New med yet again.

[Echo]

Oh good lord, gods help me please.

[username]

From what I can gather, most think that the SSRIs are better for anxiety.  Some people who have no luck with the other drugs that are usually prescribed for anxiety, have good luck with Effexor however.

Effexor didn't help my compulsions by itself, and it I don't think that it is even approved for OCD.  Sometimes the blocked reuptake of noradrenaline (at around 225mg) can make obsessions and compulsions worse.

I do not know a thing about Bipolar.

Your pdoc is far too imaptient.  Meds take at least 3 weeks to kick in for me, and that is quicker than it is for a lot of people.

Give this one a chance.

[Ocracoker16]

I had an experience with Effexor XR that was not so positive.  I am Bipolar II and I also have OCD, GAD, and Panic disorder.  It was somewhat helpful for some of the anxiety, but I was taking a benzo at this time.  I don't think it helped my OCD at all.  SSRI's have been better for my OCD.  However, I have to adjust my dosage based on any major mood changes.  Unfortunately, I was feeling so fabulous on the Effexor that I would never think of decreasing the dose.  It triggered a major manic episode.  The SSRI's haven't caused as much trouble for me.  I take Celexa and I experience periodic bouts of mania.

Katie

[Echo]

You both just confirmed what I was thinking. I also noticed that on the crazymeds page there was nothing about Effexor being approved for, or even used off label, for OCD! This guy.... I don't know what his thinking is. I guess he's either a cook or reaaaallly smart. I think.... well, hell, I don't know what to think. It's all so confusing. He asked me if my hair was falling out at all with the Epival and I told him I had noticed some hairs on my shoulder (which has never happened before) and he said that if we increase the dose that will most likely get worse. Could be a lot worse. This was a side effect I did have big concerns about. He then told me that Epival doesn't even usually start to give good results until after 1000mg, sometimes even up to 2000mg! So why did he have me at 250mg with a baby dose of Seroquel (50mg) and then change his mind? I didn't try to convince him of anything either way. The only thing I did was give him the facts abou that doctor who never really gave me a true run with any of the SSRI's or SNRI's all that time ago. I don't know what he is trying to accomplish. I told him the OCD is definitely no better, and possibly (maybe) worse since I started the meds because he asked me.

Does this post even make sense? My thoughts are all a jumble. I'm getting so sick of this (and it's only been 3 or 4 months!). I really feel for those of you who are still spinning the med-go-round after a year or more.

I'd love some more opinions from those that have experiences as well as those that really understand exactly what Effexor DOES in the brain and how it might make my ocd, anxiety, and possibly (probably) bipolar II better or worse and how. I have read the "How it works in your brain" on crazymeds quite a few times and to be completely honest.... I'm still in the dark. lol. I can understand what it says but can't connect it to what it might mean for me.