1. < Breast Cancer

Anyone taken Effexor low dose for menopause symptoms?

Posted by sue417 @sue417, Jan 7 10:06pm

Hi
When I was diagnosed with DCIS I was taken off my HR t.
The doctor prescribed efexor for my menopause symptoms. I have not taken the medication to date but my hot flashes general ill feeling and dizziness is starting to make me wonder if I should. It's a low dose 37 5mg. Anyone else been prescribed this?

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jan 8 10:34am

@sue417, several breast cancer members like @texasduchess @momandrph048 @rosy54 @collielady @aspapla @savannah1959 @maryanne7 @astaingegerdm were prescribed venlafaxine (Effexor) to help manage menopause symptoms and/or anxiety and can share their experiences.

In the meantime, you may aslo be interested in these related items where members talk about Effexor:
- Trading Tips and Coping Strategies to Taper off a Medication: Meet @texasduchess https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/newsfeed-post/trading-tips-and-coping-strategies-to-taper-off-a-medication-meet-texasduchess/
- Anastrazole and anxiety https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anastrazole-and-anxiety/

REPLY
maryanna9 | @maryanna9 | Jan 8 11:06am

Be aware that even at the lowest dose (and short term use of 4 months) stopping this medication can cause very distressing side effects.

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Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jan 8 11:06am

@sue417
I was prescribed Effexor low dose by my PCP for hot flashes and anxiety. I went into menopause more or less acutely after 6 months of chemotherapy for breast cancer at age 48.
It really helped me.
If you stay at a low dose I don’t think it will be too difficult to stop when the time is right.

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cancerwifemom | @cancerwifemom | Jan 9 5:39am

I take it, but my oncologist had to double my dose recently because the low dose wasn’t working. I’ve heard about needing to taper off carefully too, so I’ll be cautious with that. The higher dose is working for the most part though.

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1 reply
sue417 | @sue417 | Jan 9 6:51am
In reply to @cancerwifemom "I take it, but my oncologist had to double my dose recently because the low dose..." + (show)
@cancerwifemom

I take it, but my oncologist had to double my dose recently because the low dose wasn’t working. I’ve heard about needing to taper off carefully too, so I’ll be cautious with that. The higher dose is working for the most part though.

Jump to this post

Hi
I am seeing my naturopath dr next week. I have been on 5htp from her for 4 yrs it does work well I think I just need my disease increased. After speaking with my brother who has depression issues and has been on effexor for yrs, I don't think I will try it although his dose is hi , he said its extremely difficult to be taken off. I will stick to my naturopathic drs advice.

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texasduchess | @texasduchess | Jan 9 6:18pm

In 2001, I was very grateful that Effexor controlled my hot flashes—I was post-lumpectomy for hormone-driven breast cancer and going into a chemical menopause because of Tamoxifen; from one moment to the next, I'd be shivering, then so hot I couldn't stand it. From the first 25 mg dose, Effexor balanced my body temperature and allowed me to function. Other than getting a headache if I missed my daily dose, I never had any issues with Effexor.

However, for many, getting off Effexor (venlafaxine) can be difficult, if not impossible, because it is not supplied in dosages, or formulations that allow easy tapering and withdrawal effects show up VERY quickly. This is a BIG problem if you have to get off Effexor quickly because of health issues (raised blood pressure, weight gain/loss, dizziness, nausea, constipation, eyes/vision effects, sweating, insomnia, loss of sex drive/inability to orgasm, you are pregnant/trying to be, etc.), mental health effects (suicidal thoughts, indulging in risky behaviors. blunting of any/all emotions, etc.), or inability to get the medication (can no longer afford it, it's not available in your area/country, or you can't get a prescription). A study by Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics confirmed that people who stop antidepressants often experience severe withdrawal, which, in some cases, can last for months or YEARS. In my own experience (I am not a doctor, nor medical professional of any kind) and that of many others looking for help in quitting Effexor, VERY FEW psychiatrists, much less other types of doctors, know of the difficulty that people have getting off Effexor and other antidepressants.

You're the only one who can decide if the risk of possible difficulty getting off Effexor is worth the possible benefit of Effexor mitigating your hot flashes. You don't say how bad they are—I knew someone years ago whose hot flashes were so severe (her hair and clothes would be dripping wet within moments of one starting and they could happen more than once a day) that she seldom left her house and was pretty much a social recluse. I didn't know anything about Effexor when I started on it—I just knew that my moment-to-moment hot/cold flashes were hard to live with, so I took the Effexor without a qualm on my oncologist's recommendation.

You also don't mention your age. Menopause is not a condition you'll have forever—you go "through" it. Your menopausal symptoms could be short-lived ... but your being on Effexor could be of long duration. I ended up being on Effexor for almost 18 years; I decided to taper off Effexor because it seemed like a good time to do so—1) I was sure I must be "through" menopause, 2) I wasn't actively being treated for breast cancer and 3) my reconstruction surgeries were done.

I have been dealing with Effexor withdrawal since mid-2018 (I have PAWS—post-acute withdrawal syndrome). Looking back to 2001, I still would go on Effexor. But knowing how much time and $s for supplements it has taken me to get off Effexor, I'd not have quit it—I'd have just stayed on it. I no longer recommend Effexor to folks dealing with hot flashes anymore without warning them about the difficulty of getting off Effexor.

REPLY
1 reply
sue417 | @sue417 | Jan 9 7:17pm
In reply to @texasduchess "In 2001, I was very grateful that Effexor controlled my hot flashes—I was post-lumpectomy for hormone-driven..." + (show)
@texasduchess

In 2001, I was very grateful that Effexor controlled my hot flashes—I was post-lumpectomy for hormone-driven breast cancer and going into a chemical menopause because of Tamoxifen; from one moment to the next, I'd be shivering, then so hot I couldn't stand it. From the first 25 mg dose, Effexor balanced my body temperature and allowed me to function. Other than getting a headache if I missed my daily dose, I never had any issues with Effexor.

However, for many, getting off Effexor (venlafaxine) can be difficult, if not impossible, because it is not supplied in dosages, or formulations that allow easy tapering and withdrawal effects show up VERY quickly. This is a BIG problem if you have to get off Effexor quickly because of health issues (raised blood pressure, weight gain/loss, dizziness, nausea, constipation, eyes/vision effects, sweating, insomnia, loss of sex drive/inability to orgasm, you are pregnant/trying to be, etc.), mental health effects (suicidal thoughts, indulging in risky behaviors. blunting of any/all emotions, etc.), or inability to get the medication (can no longer afford it, it's not available in your area/country, or you can't get a prescription). A study by Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics confirmed that people who stop antidepressants often experience severe withdrawal, which, in some cases, can last for months or YEARS. In my own experience (I am not a doctor, nor medical professional of any kind) and that of many others looking for help in quitting Effexor, VERY FEW psychiatrists, much less other types of doctors, know of the difficulty that people have getting off Effexor and other antidepressants.

You're the only one who can decide if the risk of possible difficulty getting off Effexor is worth the possible benefit of Effexor mitigating your hot flashes. You don't say how bad they are—I knew someone years ago whose hot flashes were so severe (her hair and clothes would be dripping wet within moments of one starting and they could happen more than once a day) that she seldom left her house and was pretty much a social recluse. I didn't know anything about Effexor when I started on it—I just knew that my moment-to-moment hot/cold flashes were hard to live with, so I took the Effexor without a qualm on my oncologist's recommendation.

You also don't mention your age. Menopause is not a condition you'll have forever—you go "through" it. Your menopausal symptoms could be short-lived ... but your being on Effexor could be of long duration. I ended up being on Effexor for almost 18 years; I decided to taper off Effexor because it seemed like a good time to do so—1) I was sure I must be "through" menopause, 2) I wasn't actively being treated for breast cancer and 3) my reconstruction surgeries were done.

I have been dealing with Effexor withdrawal since mid-2018 (I have PAWS—post-acute withdrawal syndrome). Looking back to 2001, I still would go on Effexor. But knowing how much time and $s for supplements it has taken me to get off Effexor, I'd not have quit it—I'd have just stayed on it. I no longer recommend Effexor to folks dealing with hot flashes anymore without warning them about the difficulty of getting off Effexor.

Jump to this post

Hi
Well, your story is sort of like a nightmare and 2 I am going to just deal with what I'm going through right now. It's not horrific. I am 65 I have been going through menopause since the age of 48. I would rather taje my naturopathic drs advice. I do 5htp which is a supplement for my fibro and depression it does work. I hope you get off the medication if that's your goal. I took cymbalta and it's a major mind . .. I'll leave that next word blank. I Said I would never go on a medication that affects the mind again. So I think I will stick to that.

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