Recently I read an article about Effexor XR, a drug often prescribed for anxiety attacks. This caught my attention because I have personally been on this drug for several years. I can relate to very many of the side effects this drug poses. That is why I would like to give my opinion on the use of this drug for what it was intended to do.

Being a female in my middle fifties, I have been through the motherhood department. I have reared a wonderful son, and passed to him all I can on manners and respect. Why I ever married his father is something I quit trying to figure out a long time ago. Youthfulness and religion got me through those trying times. No drugs were needed to calm my nerves, they could have helped, I'm sure. But I made it through the anguish and the final divorce.

After going through the ups and downs of the next few years, I met a man I had thought was the best looking boy back in high school. We eventually started dating and life was so much better. He was the type that would take a drug if he thought he needed it, but didn't abuse any thing except aspirins. He had headaches every day, so it was either sinus tablets or aspirins. Things were going good for me, I found that my sinuses were my only headaches.

Then one day, out of the Blue, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Someone so smart and healthy. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him except the tumor. Such a traumatic experience for me! This was a dream, something you only see on TV. We were soul mates; I couldn't accept the fact that I was going to be alone, without him, again.

After many, many sleepless nights, all the crying, all the Thinking, I started having panic, or anxiety, attacks. I didn't know what they were, why I was feeling like my body was going to explode. My family thought I was going crazy, jumping up and literally running out of the house. I just had to GO somewhere. And a lot of the time, I didn't even know where I was going. I just had to GO. All these feelings were building up in my head, they weren't normal! That is when I knew I had to tell someone, my doctor.

I'm so glad I did tell my doctor. Yes, he knew exactly what was going on. This is when he prescribed Effexor XR. At first, I couldn't tell a difference, but this only lasted about 4 or 5 days until it got through my system. After a year and a half I finally got a good, full nights sleep! And after about a week I was back to being normal' again.

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