I highly recommend avoiding effexor for FMS. I had a doctor who put me on it because he thought fibromyalgia = depression, and whenever I missed a dose or had to take it an hour later then I usually did, I felt awful: headaches, dizziness and nausea to the extreme. I finally just cut myself off cold-turkey because it was making me feel clouded and muddled, and I get enough of that with the \'fibro-fog.\'

The only thing effexor did for me was make me MORE tired. Didn't work a bit.

Effexor was not for me, had taken it for only five days and decided it was time to end it all. Had stashed up my meds and had a knife hidden in the bedroom. Was writing my goodbye notes, fortunately for me my husband was on top of things and got me help that was a year ago this past July. I am sure it was the drug. You really need to be careful when starting new meds, and make sure someone close to you knows about the change.

I have been on Effexor for years for major depression. I take a high dose and it works really well for major depression. As for fibro I developed fibro while on it and it hasn't made any difference there.

Boy, some of your stories are veru frightening. I've been on effexor for several years and fortunately have not had any of these side effects. I can't be sure about causing fatigue because I'm always tired anyway. I did go off of it last year, just to see, and cold turkey gave me terrible vertigo. I then started a smaller tapering off dose but the pain became so much more intense that I went back on it.

I just read about a new drug on the news section here,called Milnaciprin. I gogled it and it sounded like it's already available but the article said it has yet to gain FDA approval. I'm seeing the doc tomorrow and will ask about it. I'll write and share what I learn.

I took it for 7 years and all it did was zone me out so I couldn't deal effectively with some major losses that happened during that time. Now I'm trying to deall with all the losses at the same time!!!

I didn't sleep any better and it didn't help the pain either. In addition, it caused a huge weight gain.

I can't prove this, but I believe it was the Effexor that caused my thyroid & cholesterol dysfunctions. I am not alone in believing that this is a credible theory.

But the worst thing is the WITHDRAWALS when I tried to get off. My dr was so blaze about it - she said "just taper off over a couple of weeks." YEAH, RIGHT!!!

Even with carefully weaning off over a month, it is HELL! I could not skip even on 37.5 mg (lowest) dose w/o horrible symptoms.

I finally opened each pill & took 2 grains out the first day, 4 grains out the next, 6 the 3rd day & so on until there were no grains left. That made withdrawal TOLERABLE at best. Once off, it was FOUR MONTHS before the withdrawal symptoms subsided!!!!!!!!!!

I will never take another anti-d again.

This was my experience. I think that my drs should have provided all of the info about possible side effects & withdrawal symptoms BEFORE I started taking it and let me make an INFORMED DECISION.

AMITRIPTYLIN KILLS PAIN AND DEPRESSION THE ONLY ONE WORKS FOR ME!!!!!