Posted by KathyA on October 25, 2002, at 1:18:38
In reply to SSRI Apathy vs. Depression - How to tell?, posted by AnneL on October 20, 2002, at 13:18:18
> My posts above regarding "I am depressed again" to "Quality of Life-Going off Meds" tell how difficult it is for some of us to come to grips with not only needing medication, but being able to tell what is a side effect vs. what is a symptom of the disease itself. I find myself in this quandary. I am on Effexor 225 daily along with Klonopin 1 mg at night which was needed to stop Effexor induced nocturnal panic attacks (worked like a charm!). But here I am, lack of motivation, have such difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, but do great once at work, and then back to no motivation and just lay on the couch when I get home and usually fall asleep for an hour and then get up again until time for bed. My social circle is getting smaller and smaller and I am not going anywhere. I just don't know what to do. I think I am getting scared and wanting to fix this by myself. Hence the desire to taper off Effexor and Klonopin to see if there is any change in my behaviors/feelings. Any ideas? Thanks greatly for any responses. Anne :)
Anne,
I just recently stopped taking Effexor, replacing it with Paxil. I was experiencing some irritability and apathy. I had also developed more social anxiety. Actually I should call it social apathy. I could be quite happy if all I had to do was sit on the couch and read undisturbed. Not practical, however. I didn't ever really want to see anybody or talk to anybody. I found little pleasure in socializing. My doc felt it was the Effexor. I've been off for 4 days (and on Paxil). I feel better socially, that is, I don't mind social situations as much already. I'm interested to see the long-term results. So your feelings socially may be linked to the effexor and not the depression. SSRI's (or SNRI's) are notorious for their numbing effect.
I hope you find what works, or better yet, not need anything long-term.
Kathy
poster:KathyA
thread:124374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/125138.html