This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

i was proscribed effexor xr today for anxiety..was wondering it anyone had anything positive or negative to say about it? it does say at wipedia that you should take if you take drugs that it a cns depressant..i take avonex...anything that anybody knows about this would be great...thanks

It is a very effective drug.

I did spend about a year and a half to two years on it and it helped me a great deal. It does take time to start working. According to the drug info you should stay on the drug for 12 months after your last anxiety episode and then you can try to titrate off.

I cannot say it caused me any noticible side effects.

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Carpe Diem

i have been having a shortness of breath..went to to the dr today and the did the ekg and all that and thinks it is anxiety..i agree..but i have heard horror stories on getting off of it..he is going to start me of 37.5 mill and then go to the 75 mil for 60 days...but from what i read it is really addictive and the symptoms getting off of it are horrible.

my husband had one dose of this...and it didn't agree with him at all. If you have restless legs beware, it really increased the problem and the experience really put him off taking anything for a long time. Then there are the problems with getting off it, but we didn't get that far...obviously. So, we would say, DON'T take it, get something else!

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i take it for ms hug it works for me

I was prescribed Effexor for hot flashes after surgery. I took one dose (I don't remember the mg but it was the lowest dose). I felt like I had the flu for two days. I did not take it again. So it wasn't for me-but that's just me. I know it works for other people. There are, however, other things you could try. Plus make sure you are being treated for anxiety if that is what it is. Too often MS patients are treated for depression when the anxiety is the primary issue.

Good luck to you,
Lori

thanks loriyas. and everyone else..i think it is more anxiety and the doc said the same thing..everything came back fine..my ekg and bloodwork. i didn't have the spine to tell him that i wasn't going to take it.. after the research i did and people i talked to convinced me not too..i was just up for a promotion and it was a grueling process..not to mention the wife and i are having another baby..anyway i think im going to go the natural route of st johns wort and modify my diet and continue to workout.. time will tell but thanks for everyone replying.i really do appreciate it.