Category: Ask the Doctor

Will Effexor Have Fewer Side Effects Than Paxil?

QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

I am a 19 year old female suffering from panic disorder.  I have had panic attacks the past 5 years but it was only recently that I saw a doctor.  He put me on 20mg of Paxil a day.  I took Paxil for 2 weeks but the side effects were just too much.  Now he’s put me on Effexor.  Does Effexor have lesser side effects like insomnia, loss of appetite and headaches?  I have heard and read that Effexor is a drug used for depression, so will it help me with my panic attacks and agoraphobia?  Please reply back.

Thanks.

 

ANSWER:

When Paxil has side effects it usually means the individual also has the cognitive generalized anxiety disorder (persistent worry).  This appears to be the case with you based on what you described.  The gene has been discovered for this diagnosis, and appears to be related to an elevated serotonin 1A receptor being elevated.  BuSpar is the most effective medication for altering how this gene works, and stopping the cognitive generalized anxiety disorder.  Once the BuSpar is in the system for a few weeks, SSRI medications like Paxil can usually be taken without side effects. Effexor works for some patients with the GAD, and might work for panic. Side effects are a problem with Effexor.

 

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2008 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness 2008 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Can Anything Be Done For My Nonfunctional Son?
• Do I Need A Higher Prozac Dose?
• Do You Have Any Suggestions For Me?
• How Do I Deal With Buspar Side Effects?
• How Do We Switch To Prozac?
• How Does Marijuana Affect The Use Of Medications For BPD?
• I Am Just Beginning To Realize How Ill I Am.
• Is No Help Better Than The Wrong Help?
• Is There Any Advantage To Treating ADHD In A Patient With The BPD?
• What’s The Difference Between Bipolar And BPD?
• Will He Ever Come Back?

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home   Video DVDs now available!   You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind.  By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery.  “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World.    Dr. Leland Heller  Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E • Okeechobee, FL  34972 • 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved.  May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness™, BiologicalUnhappiness.com™, & Dyslimbia Press™ are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)

2007 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness 2007 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• How Can You Distinguish Aspergers from Bipolar in a 6 Year Old?
• How Can You Help People in Only a Few Sessions?
• How Can You Treat BPD with Bipolar?
• How Does Fluvoxamine Compare to Prozac (Fluoxetine) and Does it Affect the HPA Axis?
• How Do I Trust my Judgment When it Keeps Changing?
• Is Seroquel a Good Medication for the BPD?
• Is There a Relationship Between Aspergers and the BPD?
• Is There Anything that Will Work for my DID?
• What About BPD Treatment Using Lexapro Wellbutrin or Cymbalta?
• What Are the Chances Our Baby Will Have BPD?
• What Can I Do for my Daughter with BPD and Alcoholism?
• What Can Be Done About the Weight Gain?
• What Do You Think of DBT?
• What Jobs Should Borderlines Have?
• What’s Really Wrong with my Daughter?
• What’s the Right Treatment for my ADHD?
• Why Are Zoloft and Paxil Making Me Angry?
• Why Aren’t my Meds Working?
• Why Is it So Difficult to Leave Someone with the BPD?

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home   Video DVDs now available!   You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind.  By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery.  “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World.    Dr. Leland Heller  Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E • Okeechobee, FL  34972 • 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved.  May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness™, BiologicalUnhappiness.com™, & Dyslimbia Press™ are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)

2006 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness 2006 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Are There any Natural Remedies that Work for the BPD With Chronic Dysphoria?
• Aren’t Doctors too Quick to Prescribe Medications?
• Can Anything be Done with my Anxiety?
• Can Wellbutrin (Buproprion) Make the BPD Worse?
• Did Tegretol Make Me Ill?
• Do Natural Treatments Work for the BPD?
• How Can my Son Stop His Rages?
• How Do You Treat Someone with BPD and ADHD?
• How Effective is Lamictil (Lamotrigine) for Treating Dyslimbia?
• Is it BPD or Bipolar?
• Is There a Correlation Between Epilepsy and BPD?
• Is There a Medication Combination that will Work?
• Is There Anything That Could be Done for my Stepson with Schizophrenia and BPD?
• Is There Anything to Read for My Family?
• Should I Tell My Wife?
• What About Neutraceuticals or Brain Surgery?
• What can be Done for Rapidly Cycling Bipolar?
• What can be Done for SSRI Induced Apathy?
• What’s Fractured Enjoyment and what’s Wrong with Me?
• Why are the Medications Making Me Worse?
• Will Abilify (Aripiprazole) Work as Well as Geodon (Ziprasidone)?

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home   Video DVDs now available!   You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind.  By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery.  “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World.    Dr. Leland Heller  Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E • Okeechobee, FL  34972 • 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved.  May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness™, BiologicalUnhappiness.com™, & Dyslimbia Press™ are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)

2005 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness 2005 ASK THE DOCTOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• Can genetic epilepsy increase the risk of BPD?
• Can I be normal with the BPD?
• Can I have both bipolar and the BPD?
• Can Remeron help with sleep?
• Can’t I take marijuana and be accepted for who I am?
• Do I have to take pills?
• Do you still recommend Prozac and Tegretol and are there treatment centers?
• Does my 2 year old have BPD?
• Does OCD go away?
• How do I cope with being married to someone with the Narcissistic Personality Disorder?
• How do you heal from abandonment hurts?
• How do you treat ADHD when the BPD or bipolar is present?
• How much of the BPD is genetic?
• Is fractured enjoyment in the DSM?
• Is taking my daughter off Prozac a good idea?
• Now what?
• Shouldn’t my parents take medicine instead of me?
• What about generic haldol?
• What causes compulsive talking?
• What hope is there for someone with multiple personality disorder?
• What if I cant afford counseling or Ziglar’s tapes?
• What’s making me feel so miserable?
• What’s wrong with me?
• What’s wrong with my son?

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home   Video DVDs now available!   You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind.  By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery.  “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World.    Dr. Leland Heller  Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E • Okeechobee, FL  34972 • 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved.  May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness™, BiologicalUnhappiness.com™, & Dyslimbia Press™ are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)