Hi Kelly...
Sorry I didn't reply sooner....just been very busy here at work...but I wanted to let you know how Effexor has helped me. This post may get a little long, but I hope it helps you.
I have always been a little "worry wort" as far back as I can remember.....nervousness, anxiety, etc. In fact, my pediatrician when I was a kid said I had a nervous stomach. Looking back I can see that was the start of my IBS-D. I was always nervous when going to school, social gatherings, work, etc. The thing that made it worse was that I'd try to act normal on the outside while inside I was falling apart and it was catching up with me.
A few years ago, about a year after my grandmother passed away, I was put on anti-depressants for depression. They first tried me on Paxil....which I didn't like at all because I felt worse on it. Then they put me on Zoloft and it worked very well for me and for my IBS, too...other than the sexual side effects. I was on it for approx. 2 years and then, after counseling and switching to a new, much more caring doctor, I felt well enough to get off of it. I had been off Zoloft for a little over 2 years when just recently I started getting very anxious, nervous, more IBS-D episodes, etc. I was so proud of myself for getting off Zoloft that I was reluctant to admit that I needed to go back on some kind of medication again. I finally went back to my doctor and he and his staff have reassured me that it's not something that we can control. It is a chemical imbalance that we need some help with. It's no different than having to take insulin for diabetes. So with that, in June, I set out with a determination to get better even though I was going to have to go back on medication to do it. My doctor suggested Effexor because it is more of an anti-anxiety medication but also an anti-depressant (since I had been treated for depression before). He told me that he felt very good about giving it to me and that there would be a few side effects to overcome at first but to "just grit your teeth and work through it" because they have had such good results with others on this medication. As with any other anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication, they start out gradually with a "starter kit". The first week I took 37.5 and then increased to 75mg. I was on 75mg for a couple weeks and then had a follow-up appt. with my doctor. I told him that I felt better at first and then started feeling the same again with anxiety and more IBS attacks. So he said that 75mg was still a very low dose of Effexor and that he would increase it to 150mg. I had one more follow-up with him a few weeks later and am doing great! I haven't had to use Imodium for two months, am able to eat almost anything without any problems, am not nervous to leave the house for social gatherings, work, etc. I don't feel nervous much at all. There is a little normal nervousness, but nothing like I was experiencing before. I'm able to enjoy things more. There aren't the sexual side-effects like with Zoloft, either.
I have gained about 4 pounds, but I think it is more due to the fact that I'm not having to worry as much about what I eat and am able to eat practically anything. I don't think I have gained weight because of the medication itself. To deal with that I just have increased my exercise and remind myself to not eat in excess and eat in moderation. One side-effect of the Effexor that has helped with the IBS-D also is C. Not bad C....but not having to worry about finding a bathroom in a hurry if you know what I mean.
Anyway....I think you will be pleased with the results of being on Effexor. Just remember that everybody is different. Take it one day at a time and give it a chance to work. You may have some unpleasant side effects at first, but they don't last long and aren't unbearable. Just like my doctor said "grit your teeth and work through it." But, then too, Effexor might not be for everybody...so if the side effects are unbearable for you let your doctor know. Work closely with your doctor. There are lots of medications out there. Find one that works....it's well worth it.
Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress.
{{{{{hugs}}}}}}
Nugget
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Effexor is a blessing for me....
