Experiences of effexor and wellbutrin?

[spaceman]

Just saw pdoc today and was subsribed effexor sr. I will start at 37.5 and increase to 75 mg after 7 days.

I will be taking this with 400 mg of wellbutrin and 450 mg of lamictal.

Anyone have any experiences with this combo. Weight gain or sexual side effects? Is this considered a low dosage of efexxor? Do side effects increase with dosage? Replies appreciated.

[otherwise the curved]

I never tried the above with Lamictal. However, I don't get sexual side effects or weight gain with Effexor or Wellbutrin (or those two together). I get dry mouth really easily, and I know I did with either Effexor or Wellbutrin, but wasn't annoying enough for me to stop taking the med.

Best of luck!

otc

[saveyoursanity]

I had no weight gain with Effexor, nor any sexual side effects. The discontinuation syndrome is real and problematic for many, but personally, the worst I experienced was some dizziness and a light headache. I got off really lucky, though.

The tapering schedule you're on is pretty slow-- I haven't heard that doses as low as 75mg are clinically effective. According to emedTV: "For the treatment of depression, the usual starting dosage is Effexor 75 mg total per day, divided up into two or three smaller doses. Your healthcare provider may lower your dose if you experience side effects or may increase your dose if needed to control depression symptoms. For most people, the highest recommended dose is 225 mg total per day, although some people may need to take as much as Effexor 375 mg per day."

(If you're taking Effexor XR, you shouldn't need to do the 'dividing up into two or three smaller doses'.)

I would recommend reading Wikipedia's article about Effexor, specifically about dose-dependent adverse side-effects, as I'm hesitant to copy & paste such a large chunk of text.

[spaceman]

Thanx for the article it was very helpful and helped me make a decision very easily.  The se's are just severe for me to chance my body with.  This se is the biggie in my opinion:

      Sexual dysfunction is often a side effect of drugs that inhibit serotonin reuptake. Specifically, common side effects include difficulty becoming aroused, lack of interest in sex, and anorgasmia (trouble achieving orgasm). Genital anesthesia,[30] loss of or decreased response to sexual stimuli, and ejaculatory anhedonia are also possible. Although usually reversible, these sexual side effects can last for years after the drug has been completely withdrawn.[31] This is known as Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction.

   My pdoc seems to be a nice lady but isn't up to snuff on a lot of meds se's.  I told her that i had gained 15lbs on abilify and she said she had never heard of that happening.  I also told her that it gave me a little tic which is why i wanted to stop it and she said she had never heard of that either and that is one of the se's that is most serious with abilify because involuntary movements etc can be permanent.

     I just don't think I want to chance my genitals being anestitized for years and years.  I'll just have to look for something else.

  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[spaceman]

Thanx for the article it was very helpful and helped me make a decision very easily.  The se's are just severe for me to chance my body with.  This se is the biggie in my opinion:

      Sexual dysfunction is often a side effect of drugs that inhibit serotonin reuptake. Specifically, common side effects include difficulty becoming aroused, lack of interest in sex, and anorgasmia (trouble achieving orgasm). Genital anesthesia,[30] loss of or decreased response to sexual stimuli, and ejaculatory anhedonia are also possible. Although usually reversible, these sexual side effects can last for years after the drug has been completely withdrawn.[31] This is known as Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction.

   My pdoc seems to be a nice lady but isn't up to snuff on a lot of meds se's.  I told her that i had gained 15lbs on abilify and she said she had never heard of that happening.  I also told her that it gave me a little tic which is why i wanted to stop it and she said she had never heard of that either and that is one of the se's that is most serious with abilify because involuntary movements etc can be permanent.

     I just don't think I want to chance my genitals being anestitized for years and years.  I'll just have to look for something else.

  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[y58]

I take 225 Effexor, 300 Wellbutrin. You have lots of room to go up on the effexor. I haven't had a libido in years and I'm not in a relationship so I don't care. I assume my loss of libido is a drug se. Relief from my symptoms, or most of them, depression-wise, is worth it to me. The only depression symptoms I still have are anergia, anhedonia and apathy, and then there are my negative symptoms,but nothing much can be done about those. Overall I am happy with my ad's.

[notfred]

I had no sexual se's from either. I would not pass up a drug based on se's you might get. Wait until you get them to stop, you might not get them at all. Keep in mind these boards skew toward the negative.

nf