jt07 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I am coming off Paxil, and it seems that the Wellbutrin is not doing much to help me. I'm considering asking my pdoc to switch out the Wellbutrin for Effexor. One of my problems on Paxil was that it blunted my emotions and really left me feeling blah inside. I mean BLAH. So my question is to anyone who takes or has taken Effexor, does Effexor also numb you out on the inside like an SSRI? If so, is it as bad or worse than an SSRI? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calypte Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I feel kind of blunted on the Effexor. "Blah" is probably my predominant feeling ... also tired all the time. It did lessen my suicidal feelings, though. I'm also not sure how much of this is just depression, since I'm still fairly depressed. I've actually been considering stopping the Effexor and switching to something else (probably Wellbutrin or Remeron), but I'm worried I'll get suicidal again. Perhaps I'll discuss augmenting with Wellbutrin with my pdoc. I don't think Lexapro had this numbing effect on me, it was nearly side-effect-free. Sadly also benefit-free. Zoloft made me agitated and insomniac rather than numb, which really sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted April 26, 2011 Author Share Posted April 26, 2011 Interesting to hear that you feel numb on Effexor, though not entirely unexpected. I don't worry about getting suicidal again because I have my carbamazepine which miraculously takes care of that. I just don't want to feel numb. I've actually been on Paxil only since October - before that I was on Celexa (parent of Lexapro) for years, and I was numbed out on that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arise111 Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I was once on effexor. Although at the time I was on a huge cocktail of other medications so it was hard to tell which caused what side effects for me. When I was on effexor though I didn't feel numb emtionally. Although I'm not sure what you mean by numb though. Could you be a little more specific? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowen Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 I take Effexor, and I have found that it doesn't "numb" me out. I noticed that the Abilify I'm taking was, and since Effexor was added (for OCD), I haven't felt so slow and numb. It's worth checking out, I'd say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 Thanks, everyone. The Paxil at 10 mg is still kind of numbing me, numbing my emotions. I don't really want to go back to anything that causes me to feel numb. But I suppose that it's worth a shot. I've read a lot of good things about Remeron + Effexor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew90 Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 I've been on a number of antidepressants over the past 1.5 years, and the current regimen I am on is by far the most effective I've tried. For the past 6 months I have been on both Wellbutrin XL & Effexor XR, and this combo does not cause emotional numbness or any general stupor. I've been on Wellbutrin for almost exactly 1 year, which I initially mixed with Zoloft which made me tired. In October I added on the Effexor and ever since I have been 90 % depression-free and significantly reduced social anxiety. With this combination I have ample energy during the day, and have no issues falling asleep at night. Also, for me, these 2 meds have substantially improved my motivation and attention levels (both are helpful for ADD off-label). In no way have these two, or Effexor alone (which for a little period of time I took by itself) cause the numbness, but rather the opposite. We all have different experiences, so I cannot draw a line for all others. But, if you want to rid yourself of the 'numbness' that I myself once dealt with while also vanishing your depressive & anxious states, then I recommend giving this combination a try if your doctor is willing to prescribe them both. Currently I am on Wellbutrin XL 300 mg & Effexor XR 300 mg daily. I have read tidbits on the remission studies of effexor, which put its response rates higher than most of the other SSRI's (keep in mind this is just an average). And, the higher the dose, the better the recovery from depression/anxiety levels as I can personally attest to. Lastly, there is a prominence of reports all over the internet in forums & whatnot on the 'grueling' withdrawal symptoms. Personally, I forgot to take my effexor for a day and did not go through any withdrawal. Don't let others who complain on the forums persuade you in 1 direction, as most people on forums post about their negative experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calypte Posted May 1, 2011 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Thanks, everyone. The Paxil at 10 mg is still kind of numbing me, numbing my emotions. I don't really want to go back to anything that causes me to feel numb. But I suppose that it's worth a shot. I've read a lot of good things about Remeron + Effexor. These things tend to be so individual, there really is no predicting whether you will or will not feel numbed on Effexor. It's certainly worth a try. I've heard good things about Remeron + Effexor too, and Wellbutrin + Effexor also seems to be a good combination, so with all three on board you should really be all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I find that most ADs have a numbing effect, but I feel less numb on Effexor that I did on Lexapro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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