Posted by eve on April 11, 2000, at 19:21:04
In reply to Re: How I plan to get better without Anti-depressa, posted by KarenB on April 11, 2000, at 18:07:04
Hello Janice and all the others on this thread. I have been looking for something like this place for a while now. This thread specifically as I have been one week and 2 days completely off of effexor. I can be verbose so I'll try to keep my story short here. I am glad for Janice's drive to get better through a purely natural resource; self. I have been in and out of therapy for almost my whole life (I'm 37 now). In the beginning of 1996 when I was NOT in therapy I had somewhat of a breakdown. The stresses of life career, love and the pursuit of happiness got to me. I couldn't get out of bed for 5 days and didn't leave my apartment for 2 weeks straight. I kept a good lie when I spoke to my parents though. I didn't want to get them involved....but the camel's back broke and my folks helped me get up and take the first step to getting back into therapy. My cognitive therapist sent me to a psychopharmacologist who started me on Zoloft. YUK! Gave me so much gas I told her to switch me immediately because my social life was in jeopardy!!!! I began effexor. I was on it until last week. Yes, about four years. I have a very sensitive constitution and she had a hard time with my dosage because I really only needed a very small amount except the few periods when things were unbearable. My average daily dosage was 150mg. I did really well on it for the first 2 years. NO side effects at all!!! I had no sexual dysfunction and I can even remember having a legitimate reason to cry my eyes out when a very special young man told me he didn’t want to be in a relationship with me any longer. (needless to say we’re good friends now and it’s me who has no interest in him). BUT as it is being on medication the honeymoon began to end AT the end of the 2nd year and I began to have the side effects. I didn’t even realize that’s what it was….side effects. I am actually into holistic healing and resisted the anti depressants for so long . I took up going to acupuncture on a regular basis to help resist the side effects. It worked, but keeping THAT up isn’t always so easy. ANYHOW, during that time (about 2 years ago now) The dimwit of a psychiatrist left town without any forwarding number and when I called her to get more Effexor because I was just about out….I lost it!!! I was 2 days without it and to have stopped so abruptly I was a mess physically and mentally. I was not only in physical pain but I thought I might KILL someone.. The rage was 10 fold of what I had experienced pre-medicated. My therapist was a bit peeved when I called her to rant and rage at. Anyhow my local pharmacist gave me enough after all to survive until the knucklehead came back. She then always had a backup person and a good outgoing message after that if she went away. The important thing is I SURVIVED. But , I thought, I would never be able to get off of it because the rage, sadness and mental disorientation were unbearable. SO! About one year ago I decided I’ d begin a very slow process to wean off of the effexor. Through acupuncture and taking St. John’s Wort. Unfortunately St. John’s Wort made me nauseous. BUT the acupuncture does do wonders, I must admit. In the mean time guys. Even though I’d been taking a miniscule amount of effexor now for about 6 months I am having HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms. Bouts of tears and sadness, which come and go irrationally, muscle cramps in my neck and back and most of all these electric tingles throughout my body. Most around my mouth, fingers, hands and head. I have tingly headaches that are not migraines. I know what that feels like. I’ve had them since I’ve been on anti depressants….never before in my life though!!! Didn’t know what a migraine was. The bottom-line my friends. Although I would say Effexor it was a wonder that a medication could have taken that angry edge off and helped me to feel like a rational intelligent whole person….what is the cost???? I am not having a good time here off the meds but I look forward to starting a therapy with a NLP therapist tomorrow. I don’t know if you guys can relate to it but, I am OVER therapists!!! I’m over being unstable. Of feeling nauseous, tired, fuddled, spacey, scattered, angry, sad, mad, and even ecstatic. I like feeling even tempered and I am happiest when I have ALL my wits about me. I enjoy multitasking my thoughts. Can’t do that when you’re sick and can’t do that when you’re on the medication cocktail. Apparently NLP therapy takes a bit of all the therapies, cognitive, Jungian, Freudian + and mush’s ‘em all up + uses other techniques to create a therapy which deals with the NOW (no more moaning about my parents and my childhood and my X breaking my heart) it deals with the consistent PATTERNS we’ve created which form our personalities and thus deals with reprogramming our brains.
Well, I tried to make a long story short….but I warned you all. Sorry. Anyhow, I’m off to flush meds from my body and get onto the PINK brick road to mental and physical health. Good luck to you all and I am very interested in knowing others physical reactions to stopping effexor. OH, 1 more thing I tried welbutrin last week to help wean off of effexor. YIKES!!! I had a record-breaking reaction to a record breaking small amout, 37.5mg a day. It was like being on a speed laced ex pill. I do NOT like recreational drugs (anymore). Talk about an emotional meltdown!!! I was crying and laughing at the same time. I was afraid I’d never bounce back. Hot and cold flashes nausea and more. Stay away from that stuff, it’s poison!
Be well all!!
:)
eve
poster:eve
thread:29583
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/29664.html