Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 4/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: Dear Doctor. Is Effexor/Venlor a safe medication to take with Ritalin. I am having a few problems with the combo and feel a little speedy on both. I have been on Effexor now for a year. I stopped effexor but I am now getting bad withdrawls. I switched to prozac ans seroquel but my anxiety is even worse. I tried tapering off effexor due to funny side effects but I am worried. Effexor seems to have messed up the same receptors Ritalin uses, Its strange I know but my Ritalin is not working properly ever since i used effexor. Is this normal??

ANSWER: YOU  ask if a combination is safe, yet  YOU did this and YOU did that and YOU changed this and YOU tapered off. If YOU are trained to change and qualiefied to mess around with medication YOU should not be asking me for advice. Ask YOU not me! Ritalin, Effexor, Seroquel, Prozac,Speedy, withdrawls, anxiety, Receptors,what a lot of nonsense! Is this a game you are playing with me?    

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: No doctor. I do not think I worded that correctly. Effexor seemed to make my Ritalin more potent and when I informed my doctor about this he switched me to prozac and seroquel at night. I started to get strange reactions after taking Ritalin after coming off effexor which made my mind and thoughts going too fast for my surroundings causing total confusion.My head was spinning. It was a very unpleasant feeling and this caused me to question the long time use of Ritalin thats all.

Answer
Serequal should not be used with Prozac. If you have ADHD Prozac is not a good choice. Effexor cannot make Ritalin more potent. Your descriptions as bizarre and do not fit into any scientific known medical reactions. If you doctor cannot help you a second opinion might be advisable but this is certainly not a topic for an internet discussion.