was at a much higher dose. At 37.5 you shouldn't have difficulty stoping in my opinion.



Peggy

I loved my effexor. I was on the same dose; 37.5mg ER. It took about 6 weeks for it to fully kick in but when I did, I was about  98%  hotflashes free, and I slept through the night. I did come off it after about 1.5 years and was advised by my doctors I didnt' need to taper off as it was such a low dose. So when I was ready to come off it, I stopped and experienced not one side effect from withdrawal. Now, everyone is different but that was my experience. Truly, the only side effects I had were those I was hoping for... no more hotflashes.!!

Good luck, I hope you have as good an experience as I do.  I seriously tell everyone about it since it was so effective.

For me, and I had great success with Effexor, it did take about  6 weeks to start noticing reliefe.  By 8 weeks, I was 95% hot flash free. I was getting discouraged at first as I thought it would take 1-2 weeks to kick in. Onco said hang in there and it will, and I'm glad I did.  It was worth the wait!

I was on extended 37.5mg XR.  I took it at night for best benefit while sleeping with relief of hotflashes.  Even though it was extended release, the Onco suggested taking at night as the dose does taper down after the first 12 hours so you get your greatest benefit in the first 12 hours.

This thread is EXACTLY what I have been questioning myself. Have been on Tamoxifen for about 6 months now and the hot flashes are awful. Called my Onc about 3 months ago and filled Effexor prescrip (75mg), BUT when I read about the SE's (and my HF's slowed down), I decided not to take it. Fast forward 3 months, HF's are worse thn ever. Almost popped a pill, but hubby reminded me how much I DON'T want to go back on antidepressant. (Was on Wellbutrin for nearly 10 years, tapered off, doing absolutely fine without.). So I've been researching Effexor again just like the original post of this thread. Thanks to everyone for their very helpful comments. I may just bite the bullet and give it a try when I get home from vacation.

I've been on Effexor for 10 years for my bipolar. If it doesn't work for you, and you want to stop, make sure you taper as others have said. The withdrawal symptoms are hell.

Good luck!