@ddscal1958
How long have you been on Effexor and Ativan? Ativan caused me bad side effects so I stopped taking it (increased my chronic pain and made it harder to walk). I took Effexor a long time ago and can’t recall it causing me any problems. It may not be a good medication for you.

It takes time to adjust to a new medication but if you do not feel improvement in symptoms after 2-3 weeks, it may not be a good medication for you. Bad side effects in the first few weeks don’t usually improve after a month.

I tried several medication combinations and landed on Zoloft/sertraline and Wellbutrin/bupropion. It seems to be working for me. Don’t give up trying new medications and stopping those that cause too many side effects. There is hope on the road to feeling better. Hang in there and keep advocating for yourself for a better quality of life during the challenges that lie ahead for you.