Posted by ewm12 on April 12, 2006, at 20:19:57
In reply to Effexor: permanent side effects?, posted by iheartmuffy on April 6, 2006, at 1:43:23
Hi,
I came off Effexor in Feb 2005 after taking it (150mg) along with Wellbutrin for 4 years. I had a horrible withdrwal--gained tons of weight in my belly (whereas i'm a pear:), had horrible anxiety (which was never my problem at all and has gone away), was very fatigued and basically a zoombie. I also started lossing hair in vast amounts. I ended up severely depressed again--largely i think because i didn't taper the dose slowly enough--and took lexapro for a short period. For me, taking a simple SSRI helped even things out. Because, Effexxor really messed with my system and going off it was a shock.One thing to watch out for though, is attributing all that is wrong right now to the AD. I've caught myself doing this and am realizing that I'll never have the answer. Like you, I'd been on ADs for a long time--8 years--and wondered whether they messed me up permantly. Am I always a zoombie now because they decreased my cognitive function? Unfortunately, I've realized you're not likely to get an answer to these questions. I'm even debating going back on them--i've realized my quality of life right now might be more important. I do have friends who are upfront that they will be on ADs for life.
Those are just my thoughts! :-)
poster:ewm12
thread:629516
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060412/msgs/632350.html