Posted by NCFelines on April 23, 2003, at 23:00:50
In reply to Re: NO MORE EFFEXOR - Two Week Update » NCFelines, posted by kashusha on April 23, 2003, at 17:57:43
I apologize if this turns into a novel. Please forgive me, and feel free to post questions on anything specific. I will always try to answer. :)
OK, through lots and lots of my own research, including reading boards like this and spending hours doing internet searches, I found good reason to suspect that Effexor was causing a lot of side effects in me. Examples: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), teeth grinding, bloating, weight gain, difficulty urinating, unexplained brusing, insomnia, extreme cravings for carbohydrates, and just general fatigue. Specifically, I spent thousands of dollars chasing down suspected utero/intestinal problems with no specific diagnosis. We tried different birth control pills, taking them constantly, taking none, avoiding different foods, various digestive medications...I even underwent a CT scan, an MRI and finally laparoscopic surgery! That was NOT fun. Concerning teeth grinding -- that may not sound like that big of a deal. But during the time that I was on Effexor (about a year), I had to have four root canals and crowns due to broken teeth from teeth grinding. That was not fun, either. The other biggie was insomnia. It seemed that no matter what I did, I found it very difficult to go to sleep, and to stay asleep during the night. So, I was not getting much sleep, and was always tired. In addition to being too tired to do anything, I found that I was not really interested in doing much, either. I did not care to travel, exercise, or even read. I really did not even care about how I looked, beyond just presentable. I mean, I stayed clean and neat, but shopping for new clothes or "fixing up" seemed like too much trouble. Also, I was perfectly happy to come home from work and recline on the couch and watch TV. That does not sound that bad, either. But now that I am off, I have not done that once. I have all my old interests back. I am not grinding my teeth. My clothes fit better... Every time I look down at that laparoscopy scar above my belly button, it makes me MAD, though! I don't feel like, "Oh well, that is OK... la la la." No, I FEEL MAD! I feel betrayed by the medical and pharmaceutical industry that failed me. Why did not one doctor look at my chart and see Effexor and equate it to any of my symptoms?? Oh well, better to be thankful I snapped out of it, I guess, than to waste energy on things that have been done or not done. Quitting Effexor was no walk in the park, but I know now that it was the right decision for me.
Again, though, do what is right for you, which may mean taking Effexor. You may have no side effects and may do very well on it, like others do. I found out the hard way that I cannot take it, but all I really know is my experience. Best of luck, and kudos to you for reaching out and asking questions. I firmly believe that asking these kinds of questions helped to save my "life."I am in no position to give medical advice, but I will try to tell you why I quit without writing a novel. I tend to get a bit wordy when I am sleepy, but just saw my e-mail notification of your post and wanted to get back to you right away. So, I hope this makes sense for you. Feel free to post back to me with any questions. :)
Through lots and lots of my own research, including reading boards like this and spending hours doing internet searches, I found good reason to suspect that Effexor was causing a lot of side effects in me. Examples: IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), teeth grinding, bloating, weight gain, difficulty urinating, unexplained brusing, insomnia, extreme cravings for carbohydrates, and just general fatigue. Specifically, I spent thousands of dollars chasing down suspected utero/intestinal problems with no specific diagnosis. We tried different birth control pills, taking them constantly, taking none, avoiding different foods, various digestive medications...I even underwent a CT scan, an MRI and finally laparoscopic surgery! That was NOT fun. Concerning teeth grinding -- that may not sound like that big of a deal. But during the time that I was on Effexor (about a year), I had to have four root canals and crowns due to broken teeth from teeth grinding. That was not fun, either. The other biggie was insomnia. It seemed that no matter what I did, I found it very difficult to go to sleep, and to stay asleep during the night. So, I was not getting much sleep, and was always tired. In addition to being too tired to do anything, I found that I was not really interested in doing much, either. I did not care to travel, exercise, or even read. I really did not even care about how I looked, beyond just presentable. I mean, I stayed clean and neat, but shopping for new clothes or "fixing up" seemed like too much trouble. Also, I was perfectly happy to come home from work and recline on the couch and watch TV. That does not sound that bad, either. But now that I am off, I have not done that once. I have all my old interests back. I am not grinding my teeth. My clothes fit better... Every time I look down at that laparoscopy scar above my belly button, it makes me MAD, though! I don't feel like, "Oh well, that is OK... la la la." No, I FEEL MAD! I feel betrayed by the medical and pharmaceutical industry that failed me. Why did not one doctor look at my chart and see Effexor and equate it to any of my symptoms?? Oh well, better to be thankful I snapped out of it, I guess, than to waste energy on things that have been done or not done. Quitting Effexor was no walk in the park, and I am honestly still working on the best solution for my anxiety. However, I feel better every day and am sure that quitting was the best decision for me.
Again, though, do what is right for you, which may mean taking Effexor. You may have no side effects and may do very well on it, like others do. I found out the hard way that I cannot take it, but all I really know is my experience. Best of luck, and kudos to you for reaching out and asking questions. I firmly believe that asking these kinds of questions helped to save my "life" (quality of life).
poster:NCFelines
thread:218164
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030423/msgs/221889.html