Effexor and Migraines

By oneflip76 Wednesday, April 09, 2008

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Hi-

I've been on Effexor XR for about 5+ years now. Tried to wean myself off and did for a bit but ended taking it again after a year or so. Withdrawals were horrible but manageable. I'm taking 150mg/day. Sex drive is low, as with many anti-depressants. It did help with my cluster migraines though it came back after lowering my dose to half. Now I take Imitrex when a get an attack.

I can go afor about 2 days without Effexor but i'd rather not...we all know the consequences. I wonder if I'll be on this for life?

My night sweats are back and feels like it is getting worse. Those lucid weird dreams are long gone for me (I believe it only happened the first year?). As far as relationships, I've noticed I've become almost "asexual". Haven't had a girlfriend for a while. I'm only 32 but always had a relationship before this drug (now that I think about it).

Anybody else in the same situation as I am?

"How Do You Feel?" "Fine!"

Comments (7) | Add comment

Nancy Harris Bonk

4/10/08 6:35pm

Hello, and welcome to MyMigraineConnection.com!

This is something you really should discuss with your doctor. Thank you for creating a SharePost. SharePosts are a form of blogging, and there are many things you can do with them. You can share an experience, suggest something that's helped you, use SharePosts as a Migraine and headache journal, and many other things.

We also have a discussion forum that you may want to check out. Especially if you have questions or are looking for information, you may find the interaction on the forum to be quite helpful. To get to the forum, just look for the orange box marked "Manage" and click on the Migraine Forums link. Because our forums are maintained by a third party, you'll need to register for the forum. You can use the same information you used to create your community log-in if you like. If you want to go directly to the forum, you can click HERE.

Along with your personal "My Home" page and the discussion forum, you'll find links to a great deal of helpful information on the main page of our site, http://www.MyMigraineConnection.com. You can also sign up for our free newsletter about Migraine disease and headache disorders on the home page in the upper left hand corner.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post them to the forum or send me a message through my profile.

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nanakat8

11/18/08 8:04pm

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I have been taking Effexor XR for almost 4 years. I'm only 46 and have been married for 29 years (yes I got married at 17) and I tried coming off and the headaches were so bad that I landed in a mental hospital because they thought I was having a break down. They realized that I had quit taking the meds and not only started me back but increased it to 225mg/day. Now my husband is a monk. I really don't care at all. I thought it was just a female thing and I am thinking about going to the doctor for hormones.

The only advice I have for relationships is hormone therapy or the little blue pill. Sorry.

Kel

2/15/09 4:01pm

Hey. I've been on Effexor XR 150mg/day as well for about two years now. When I first started I too had intense dreams and terrible sweats.

It sounds as though Effexor might not be the right drug for you. While lots of antidepressants can cause a decrease in sexual interest, it doesn't mean all of them will. My own sweats with the drug were bad enough to make me consider stopping, even though it was working on my depression.

Talk to your doctor about possibly switching; Effexor can cause peculiar head pain especially during withdrawal and in concurrence with your migraines that does not bode well for you. Also, intense lucid dreams are a sign, on any antidepressant, that you are not at the correct dosage.

Kris

3/20/09 8:02am

I have been on and off Effexor (150mg)for the last 8 years or so. I have decided to ween myself off and boy, has it been hard. It is nice to read that people are having the same issues, for I thought I was going crazy. I too have the night sweats, headaches and crazy dreams that keep from getting a good nights sleep. I am also having major sexual side effects, which is one of the main reasons I decided to go off the drug in the first place. I take a pill about every 4 to 5 days at this point, but it seems as soon as I do take a pill, the withdrawl symptoms comes back 10 fold the next day.. I just want to be drug free, but I am starting to wonder if it is possible!

Anonymous

9/29/09 12:53pm

i have been taking efexor for about ten yrs . have tried many times to wean off too ! the result has been unbearable migraines and severe mood swings. I have on a number of occasions even forgotten to take my daily dose only to wind up with very severe headaches/aches and pains. All my doctors ...and i have been to many keep insisting that the efexor is safe and non addictive! how can that be if the result is always the same after a reduction in the dosage???? i have recently had an MRI and white spots appeared on the brain . My doctor now says that these could be scarring from my migraines. has anyone else suffered such severe withdrawl symptoms too ?

Barbara

3/26/10 11:39am

I am in the same situation as you are ,I was thinking if it was going to get any better.

My migranes are severe now that I am off the Effexor, My doctor here prescribe Maxalt 10's tablets, under the tongue.

Not 100% miracle drug, but I will say they work fast in taking away the severe pain.

Effexor is the worst prescription drug to get off of ! (Not to mention Morphine), but exactly the same withdrawls.

Do I have a life outside myself ? not much .

But I do know exactly what you are going through.

I have only been 5-days clean of Effexor, The only thing that has subsided is the nightmares, that left me terrified.

Nausea / headaches/ panic attacks/ etc all still there 5-day clean .

I only hope for the better days ahead, and refuse to let a drug control me.

We are stronger than we think or we would not have made it this far.

I have hit rock bottom, now I will climb up, and so will you.

Hug's and kiss's to all users of Efferor

At home Barbara

maizie

6/27/11 9:39am

Hi Im Maizie, I was changed to effexor 225mg last August as my migraines have been worse since then I was coming off effexor ! Im down to 75mg havent been sleeping well.... but thought once i get off the effexor i will be ok....after reading these posts im terrified....my reason for coming off them is the migraines ? Are they supposed to help migraines ? (im also on lithium 500mg ) I was on Lyrica but have come off them last 3 wks.... just couldnt put up with the amount and intensity of my migraines......Hard when u suffer with migraine as ur not sure what medicine is affecting you..... Thanks M

Effexor and Migraines

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