tired on effexor

[smiles314]

Hey all-

 

I started taking effexor about a month ago. I was taking half of a 37.5 mg pill every other day. Then started taking it everyday. And now I am taking the full pill. It has only been a few days on the full pill. Ever since I started taking the effexor I feel ridiculously exhausted. I have never felt so tired. My eyes feel heavy. And I've been sleeping a lot. My doc said to give it some time and it should go away. I also have dry mouth. Has anybody on effexor felt the same way? And has it gone away for you? Going to work is becoming such a challenge. :sad:

[jengh]

Hmm, that's strange...especially with such a small dosage (when I was on it, I was taking 450mg/day)..It definitely didn't make me tired. In fact, it did the opposite. I couldn't sleep. Medications can take up to a month to get regulated in your system, so just give it some time.

[arwen]

Hey,

 

I am also on effexor, but it has the opposite effect on me. In fact when I was still in the period of getting used to it (it takes up to six weeks to adapt to it and before you could feel the benefits of it), I was SO awake that I slept just for short bits. We are all very different when it comes to our response to antidepressants, I guess. It's a bit of trial and error to find the medication that is suited for you, and a doctor cannot always predict the effects and if the advantages outweigh the side effects you may be experiencing.

 

I can tell you, the severeness of the side effects really diminishes after about two months. I had the dry mouth, but also a very strange kind of urge to yawn (I'd feel it as a sort of electrical shock in the pelvic area, and it was NOT a nice feeling! ) I lost pretty much all my appetite because I was hardly able to swallow with that dry mouth. I couldn't orgasm.

 

I am on them for nearly half a year now (and I have been in the past as well), and I am really satisfied with them. But the side effects, well, for me the anxiety and depression is so much worse that I accept the fact that I will feel odd for a month or two when starting them, and also when I get off them.

 

I am just on a maintenance dosage now. My doctor was pleased to see I was getting so much better (I wanted to quit the meds), but she feared that if I'd stop, I'd have a relapse. So I am just on 37.5. For me, the max I have ever had was 75. Keep in mind that a higher dosage does not always mean 'higher risk at severe side effects'. In fact, there are studies that show that some antidepressants show less side effects in higher dosages

 

As for now, my sex life is pretty much normal (bit lower libido but the bf knows how to handle that lol), I don't have a dry mouth, I gained a bit which in my case was kind of necessary, I am not dizzy or tired or over-awake. Just normal. But not with the anxiety I 'normally' have.

 

Take them for one more month at least. If you are still insanely tired, this may not be the right medication for you. Remember, don't quit on your own, and do so gradually and under supervision of your psychiatrist/doctor.

 

Take care and if you ever need to talk about meds or depression/anxiety, you can also always send me a pm.

 

Arwen

[anggrace]

It didn't make me tired. But we're all different as far as how these meds effect us. Give it more time.