Hello...I'm new here....looking for support...

goldencomfort1968 · 05-24-2006, 04:28 PM

Has anybody here been on Effexor for anxiety/depression? I am going off of it and in some desperate need of some moral support. Right now, after being completely off since Sunday, I am having bad "brain jolts", dizziness, etc. I've been weaning off from 300mg down to 0mg since January.

MaggieL · 05-24-2006, 06:00 PM

Check your private messages.

Undertoad · 05-24-2006, 06:01 PM

(thread moved to health)

welcome to the club

Those are withdrawl symptoms. You can't just stop taking the drug, you have to slowly wean off of it over a period of weeks. See a doc if you have one.

Undertoad · 05-24-2006, 09:00 PM

Der, I missed the withdrawl bit in the original post sorry

capnhowdy · 05-25-2006, 03:11 PM

Good luck.

Why are you quiting? Dr.'s advice? Not prying just interested. I've never taken an antidepressant except for a brief trial period. I hear a lot of folks say they feel MUCH better after stopping these drugs. One friend said he had taken his for years and had he known how much better he would feel, would have quit a lot sooner.
Stay in touch with your Dr. is my advice. I think the less medication we take the better off we are. Since I quit going to the VA hosp. I have dropped from 7 scpripts to 2 full time and 1 part time. I can tell a difference.

goldencomfort1968 · 05-25-2006, 03:57 PM

Thanks, Capnhowdy...

I decided to go off the medication because I feltmuch better and I didn't like the side effects. I have the support of my Dr. and my husband. It's been a long and sometimes frustrating road since starting tapering off in January. In the past six months I've gone from 300mg down to 0mg. I'd have to say that the worst has been this past week after dropping down to 0mg. I think my body is still craving the benefits of the medication. Today, though, I'm not as dizzy as yesterday, but had bad anxiety this morning and have been extremely tired. I agree with you that we are better off if we can get by with little or no medication at all. Thanks for the support!

MaggieL · 05-25-2006, 06:00 PM

Effexor has *nasty* sexual side effects. They affect some people more than others.

LabRat · 05-26-2006, 09:21 AM

Huh, go figure. I was just gonna post a thread about antidapressant meds. Welcome GC'68, thanks for posting and good luck.

I have been on Zoloft for 5+ years. Within the last 6-8 mo it seems to have quit working despite playing with the dosage and trying to make some lifestyle changes. So, I finally saw a new doc, and as of this morning am trying out Lexapro. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this, and what their opinion was. I will keep this updated if anyone wishes to hear my experience. Thanks!

goldencomfort1968 · 05-26-2006, 01:10 PM

Hello LabRat...

thanks for the input and welcome. I, too, was on Zoloft for a couple years. Then I was off it for a couple years before having a rough time with anxiety. My doctor then put me on Effexor. It helped tremendously with the anxiety and all. I hated the side effects, though. Weight gain, little or no sex drive, jitters and shakes, headaches, and what some people call "brain jolts". I haven't found a real good way to describe the "brain jolts" to people who haven't experienced them. It's along the lines of dizziness, but different. They cause a feeling of sudden movement and sudden stops. They make my eyes, hands and face tingle for a couple seconds at a time with about 15 seconds or so between the "jolts". Really something that one has to experience to understand. Today, I'm feeling quite a bit better with fewer, less intense "jolts" and stomach isn't so upset. But, I noticed this morning and last night that I'm getting real "bitchy" and trying to not show it. For instance...my husband made a comment last night about a "project" of mine. I have things that I make and sell on-line and I ship them in a small box. I prefer to do that because I don't want to take the chance of them getting mangled in the mail by shipping them in a padded envelope. Well, every time he sees me packaging up a shipment he ALWAYS makes the comment "isn't there a different way to ship those?" and I ALWAYS explain why I ship them in a box. So last night when I was boxing up a package he made that comment again. I think I kept my cool pretty well. I said with a smile "you don't like the box...do you." He said "it just seems like overkill to send it in a box. I just thought there might be another less expensive way." I told him, like I've told him time and time again, that it costs the same to send it in a small box as it does to send it in a padded envelope. I said "i've explained over and over why I ship in a box and still every time you see me package an order up you make that comment." Plus...he is the "weed police" as I call it. We'll be in the yard and I'll point out some flowers that are coming up in the flower beds that I've worked so hard on and he'll say they are pretty and point out a weed. Or in the garden I've planted (he usually does the veggie garden, but he has other things going on this year so I'm doing one) I pointed out how the plants are starting to come up and he points out weeds that I need to take care of. It just seems like lots of negatives that I don't need right now. It would be much better to hear "the flowers are sure pretty", "the garden is doing good", and "that's a great way to ship your product."

Sorry for going off on a tangent. Kind of got off the subject there for a minute.

southernJP · 07-20-2008, 10:22 PM

Going thru depression, and anxiety is a very difficult battle. I have been on 6 different medications in 7 months. The side effects have been to much for me. The last med I was on, helped for several days, then I experienced the worst panic attack ever. I had severe trembles, total confusion, couldn't respond to questions, my mind was blank. Later in the day, I had another attack. After it passed, I knew it had to be the medication, so I stopped taking the med. The attacks kept coming, but was getting lighter. Now I am free of the attacks. Even though I feel better, I am now having these brain jolts. They seem very light, but very frequent. Forgive me, Im rambling on. The point I want to make is that, we are very strong minded people. Depression, and anxiety goes way beyond sadness. Those that lives with depression, or has delt with it in the passed, knows the right down to earth facts of how severe it can be. We all want the samething, and that is to get well. We do not want pity, we want understanding, and support. Positive thoughts, and ideas are always welcome. Negatives is never welcome.

southernJP · 07-24-2008, 11:00 PM

Its been a week or longer since my last visit here. I am still having these brain jolts. Today was worse (more frequent) than yesterday. I also experience short term memory loss. I am not certain of the reason why. Could it be due to the medicene? (citalopram) I have not takin this meication since the panic attacks. If anyone knows about this, please let me know. Everyone please remember to be strong, and be positive.

cherandbuster · 05-27-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LabRat

as of this morning am trying out Lexapro. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this, and what their opinion was. I will keep this updated if anyone wishes to hear my experience. Thanks!

Hi there -- I just joined today after checking the place out.

I've been on Lexapro for 3 1/2 years. It has worked wonderfully for me and I haven't experienced any sexual side effects. I started on 10 mg per day and that seemed to be just the right dosage for me. My teenage niece, however, is up to 40 mg per day. You'll have to see what works for you.

Good luck!

wolf · 05-26-2006, 01:22 PM

Half of my coworkers are taking Lexapro. They seem to be doing okay with it, and much prefer life with vs. without. Sorry I can't be more specific than that ... I'd ask them, but I'm on vacation and don't have the usual level of access. If I remember, I'll ask them when I get back in.

thrillhouse · 05-26-2006, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

Half of my coworkers are taking Lexapro.

half of mine should be taking it.

cherandbuster · 05-27-2006, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thrillhouse

half of mine should be taking it.

Ain't that the truth!!

05-24-2006, 04:28 PM	#1
goldencomfort1968 Aggregate Aggravator Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 17	Hello...I'm new here....looking for support... Has anybody here been on Effexor for anxiety/depression? I am going off of it and in some desperate need of some moral support. Right now, after being completely off since Sunday, I am having bad "brain jolts", dizziness, etc. I've been weaning off from 300mg down to 0mg since January.

05-25-2006, 03:11 PM	#5
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Good luck. Why are you quiting? Dr.'s advice? Not prying just interested. I've never taken an antidepressant except for a brief trial period. I hear a lot of folks say they feel MUCH better after stopping these drugs. One friend said he had taken his for years and had he known how much better he would feel, would have quit a lot sooner. Stay in touch with your Dr. is my advice. I think the less medication we take the better off we are. Since I quit going to the VA hosp. I have dropped from 7 scpripts to 2 full time and 1 part time. I can tell a difference. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

05-25-2006, 06:00 PM	#7
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Effexor has nasty sexual side effects. They affect some people more than others. __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

05-26-2006, 09:21 AM	#8
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	Huh, go figure. I was just gonna post a thread about antidapressant meds. Welcome GC'68, thanks for posting and good luck. I have been on Zoloft for 5+ years. Within the last 6-8 mo it seems to have quit working despite playing with the dosage and trying to make some lifestyle changes. So, I finally saw a new doc, and as of this morning am trying out Lexapro. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this, and what their opinion was. I will keep this updated if anyone wishes to hear my experience. Thanks! __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within.

05-26-2006, 01:10 PM	#9
goldencomfort1968 Aggregate Aggravator Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 17	Effexor (continued....) Hello LabRat... thanks for the input and welcome. I, too, was on Zoloft for a couple years. Then I was off it for a couple years before having a rough time with anxiety. My doctor then put me on Effexor. It helped tremendously with the anxiety and all. I hated the side effects, though. Weight gain, little or no sex drive, jitters and shakes, headaches, and what some people call "brain jolts". I haven't found a real good way to describe the "brain jolts" to people who haven't experienced them. It's along the lines of dizziness, but different. They cause a feeling of sudden movement and sudden stops. They make my eyes, hands and face tingle for a couple seconds at a time with about 15 seconds or so between the "jolts". Really something that one has to experience to understand. Today, I'm feeling quite a bit better with fewer, less intense "jolts" and stomach isn't so upset. But, I noticed this morning and last night that I'm getting real "bitchy" and trying to not show it. For instance...my husband made a comment last night about a "project" of mine. I have things that I make and sell on-line and I ship them in a small box. I prefer to do that because I don't want to take the chance of them getting mangled in the mail by shipping them in a padded envelope. Well, every time he sees me packaging up a shipment he ALWAYS makes the comment "isn't there a different way to ship those?" and I ALWAYS explain why I ship them in a box. So last night when I was boxing up a package he made that comment again. I think I kept my cool pretty well. I said with a smile "you don't like the box...do you." He said "it just seems like overkill to send it in a box. I just thought there might be another less expensive way." I told him, like I've told him time and time again, that it costs the same to send it in a small box as it does to send it in a padded envelope. I said "i've explained over and over why I ship in a box and still every time you see me package an order up you make that comment." Plus...he is the "weed police" as I call it. We'll be in the yard and I'll point out some flowers that are coming up in the flower beds that I've worked so hard on and he'll say they are pretty and point out a weed. Or in the garden I've planted (he usually does the veggie garden, but he has other things going on this year so I'm doing one) I pointed out how the plants are starting to come up and he points out weeds that I need to take care of. It just seems like lots of negatives that I don't need right now. It would be much better to hear "the flowers are sure pretty", "the garden is doing good", and "that's a great way to ship your product." Sorry for going off on a tangent. Kind of got off the subject there for a minute.

05-24-2006, 06:00 PM	#2
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Check your private messages.

05-24-2006, 06:01 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	(thread moved to health) welcome to the club Those are withdrawl symptoms. You can't just stop taking the drug, you have to slowly wean off of it over a period of weeks. See a doc if you have one.

05-24-2006, 09:00 PM	#4
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Der, I missed the withdrawl bit in the original post sorry

05-25-2006, 03:57 PM	#6
goldencomfort1968 Aggregate Aggravator Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 17	Thanks, Capnhowdy... I decided to go off the medication because I feltmuch better and I didn't like the side effects. I have the support of my Dr. and my husband. It's been a long and sometimes frustrating road since starting tapering off in January. In the past six months I've gone from 300mg down to 0mg. I'd have to say that the worst has been this past week after dropping down to 0mg. I think my body is still craving the benefits of the medication. Today, though, I'm not as dizzy as yesterday, but had bad anxiety this morning and have been extremely tired. I agree with you that we are better off if we can get by with little or no medication at all. Thanks for the support!

07-20-2008, 10:22 PM	#10
southernJP Positives are priceless Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: knoxville Posts: 4	Positives is priceless Going thru depression, and anxiety is a very difficult battle. I have been on 6 different medications in 7 months. The side effects have been to much for me. The last med I was on, helped for several days, then I experienced the worst panic attack ever. I had severe trembles, total confusion, couldn't respond to questions, my mind was blank. Later in the day, I had another attack. After it passed, I knew it had to be the medication, so I stopped taking the med. The attacks kept coming, but was getting lighter. Now I am free of the attacks. Even though I feel better, I am now having these brain jolts. They seem very light, but very frequent. Forgive me, Im rambling on. The point I want to make is that, we are very strong minded people. Depression, and anxiety goes way beyond sadness. Those that lives with depression, or has delt with it in the passed, knows the right down to earth facts of how severe it can be. We all want the samething, and that is to get well. We do not want pity, we want understanding, and support. Positive thoughts, and ideas are always welcome. Negatives is never welcome.

07-24-2008, 11:00 PM	#11
southernJP Positives are priceless Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: knoxville Posts: 4	update Its been a week or longer since my last visit here. I am still having these brain jolts. Today was worse (more frequent) than yesterday. I also experience short term memory loss. I am not certain of the reason why. Could it be due to the medicene? (citalopram) I have not takin this meication since the panic attacks. If anyone knows about this, please let me know. Everyone please remember to be strong, and be positive. Last edited by southernJP; 07-24-2008 at 11:14 PM.

05-26-2006, 01:22 PM	#13
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Half of my coworkers are taking Lexapro. They seem to be doing okay with it, and much prefer life with vs. without. Sorry I can't be more specific than that ... I'd ask them, but I'm on vacation and don't have the usual level of access. If I remember, I'll ask them when I get back in. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

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