READER'S EXPERIENCES ON EFFEXOR

From Dave

I thank you for posting your problems with Effexor. I seem to have a parallel to your story. I am almost your size, 6'2 male 31 yrs old currently weigh 257lbs and that's up from 230lbs. My story is this:

I developed panic disorder because I had Atrial Fibrillation when I was 23. I had 2 ablation procedures to correct this. This scared the heck out of me. I began to develop panic attacks when I would be at the tail end of workouts. This was because that same tired feeling that used to feel good, now scared me. The being out of breath, winded and heart pounding from exercise, my brain related it to something bad.

Anyways, I started on Zoloft for a couple of months, began gaining weight, then the psychiatrist switched me to Effexor and told me I should not gain weight. Of course I continued gaining. I was on Effexor only for a month or two. I was also only taking the lowest dosage. After I came off Effexor, I had the brain shocks, etc, but didn't care about that. I continued gaining weight, by 1-2 lbs every week all the way up until I reached 257lbs. Here's what I just don't understand:

I was the fat kid most of my life. I learned how to work out and eat right and I dieted down from 342lbs to 230lbs in a matter of a couple of years. Then I developed the panic disorder. Despite that, I still worked out hard and put up with the panic attacks. So mind you, I DEFINITELY know how to lose weight. I never took any supplements or metabolism boosters of any sort. I just take a multivitamin on a daily basis. I also log my daily intake nearly every day, and I was able to look back and see exactly how I ate when I was at this body weight to lose more fat. I was eating 2200 calories a day for 6 days a week, then took a cheat day on the 7th. I have done this since starting to lose weight initially. On that diet, I was able to lose 1-2 lbs RELIGIOUSLY, no issues, every week.

Now here I am, at 257lbs, eating 15-1600 calories a day 6 days a week, working out 5-6 days a week, and I cannot lose ANY weight at all. I have tried as low as 1500 calories, as much as 2400 calories, and I seem to bounce between 255-257lbs on a weekly basis.

I just got out of the shower and looked in the mirror so disgusted I almost started to cry. My belly has returned, my jawline is not as tight as it was. Obviously, I know these differences because I was the fat kid that got into decent shape and now I'm slowly inching back the other way, and it scares the hell out of me.

I know for a FACT it is this Effexor drug. It has to be. It's been 3-4 months now since I have not touched it and yet I am still not able to lose weight. That is my story. I continue to work out, but I am so discouraged at this point that I really have no idea what to do. Doctors look at me like I'm retarded. My sister is one and she thinks that it should have been out of my system and the effects gone within a week or two. Well, sometimes not everything goes the way some scientist thinks it will.

I am so aggravated and upset about this. I will never take another one of these kinds of drugs ever again.

- Dave in Michigan