Posted by muggins on March 26, 2004, at 0:31:03
In reply to Re: Effexor newbies, posted by KennyBingo on March 23, 2004, at 11:31:41
hi guys.....brilliant to read posts and know all in the same boat....started 37.5mg for a week and zoloft (trying to get off zoloft)then 75mg effexor only.....total shock.....boyfriend of over a year dumped me in the middle of my personal hell.....was not at all expected.....now having problems figuring out what is heartbreak and what is new meds. boyf got new stressful job, shifts, mum died all in the sapce of a month and I wobbled as well. all too much for the poor manam also on anti anxiety pills for when i need (alzam)....someone here suggested getting something to counteract the anxiety side effects (i dont usually have anxiety)...now 3 weeks into 75mg and saw pDoc yesterday.......suicide trailer in my head, but have a beautiful 4 year old daughter (single mum) who i could not bear to leave...pDoc suggested clinic yesterday....but that wold be admitting defeat....am now going up to 150mg today....you can get homeopathic pills for water retention, will buy, eating like a bird but feel fat (am 60kgs)...will have to hit the gym........thanks guys....make me feel sane !
> For Beta, ljfordrbob, PoohBear, et al.:
>
> I was struck by lj's post, finding numerous biographical parallels. I too am now slipping into mid-adulthood. Life changes (eg divorce, grad school) brought about crushing and enveloping depressive episodes not felt since adolescence. I don't believe it's an overstatement to say that Effexor, combined with smart choices and a good therapist, has been a lifesaver.
>
> So for those discouraged by weightgain, among other unsavory side-effects (you can ditto everything in PoohBear's report about side-effects for me)and the hazards of tapering off, take heart. It is not always simply a chemical cross to bear.
>
> True, I did gain a little weight once starting Effexor. It has given me a heretofore never experienced craving for chocolate, of all things. But changing my eating habits a bit and exercise have made this manageable. Plus, I think a lot of it is simply water retention. (Yes, guys get this too.)
>
> True, the initial technicolor dreams and hypo-mania were a little exhausting. But they have subsided. Exercise has helped counter this as well.
>
> True, there are still episodes of downward, blue moods occasionally. But I am able to "bracket" these with the knowledge that they are transient, under my control, and that they will soon pass. Effexor's no auto-happy panacea, but it is one hell of a shot in the arm. I no longer drown.
>
> Hope my response is somehow useful to some of you. Good luck for all those just starting and just ending their treatment.
>
> K
poster:muggins
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040325/msgs/328589.html