Effexor- Effectiveness And Side Effects

I am keeping this brief: I have been taking Effexor for 3 months. I only take 75 mg. I have Major Dep and have tried many different meds for it. I am extremely sensitive to antidepressants and their side effects. So much so that I can't even go above 75mg per day. So here is me of Effexor: it helped right away. It was the best med for Dep I have taken so far. It is powerful and seems to hit the spot with me. I felt calmer, more alert, and all around happier- for about 2 months. Then the side effects started to get bad. When I first started on it, I had one or two Side Efx- excessive thirst, sweating. They were minor and a fair trade off for the effect of the drug. But my the start of the 3rd month, the side effects multiplied- excessive sweating, sleepiness, insomnia, thirst, loss of focus, confusion, extreme weight fluctuations. I could deal with a couple of these, but one on top of another was overwhelming my system. For example, like clockwork, I always passed out to sleep at 530 every day. I barely ever took naps before Effexor. I was going thru tons of Gatorade b/c I was always thirsty. I lost weight and got what I call giraffe neck and just looked really weird. My clothes started to hang off me. I was always dazed and out of it. I stopped drinking while taking effexor so I could let the drug take effect. So I had no other substance in my system aside from Effexor for 3 months. Now I am back to reducing the dose to 37.5 per day. It is not as effective, but the side efx have diminished greatly. There are withdrawal effects, but not any that are causing my major discomfort. I am pretty upset tho, b/c 75 mg was doing the trick. I will try to perhaps go back up to 75 in a little while, but for now, I can't do it without major side efx. To those considering this drug, here is what I think- it works. It works great. But it comes with strings attached. Maybe not for you. But for me, it did.

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Have you tried taking half in morn. with food and the other half with your last meal of the day? I have been on Effexor for over 10 years. Started low, but always took twice a day. Doctor asked if I wanted to go with XR but taking twice a day seems to work for me.

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How long after increase in effexor 225mgs to 300mgs should i start to feel better?

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The effects of this medication can vary from person to person, not everyone experiences severe side effects, but some people do. The FDA lists the most common ones as possibly including nausea, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, weight changes, mood swings, and irritability.

Tim, how long have you been taking it? It may take about 4 to 5 weeks, before you know how well it will work for you.

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I've only been on Effexor for 3 weeks now and I'm having a stuffy breathing feeling. Not like a stuffy nose, but as in a humid stuffy breathing. Is this considered a side effect?

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