Derek Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Hey again. I have been on Effexor XR 300 mg going on about 2 years now. It's truly been a wonderful drug for me. I am not so anxious on it and I'm glad I found it. I often feel like this is how it should have been for me.... However from time to time I get the worry demon. The "what if" And the what if right now is about the long term use of it. If one day I'm going to wake up some kind of nightmare as a result of long term use or if the Effexor poops out and I'm unable to find any other drugs to help. So just looking for some reassurances, but also be honest. What are the effects of Long Term use? I havent seen too much. I've heard the withdrawals are bad, but I'm not as worried about the wds as I've generally gotten off the majority of ADs with hardly any SEs. My PDoc swears they are safe and he's had people on them for 20+ years, but in my head I just tell myself "he's just telling me that to make me feel better" Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiaroscuro Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've been on AD's for 10+ years & apart from weight gain, I'm fine on them. In fact, I'm better on medication than off medication. I was on Effexor-xr for 3 years (& others prior to that). I'm now on Effexor's cousin Pristiq & have been on that for 3 years now & will stay on it permanently (unless something unforeseen happens). I do have SE's if I forget a dose, but apart from that I don't have any problems being on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've had the worry demon from time to time myself. Fortunately, none of the things have come to pass. I've been off and on many ADs in my lifetime. There is one, amitriptyline, that works for me each and every time. I've taken it for the majority of the last 35 years. Sometimes my depression isn't too bad and I can get away with using Wellbutrin but when I've got it badly, amitriptyline is the only thing that consistently works for my depression. Each and every time I've needed to use it, I've felt better within days of taking it. I guess this is my way of saying that sometimes, when you find the right drug for you, it works. Time after time, it works. If there are any long term effects, well, they haven't caught up with me yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've been on ADs and other meds for 21 years, and am fine. Can't function without any of them, and will most likely be on them the rest of my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodos Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 What are the long term effects? You just might feel better for the long term . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 The first true anti-depressants were introduced in the 1960's. That's nearly 50 years worth of experience. Not many people in state hospitals anymore......... There are probably about 50 alternative meds, plus ECT, and some new magnetic treatment being tested. You haven't scratched the surface of alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Good news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittyloaf Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've been on Effexor XR for 6 plus years. I had side effects at first but they have gone away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 I've been on AD's since 1985. No problems here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I am so happy with how I feel on my AD that just the thought of going off it gives me the shivers. I've been on meds for 8 or 9 years. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I've been on anti-depressants for 24 years. Also, one long term consequence of *not* taking ADs can be suicide. ETA: And I just realized 24 years is half of 48 (my current age). So I have been on them as much as I have been off of them, and the part where I was not on them wasn't good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CookieN Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I also thought "What if" for a long time. But after a lot of thinking I accepted that the only think I could do was to take my meds everyday. I know there are people who can do well without meds, I am not in that group though. I don´t have a choice. Now my new question is -what medication would be the best to diminish my symptoms with the least side effects?- I have taken psychotropic meds for 6 years. So far I´ve had high sugar and thyroid problems as side effects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnapper Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 I've been on ADs for 12 or 13 years, and am only sorry that I didn't figure out I needed them sooner. I've been on a mood stabilizer for over 3 years, in combination with the ADs. Initially I had some concerns about long-term use, but the downside of not taking them pales in comparison to any possible long-term effects. As crtclms pointed out, a possible side effect of not taking meds is suicide. The numbers are against us. Bipolar and depression are fatal 15% to 20% of the time due to suicide. If you've had more than 3 depressive episodes, there's an over 90% chance you'll have another, whether or not there is some reason for you to be depressed. In other words, it can just happen. So any potential long-term effects are meaningless when considered against the odds of the serious consequences of untreated MI. I don't have the research handy to back up all those statements, but try psycheducation.org for information. http://www.psycheducation.org/ Meds have only gotten better over time, and there are a ton of them to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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