A crushing blow to internet douchebaggery...

[angry.bob]

I've been on Effexor for a week now, and I have to say I wish I'd gotten on anti-anxiety/depression/rage medication years ago. If any of you have been putting it off and relying on prayer/stoicism/being an Internet dick to get by, go get this stuff.

[WayAbvPar]

Is that a new one? Ain't heard of it. What fun side effects does it come with?

[HaemishM]

I've been on Effexor for a week now, and I have to say I wish I'd gotten on anti-anxiety/depression/rage medication years ago.

Many of us have wished that for years. 

Just kidding. We need more first against the wall posts some days.

[Nebu]

Is that a new one? Ain't heard of it. What fun side effects does it come with?

From Facts & Comparisons

Possible side effects of this medicine:
  All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Abnormal dreams; blurred vision; changes in taste; constipation; decreased sexual desire or ability; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; flushing; headache;increased sweating; loss of appetite; nausea; nervousness; stomach upset;trouble sleeping; vomiting; weakness; weight loss; yawning.


Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing;tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bizarre behavior; chest pain or discomfort; confusion; decreased urination; fast or irregular heartbeat; fever, chills, or sore throat; new or worsening agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, aggressiveness, impulsiveness, irritability, hostility, restlessness, or inability to sit still; persistent or severe ringing in the ears; seizures; severe or persistent anxiety, nervousness, or trouble sleeping;severe or persistent cough; severe or persistent headache, dizziness, or stomach pain; shortness of breath; significant weight loss; suicidal thoughts or attempts;tremor; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual or severe mental or mood changes;vision problems; worsening of depression.


This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions or need medical advice about side effects, contact your doctor or health care provider. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088(1-800-332-1088) or at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

If I remember correctly, Venlafaxine was given FDA approval for anxiety in 2000 and for depression long before that.  It's not a new class of drug, it's really a drug that has been successful in finding alternate uses for itself.  Its action is as a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by restoring the balance of certain natural substances in the brain(serotonin and norepinephrine), which helps to improve certain mood problems.  This is similar to tricyclic antidepressants (which are older drugs) and somewhat like the more common SSRI's. 

Hope that helps.

[schild]

I suppose this new, drugged, and balanced Angry Bob.

But I liked the old one too.

[Riggswolfe]

Abnormal dreams is a side effect? Interesting....how do you define abnormal in a dream?

ETA: So should we petition to have a mod change Bob's name? Something like balanced.bob?

[stray]

I was forced to take antidepressants once (when it was just a real case of common teenage angst). Turned me into a bed ridden Spock. No thank you.

[Signe]

Abnormal dreams is a side effect? Interesting....how do you define abnormal in a dream?

ETA: So should we petition to have a mod change Bob's name? Something like balanced.bob?

I was taking it for a short time and I had VERY vivid dream.  They weren't always night terrors but they were always disturbing.  Such as having everyone in my family over to dinner and not having any food for some stupid reason and their faces getting bright red and angrier by the second.  All sorts of dreams... when I could sleep at all.  I had several serious side effects from it.  Eventually, I got something else but weened myself off it because my doctor kept wanting me to give it another chance.  I've had anxiety issues since I was in my teens.  Anyway, now I have kittens and don't need it anymore.  I still take something to help sleep, though.

PS  I don't have any anger issues at all, btw.  In fact, quite the opposite.  I almost never get angry... just annoyed.

[HaemishM]

Possible side effects of this medicine:
 
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
 bizarre behavior;

I would say a non-homicidial bob would count as bizarre behavior.

[angry.bob]

Is that a new one? Ain't heard of it. What fun side effects does it come with?

So far the only things I've noticed are a lack of fear or anxiety when they would be appropriate, and an extremely delayed orgasm. Seriously, it takes about an hour of working at it now. Not sure I'd really call either of those "bad" per se, though my wife might disagree in either, or both cases.

[Cim]

There's no such thing as internet douchebaggery.  Everyone on the internet is nice and I love them.

[DraconianOne]

Possible side effects of this medicine:

Abnormal dreams; blurred vision; changes in taste; constipation; decreased sexual desire or ability; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; flushing; headache;increased sweating; loss of appetite; nausea; nervousness; stomach upset;trouble sleeping; vomiting; weakness; weight loss; yawning.

Is this medicine or marriage?

[SnakeCharmer]

Abnormal dreams is a side effect? Interesting....how do you define abnormal in a dream?

If you want weird dreams, take chantix.  A coworker tried taking it to kill his smoking habit and had to stop because of the dreams it gave him.  He wouldn't even talk about them he said they were so 'abnormal'.  All you have to do to get it is tell your doctor you want to quit smoking and you've heard good things about it.

[voodoolily]

There's no such thing as internet douchebaggery.  Everyone on the internet is nice and I love them.

Man, fuck you.

[WayAbvPar]

extremely delayed orgasm. Seriously, it takes about an hour of working at it now.

Yeah, it may seem like you can live with it now, but just wait. It will be a giant PITA eventually. I was on Celexa for almost 2 years and finally complained to my doc. He started by supplementing with Wellbutrin (which helped a bit), and eventually just tossed the Celexa altogether. Just Wellbutrin now, and I am back to my 1-15 minute ways. Not having to wait a week between sexual episodes (in order to get myself so worked up I could actually finish) is very nice.

In a completely unrelated note, anyone with some good free pr0n site recommendations can PM me   

[Teleku]

This thread is heading in a dangerous direction.

[WayAbvPar]

Just wait- we will be telling prostate exam horror stories in a year or two.

[Selby]

I took Effexor for a month.  I hated it.  It made me antsy and I couldn't sit still.  That and I still hated life.  Every thing they have tried to give me (Lexapro, Effexor, etc) doesn't seem to work so hot, so I just stopped taking it all and will go back to being an angry douchebag who hates everything and everyone.

[stray]

Not to get all preachy, but umm... If you've got a real chemical imbalance, I don't think just straight up hatin' on shit is one of the symptoms. That just is what it is.

Hope you find some peace (if you're being serious). The world isn't that bad.

No, really.

[Engels]

With a name like Eff3x0r, I thought angry.bob got a video card upgrade. Who comes up with these drug names? I mean, other than the pharmaceutical company.

Anyways, glad its working for you bob. Hope that doesn't mean you won't be ready for mass excecution of Congress day, however. We're counting on you! Haemish bought a cheerleader outfit and everything.

[Signe]

Angry.bob is like a sweet tart.

[Phildo]

Must change his name to Placid.Bob immediately.

Also, I have a friend who was on Effexor a few years ago and did experience some pretty trippy dreams.  It may have stemmed from one of several medications, though.  They gave him the full cocktail of antidepressants at once.

[stray]

Placid.bob. Perhaps even flaccid.bob.

[Soukyan]

Is that a new one? Ain't heard of it. What fun side effects does it come with?

They can't legally print it this way, but "The slow, yet assured, deterioration of every bodily system and organ guaranteeing a vastly shortened, yet happier life." But hey, if it helps, what the fuck.

[dusematic]

My Aunt was basically the same as this guy, and she got some pills and now she's normal.  I don't even mind being around her anymore.  I'm sure your friends/family are doing cartwheels.

[Oban]

...  Anyway, now I have kittens and don't need it anymore. 
...

How many kittens do you take per day?  Any preference on breed?

[Jimbo]

Damn it!  I have a whole list of health care idiots I was hoping the AngryBob Army would take care of...now I'll just have to deal with said idiots or drive farther till I start school up again.

But good luck with the therapy, I wish more could be done to help with mental health issues.  Being a night shift worker and having to flip and recover and not wanting to sleep makes me allready have enough vivid dreams, I damn sure wouldn't want any more graphic shit in my head than what is allready there.

[Tebonas]

Normally I am wary of the US trend to use drugs to medicate every real and perceived illness. But if that particular drug really helps your particular case, good luck to you.

I mean, there can't be really over 17 million chronically depressed people in the US, can there?

[Strazos]

I would venture a guess to say that 17m is lowballing the estimates.

[Riggswolfe]

Speaking of vivid dreams. I had some weird dreams that someone was messing with me this morning. First it felt like someone slapped my face. I woke up and looked around. No one there. Then it felt like someone poked me really hard in the back sort of like when your bed mate is going "move over". Again, woke up, looked around, no one there.

Either a) my bedroom is haunted by the ghost of the scizophrenic woman who died here allowing me to get the house for cheap or b) I just had two really weird dreams.

[Signe]

After my mother died, (it was a bajillion years ago so don't go gooey on my) I used to dream that she put her hand on my arm or my cheek and when I woke up it would still feel warm.  It was not disturbing, it was comforting.  I was on Imipramine.

[Furiously]

extremely delayed orgasm. Seriously, it takes about an hour of working at it now.

Yeah, it may seem like you can live with it now, but just wait. It will be a giant PITA eventually. I was on Celexa for almost 2 years and finally complained to my doc. He started by supplementing with Wellbutrin (which helped a bit), and eventually just tossed the Celexa altogether. Just Wellbutrin now, and I am back to my 1-15 minute ways. Not having to wait a week between sexual episodes (in order to get myself so worked up I could actually finish) is very nice.

In a completely unrelated note, anyone with some good free pr0n site recommendations can PM me   

TMI dude! I have to look you in the face occasionally...

[grebo]

Just have to say that any of these anti depressant things will work less well as time goes by, eventually you'll have to go off it and on something else.

The withdrawal can be severe and last for years, so don't take this shit unless you really can't face life without it. 

I was on Klonopin for 4 years to deal with my panic attacks.  Took me over a year to totally get off of it, now I deal with the panic attacks.  I'll never take any of this devil garbage again, I don't care how much my life sucks.  The withdrawal was hell.

http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/effexor/TCDBCBLD99KUQ56BF for example

[Cim]

I take my previous statement back.  People on the internet, are ass holes.

[Margalis]

I liked angry.bob. Does this mean no more Great Day of the Rope talk?

I've always had very vivid and fucked up dreams, since I was a small child. I used to keep a log of them. I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day with that. Some rather obvious recurring themes, including one involving sexy but dangerous women as if inspired by Catwoman from the old Batman TV series, if Catwoman actually killed a lot of people onscreen instead of just vamping it up.

Considering that most of my dreams are nightmares the last thing I would ever want to do is go on anything that would make that worse. Since my father died I've had dreams where he is alive about once every 3 weeks, and to me there isn't much worse than dreaming that an old pet or family member is alive and then waking up and realizing nope, still dead.