GOOD results on Efexor?

[legs]

Has anyone had any? I've read so many horrible things about it- and I watched my ex go from doing okay on it to being totally nuts on it and then having the toughest withdrawal I've ever seen- and I'd love to hear if anyone has had even a remotely good experience on it.

It's kind of a last ditch effort on the part of my doctor. I've done paxil, zoloft, trazodone, and pamelor, none of which did a particularly good job. I was also on Wellbutrin, which was beautiful and helped me for years and gave me no side effects and then it pooped out and started making me angry while it stopped making me happy. I was on Pristiq about a month ago- after a day the side effects started, and by the third day they were so bad that I couldn't sit upright or keep my mouth closed or walk without support or sleep or eat (let alone drive or make phone calls or run errands.)

Anyway my doc feels that Efexor will be better than the Pristiq because he can start me off slower (he's having me begin by taking out half the balls in the 37.5 dose for a week and then moving up slowly from there.) So please! Someone. Anyone? Anything good from Efexor?

[dancesintherain]

I've had wonderful results with it for both episodes (I went off medication in between, so I can't blame any drugs). It mostly got me out of a really nasty depression in particular this second time. Are you going to keep on the Wellbutrin? That was my combo the first time around and it really worked wonders. This time around, I ended up supplementing it with Lamictal, but that was out of some bp concerns and for an extra anti-depressant effect.

I could sing its praises, but that would be a bit extreme. I'm just reporting in w/ no noticeable side effects and good results.

[Persephone]

Effexor can be very rough to get on - I was titrated up to 300 mg in 8 days and I felt absolutely horrible. I had nausea, vertigo, tachycardia, and even had trouble walking for a few days. But after the adjustment period, the only side effect I have had is constipation, which is annoying but managable. Compared to other drugs I have been on (*cough* Remeron and Abilify), this is great.

Unfornately, it hasn't improved my depression very much. But since I tolerate it so well, my pdoc is keeping me on it and experimenting with augmentation. I haven't experienced discontinuation yet, so I can't comment on it.

Legs, you sound very sensitive to side effects, so it's good your pdoc is taking it slow. I would say just be patient. I know it really sucks, but sometimes you just have to wait out side effects for a few weeks before they get better. I also would recommend planning your dosage changes for weekends or other times you don't have to work.