# Effexor XR?



## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

hey all, i tried effexor back a long time ago and remember it gave me a lot of relief from IBS-D. however, i soon came to realise it turned my IBS-D into constipation. i was taking a fairly low dose (75mg). is there any way to fix this problem? i could eat anything i wanted. orange juice, fruits, vegetables etc and had no problems. no pain, no urgency at all. thanks


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I am not being insulting but i would not be too upset if a medication had that effect on me!Could i ask if it gave you any other side effects like nausea,headaches or dizziness for example?After reading yourself and other posters experiences its a drug i might ask my GP to prescribe for me to try.Thanks


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

so you have IBS-D?yah, it gave me a lot of nausea from memory. it's been 4 years since i was on it, but i remember going up to a really high dose so that could have been part of the nausea problem. the nausea made it hard to sleep, too. i was thinking of going on the ultra low dose recently, which is 37.5mg, but am using doxepin now instead.but ya, no pain, urgency, just constipation. could eat anything except dairy. constipation can be just as bad as D (or worse) so be careful.like most anti-depressants, it can cause some sexual dysfunction. i'm not sure what your gender is, but for me it wasn't bad in that respect. let me know if you need more help.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Ive just been prescribed some venlaxafine(effexor) by my GP, i will let you know how it goes.My GP said they may increase urination as a side effect but i really hope not as im suffering with an undiagnosed urinary problem causing urinary frequency as a side effect as it is!BTW,i am male.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

just found this:http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=26&m=286890seems like a lot of people have had success with it.good luck


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I'm a little bit worried about taking the effexor because its not recommended being taken and drinking alcohol.With christmas just around the corner I was hoping to have a few drinks but alcohol is considered a no no.But will it be ok as I have no mental health problems at all and I'm only taking it for IBS?Any ideas?


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

i'm not sure, i don't drink alcohol.have you had any success with it yet? i noticed the difference at the first dose. are you coping with the nausea it brings?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I havent started it just yet,im waiting for a suitable day just in case i get any side effects.I have tried Amitriptyline in the past and it made my drowsy and loosened my bowels too.I have also trie Imipramine and it made me zombie like so i am also a bit wary because of those things.I will let you know what happens when i begin.Cheers


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

for me, the biggest side effect was the nausea, even when i took it with food. you really feel it hard, or at least, i did. i'm not sure what can be done about the nausea? maybe drink lemon juice or something with a lemon flavor? that helped me. even on the low dose, it completely turned around my IBS. i only tried the higher doses because my doc said it would help with depression.i was just stuck in the bathroom for 5 hours. i'm actually thinking about trying the effexor again. i tried the new version called 'pristiq' which is supposed to have less sides, but it didn't help with IBS at all. btw i dont drink alcohol because of IBS. i just don't like it.good luck.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Take Ginger Capsules for the nausea.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Just taken my first one and like you say nausea is the first big hurdle im dealing with.Ginger capsules sounds a good idea.Can ginger be used in any other way,like in hot water like a tea for example?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Horrendous couple of hours after taking first tablet.Nausea and headache and a couple of hours in bed getting through it.Not sure if i can go through this each time i take a tablet.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

i never had a headache on it.i remember noticing the IBS change after the first dose. no abdominal pain, no D etc. could eat basically anything. could go out, etc.another issue i had was the insomnia. insomnia plus nausea made it almost impossible to sleep. taking it is a big decision to make. talking to your doc would be best.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I found the Ginger Tea wasn't strong enough to quell the nausea for me so I got the capsules and they work great! My hub (who doesn't have IBS) even uses them with for the nausea he gets with one of his rx meds and it works real well for him too.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

BQ, do you know why Effexor works so well at curing D?is it because of the XR preparation that forces the gut to slow down or is it having a 'curing' effect on the gut? if it cures the gut, then why do the symptoms come straight back? wouldn't we be cured after using effexor?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I took 1 tablet and felt so ill with it that i wont ever take another antidepressant ever again.This was easily the worst ive ever taken so i'll continue looking for a more tolerant alternative.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

that sucks.not all AD's have such a nausea effect. was this your problem?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Nausea was one of the problems together with dizziness and feeling totally wiped out.Ive never had these kind of problems with any IBS medication,even Codeine just makes me only a little bit tired and nothing else.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

i've never tried codeine. does this help with D or is it only for pain? but this can't be used every day right?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Codeine helps a lot with stopping Diarrhoea but it is a drug where the dose needs upping regularly to keep the same kind of effect.Its ideal for short amounts of time but not great over a long period of time.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

ok thanks. never even heard of it until now.so it's really addictive??does it return you to normalcy if even it's temporary?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

It hasnt returned me to normalcy,i still need to go 2-3 times close together in the morning and its mostly loose BUT it does help to control things mostly.I find Imodium works better if imodium works on you.Side effects include a temporary feeling of euphoria,drowsiness and headaches at first.


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## circumstantial hermit (Jan 2, 2011)

I have been taking Effexor XR at 300mg/day for almost 5 yrs now to treat my agoraphobia/anxiety disorder. I have not found it to help my IBD. That does not mean that it won't be of use to you.Do be wary of the side effects of this medication, both from taking it, and the HORRIBLE withdrawl effects. Venlafaxine Hcl (generic name for Effexor) is one of the worst medications when it comes time to discontinue use.That said, I do not know what I would do without it.The side effects that I have to live with are:night sweats & severe frequent hot flashesinsomniathin blood (must avoid NSAIDs while taking)brain shocksinvoluntary body twitchesgeneral malaise (flu-like) if I am even an hour or two late taking the doselack of sexual desire, inability to climaxWhen I first started taking Effexor XR, I experienced loss of appetite for about 2 months, and naseau for the same period.When I discontinued use for 5 months to try a different medication (which did not work), the withdrawl symptoms I experienced were:frequent brain shocks"crawling" skinanxietymood swingsserious malaisecold & hot flashesnausea I would suggest seeking a different SSRI or SSNRI for treatment if possible, especially since you would be using for an off-label treatment.


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## Sick&TiredKat (Feb 2, 2010)

I have been taking EffexorXR for about a year. I started of taking 75mg twice a day. My OB/GYN changed it to taking one pill a day. Don't know that that made much of a difference. I have suffered with IBS-D for about 10 yrs. I have notice that the Effexor has decreased the IBS-D better. I have OCD and chronic stress. So anything and everything out of the ordinary would stress me out. I had to maintain a strict schedule. The Effexor has helped alot with the OCD and stress which seems to help with the episodes of IBS-D. I still can't get full control of the IBS-D. I do not take Immodium because then it would send me into severe constipation. Hope this gives you some relief about taking the EffexorXR. For the 1st few weeks only side effect was decreased eating. lost a few pounds but that has since resolved. Although I still need to loose pounds. but that is a different forum.


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## MMK (Sep 1, 2004)

I know this is an old thread but I have to say... I have been on Effexor XR for almost 3 months. I take 37.5mg daily. After 18 years of IBS-D I appear to be "cured"! No joke. I have not had one urgency attack since I have been on the drug. I started out on 25mg and went up to 37.5mg. I was initially prescribed Effexor to help minimize hot flashes caused by taking Tamoxifen (post breast cancer drug therapy). I have had low level depression for many years as well. I feel SO much better and optimistic. Not having the IBS is a big part of this but I really feel as if this was the right chemical change for me. I have spoken to my radiology oncologist about this and she listened and said she would suggest it for her other patients who have IBS-D. I did have some nausea, headache, constipation, dry mouth in the first couple weeks but I started out on the 25mg for over a month before I went up to 37.5mg. No problems now. I eat a lot of vegetables, kale smoothies etc which seems to help. Even if I am a little constipated it's better than diarrhea, and I am not in any pain. I drink a lot of water and green tea as well, mostly for cancer reoccurrence prevention but it's a good thing to do in general. I am curious if other people have had good long term results for Effexor. I feel like I have a new lease on life. I am now going out to lunch, not starving myself before a road or plane trip, hiking more... Effexor has changed my life. It is worth a try.


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## cf56 (Jan 25, 2014)

Don't take this.... My doctor even calls it side-Effexor .


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Everyone is different. Glad it is helping you MMK!


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## natmodz (Mar 29, 2015)

I see this post was years ago, but due to no replies on my post, I would like to ask how long into treatment on Effexor did you get relief from your ibs-d? I'm day 7 on 75mg XL and still having diarrhea :-(


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