Hi there! Because of the way these drugs work with the brain, it may take several weeks to start to take effect. While you wait, do your utmost to eat as healthy as you can, get adequate and regular sleep and exercise. Be your best self even if you have to force yourself. This way you’re helping your body help itself. Please don’t take this as being flip. Anxiety and depression are very very real. And, apart from coming to terms with dealing WITH the mental illness, I also had to come to terms with HAVING a mental illness.

The good news is that both issues become much smaller when the brain is working at its best. Hopefully.

Turns out that, after successfully weening off Effexor, I just couldn’t be myself because of the anxiety and depression. Lucky for me I have a great doc (nurse practitioner, actually) and was able to find relief from taking a combo of seroquel at night and zoloft in the morning.

Everyone is different.

Did you find Effexor effective for you?

-S