4 replies to this topic

[navyblue]

Okay so I read about the drug Effexor (which I was recently prescribed) on WebMd, and I have to tell you I'm scared to death. The site states that I cannot take tryptophan while on Effexor because that can be fatal. Tryptophan increases serotonin, but so do a lot of other supplements (b12, fish oil, 5htp, exercise, etc).

Will any of these things make taking the Effexor worse?

Also, can I take Milk Thistle Extract with Effexor?

[j03]

Tryptophan converts to serotonin in your body. So does 5HTP. Effexor is a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, so the combination could lead to too much serotonin and then 'serotonin syndrome'.

Because you just started, my biggest advice to you is to Google search "Effexor withdrawal", and read some of the stories. I know personally, it's hell. Many people end up in psych wards coming off this drug, or commit suicide. Unless you plan on taking this for life, that's something you should be cognizant off. Of all the antidepressants, this one is the worse to get off of. If you what to go the pharmaceutical route, I believe Prozac has a much better withdrawal side-effect profile. And the herb St. Johns Wort worked just as well for my mood as did any SSRI's, without all the hard side-effects! There's many studies that confirm this is the case with the majority of people.

[navyblue]

What the in the world. I'm stopping this right now. Thanks for the response I've read the stories. I swear my psych is trying to screw me up. For example I even told her the horrible results that I had when I was on Ritalin, and she said "okay then, lets try concerta". I did the research and concerta is the XR version of ritalin. I was not told anything about the withdraw symptoms of Effexor. This is just ludicrous. I have to find an alternative route.

Currently I'm on 37.5mg/day and have only taken it for 3 days. Is it okay to quit cold turkey at this point?

Edited by navyblue, 11 October 2009 - 05:28 PM.

[VespeneGas]

Were you prescribed it for depression, anxiety, or both? I'm extremely wary of the SSRI's in general. IIRC they're barely better than placebo for depression, and more than half of their consumers get sexual sides.

If you're looking for a non-pharmaceutical route, nicotine is great for ADD-i and anxiety, and decent for depression. It is, however, bad for the cardiovascular system, and promotes angiogenesis (i.e. if you get cancer, nicotine accelerates its growth) so you'd have to weigh its therapeutic efficacy against its risks.

[navyblue]

The Effexor had been prescribed for both anxiety and depression. I've tried prozac, zoloft, paxil, and lexapro. Lexapro worked the best for anxiety and depression, but I had horrible Restless Legs Syndrome from it, and not to mention of course the sexual side effects.

I am definitely looking to go the non-pharmaceutical route, but not too sure how to go about it anymore. The two supplements that help me the best are Ashwagandha, and Inositol. Unfortunately the Ashwagandha wears off after a day or two on it, and the Inositol makes me start to feel feverish and my skin feels weird and I begin to overheat.

I'll have to really think about going the nicotine route as those side-effects are pretty intimidating.

I tried St. John's (450mg 1x/day) wort on 3 different occasions and every single time I had gotten these massive headaches. So bad that I had to lay down for a while as they were really painful.

I am totally at a loss. I wish I knew the mechanism by which Inositol and Ashwagandha worked and what similarities they shared that way I could try to duplicate the effects with some other supplements.

Edited by navyblue, 11 October 2009 - 07:42 PM.