DU: Help with Anti Depressants

[hippiechick]

Anyone have experience with Effexor ?
What does it do to moods ?

I just had a horrible experience with HippieSlacker WriterDude.

He's turned into Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde. :(


:hippie:

[shesemsmom]

1. I wouldn't take it

I seen what it does to some and it ain't pretty.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. I take 225mg daily

But it's part of a cocktail. It worked for a good while after the standard 6-8 week adjustment period. Then my new doctor screwed me up.
The biggest side effects I can think of were dry mouth and nausea if you forget to take it at the right time. The world starts looking very fuzzy and things look like they are going in slow motion.

Im not sure if it works because Im on this cocktail (wellbutrin, seroquel and occassionally klonopin) and it's hard to separate the effects of one from the effects of the others.

Good luck though.

[autorank]

3. Supposed to help w/depression and anxiety at the same time.

Kicks you fanny if you miss a dose and may make you manic if you're so inclined. When it works, it really works well.

[hippiechick]

6. He does have manic inclinations ... but

... tonight I saw a side of him I didn't know existed.

He was ugly. We were in an intimate situation and I joked about us 'breaking the bed'... he grabbed me by the wrists and hurt me, while seething through clenched teeth & glaring at me, hissed "Don't break my f**** bed!"

What ?
Wherethef*** did THAT come from ?

:scared: :( :scared: :(


:hippie:

[autorank]

11. Time to say 'bye bye'. This isn't a pill thing. This is a bad pony,

I wouldn't bet on him. I always wonder about guys who get mad during or after intimacy ... very bad sign. Better now than later. Good luck, delare "independence day" from nasty guys.

[Guaranteed]

14. That doesn't sound like a "bad pony" to me...

I'm with her...definitely sounds like the drugs.

I dunno though...I'd definitely say he needs to see the doc.

[autorank]

16. Who knows but caution & distance until it is resolved is the safest.

[HuckleB]

31. It could be a side-effect, but it is a classic compulsive outburst...

So it could be a part of his brain disorder. And that could be affected by past trauma, among other things. Such a sudden outburst seems more likely to be a part of the disorder, rather than the medication, especially if you haven't seen other increased signs of anxiety since he has been on the medication.

[freeplessinseattle]

4. yeah, it's ok, better than paxil and zoloft in my experience, but true

the side effects can be not so pleasanat, and withdrawal is awful. I switched a couple months ago from Effexor only to a combo of Effexor and Wellbutrin, a popular combination that seems to work for a lot of people, and I feel more like myself than I have in a looong time, but then again it's not compatible with everyone.

good luck!

[FM Arouet666]

5. Was on Zoloft for a while

My wife is a psychiatrist and felt that my anxiety was getting out of hand. I was on the max dose of Zoloft for awhile. Effexor is a similar drug, with a different mechanism.

I didn't suffer mood swings, at least not as much as I do off the drug. The WriterDude may not be on enough medication or may need therapy and medication. That is how I was, therapy is probably just as important as medication. Either way, these medications are extremely powerful and everyone reacts differently.

Peace...

[sariku]

7. My experience

I took effexor once (I have seasonal affective disorder) and all I remember (because I was asleep about 80% of the time I was on it) is that it sucked. Big time. I was a zombie. I couldn't function (and this, somehow, was supposed to be an improvement).

[autorank]

15. Welcome to DU!! You too Der Blaue Engel

[sariku]

29. You guys are the friendliest bunch!

Thanks :)

[Der Blaue Engel]

8. Made me absolutely psycho

But one person's psycho pill is another person's happy pill, so it's pretty hard to judge based on another's experience. I'd say if the meds seem to make him worse than better, and it's not a short-term side effect while getting used to the dosage, he should ask for another med evaluation.

Personally, I'm a big fan of the Wellbutrin.

[hippiechick]

9. He's taking it while he's detoxing ...

Going through AA and some counseling. For the most part its been very good for him, as he says, he can wake up in the morning without wanting to hang himself.

He's bi-polar and prone to fits of manic shopping, and the doc said they need to monitor his Rx closely to make sure he doesn't binge. He's bought close to 30 cd's in the last 2 weeks, so I'm thinking he needs an adjustment.

And now, this incident tonight, out of the blue. I mean, in 2 years I have never even seen him raise his voice, let alone physically restrain or grab/impose himself on someone. It was like he wasn't him.

:(


:hippie:

[Der Blaue Engel]

10. Yeah, that sounds like bad news

I'd have him talk to the doc right away. Effexor did one thing for me: kept me from having anxiety attacks. But it also made me obsess about weird things, and definitely caused some Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde-type behavior from time to time. Unfortunately, it also (unlike Wellbutrin) causes dependency, so the dose has to be titrated down slowly if you try to get off of it. Everyone I've talked to who's been on it and had to get off of it experienced the major mood swings and unstable behavior while coming off of it.

[HuckleB]

33. OK. This is likely a symptom of the bipolar disorder...

likely combined with heightened anxiety from the big life changes he is attempting to make. The problem is that this medication won't offer true benefits for four to eight weeks, and any increase takes that long to kick in. Is he on a neuroleptic, at least in a small dose, to act as a prophylactic against mania while the doc tries to find the right dose of effexor?

[Susang]

82. SSRIs can trigger Bipolar episodes

Effexor in particular. I had a very negative experience with it and had to be taken off of it after being hospitalized. Make him see his doctor as soon as possible, if he's bipolar, he needs to be on a mood stabilizer as well as the SSRI and it really sounds like his dosage or choice of meds needs to be adjusted.

From the Mayo Clinic Website:
Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of venlafaxine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
*
Bipolar disorder (mood disorder with alternating episodes of mania and depression) or risk of—May make condition worse. Your doctor will check you for this condition.
*
Brain disease or damage, or mental retardation or
*
Seizures (history of)—The risk of seizures may be increased
*
Heart disease or
*
High or low blood pressure—Venlafaxine may make these conditions worse
*
Kidney disease or
*
Liver disease—Higher blood levels of venlafaxine may occur, increasing the chance of side effects; your doctor may need to adjust your venlafaxine dose
*
Mania (history of)—The risk of developing mania may be increased
*
Weight loss—Venlafaxine may cause weight loss; this weight loss is usually small, but if a large weight loss occurs, it may be harmful in some patients

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=EFE14586-8FD8-44B7-A79D748260ECA7D0

[havocmom]

44. Wellbutrin, yes one person's happy pill can just about send another to

the morgue! One week of Wellbutrin and I was planning a sudden exit. Fortunately, I was aware enough (after 2 years of serious reading) to realize I needed to call the doctor. Lucky enough to have a good doctor who actually listens. He chided me for waiting more than 2 days to call and got me in the office WITHIN !) MINUTES for a change of meds.

To the thread originator: I know many who did well on a drug others would totally wig out with. Brain chemistry is tricky and not yet well understood. A change in meds is a good idea if a chap gets really scary on something.

Me, I would also change boyfriends/husbands at any sign of rage during intimacy. Rage if you wreck his car is one thing, but in bed? Don't go there.

[no name no slogan]

68. Wellbutrin messed me up, too

In fact, I had to take leave from work for a couple months to recover from it. God it was awful. Every smell irritated me. Smoking, cooking, 'city smells', etc. Thankfully there's a few good doctors left who listen to their patients.

[miss_kitty]

79. I ended up in the hospital with the wickedest hives from Wellbutrin

nearly died. I will Never touch another 'Happy Drug' since then.

I do understand there are people who really need this stuff, but it's such a crap shoot. I am not So depressed that I can't wiggle out of it myself.

My sympathies are with those who need to take the drugs to balance their brain chemistry

[Roon]

53. one person's psycho pill is another person's happy pill

I was on geodon for a year and it almost ruined my life.I even lost friends because the drug made me nuts. I am off of it now and got my life back, doing well with risperdal.

[flaminbats]

12. all drugs have ups and downs...

the first few years always seem great, in the coming years weird side effects start. The size of the dose naturally has an impact on how severe the patient's side effects will be.

[Porcupine]

13. Anti-depressants are the Russian roulette of medicine

My experience with Effexor also involved mood swings. On the other hand my experience with anti-depressants in general was one hideous side effect after another. Treat all of them with extreme caution and considerable skepticism.

There is considerable evidence that the research on anti-depressants has been habitually cooked or gamed by big pharma. Please consider the following options:

Take your depressed person on a daily walk or other exercise amounting to over 45 minutes continuous movement.
Carefully clean your living space and examine ALL surfaces for molds or other allergy causing contaminants. Increase the flow of fresh air in your living space particularly at night/while sleeping.
Consider the use of medical marijuana as your first line of chemical treatment.

Carefully research with your partner the potential effects of a Domestic Violence arrest in your lives. Once the courts get involved in your lives the effects are devastating to both of you. Pre-empt the possibility by being well informed of the consequences in YOUR jurisdiction. You should both learn and practice anger de-escalation techniques. Give him a list of phone numbers of support people he can call if he needs to talk.

I have traveled the path that your partner has placed his foot upon. Please do not take what I say lightly. Although no physical injury was done due to my acting out the courts were incredibly harsh in my case. This is the norm.

Most depressives will go into remission with or without treatment. The goal should be to hasten that day and minimize the damage to your lives.

Take care and blessed be.

[norml]

17. I wouldn't want to be with someone on anti-depressants.

Their emotions are blunted and they have less energy,interest,and ability in sex. If they go off the anti-depressants they will have many months of rage. I went on them for a couple of years. They made me sleepy and though the depression was less painful I was still depressed. I stopped taking them over two years ago and am still getting over the rage stage.

[Porcupine]

19. Exercise, meditate, learn to cry, there is a way out.

I will not tell you that it is easy. But there is a way.

[Cadence]

80. I'm with you.

That's how I did it. Alternative methods and the old fashioned way learning how to feel my feelings and what they are telling me. Yes it was hard but it's worth it in the end. I don't have a good feeling about messing with brain chemistry. I'm not sure it so much addresses the problem which are the thoughts and beliefs that create the depression in the first place or if it just numbs you further from your feelings and gives you an artificial feeling of peace. I agree with you there are other ways out.

[HuckleB]

88. Those "alternative methods" also "mess with brain chemistry."

At least if what you were treating was true major depression. CBT and other forms of therapy have been shown to increase serotonin levels and decrease depression, correspondingly -- as has acupuncture. So, yes, there are definitely ways besides medicine that work for some people. However, that does not mean that medicine isn't something that some people need to push on through, so to speak, or even to maintain an even keel, and, no, it's not about numbing anyone further from their feelings. Anyone who is on the right SSRI for them can tell you that.

[samplegirl]

93. i agree

I wish i didnt even take one....I feel better when im not on one.
Mine started with panic attacks and he explained the antidepressants
that are SRRI uptakes that speed you.
Im now taking a real low dose called Remaron and i hope i dont have
to take it very long. It hasnt changed my personality to much.
The panic has subsided. Hopefully i will be able to get through this
without having to take anything to long.

[Cadence]

94. Sorry I just disagree with you.

I've never known anyone taking an SSRI (and I've know a LOT of people) that has actually cured themselves by taking them alone. I agree that their mood is stabilized while they are on it.
I think it's kind of the fast food attitude toward emotional health and if you don't do the internal work that needs to be done it won't be a permanent solution.

[HuckleB]

98. What are you talking about?

You are arguing against a phantom poster. You didn't respond to what I wrote to you, nor to what I've written on this board. It's as if you didn't even read my post. If you would like to discuss this matter, please respond to me, not to whatever imaginary poster you would find it convenient to respond to. Thank you.

[ruthg]

48. Not if they are correctly used.....

It takes a while for them to work and most of them require tapering off .

Effexor is not for everyone. It takes some playing around ( under a Doc's care) to find the right dose of the right med. Wellbutrin, for example, made me looney but my niece loves it. 

[HuckleB]

58. Huh?

What kind of anti-depressants were you on? If you were on an SSRI with those side efffects and your practitioner did not work to find a medication without such side effects, then it's more of a problem of the practitioner, not the medication. Further, medication is only one part of treatment for depression, as therapy must be included. As for your statements about emotional blunting, less energy, and less interest and ability in sex, those only apply when one is on the wrong medication and one's practitioner doesn't work to ensure proper treatment.

[norml]

78. Luvox,in increasing amounts,then quit,just like the Columbine kids.

I'd rather just stay pill free,for now anyway. I'm certain there will be advances in the science of this sort of thing. Cyberonics has patents on using electrical stimulation of the centeral nervous system to relieve severe depression that it doesn't respond to other treatments. Although it had been recommended by a panel studying the treatment,it was turned down by the FDA. The CEO of Cyberonics blamed it on pressure from the pharmacutical industry.

[HuckleB]

89. So it would seem that it was the practitioner that was the problem. -nt-

[norml]

90. I have no idea. It could be that I'm the problem.

Or the current state of medical knowledge could be the problem. But I think the biggest problem was that I lost my health insurance coverage and so couldn't afford to buy the supposedly happy pills anymore. Without insurance they cost nearly $200 for not even a month's worth of pills. That may not seem like much. I tried paying it for a few months,but with also paying for the doctor visits I fell behind. So I quit.

[hyphenate]

70. But not everyone has that rage

It depends a lot on the anti-depressant you're taking, and the reasons you're taking it, and there are many, many factors which are based on individual reactions.

The first time I suffered a clinical depression over 10 years ago, I was put on Paxil. It numbed me. Didn't allow me to have any kind of mood at all--all emotion was on an "even keel" but I'll be damned if people think that's better than the highs and lows.

A friend who was terminally ill was fine on Prozac--it did the job for her. And if I had had to live like that poor woman lived during the last three years of her life, I would have opted for another way out long before she died.

Another friend is on Zoloft. She says it works fine for her--she's been on others, but the Zoloft is what she's comfortable with.

They first put me on Prozac this time. It did diddly. I waited, and waited, and waited, and finally five months later, I realized it wasn't working very well. Then the Lexapro. I felt a little better. Things were progressing. And then it corrupted my senses so bad I couldn't even go into my kitchen without getting nauseated by the "smell" which had not changed from days before, but now elicited a strange reaction.

The Effexor is now at that odd dosage of 112.5. I will likely have my doctor up it to the next level, because I can't honestly say I'm any better. I sleep very oddly (I'm an insomniac, so that's a factor)--like 5 hours of sleep, awake for three-four hours, and then try to get a little more sleep. Still dragging all day, still feeling extremely cold all the time. I cry way too much, and for the smallest of reasons.

When I got off the Paxil years ago, the major obstacle was getting off it. There were a lot of side-effects--nervousness, heart palpitations, dizziness, etc. I never wanted to go through that again. But no rage--I never had that. I was actually elated after I went off the Paxil, though, because even though I had the "lows" again, I finally had the "highs" again. No, not mania, but just the ability to feel joy and happiness again.

I think regardless of anyone else's experiences, whatever gets worked out by the doctor and the patient has to be a trial process, because those differences in people's body makeup are a huge factor in how a drug will work, as well as the overall effects on a person.

[Philostopher]

18. I don't know about Effexor ...

but I know some of the SSRI (serotonin uptake) ADs will send a bipolar into a manic phase. That sounds a lot like what's happening, here -- I have some experience with this, as apparently do you -- so if you can possibly get HSWD to consult with the doctor about his meds, by all means do this at the earliest opportunity.

It may be hard, though, if he's going into a manic phase -- the greatest challenge in getting people with bipolar disorder to follow through with treatment isn't getting them to take antidepressants, since they feel like crap and want to feel better; it's keeping them on the medication once they do feel better, because the manic phase feels so good to them, they tend to abandon treatment regimes as soon as they pull up out of the ditch.

Good luck, and if you feel threatened -- back out as quickly as you can without causing a fight. Fights with someone with bipolar disorder, even if they don't hurt you physically, are draining and endless.

[jdots]

20. works well for a few years then...........

yuck the nastys come back with a vengence.....if you take it set a time table to switch into something .....do a real gradual taper off......shop for the best phycopharmacologist you can find and ask guestions,tons of them,if they don't have answers run out the door.

[autorank]

21. Oops, we all missed it. Were there any substances involved.

None of them interact well with Effexor and some of them take away the drug's effects which is like a sudden cessation. Alcohol is the main culprit because it's so common. KB grade or above pot will interact to produce a really nasty paranoia. And so on. Effexor is not as sensitive to substances as Lithium, Depakote where the problems are immediate and very real. Nevertheless, substances with this drug might explain some of what's going on. He needs to see his doctor and tell all and you two should take a holiday from each other.

[hippiechick]

25. ... he was sober.

The reason he's on the Effexor is because it was prescribed by his doc in combination with the first phases of detox before they start the 1-1 counseling sessions for his depression.

We both knew the first few weeks w/o alcohol were going to make him extra ugly, so this was the first time we have seen each other since Halloween. And this is how it turned out. :(


:hippie:

[autorank]

27. Pretty complicated.

You should line yourself up a greally good counselor and go over all of this. Friends, DU, etc. are good supports but you need someone with experience to help you work though this. Good luck.

[dancing kali]

22. I was on it for 3 years.

They kept me fairly laid back and controlled my mood swings. I could deal with asshole clients, road rage wasn't a problem, and neither was PMS. The side effects sucked for the first 2 months (I was on 175mg which is a fairly low dose) as I got pretty well all of them. Dry mouth and insomnia were the worst. The nausea was only bad for the first week or two. Missing one pill wasn't too bad... missing two was hell (I forgot to pack them on a couple of weekend out of town gigs). That's when I would feel slightly disconnected with the world - as if I was out of phase with everything around me.

Is your friend on other medications as well? I had some problems when I needed to take other meds, such as cold remedies, while I was taking the Effexor. The best way I can describe it is that the Effexor seemed to amplify the effects of the other medications. It was the same with alcohol. I couldn't even drink a glass of wine with dinner.

From what I experienced and from what others I've talked with who were also taking Effexor, big time mood swings are not the norm. Your friend should see his doctor as soon a possible as he may need to have his dosage adjusted or be put on a different med.

Take care.

[BearClaws]

23. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL!

My brother in law killed himself a few months ago.
He had bouts of depression all his life, and in the last year of his life, started taking a number of anti depressants.
I don't know if he had gone off the meds or what, but I have since heard about a rash of suicides that seem to be linked to anti depressants.
God, It was painful losing him.
Be Careful.

[Eurobabe]

24. Try LexaPro or Cymbalta

Mom is on Cymbalta and Dad is on LexaPro. (And I am on no ADs, dx'd with thyroid which could be the underlying issue, on natural thyroid hormone)

[Dez]

26. I'm on Effexor since 1999.

About almost a year ago, it wasn't working well at all.. I was depressed all the time, and couldn't focus. I went to Brazil in August to see John of God ( João Teixeira da Faria) http://www.johnofgod.com/
I was totally disabled from the depression (On SSI for it) and so I went to Brazil seeking a cure.

Since that time, I have no depression, and am even taking a college computer class! I am still maxed out on the Effexor, but now it's working. I also had Encephalitis in 1992, and the depression would make the residuals so much worse, like no focus, problem solving skills shot, light sensitivity, short term memory. After returning from Brazil, all the problems from the residauls seemed to vanish! As I said, now I am in college, and loving it! I barely read 5 books since encephalitis in '92, and now I am an avid reader like I was before 'e' in 1992!

If anyone is interested in hearing more, just email me, or send me a message. I will try to go back there again next year, as I am not totally healed. I will be healed when I will no longer need the meds, and I know this will happen with further healing in Brazil. He is world known for his healing powers, and he is not the one who heals, but God.

[Thtwudbeme]

28. Don't be alone with this guy

I am sure he is as nice a person as he can be...but, his behavior sounds dangerous.

You know that, or you wouldn't be posting here for validation.

Good luck--to you and him. I personally despise the new antidepressants (I have a 14 year medical background) and the way they are passed out like candy these days. And no, I don't want to hear about anyones experiences with blood testing every 3 months..yada yada yada--that's insurance money, state money, or personal money to your Dr. and the lab. There is something gravely wrong with our society that so many people are on this shit.

Stephanie

[HuckleB]

36. Blood testing every three months?

What are you talking about? There are no blood tests for SSRIs, or for Effexor, for that matter.

[Thtwudbeme]

41. I was hoping you would be on this thread

I remember a friend from college who was on something...can't remember what (a salt--it's Sunday, and that's why I can't remember--brain dead) and she had to be tested for blood levels.

That was 19 years ago--

I was a paramedic---

I was hoping that there WERE tests...but, I guess not. Sad...I know these drugs do great things for some people...but, I just despise the way Dr.'s pass them out now.

Stephanie

PS..I love your posts, always have.

[HuckleB]

42. Sounds like she was on lithium.

The therapeutic window for lithium is very small, so tests are definitely needed. As far as efficacy goes, lithium remains the gold standard for bipolar disorder. But most practitioners now attempt to treat it with atypical antipsychotics, often combined with SSRIs first, because the side effect profile is so much lower, and, if the right medicine is found, the person feels much more "like him or herself" than on lithium and some of the other standards (depakote, for example, which also requires blood tests).

BTW, yes, it would be incredible if we could find a way to do testing on serotonin and norepinephrine and other neurochemicals in order to treat brain disorders more humanely. But doing so without causing harm to the brain will be incredibly difficult. There are a few clinics now using brain scanning to help diagnose, create treatment plans and assess treatments over time, but most insurance companies won't play for such scans, at least not yet.

And I'm definitely with you, in that I despise the way SSRIs and, even moreso, ADHD meds are handed by many general practitioners in this day and age.

Anyway, thanks for the ego boost. :)

Are you out of healthcare altogether now?

Salud!

[Thtwudbeme]

45. I am back in college (40 years old)

to go to Divinity school.

I want to go back to the ER as a Pastoral Counselor. I miss the heck out of the ER; some of the most compassionate folks I have ever met in my life.

Glad to give you an ego boost! :)

Steph

PS QUIT writing "Salud!" You are making me crave tequila, and it's only 1:30PM here!

;)

[HuckleB]

59. Way to GO!

I love to hear about adult learners and folks who go back to school! Your skills as a pastoral counselor are definitely needed in the ER setting. Best of luck to you!

Uh... Uh...

Cheers!

[Zomby Woof]

55. I usually agree with you

And with this post, I agree even more than ever...

Doctors and Big Pharma are mining every little symptom they can and making a bad situation for someone worse. They do superficial diagnoses and offer a prescription as casually as Mom's apple pie recipe.

I think doctors and drugs have created more depression than treated it. It's a dangerous symbiosis, and lots of suckers are desperate and hurting, taking the bait. That's free-market medicine in action.

[HuckleB]

30. Regarding Effexor...

It's usually used once other antidepressants (the SSRIs) don't work for an individual, as many people find it difficult to tolerate. However, for those who don't have side effects, it can be a wonderful anti-depressant and/or anti-anxiety medication.

I cannot recommend going on any psychotropic medication after a one-off visit to a general practitioner, however. I wouldn't go to medication long-term unless I had a full assessment from a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner, who would follow me regularly while I am on the medication. Further, if a depression or anxiety disorder is severe enough to warrant medication, then therapy is definitely warranted. Every study worth a dime shows that combined medication and therapy offer the greatest relief to the most individuals.

Best of luck.

Salud.

[mopinko]

32. boy,

where to start?
are you really sure you want to be with this person? because he has a long, hard, ugly road ahead of him, at best. think hard about what you want and deserve out of life. as a child of a bi-polar alcoholic, i can tell you it can get worse, but it is hard.
however, effexor alone is a bad choice. it can send bi-polars manic in a big way, and frankly i cannot believe that his is the first thing they try to treat him with. he should be on depakote, lithium or another mood stabilizer FIRST. and any additional drugs should not be added for at least 3 months.
may i ask how old the 2 of you are, and if he has tried to get treatment before?

[hippiechick]

39. He was in therapy several years ago ...

This isn't the first time he's tried to deal with the depression. It's been an ongoing thing since his teens, although the bi-polar diagnosis is new.

We've known each other for about 2 years and just started 'the dating thing' over the last several months. I'm 38 and he's 36.
And yes I want to be with him. :)

He mentioned something about Depakote but he's not on it at the moment, I think - but am not sure - the psych who Rx'd him the Effexor wanted him 30 days sober before giving him the Depakote, which is why he's in the detox program.

It's all pretty much a mess right now, we should probably have just gone for coffee or a movie or something, and left it at that, given how much time we've been apart (2 months) and what he's been dealing with during that time.


:hippie:

[Socialist Dem]

34. I've taken it

I was on 150mg for about 2 years. It took awhile to have any effect, but my mood did change for a while. Then, I "leveled out" for a period followed by a long period of feelings ranging from ambivalent to depressed. Missing a dose for a day was OK, but any longer and I had bad side effects, which basically made me sick and unable to deal with anything until I got the next dosage. My family noticed the change for the worse, and my Dr. wanted me to increase the dosage. I insisted on getting off of the Effexor, and did. I feel better, but have to keep an eye on my emotions so that my "darker" moods don't overtake me. I am never violent.....just very occasionally have dark thoughts.

One bad thing I did was to quit cold turkey. I wouldn't recommend anyone do that with Effexor, cause it was a week of hell for me. It got better after the first week, and then after the second week, the side effects were almost gone. I still experience the "ringing" in my ears sometimes, but it's tolerable.

[samplegirl]

35. This is a scary one!!!!

I took it for 3 days.....and about 15min. after taking it i would
go into a servere panic attack.
It wasnt for me.......i dont like anything that makes me feel like
i just downed one to many expresso!

[Scrooge]

64. panic is an understatement

My sister experienced the same thing. Panic and paranoia. It was very scary for her too.

[samplegirl]

92. What a terrible feeling!

Not all Antidepressants work the same. He explained that some
people that are sensitive to even cold meds will not benifit by
taking and Antidepressant that speeds them up.

[Wapsie B]

37. He really needs to talk to

the Dr. who prescribed it. There are other meds out there for depression. That kind of reaction shouldn't be tolerated. He needs to try something else. There's Wellbutrin, Depakote-ER and others that work depending on the patient condition.

[flamingyouth]

38. My boyfriend takes it

And it works well for him, after years of trying other things.

For me, it made me a manic psycho whose blood pressure skyrocketed dangerously. Like other posters in this thread said, each pill affects each person very differently.

I would definitely have him check with his doctor Monday about this incident. If he doesn't, you should.

Good luck to you both.

[goodboy]

40. I take Serzone...It's an SSRI, but I don't know how the two differ in how

they make you feel. If your anti-depressants are working theraputically, you shouldn't feel anything. You should just feel normal. I can tell if I miss a dose of the Serzone, because I feel depressed, but when I take it as I am supposed to, I just feel like me.

[HuckleB]

43. A great description of how an SSRI should work, if it's the one for you.

One thing: Please make sure you get regular blood tests to make sure your liver is functioning well. Serzone has been associated with a number of liver problems over the years.

Great post.

Salud!

[goodboy]

56. Thanks...

I'd read that there was a class-action lawsuit against the makers of serzone for it's effect on the liver. I asked my doc about it, and he said that although rare, it can be a problem...he asked me if I wanted a blood test but I declined. I suppose when I get my physical I'll ask them to check it out since they'll probably draw some blood anyhow. I think jaundice, and yellowing of the eyes are signs of liver trouble associated with serzone.

[HuckleB]

60. It would be good to have it checked, so you have a baseline.

Since we don't know about possible slow-acting, long-term liver issues, it would give you something to compare to so, if things do change in time, you can have a warning to change meds if necessary.

Best to you.

[goodboy]

81. do you know

if any other SSRI's have been identified as causing the same liver problems as the serzone?

[HuckleB]

87. Serzone's the only one that I know about with that level of concern.

I believe Canada took it off the market. Still, I don't think there's necessarily cause for concern for those already on it, who have not faced any side effects. If it's working for you, and you can keep an eye on your liver, well, if I was in your shoes, I'd probably stick with it. Of course, that's hypothetical, but...

Salud...

[ruthg]

47. right....when I started SSRIs

I found that I became the me I always used to catch occasional glimpses of but could never maintain... Its all about brain chemistry .. I am convinced. Depression runs ( gallops) in my family and has caused so many bad problems. I am grateful every day for this medicine. I wish it had been around when I was younger ( I couldn't take the older meds for a variety of reasons). I am a mental health worker as well as a former client ( I sound like that guy on the hair club commercial) and I have seen SSRIs work wonders for many folks.

[goodboy]

57. right. What's interesting about SSRI's is that they bind to the same

receptors as THC...

[xultar]

46. I TAKE IT WITH CELEXA AND IT HAS WORKED WONDERS!!!!

PM me if you'd like to talk. Also visit http://www.depressionforums.com. It is a wonderful place for first timers.

[hyphenate]

49. I'm on it

right now. Eh. PRozac didn't do diddly, and Lexapro screwed up my senses of smell and taste, and Effexor hasn't helped that to go back to normal, either. I'm still depressed, but Effexor is supposed to be one of the best ones. I dunno whether it's me or the time of year, but I just don't want to rejoin the world for some reason.

I don't think that it's supposed to alter moods--I think that if someone continues to suffer major mood swings that they might want to consider testing them for bi-polar because the treatment would only affect one aspect of it.

I don't honestly know. My mood hasn't been rosy for a very long time. Clinical depression is not fun, trust me.

[Droopy]

50. I just started taking Wellbutrin about a month ago

And it is starting to work for me. Some of my symptoms were that I had low energy, slept a lot, had trouble socializing, just felt down all the time. All those symptoms are starting to be relieved to some degree. I've never taken Effexor.

Reading some of your posts here it sounds like your boyfriend should be on something besides an anti-depressant or maybe a combination of a mood stabilizer and an anti-depressant. I've heard that some docs are loathe to prescribe an anti-depressant to someone who is bipolar unless they are taking a mood stabilizer for fear of triggering a manic episode. That may be what is happening to your boyfriend.

I have an illness known as schizoaffective disorder and I have symptoms of bipolar and schizophrenia when I go untreated. I take lithium to help stabilize my mood and it works wonderfully for keeping mania at bay, not so good for depression that's why my doc prescribed me an anti-depressant.

Another thing. People who are bipolar can have mixed states where they could be experiencing mania with some depressive traits and vice versa. The incident you described about when you were intimate sounds like a mixed state action on his part.

Lastly, I'm not a doctor and I don't know of anybody else here who is. Get your man to the doctor and tell the doctor what is going on with with him. Tell the doctor about the incident in the bedroom.

[hippiechick]

54. Thank you

O8)


:hippie:

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

51. I experienced HUGE issues with this shit!! Especially trying to get off of

it. My brain was shaking... and if I missed a dose by an hour, same thing. I seriously thought I was going freaking crazy coming off of that shit. It was prescribed for migraine headaches and didn't help. God, that was a hellacious few weeks coming off that. ick.

[brentspeak]

52. I call it "Side-Effexor"

Made me feel spaced-out.

Now I'm on Zoloft, and I have to say it works pretty well with no discernable side effects.

[amazona]

61. it can affect mood

I don't have personal experience with it. I'm a shareholder in the company that makes it. (A very tiny shareholder.) It is a rare side effect but it can cause violent mood swings in rare situations. I think he should call his doctor right away and see if he can adjust his Rx. I'm not trying to scare you, chances are he'll be fine, but it should not be swept under the rug. If I recall correctly, one of the Columbine kids was on Effexor. Brain chemistry is very individual, and this drug is not for everyone.

[flaminbats]

65. stimulants and antidepressants..the wave of the future!!!

try them together...dove chocolate lithium bars filled with rich healthy adderal to help your wittle child stay happy and focused just on homework!!!:thumbsup:

When...or if grown up, zat child can be dictator of zeee world...master of de universe, Conan deee barbarian!!!!

be proud, be humbled, be convulsed and bolden with coma! And don't forget the moonshine when fowl language is used...:beer:

[shockra]

62. I agree with those who said...

He should be on a mood stabilizer. I took Effexor for two years, and it worked well as long as I took it with a mood stabilizer. I've tried to take it again several times since, and it was intolerable!

Something else you might look into is "Ring of Fire" ADD. It is the most severe type of ADD, with bipolar symptoms, and any type of SSRI or stimulant medication will make this type WORSE. Effexor is often called an SSRI but it is not strictly so. It works on serotonin, as do all the other SSRI drugs, but it also has the effect of increasing both norepinephrine and dopamine which stimulate the brain. Which means it works very well if you have ADD, but it's a double whammy if you have Ring of Fire.

Ritalin and Adderall, the typical stimulants, increase dopamine.

Dr. Daniel Amen has done extensive work on brain imaging, and has defined 6 types of ADD. The Ring of Fire type and Temporal Lobe types are treated with anti-convulsant medications, though in much smaller doses than are used for bipolar disorder or seizures. Most of the time a stimulant or anti-depressant medication is added after the brain is stablized, otherwise you feel totally "blah," or brain dead.

I'd recommend Dr. Amen's book Healing ADD. Here is a bare bones listing of symptoms for those who are interested in the types of ADD:

According to Dr. Amen, through brain scans, 6 different kinds of ADD exist:

1) Classic ADHD: inattentive, distractible, disorganized, hyperactive, restless, impulsive.

2) Inattentive: inattentive, slow-moving, daydreaming, 'spacey' ("girl ADD" in the past).

3) Overfocused: gets stuck in nit-picky behaviors, worry, negative thoughts, obsessive, inflexible, argumentative.

4) Temporal lobe: angry, dark thoughts, mood unstable, seriously impulsive.

5) Limbic: inattentive, chronically depressed, negative ("glass is half empty"), low energy.

6) "Ring of Fire": angry, irritable, inattentive, hyper-verbal, extremely oppositional, cyclic moodiness, potentially dangerous.

Your boyfriend could have both ADD and bipolar disorder. There is considerable overlap. What made me think ADD though is that people with Ring of Fire often treat their symptoms with alcohol, to try to calm their brains. Their brain scans show excessive activity spread throughout the entire brain, and they seek to dampen it. Dr. Amen's book includes pictures of these scans.

[hippiechick]

72. Sounds like he could be either 'Temporal' or 'Ring of Fire' ...

Thank you for the book recommendation. O8)


:hippie:

[salin]

63. wait a second...

seems I missed something along the way during my slower posting habits... HippieSlacker Writer Dude... now who is this? Granted it sounds like at the moment you might not be sure... I seem to have missed this 'development'...

[hippiechick]

73. he's not on DU

... if he were I wouldn't be discussing this.

I don't think I knew him yet when you and I met at the first rally.


:hippie:

[salin]

83. now that's what I am talking about...

I recall the shared single status... had missed the 'new romance' phase... just jumped in at the ...omg jeckyl/hyde phase... hope that this phase passes quickly!

[hippiechick]

84. I don't think there ever was a 'new romance' phase ...

We're sorta stumbling along trying NOT to do/say the things that will trigger the other's bad-relationship tapes, taking it day-by-day, being expressly non-committal.

Two big scaredy chickens, basically.


:hippie:

[no name no slogan]

66. I've taken 300mg/day for seven years, and it helped save my life

I've been taking a very high dose of it for the last seven years (along with a small dose of lithium, just to help it along), and it literally saved my life in one of my darkest hours.

Previously I'd been on Paxil, under which I gained 80 lbs (only weighed 140 lbs to start) and which wore off after two years. I went to Wellbutrin for a few months, which led to an unsuccessful suicide attempt and a couple months sick leave from work.

After the Wellbutrin, the doc prescribed the Effexor, and it helped me get my act together and get back to relavite 'normalcy'.

Of the drugs I've been on, the Effexor was probably the 'cleanest' as far as side effects. I got severe shakes and giddyness with Paxil, sensitivity to smells with Wellbutrin, but nothing major with the Effexor-- only constipation, which I get when I change/add any medication, and some slight sexual side effects.

But each person reacts differently to various drugs. For example, most people drop weight on Paxil, but I was one of the 5% who gained weight. If this is a real problem for him (which it sounds like it is), he needs to see his doctor. Hopefully, he also sees his behaviour as wrong, too, because if he doesn't, it's going to be VERY hard to convince him otherwise.

Hang in there, and PM me if you want to know any more info about Effexor. I've got a fair amount of experience with it. :grouphug:

[terrya]

67. I've never tried it...I take Celexa and Wellbutrin.

I've heard some good things about Effexor, though. :-)

[ironflange]

69. I've been on Effexor XR for about three years

It works great, as long as I'm careful about taking it the same time every day. If I'm not careful about this, I start to get annoying side effects, mostly dry mouth and overactive bladder. If I forget a day, dizzy spells and weird dreams show up. Outside of all this, it has worked really well for me.

edit: I originally was on Zoloft, it worked for a while then stopped. We tried Celexa, which might as well have been lemon drops, for all the good it did. Effexor was next. Everyone in my family is on something, bipolar daughter takes Celexa, Risperdal, and generic Tegritol. The other two are on Paxil, Effexor didn't work for them. We're a happy mellow bunch, as long as we don't miss doses.

[OneBlueSky]

71. I tried Effexor for about a year for severe depression . . .

and, in my case anyhow, it was a disaster . . . when I was asked if I was feeling less depressed, the only truthful answer I could think of was "I still feel depressed . . . but I don't give a shit!" . . .

and that's exactly how I felt . . . the repercussions were that I totally lost interest in just about everything, to the point where I didn't even open my mail . . . my bills backed up for several months, I was getting dunning notices and bad entries on my superior credit rating, and it took everything I had to finally pull myself out of it and straighten things out . . .

my reaction may have had something to do with the fact that I'm also on some pretty potent pain meds, and it may have been the combination that caused the problems . . . I ultimately just told my shrink that I wanted off, and we phased out over a three month period . . . he wanted me to try another anti-depressant, but I told him I'd rather just deal with it on my own . . . no more psychoactive drugs for me, thank you very much . . .

and I'm feeling much better . . . really . . . no, I mean REALLY! . . .

[hippiechick]

76. I often wonder about that ...

Just from the numerous responses to this thread, anti-depressants seem par for the course anymore ... and it makes me wonder what is wrong with our society that so many people feel the need to medicate just to function ... and how did we get that way ? ... and what are the medical/pharm/psych industries' stakes in all of this ?

I don't take anything aside from an occassional 200 mg of a muscle relaxer for a bad disc in my back which causes muscle spasms, and am starting to think there's something wrong with me for not being on a pharm regimen ?



:hippie:

[Bertha Venation]

74. Worked great for me, until my BP spiked.

Had to quit taking it.

Good luck. :)

[Minimus]

75. My neurologist put me on it for migraine prevention.

I took the XR 150mg daily. I was on it for about 6 months and kept getting migraines so I decided to quit taking it.

Wow, big mistake. Well the way I quit was. I stopped cold turkey and boy did I crash. I went on a crying jag, depression, anxiety, feeling out of control. My husband took me to my doctor and when she found out I had quit taking it she was pissed.

She put me back on it and then had me slowly taper off. Once I tapered off everything was okay, but boy that was a scary few days.

[NightTrain]

77. I've been taking Effexor since 1999.

The only problem I had was that initially, I couldn't achieve orgasm for three weeks. Aside from that, I can't say enough about how much better off I've been since I went on Effexor. Talk about a miracle drug...!

Prior to that, however, I was on Wellbutrin, which had a horrible effect on me. So it could be that Effexor simply isn't the right anti-depressant fot HippieSlacker WriterDude. :shrug:

[Keirsey]

85. Lamictal

Anticonvulsant that is also effective in treating mood disorders.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12197456&dopt=Abstract


http://www.biopsychiatry.com/lamotrigine.html


http://www.whatmeds.com/meds/lamotrigine.html

[hippiechick]

86. Thanks everyone !!!

You've all helped me get through a bitch of a 24-hour span O8)



:hippie:

[Brundle_Fly]

91. I was on that terrible drug

for about 2 months...I was mood swing city and uncomfortable in my own skin...

[scarlet_owl]

95. Effexor did terrible things to me.

Coming off of it made me terribly sick and made my moods fluctuate. I would have days where I was angry for no reason and I would feel like the smallest thing would set me off. Google "effexor side effects", or "Effexor withdrawal" to learn more.

[pdx_prog]

96. I have been on

Paxil, Effexor, Celexa and now Lexapro. I have been off of them for about two years then went back on for anxiety. I couldn't tell much difference in any of them except for the Paxil......It made me "not give a damn" about anything, and gave me an extremely short fuse when I got irritated (I told the entire staff at a Steak and Shake restaurant to go fook themselves one afternoon....lol).

People have different reactions to all of them. I tried the wellbutrin to help stop smoking, and after a week I felt like my skin was being ripped from my body.

My GF is bi-polar and now takes effexor.....she seems to be doing pretty well on it.

[Maine Mary]

97. It made me severely manic w/in 5 nights -Had to to visit the ER for

some "Vitamin A" -Ativan (a tranquilizer).

After the FIRST dose, I couldn't sleep and spent the entire night cleaning the house. One night of insomnia is not unusual in my case so I wasn't concerned at first. But dummy me, I should have realized what was happening and stopped taking it immediately after the 2nd or 3rd night of no sleep... (I think it somehow affected my judgement)

After 5 nights of no sleep, I started seeing and hearing things at which point I called my sister (an RN) who took me to the hospital. I was barely able to communicate at that point other then to tell her that something was wrong w/me. The ER Doc diagnosed drug induced Mania and the lack of sleep had caused the very scary hullucinations. He suggested I might also have bipolar disorder.

So now I'm back on Paxil (a different type of anti-depressant) and Lamictal (an anti-seizure/ mood stabilizing drug). The Lamictal does seem be helping the strung-out feeling I had with Paxil. In fact it was that strung-out feeling that led me to try Effexor in the first place. Now I know that (being strung out) was probably a mild form of mania but since Effexor works on more then just Serotonin, it (effexor) put me into a severe manic episode.

This a very embarrasing story to tell (and I thought long and hard about doing it) as there is still that social stigma about mental illness... (despite the surfacing evidence that many illnesses such as bipolar are caused by a brain chemical imbalance)

By telling this story however, I'm hoping it'll help you w/your friend and/or others consider seeking the advice of a pyschiatric professional before trying a Pysch drug. I don't regret taking them as my life was spinning out of control with anxiety and depression so I had to do something. But I should have done it under the care of a Pyschiatrist or Pyschopharmacologist instead of just my MD.

Patients might want to get the opinion of someone in the pyschiatric field before taking a pysch drug even if their MD thinks it might help.

[HuckleB]

99. Your provider should have instructed you to call immediately...

if you faced any changes in behavior, emotion, etc... including in sleep deprivation, which is, of course, practically number one on the old mania sidetrip. Glad to hear you made it through ok.