A specialist has recommended that I take low dose Effexor or Elavil to improve my sleep. Now, I have been reading really scary things about Effexor (not so much about the Elavil). Has anyone been on these, or know anyone who has taken these? Any advice, if I have to choose one to try?
I take amytryptaline (sp?), the generic of Elevil for sleep. Added bonus is it somehow also helps releive chronic back pain. Just be sure to take it early enough as it can have a hangover effect. (Tired and groggy all day)
Effexor is an SSNRI, similar to the common SSRIs like Paxil, Prozac, etc. (Elavil is a tricyclic, which is different. Tricyclics have been around for awhile; SSRIs are relatively newer.)
SSRI withdrawal is often a nightmare, I know first-hand. Keep that in mind and google “Effexor withdrawal” and “SSRI withdrawal.” (On rereading, it seems you may already have done this.) You might as well google “Elavil withdrawal” and “tricyclic withdrawal” just to be fair. Be aware of exactly what you may be in for before starting either drug, and good luck, IANAD, etc. etc.
This is what I am most concerned about. A relative of mine has been trying to quit taking Paxil for at least a year (cold turkey at first - absolute hell!). She’s now cutting down the dose minute bits at a time, with limited success. From what I have been reading, Effexor withdrawal is much worse. Mind you, it also sounds like a very effective drug.
I hate to take medication in the first place, but I’ve reached the point where I think its necessary. I guess I can only inform myself and hope I don’t have to quit taking either! 
Whatever you do, don’t take Ibuprophin (Advil, Motrin) while you are on Effexor. No one bothered to tell me this. I was running a lot (training for a marathon) and was taking a lot of Advil for the muscle pain. I had a horrible time. I was tired all the time and I’m not really sure what happened, but I ended up with dangerously low levels of potassium. It was creepy and weird. I felt so much better about a week after stopping cold turkey (no bad dreams at all).
Since I was taking it for anxiety, I switched to Zoloft which is great. I’m not sure of what else you would take for sleep, but IMO, steer clear of Effexor.
I’ve taken Effexor XR 150mg for depression since 1995, I like it. I’ve taken Elavil but it made me too sleepy to function well when I needed to. When I took Zoloft, I couldn’t get my dick hard, no matter what my wife tried. To sleep I take Benedryl, if I lose too much sleep I hallucinate.
I took Elavil for migraines for a little while. On its own, it wasn’t too bad, but when I combined it with the painkillers I’d been given for the headaches… It was an interesting experience. But apart from that, not too bad. It should put you to sleep. It certainly did for me.
Hmmmm, given the issues with effexor and withdrawal, I’d be wary of using it as a sleep aid. I didn’t think it was an effective sleep aid. Effexor withdrawal is very nasty indeed, it can be far worse than withdrawal from SSRIs or tricyclics.
Personally effexor is in my list of drugs to be used as a last resort and I’d certainly need a lot of convincing before using it as a sleep drug. It’s not supposed to be a sedating type drug. Bringing my kid off effexor was one of the nastiest 3 weeks of my life and that was just watching him, not actually suffering the withdrawal myself.
Oh. my. God. I’m really sorry, because I’ve been drinking, so it is clearly not the best time to post this information. But when I tried to stop taking Effexor, I felt like a heroine addict. If you miss a dose of Effexor, or want to get off of it, it is complete HELL. I was throwing up, nauseous, dizzy…unable to function. And that was on the reduced dose the doc gave me to “ween me off.”
Then I realized that many times that I thought i was SICK in the past had been because I’d missed a dose of Effexor. I read a few things about it and found out that it’s advised that you take two weeks off of work if you’re getting off of Effexor.,
Never have I had such problems with Prozac or any other anti-depressant I’ve been on.
The stuff might work for you…in which case, it’s worth it. But be sure to ask the doc about the weaning off stage and how he/she plans to handle it with you. I seriously felt like I was getting off of crack. It was HORRIBLE. Keep this in mind. There may be other things that can help that don’t have this affect.
Not too great a fan of Effexor here, either. I take it against depression. Apparently it didn’t quite work and my psychiatrist prescribed me a double dose.
Now I have to get back to my normal dose and then slowly kick off, because Effexor causes heart irregularities in me.
I’ve gone cold-turkey on Effexor and other anti-depressants before, so I know what to expect. That thought doesn’t make it any more fun, though. 
Surely there are other medications that can help you with sleep problems? Various “Pams” come in mind. ‘Lendormin’ is good and not addictive.
Good luck.
Hi, Ultraviolet.
I currently take Effexor and Celexa. I have never had a problem with either. I don’t find Effexor to be sedating. I take it in the morning.
Moreover, I have taken the following in addition to Effexor and Celexa: nortryptilene, Prozac, Paxil, Serzone, Zoloft and maybe one other that I can’t remember in the 15 years I’ve been dealing with my depression.
I have never had any withdrawal issues going off any of them. As a matter of fact, the only ones I recall that gave me problems with side-effects was Prozac (made me sweaty and gave me nightmares) and Serzone (which made me excessively sleepy).
Ask your specialist about Desyrel® (trazodone) for sleep. It’s the sleepy-time antidepressant, and the dose you’d take to get you to sleep is far lower than a clinical antidepressant dose.
I can’t believe Effexor was suggested as a sleep aid. Elavil or one of the myriad other tricyclic antidepressants, sure. But Effexor?
Also, trazodone is not habit forming (like many sleeping pills), I’ve never heard of discontinuation syndrome (read: withdrawal) from a sleep aid-level dose, and it works like a charm. 50 to 100 mg works for most people, some get a bit too loopy at 50 and take 25, and some need up to 150 to 200 mg. Take it, lie in bed, and you’ll be out within 25 minutes.
Trazodone all the way. Trust me.
[QUOTE=Ultraviolet]
This is what I am most concerned about. A relative of mine has been trying to quit taking Paxil for at least a year (cold turkey at first - absolute hell!). She’s now cutting down the dose minute bits at a time, with limited success. From what I have been reading, Effexor withdrawal is much worse. Mind you, it also sounds like a very effective drug.
QUOTE]
That’s a big part of the problem; people just stop taking the drug. Quitting cold turkey is what causes the withdrawal. Re: Effexor withdrawal, I didn’t think it was as terrible as everyone claimed. My major effect was having frequent “electrical surge” feelings in my body. Weird, but not terrible or anything.
It’s amazing how a drug can have such polarized effects in people - for me, Effexor (I’ve been on it for a year now) isn’t much different than Prozac. When I first started Effexor, I had to take it first thing in the morning or else it would keep me up. By now, though, I can take it whenever, I can drink alcohol (I’m not a big drinker period, but it’s important to be cautious, of course). The only side effect I’ve noticed is that if I forget to take it one day, I have bizarre strong dreams all night and wake up still tired…it’s kinda perverse, but it also helps to keep me taking it, since I had a bad habit of stopping the Prozac for days at a time.
Good luck.
I’ve been taking Elivil for 16 years now. Started taking it for treatment of depression. Then I was diagnosed with heart failure and Diabetes and take it now for sleep because it is the only sleep aid that won’t react with one of the 13 other prescriptions I have to take. I never had a bad experience in all this time.
effexor for sleep? that doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering it is sorta stimulating. even a low-dose prevented me from getting good night of rest. seriously, caffeine is about as good for sleep as effexor. the withdrawal was similar to celexa - very nasty… much like waking up after way too much to drink. that lasted about three weeks, which i spent in bed.
elavil wasn’t bad, as far as antidepressants are concerned. it does make you tired, though only in a general way that doesn’t really make you think ‘i’m ready for bed’.
of course, neither of these drugs are useful for improving sleep, considering both suppress REM.
as mentioned, trazadone will knock you out for sure. again, it’s not likely to be satisfying no matter the length. however, it’s even more effective than benzos if you have serious insomnia.
if you really desire more restful sleep, melatonin is excellent. it doesn’t make you very tired, but once you lay down it works wonders. now, i combine it with ambien and hardly recall going to sleep most nights(for me, ambien is useless by itself). i definitely feel “more rested” - as if sleep itself is more efficient - taking melatonin.
Here’s a study that suggests low-dose trazodone improves subjective quality of sleep.
From this site:
From this site, end note numbers removed:
You’d think I had a stake in Mead Johnson (who, IIRC, introduced trazodone - as Desyrel® - to North American circa 1982), but the stuff went generic a long, long time ago. And it’s dirt cheap.
Certainly worth a try, even for a week. IANAD or psychiatrist or sleep specialist or pharmacist etc. etc. I would get a prescription for 7 days at 100 mg bedtime. The first night, make sure you don’t have to be anywhere the next morning, just in case. Try 100 mg and see how you sleep and how feel when you wake up. If you have too much of a hangover or are zombified all day, the next night cut the tablet in half and try 50 mg. If 100 mg doesn’t make you sleep, cut a tab in half and try 150 mg.
Oh yeah, one more thing to keep an eye on with Effexor: it can raise one’s blood pressure and heart-rate (it did for me). Especially when taken in combination with other meds, this should be considered.
Thanks, everyone for the input. I think I will be trying the Elavil first, unless my own doctor has a better idea. I am quite scared of the Effexor based on my own research and what I’ve heard.
Thanks, scott evil, I’ll ask the doctor about Desyrel too.