Another option your doctor may suggest is simply to increase the dose of Effexor, assuming that you have few side effects and no medical concerns about using a higher dose. Your doctor can also jump start the effects of Effexor by augmenting that medication with the drug Ritalin or Remeron. Before you and your doctor change your medication, make sure there aren't any medical or psychological reasons you aren't feeling as well as you used to. If something in your life is making you sad, medication cannot make you feel happy. And be sure to discuss the risks and benefits of each treatment strategy with your doctor.
All drugs have some side effects.
Never change your dose on your own or start taking a new drug without your doctor's advice. Remember, with time and patience, there's a good chance you can regain that feeling of well-being. Ronald Pies, MD, is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University and a lecturer on psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of A Consumer's Guide to Choosing the Right Psychotherapist and the Handbook of Essential Psychopharmacology . All rights reserved.