depression
"Male, 6'2", 150lb. I take 75mg of Effexor XR in the AM and 15mg of Remeron in the PM for suicidal depression and generalized anxiety. Some days I take higher doses of 112.5mg and 30mg. The combination has worked wonders for my condition. I started on Remeron initially and titrated to 45mg/day, but did not feel it was working for my depression, although it did help with sleep and appetite. I tried gabapentin for a while and was able to quit Remeron entirely for some time (wanted to give my receptors a break). Gabapentin was great for anxiety but made me more suicidal. I quit gabapentin and went back on just 15mg of Remeron, this time also adding the Effexor. I have been very happy with the results. It seems to be the first medication that really works for me. I had significant side effects when starting Effexor, but they subsided completely after about a week- feeling high much like MDMA, and I had diarrhea and some insomnia. When I increased from 37.5 to 75 mg, the only con I noticed was lower energy level (and some yawning). I started drinking some coffee to help with that. This is a very serious medication to be taking, as I know it can be very hard to withdraw from; however, I am committed to sticking with it. Eventually may increase my dose up to 150mg. Effexor makes me feel very mellow. I am less concerned about what people think of me. I am quite confident with the ladies. My sex life has been better than ever on this med combination. I have wondered if my sense of humor is dulled, however. I am also somewhat lazy, but this may change when I go up to a higher dose. Risk-taking behaviors should be watched when increasing the dose, as I broke my ankle playing sports. Overall, I give this medication 9/10 and am very happy that I got the script. I recommend taking it with Remeron to better manage the nighttime, and to counteract the side effects. They have a wonderful synergy. My only concern is that they may eventually stop working, and I may eventually have to stop taking them and suffer the infamous withdrawals."