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@Techdog, how long have you been taking it?
I’ve been taking Effexor XR for about 15 years, now, and I’ve found that it really numbs my emotions. This is a very common side-effect. So are elevated blood-sugar and early-onset presbyopia (which is why I’ve been wearing bifocals since I was in my late-20s).
However, Effexor passes through the body very quickly. So, if you forget to take it for a day or so, or wait too many hours between regularly scheduled doses, you may start feeling withdrawal symptoms, which include tearfulness, confusion, and “brain-zaps” of dizziness/vertigo.
If you’re taking it properly, but the side-effects are outweighing any benefits, then Effexor may not be the right med for you. Remember, meds are never one-size-fits-all, so it takes careful, medically-supervised trial-and-error to find the right one for each patient.
Talk to your doctor about this, ASAP. And do NOT stop taking it suddenly. You must be weaned off it very gradually.
The longer you are on the Effexor, the worse your withdrawal symptoms will be. On the two occasions when I was weaned off it, it took several months of removing a few more beads from each day’s capsule. Ultimately, we discovered that my depression goes back so far, that I’ll need to be on Effexor for the rest of my life.
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