Tell me about Effexor and Zoloft

analtobviously

I was in to see a psychiatrist today to talk about medication, and with my medication history, Effexor and Zoloft are the two he recommended. He didn't hand me a prescription on the spot or anything, but instead told me to look into the two and come back in a few weeks with what I want to do because he doesn't want me to take anything I'm not enthusiastic about. It was a weird meeting and I wasn't stunningly impressed with the guy or pretty much anything he said aside from that last part, but that's neither here nor there because seeing him was essentially free through the school.

So anyway. I've done some reading on both of these drugs. Zoloft sounds like it might mess me up a bit less than Effexor, but I am decidedly less than enthusiastic about taking either, or anything at all. I have a long and illustrious history with SSRIs and taking this sort of thing isn't a first for me or anything, but both of these drugs are uncharted territory for me and I am really not enthusiastic about taking anything period anymore.

Does anyone have experience with either or both of these two drugs? I've got the professional recommendation and I've done some reading; I'm looking for straight-up anecdotes here. I realize the effects of either are going to be different for everyone. Just... okay?

SmokeStacks

I was taking Zoloft for a period of time when I was younger. I don't remember the dosage.

- For the first couple of days my stomach was upset and I had drymouth, but around day three those issues went away and did not return.

- My appetite decreased a little, and I lost some weight as a result

- It took considerably longer for me to achieve orgasm. The ladies loved it because I could last forever, so I thought it was kind of cool, but after a while the novelty wore off. Masturbatory sessions changed from "Huh, I'm not doing anything for the next five minutes, I'll rub one out real quick" to "Let's see if I can get this done within half an hour".

All in all it was definitely something that was a net benefit though, my quality of life improved significantly. Some time later I decided I wanted to try living without it, so my dose was slowly lowered (to avoid Discontinuation Syndrome) and I started to exercise regularly and eat better, and I basically had the same outlook and quality of life that I had while I was taking Zoloft. Plus it was a lot easier to beat off.

If you don't already, I'd definitely recommend taking a couple of weeks and getting good exercise and a healthy diet a shot before you start taking another antidepressant, but if you do end up taking Zoloft I can tell you that although everyone's body is different, my personal experience with it was positive.

I hope it works out for you either way.

Avicus

Effexor is an SNRI if I remember correctly. It works in a slightly different way from normal SSRIs by raising levels of not only serotonin but norepinephrine as well. If SSRIs haven't worked well for you in the past, give Effexor a go.

chaosisorder

My anecdotal on Effexor, 150mg/day for migraines:

- Once ramped up to that dosage, not so much insomnia, as decreased sleep. I'm used to about 4 hours per night now but it isn't really bothersome.

- After about a year, noticed difficulty in orgasming. Much like Smokestacks said about zoloft - it started to take a really long time.

- Crazy vivid dreams. Dreams that were super real and would fit right in with normal life, like getting a phone call in the middle of the night that someone had died where when I woke up, I absolutely believed it had happened. These kind of freaked me out at first but now I know to quickly run down real/not real when I first wake up.

- Also, I wasn't taking it for depression or anxiety, but I have definitely noticed a mood enhancement. Which is perhaps due to a decrease in migraines, but no idea

Good luck to you.

analtobviously

I took Cymbalta for about 6 months and didn't like it at all. That's also an SNRI, which is one of the things that worries me about Effexor, and one of the reasons that Zoloft sounds a bit better. The appetite decreases are a bit worrying because I don't eat that much to start with.

Thanks for the responses so far.

Good Idea

I'm taking Sertraline (generic form of Zoloft) for about a month now. I thought the list of potential side effects was really long and scare, but aside from some digestive trouble on the first day I didn't notice any side effects. Dosage is 100mg/day.

harry.timbershaft

You're going to think I'm a little crazy for suggesting this, and there is little chance that you're doctor will go for it, but talk to him about Tramadol. Tramadol is an opoid used to treat moderate to severe pain. The funny thing about Tramadol is that it is also quite an effective SNRI. You get the immediate uplifting affect from the opiate-like nature of the medication and will give you a chance to test drive an SNRI-like mediation. Tramadol is actually perscripted off-label for this purpose in certain circumstances. I've known people who have been put on Tramadol for pain, who also suffered from depression, and their depression went away almost completely along with the pain (these are people who were depressed before they were in pain - their depression wasn't resolved by the fact that they were no longer in pain anymore). Downside to this is that you will become physically dependent on the medication and you will go through withdrawal if you discontinue taking it. Of course, the same thing happens when you take and then stop taking classic antidepressants, but they call it "discontinuation syndrome" to make it more socially acceptable to be physically dependent on these types of drugs. Now, it's tough to walk into a doctor's office and ask for a prescription for an addictive narcotic painkiller. There's a certain stigma attached to medicine such as Tramadol, as it can and is abuse by some people. If you're interested, talk to him about it, and have the data ready to discuss (i.e. don't walk in like a junkie asking for pain killers).

Hope this helps.

Jealous Deva

One thing with zoloft, it has a LOT bigger interaction with alcohol than other ssris I have taken. Be very careful if you drink with it.

DoctorArch

If price is a factor (lack of insurance, high copays, etc.), generic zoloft (sertraline) can be had for very cheap at most pharmacies (Costco, Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, etc.). While there is a generic available for non-ER Effexor, it is still pretty expensive.

tardcore

With insurance, I'm paying $120 for a 90 day prescription of 225 mg of Effexor (three 75 mg pills). I'm on Blue Cross and live in Atlanta, btw.

Also, VERY IMPORTANT! Do not miss a dose of Effexor. You will get horrible, horrible withdrawal sickness. You get extremely nauseous, you get these brain "zaps" that are hard to explain but once you get one, you'll know what I'm talking about. You lose your appetite, you get the sweats and you can't sleep at all. When I was a teen, I left my medicine at my dad's house when I went to live with my mom for a week. Big mistake. I became really sick and didn't know what was wrong until I found out that it was me not taking my medicine. I thought I only needed to take it when I felt an episode coming on or an attack, but boy was I wrong. Even if I miss a day, I start feeling terrible. So be very careful.

Feral

I've been on both medications.

Zoloft worked for me but gave me a splitting headache.

I am currently on Effexor, brand name 75mg XR per day. It works great for me. If I miss a dose, I definitely feel it after a day - I get the brain zaps (SSRI discontinuation syndrome) and a headache. I have to take it with food or else it makes my stomach upset. But if I take it regularly like I'm supposed to, and just eat a bowl of oatmeal or a Clif bar or something along with it, I have no side effects at all.

spool32

Longterm Zoloft usage can be absolutely hellish to wean yourself off. I mean, seriously hellish. Even with a doctor monitoring you and stepping the dosage down carefully, you may (or may not) begin to feel seriously depressed and, in about 60% of cases, you will also have a problem where every single step you take will feel like you're having electric shocks applied to your muscles. Not nice little static electricity pokes either. It's the "brain zaps" but throughout your body, all the time. This can continue for days or weeks, or happen not at all.

Zoloft is not to be taken casually. From your other thread, I think your doctor might be on the right track, though. 6 months of Zoloft, then a drug like amitriptyline to help you step off it and into something more manageable. Good luck - I hope he offered clonazepam for the emergency moments too.

Mom2Kat

I have been taking Effexor XR for going on ten years now. It is an SSRI in its lower doses and over 300mg it acts as an SNRI as well. I was on the larger dose for a few years and I have weaned down to 150mg. I really liked it as you have 3 doseing levels at 37.5mg, 75mg, and 150mg. So you and your doctor can find the absolute best lowest dose for you.

Being that it is an SSRI if you miss a dose you may end up getting the zaps. I can tell about 20 hours after a missed dose because I will get nauseus, and my brain will not move when my head does. It kind of feels like being stoned. I turn my head and a few seconds later my brain catches up. However this happens almost never and with having done some changes it is fairly easy to titrate up or down doses without the zaps. Your doctor can help.

Other than that no side effects, I do have a low sex drive but that is not a side effect of this drug but rather an ongoing issue that we are working on.

I was origionaly prescribed Paxil for Post Partum Depression and Anxiety. It helped with the anxiety but not with the depression. I was then moved to Effexor XR wich was a fairly new med at the time. We started at the lowest and at the highest I was on 300mg. Over time I have gone down to 150mg. While the Post Partum Depression is not an issue now (the child will be 10) My doctor and I have figured out that I had Major Depressive Disorder that was complicated with teh birth of my child. And that was why I went down hill so fast. I was barley functioning before hand and she broke the camels back. Things are so much better and I have no Idea how my husband delt with and loved me for the first 3 years!

I can't say anything about Zoloft as I have never been on that one.

Mom2Kat

DoctorArch wrote: »

If price is a factor (lack of insurance, high copays, etc.), generic zoloft (sertraline) can be had for very cheap at most pharmacies (Costco, Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, etc.). While there is a generic available for non-ER Effexor, it is still pretty expensive.

In Canada at least there has been a Generic Effezor XR for a few years now. My 3 month prescription now costs me $102.78 for 90 150mg Generic. It used to be $150+ for one month (30 150mg) before the generic became available!

DoctorArch

Mom2Kat wrote: »

DoctorArch wrote: »

If price is a factor (lack of insurance, high copays, etc.), generic zoloft (sertraline) can be had for very cheap at most pharmacies (Costco, Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, etc.). While there is a generic available for non-ER Effexor, it is still pretty expensive.

In Canada at least there has been a Generic Effezor XR for a few years now. My 3 month prescription now costs me $102.78 for 90 150mg Generic. It used to be $150+ for one month (30 150mg) before the generic became available!

Yeah, but Canada is magic-maple-commie-socialist-pinko-single-payer land.

analtobviously

I have to be honest, both of these sound pretty scary. I know what the zaps are like, though going off SSRIs in the past I mostly had them in my legs a bit. I can't imagine that all over my body.

And of course, since I don't want to take them in the first place, the idea of a nasty withdrawal (they can cell it whatever they want to, I know what it is) makes them even less appealing. The guy said I could safely be on Zoloft if I got pregnant as well, but seeing as it's still listed as category C like the others, I kind of call bullshit on that. He definitely made Zoloft sound the more "casual" option of the two, though.

With the thoughts that can go through my head sometimes I'm not sure I can afford to be more depressed than I am right now; I feel like I'm walking a tightrope with that as it is.

He also said that he wouldn't prescribe clonazepam because it's much too habit-forming. I know a number of people who have taken klonopin without problems, but whatever. I kind of feel like he wasn't listening to me half the time anyway. Every psychiatrist I've been to see (all three of them, now) has been like that.

Althusser

I went on Effexor after a number of unsuccessful attempts with other drugs (Welbutrin, Lexapro, Prozac, probably forgetting something) and it was actually effective in treating my depression whereas with the others I felt nothing at all. I'm a very skeptical person but I have no choice but to admit that Effexor made a massive change in my life for the better.

That said, the withdrawals were very nasty. I found myself in a situation where I couldn't get the drug for a week and it was very unpleasant. The zaps were bad, funny that there's an actual term for it. I was calling it "brain shivers". However, that was an abrupt, unmetered withdrawal and I can't imagine it being so bad under normal circumstances, and my experience with a drug was probably a net positive because I'm still alive.

Avicus

Remember that nearly every different anti-depression drug can react differently for different people. The only way to find the one/s that work for you are to keep trying them. You may get a couple of bad experiences but once you find one that works it is fantastic.

spool32

You really are going to have to start taking something. Withdrawal will suck, but you need to fix now, now. You can fix later some other time!

It sucks that your psychs aren't listening, but this last one has something right - Zoloft is going to help you re-orient. Turn the ship upright, so to speak.

Husband = advocate. What does he think?

analtobviously

I'm not sure. He's been sick and pretty much went to sleep as soon as he got home both nights. Normally though, he doesn't really give a lot of input into this sort of thing. He'll let me know he's there for me and wants me to be happy, etc., but he doesn't really try to get involved in this kind of decision.

And of course it's one of those things where I've been feeling okay for a couple days, so I'm not sure why I started this train of thought in the first place.

The thing is, if after a month I don't like it, I'll want off. These are both relatively unknown quantities for me, and I'm really worried about one of them making something worse.

spool32

Give it two months - it might be a couple weeks before you even start to see benefits.

Spawnbroker

I took Zoloft for a little while. Here were my side effects:

1) Headache for most of the day.

2) Dry mouth, ended up drinking a lot of water

3) Nausea and subsequent lack of appetite, causing me to lose weight

4) Impotence, or really the inability to reach orgasm. I could get it up just fine, but it took me far longer to actually orgasm, if at all.

Ultimately I decided that the side effects weren't worth it, and stopped taking the medication because the side effects themselves were making me miserable.

Edit: Oh yeah, and you can't drink alcohol while taking Zoloft either.

Echo

I've been on both zoloft and effexor. No intended effect noticed; they both gave me really blurred vision and made it take several seconds for me to switch focus between near and far range.

Riale

Avicus wrote: »

Remember that nearly every different anti-depression drug can react differently for different people. The only way to find the one/s that work for you are to keep trying them. You may get a couple of bad experiences but once you find one that works it is fantastic.

This is very true. I spent a fair amount of time (About 2 months Zoloft, 6 months Effexor) on them, and noticed very few side effects, but also very few intended effects. I've really found that no one else's experience with these kind of drugs can accurately predict your own. It's just the nature of the beast. However, I will say to keep trying things (and by trying, at least a few months to get a good picture) until something works, because there are a lot of options out there, and by no means should you stick with something that isn't working for you.

Also, you mentioned a psychiatrist in your opening post, but outside of prescription suggestions, are you receiving any therapy from either the psych (I know most psychs are basically pill oriented these days) or from a therapist? Although it may not deal directly with any side-effects from the medications, having an outlet for your thoughts can help take the edge off of any withdrawal effects, or problems you experience while on the medication.

analtobviously

I am seeing a therapist... a PsyD, to be specific. He'd been urging me to set up an appointment with a psychiatrist about medication for some time, actually.

Like I said, I don't necessarily expect anyone's experience here to match my own. I want to hear them anyway. Reading a list of possible side effects from clinical trials isn't really the same as hearing about them from those who have experienced them.

I think this psychiatrist, because he is working through the school, has a list of medications he can prescribe from. He said these were the only two left on it he'd recommend for me, which makes me think that tramadol and some of the other stuff mentioned isn't on the menu.

Visti

I took a pretty heavy dosage of generic Zoloft (sertralin) for a pretty long time and the only side-effects I had was the difficulty to achieve orgasm and, I guess, once I puked my guts out all night from half a glass of wine while on it. But the effects were amazing. I ended up not taking my full perscribed dose - After I had been stable for several months, I just stopped taking them and it just stuck. I wouldn't recommend that, but anecdotally, it worked for me.

JimJimBinks

I took for almost an entire year. Just stopped about a month ago. My Doctor prescribed it to me after I'd been laid off from my job of 4 years and I was seriously depressed.
I actually didn't have any side-effects personally, it helped quite a bit. My side effects echo those of Visti above (Without the wine, I never drink. Never have.) Just like Visti I stopped taking them after my last perscription and I've been great since.
BUT I know someone who tried to stop taking it cold turkey and it led to her having no energy at all for a couple of weeks. She said her brain felt like it was lagging about 10 seconds behind the rest of her.

analtobviously

JimJim, was that Effexor or Zoloft?

I see my therapist a little more than a week from now. I'll talk to him about it then, ad I guess I'll see what he says. I know he's all for me trying something, though, because he thinks it will make things easier. I feel like if I use them to get through a rough time I won't really get through it, and when I stop taking whatever it is the feelings will just come back.

I don't know, this is very frustrating.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I appreciate it.