@rascal1
I just noticed that you're going to have surgery 5/21. I commented a couple of days back to @sharonlou (who also has a surgery coming up, but later than yours) that you MUST be sure that your doctor(s) know that you're on Effexor. Anesthisia and pain drugs (such as fentanyl and hydrocodone) can interact with Effexor; in my case, I experienced serotonin syndrome. My doctors KNEW I was on Effexor, but I think both the anesthetist and surgeon thought 25mg Effexor was too little to worry about, but it wasn't. My SS came on after several days of being on the pain drugs (so not a life-threatening sudden reaction as can occur), but I was home alone by then. If I had had some inkling the interaction could happen, it wouldn't have been so frightening; my doctors should have anticipated it and sent me home with just-in-case instructions/prescriptions if it happened.

Anyone taking Effexor should also be aware that ordinary cough medicine containing dextromethorphan can cause "significant" drug interactions with Effexor! I wasn't warned about that either by one of my doctors AND experienced serotonin syndrome when I was told to use a DM cough med during a sinus infection. I don't know if I'm super-sensitive to these interactions, but keep in mind, I was ONLY on 25mg Effexor.

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