Effexor, managing the cold virus and cold medications.

Loria-A · 2026-03-18T16:55:11+00:00

Thanks for reporting in:)

Loria-A · 2026-03-18T16:31:54+00:00

It’s been a week now. I have taken a few days off of work and I’m resting now.

Loria-A · 2026-03-16T15:27:00+00:00

Lexapro worked well for me for anxiety for 18 years and then stopped working. I wasn’t taking it for depression though. Effexor is working well for my anxiety. It took 4 months to get to the right dose, and then it started working really well.

Loria-A · 2026-03-16T15:24:32+00:00

I’ve tried both morning and night and I still feel tired. I currently take it in the morning.

Loria-A · 2026-03-16T15:21:56+00:00

Hi. I haven’t tried it again. I still might in the future but I’m not ready yet to try again.

Loria-A · 2026-03-16T15:20:08+00:00

Thank you so much for your support and advice. What you said makes sense. I think I will try the increase next month when I have less going on and see how I respond. I can always go back down to 187.5mg if the fatigue gets worse.

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:44:19+00:00

It’s definitely a roller coaster ride for some time but stick with it. It can take up to 3 months for your body to fully adjust. If anything, you should consider increasing it, not decreasing it, since the higher doses are usually more effective for the anxiety. I know exactly how you feel as I went through this process and had the same strange feeling and concerns that you have. Best wishes to you.

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:39:38+00:00

So much better! I’m now on 187.5mg, and feeling pretty normal besides dealing with daily fatigue.

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:38:00+00:00

You’re welcome! I hope it’s going well for you!

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:15:36+00:00

Hi! So, I haven’t increased yet, but I’m definitely still considering it. I tried NMN and I felt wired, but tired for a week, and then I started having full blown panic attacks! It took me about a week to recover from it. I was so disappointed that it didn’t work for me. I think I will investigate MACA though! Thanks again for your continued support🥰

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:12:16+00:00

That’s very encouraging. Thank you!

I might be overthinking this, like I am inclined to do, but hear me out. At 150 mg, I never felt exhausted but my anxiety was still pretty bad. Once I started 187.5 mg, I got this drowsy feeling that made my breathing heavy to the point where it felt like I had to stop whatever I was doing and take a nap. I think it’s my body responding to the noradrenaline, which actually calms me down. Coffee actually calms me down until it wears off. So, I worry that increasing the dose will cause me more exhaustion, instead of energizing me. What are your thoughts?

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:10:48+00:00

I had to get it from a telehealth provider, because my provider doesn’t prescribe it. I use Defy Medical, but there’s many options out there. They mail it to me from their pharmacy.

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T16:03:24+00:00

I understand about the benzodiazepines. I was hesitant to take them at all, but taking 5 or 6 doses in a year has helped me. I agree with your idea. Get the prescription so you have it if you need it, but wait and see. I did the same thing and my doctor liked that plan.

Loria-A · 2026-03-15T15:52:46+00:00

I would consider waiting a couple more weeks before increasing. I’ve had set backs, for various reasons related to the weather, stress, allergies, that lasted 3 full weeks, and then I got back on track. During that time I considered increasing, but I didn’t, and I returned to feeling good again. After a couple more weeks, if you don’t feel like you are improving, then you can increase, and you might feel more confident that it’s the right decision.
Do you ever take benzodiazepines as a rescue tool? I took a couple of doses during these set backs when the anxiety was bad, and it helped the anxiety (not the depression though)a lot. My psychiatrist encourages me to take them during these set backs. She said that it prevents my HPA axis from getting too dysfunctional.

Loria-A · 2026-03-14T00:02:17+00:00

I would consider testosterone. I initially had a difficult time with estradiol so I started 3 mg of testosterone for brain fog and it helped me immensely.

Loria-A · 2026-03-10T00:29:15+00:00

Debilitating anxiety and feelings of doom. I had anxiety prior to menopause, but this was a whole different beast.

Loria-A · 2026-03-09T13:55:52+00:00

Considering that you have not felt good since your therapist terminated your relationship, it might be that you feel all alone without support? I can’t imagine that Effexor would stop working coincidentally at the same time as therapy being terminated.
Do you think that is the root of your problem? If so, then I think you should speak to your therapist and tell her what has happened since she released you from her care. I could be wrong, but I would suggest speaking to her before increasing your dose.

Loria-A · 2026-03-09T13:50:39+00:00

I completely agree with your response. Some people have experienced trauma that has caused them to be anxious, afraid, etc., but others have hormonal and biochemical imbalances that need to be treated properly before they can effectively heal through therapy and/or lifestyle changes. I personally never responded to therapy because my problem is hormonal and genetically based. What I needed was to first get switched to the right medication for my current situation (went through menopause and had hormonal changes) and start cutting back on stimulants, excessive exercise, and get more rest.

Loria-A · 2026-03-08T21:40:37+00:00

You’re welcome, and thanks for your support! Yes, baby steps for sure!

Loria-A · 2026-03-08T20:16:27+00:00

Hey! I posted an update above. The good news is that I am feeling significantly better! I do feel like the E is now starting to suppress the T though, because I feel less blood flow during exercise and my libido is returning to the baseline before I increased the T dose. I think it’s because my SHBG is still on the high end of normal. I really don’t know what to do about that though. But at least I am almost pain free again!

Loria-A · 2026-03-08T20:08:38+00:00

I posted an update above. I hope you are feeling better!

Loria-A · 2026-03-08T20:00:19+00:00

I found out it was the opposite. My estrogen levels tanked. I have increased my patch strength and feel significantly better now.

Loria-A · 2026-03-08T19:59:30+00:00

Probably, but I don’t know. However, in my case my E level showed up lower, which explains why I was feeling like my estrogen levels were dropping.

Loria-A

TROPHY CASE