when does this drug start to work?

i have been taking effexor for around 8 weeks now,started on 37.5 then to 75mg and now starting 150mg,i am not going any higher in dosage from now on but i was wondering how long it takes to see a noticeable difference with effexor,i am seeing a little difference but not a great deal,should it be as long as 8-9 weeks?

any help would be appreciated.

lee

I was woundering the same thing. I have been on effexor 75mg for almost two weeks. I feel a little better I guess. How long does it take to start working. I just want to feel "NORMAL" again.

I'm curious about this too, since I will be starting Effexor XR tomorrow - I got a sample starter pack - 37.5 MG for a week, then 75 MG the next week. From what I read, it generally takes about 2 to 4 weeks at least, to know a significant difference, but there have been reports of a week or less.

Clifton

I can't tell u from experience since this drug was to crazy for me, but from the information it generally takes 6-8 weeks for the full effects of Anti-depressants to kick in, but it all depends on your body chemistry, I took an antidepressant that was an herbal supplement and it took about 3-4 weeks for to fully kick in

I've noticed a difference right away. I've only been on it for 3 days and it has helped alot. I mean i just don't give a crap about anything and that's what I really need right now. Maybe it's all in my head but whatever works right?

From what I read, it usually takes about 3 to 4 days (usually 4) to begin to know the difference. As for the full effects, it's like Robbie stated, 6-8 weeks.

Clifton

lee newton wrote:

i have been taking effexor for around 8 weeks now,started on 37.5 then to 75mg and now starting 150mg,i am not going any higher in dosage from now on but i was wondering how long it takes to see a noticeable difference with effexor,i am seeing a little difference but not a great deal,should it be as long as 8-9 weeks?
any help would be appreciated.
lee

I first started taking 75mg of Effexor XR and felt decent within 4 hours but I couldnt sleep as my pupils were too dilated (felt I took a shot of expresso!). However, after the third day I felt depressed again. Soon I upped to the 150 mg and immediately I felt great. However, after 4 days of taking the 150mg I felt a little bit down but not too depressed. Paxil or Citalopram didnt really work for me, but after 2 weeks on Effexor, I think this drug has some promise. Antidepressants work differently on different people, but my doctor told me that Effexor should work within the first 3 days. Hope that helped.

im jus startin to take effexor for the first time..after i had my first anxiety/panick attack a month ago. Ive literally been in bed for that long bc i just felt exhausted and really crappy. Ive started off with 37.5 mg..I will keep you all updated as to how it works for me. I hope it makes me feel normal again......

I am on 75mg and I started feeling "high" on it right away. The high was pleasurable and it gave me energy and focus. After the initial week the "high" "druggy" feelings stopped coming and I felt pretty much no effect. Now, 1 month after starting Effexor my mood seems to be better. More energy, more focus and a better appetite. Basically I feel like my shit is coming together without any side effects. The only definate side effect seems to be delayed ejaculation which is not a problem since it only means I can have sex with my girlfriend longer. Not a problem. All told, I am having a good experience with the drug and plan on staying on 75 mg a day for the forseeable future. Good luck everyone!

i just started taking effexor 37.5mg yesterday and i felt like crap sleepy and just out of it and couldn't sleep much last night. Today i woke up shaky and trembling really bad and it scared me. I took my meds and within half an hour to forty five minutes i started to relax. I have no appetite at all and my mouth keeps drying out. I know its only early the stages and my med's increase in a few days so i'm hoping the side effects will go in time and i start feeling normal again. I wil get back to you all in a few days and let you all know how i'm feeling. I'm glad i'm not the only one with concerns.

Good news: for me, it started working within hours. 150 MG fXR first dose. Felt great. Manic, almost. Bad news: my new md says I have to quit. He treats a lot of drug dependency types. So basically going cold turkey, albeit w/wine and valium.(Where did this expression 'cold turkey' come from???). So, now headaches, ringing in ears, dizziness, chest pains and black spots in periperhal vision. Scary now, but good while it lasted.

I stopped taking effexor the next day the side effects are horrible and never wish to take the medication again. My brain function is not the best still and i'm taking a beta-blocker to stop my heart racing, so in the long run i have ended up worse than what i started. what i have read up on effexor it isnt good for the long term and is even harder coming off it as well. There are better anti-depressant medicaions out there. So GOOD LUCK to you all that is still using it!!

i just increased my remeron to 45mg and just started effexor and it hasssssssssssssss HELPED a lot...im not sure if what im feeling is because of incraesed remeron or effexor but WOW..its working..my doctor also said that they call remeron and effexor combination(calafornia fuel)...and shes known as a really good doctor

WANDA wrote:

I WAS PERSCRIBER EFFEXOR A MONTH AGO. I AM TO SCARRED TO TRY IT BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS I HEAR. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TRY IT BECAUSE I NEED SOMETHING. CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME GOOD IN PUT/

Try it as your doctor prescribed. It may take a few weeks to see results. I found Effexor XR was one of the few anti-depressants that worked for me. Also - stop listening to what people say, they all have their own stories. It is between you and your doctor. Good Luck.

Please dont take this medicine ! I too was on it for a couple of years and when they tried to wean me off I ended up in er.It took years to get off with severe side effects. It's not worth it.

I tried this drug twice already. It gives you crazy side affects, dry mouth, dizziness. As gross as this may sound,I was so out of it one night that I walked into the kitchen, thinking for some reason it was the bathroom, and urinated in the garbage can. I have now tried 2 SSRIs Effexor, and Paxil. Both I had to stop. The biggest problem with these meds are sexual dysfunction. I can get hard, but I cannot ejaculate. To me it is a continous circle that just won't end. I just want my life to get better, and for me to be happy.

I just started effexor yesterday. I'm feeling a bit better: no real panic attacks yet, and less fear-of-fear. My constant fear stomach ache is gone but replaced by side-effect effexor stomach ache. But I really prefer that one. I have been sleeping bad for a long time (because I was always feeling worse in bed I often went to bed way too late), so I can't say I sleep worse with effexor. So far the drugs plus talking about it with the doctor and a few close friends have helped me a lot.
But generally I think that if you're afraid of the side effects, then you probably don't need the drugs anyway. If you've felt bad like I did, then you won't care about any side effects. Because I think all of the side effects combined can't be any worse than how I felt!
I'll try to post an update later.

So, 3rd day. Excessive mood swings today. From really panicky to relatively OK. Then I got real sleepy, tried to take a nap (didn't work). Now I feel great but my pupils are really dilated, sitting with sunglasses on writing this because the light hurts my eyes.
I also note my spelling is not as good as usual, and I have a somewhat strange feeling in my lower jaw.
We'll see what happens tomorrow. So far I am still all for it.

So we're close to a week now.
I am much much better now.
The side effects have gone, except for the dilated pupils (I also feel some increased eye pressure). My mental state however is fantastic. No more tingling nerves in my arms, no constant stomach ache.
I feel great! I should have gotten help much sooner...
In all truth though I think it also has a lot to do with my "support network". I talked a lot those last 7 days, many many hours, with 2 real close friends.
Anyway I'm not about to give up on talking with my friends nor taking Effexor for a while!