Posted by Dinah on August 9, 2002, at 6:13:15
In reply to Re: Effexor addiction vs. therapeutic benefit dilemma » Dinah, posted by Mr.Scott on August 9, 2002, at 0:40:00
Hi Scott. I'm primarily OCD and I'm probably somewhere on the low end of the bipolar spectrum, since medications and sleep deprivation can cause me to be hypomanic. Pdoc is not big on diagnosis. Cyclothymic I think? But it doesn't fit all that well.
I quit the Effexor. Wellbutrin had the same effect on me. I had started Effexor anticipating some real life stressors that ended up working themselves out. The goal was the same effect as Luvox without the apathy and sexual side effects. So at the moment I'm only on Depakote and Klonopin. If the stressors in my life ever get too large, I guess I'll go back on Luvox. It flattened me and made me apathetic, but at least it didn't make me hypomanic or suicidal.
Is it possible the feelings that you experienced on Effexor were just a mild hypomanic euphoria? I think that's what I always realized they were. Not genuine feelings of normal, but definitely artificial feelings of better than normal. I enjoy those times, but I don't expect them to last. But once you've experienced them, you want them back, and anything else seems less than perfect.
I guess we're all striving for mildly hypomanic euphoria or the thing right below that. What is it? Euthymia? But I don't know if it's possible to achieve, and I've given up trying with meds. So I'll settle for relatively stable and use cognitive behavior therapy and insight therapy from there.
Not a popular position here on the meds board, I think. But I just don't have that much luck with antidepressants. Mood stabilizers are more useful for me, but they don't make you feel wonderful, just stable.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Dinah
poster:Dinah
thread:115725
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020807/msgs/115784.html