First day after adding Effexor to Mirtazapine

[missy_c]

Last night I started taking 150mg Effexor, on top of my 45mg Mirtazapine, as directed by my psychiatrist. I'm wondering what people's experiences of th5s are, as today I have felt almost as though I'm on (from my stupid days as a teenager, many moons ago) I'm on a "comedown" from ecstacy. I've just got that general feeling as though I'm not quite with it, my appetite has gone, and I'm bruxing (grinding my teeth), as well as having quite a dry mouth.

Is this normal? I have read the side effects but it doesn't list the "comedown" feeling (naturally!). I'm assuming its just my brain chemicals having a bit of a shift around, and am also wondering when this sensation will subside...does it take a few days, weeks etc? I didn't think I'd feel any difference so soon after starting the course, and am quite suprised that the effects have been so pronounced, as with most of the antidepressants I've taken it has been subtle side effects, which appear most in the first few weeks (not hours!).

Any thoughts or advice, or stories on whether it has helped you would be much appreciated. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and am really hoping that this combination may finally rid me of it!!

[sarajane]

Missy I am also on effexor - I'm now on 300gm per day. Since starting on this med 4 months ago and having them slowly increased I honestly don't feel any improvment with my symptoms.

But I've been assured by my Dr my sympotms will improve in time. And because everytime I've changed meds I 'come down' and fall into such a dark pit I'm to scared to change or come off the effexor.

I have found a large number of forums on the net that talk solely about effexor. And I'm always looking for other peoples experiences with this med.

You are welcome to PM me any time.

SJ

[jo61]

Hi Missy, I was on the same combination though I'm nearly off Effexor now - it's taking time. When I went on the Effexor I felt pretty rough for a week or ten days but then things settled down and the side effects went away. I did feel worse at the beginning. Good luck

[missy_c]

That's reassuring to know, as I almost feel a bit shell shocked, and my appetite still hasn't returned. Did you find the Effexor helped? I know different things work for different people, I haven't felt anxious since taking it, as I think it was prescribed more to help the panic attacks and anxiety, but then I don't know if its too soon to tell as its only been two days. Thanks for the posts, it helps to reassure!

[jo61]

Effexor didn't work for me and now i'm having some trouble getting off it. However I know people for whom was a lifesaver - different strokes for different folks I think.

[missy_c]

Well, the first two days have been very weird, I feel like I'm on speed!!, very wide awake, bruxing, confused, palpatations and a very fast heartbeat. No anxiety though, even with these symptoms. I called the docs last night as i just thought after telling someone "5 for november" and "can I have a pack of blue green rizla" instead of blue rizla, and my postcode ending in 5N, and my partner and flatmate's concern at my entertaining antics, telling them things twice, forgetting what I was saying mid sentence etc...out of hours Doc said stop taking tham and contact GP the next day, so i thought "well i'm not going to do that if they say the next day, start taking them again and i have to start from scratch", so I persisted. Took my next tab, and have felt better today. My memory is extending, and palpatations have gotten much less frequent, and I am not putting my hairbrush in the fridge!!!

I think I prob should have been started on a lower dose of the effexor to begin, and worked up if no effect, but hey, I'm not a psychiatrist. By sheer chance, in talking to people at work, there are two colleagues who have a friend and sister on venaflaxine, and both said opposing things, one said it worked (after 18 years of unsucessful treatment) and the other siad it didn't after 5 years of other treatments. What can I say, I would rather stick it out and see, than give up now. I've been on 8 different antidepressants in my time, and only a few of those have worked, so different people will react differently. I'm going to give it a bash, we all know, that we're willing to try whatever in the hope we'll recover! I'd wrap myself in tinfoil and wear sandpaper pants if i thought I'd get relief!!!

Thanks for all the thoughts guys and gals, its good to come on these things and get different perspectives. Hopefully it will help others if they are going through similar with their meds too. Will keep posted though...just in case!