Posted by Paul on Long Island on May 19, 2006, at 21:33:17
In reply to Re: Starting Prozac tomorrow, posted by Bonnie_CA on May 17, 2006, at 17:35:32
> My doctor told me to just stop taking the Effexor, that I shouldn't have any side effects, but I was an absolute mess, the worst withdrawal I have ever had. I'm getting off of Effexor because it was inconsistent with relieving my anxiety and it made me nauseous and gave me a headache more days than not. At the higher dose (that I HAD to have adjusted, 150 mg), my heart was pounding 24-7 and I couldn't sleep at all. Within a few hours of taking Effexor, my eyes would feel like they had a lot of pressure, and sometimes it was hard to focus, even with the lower dosage. The side effects of Effexor are a mile long. It's supposed to be really good for GAD, but it just made everything worse. I don't think my norpinephren needed help, just the seritonin. LOL Today is my first 20 mg tablet, and I feel a lot better, better than I did with just the 10 mg. I'm going to start tapering my Effexor down my way, little by little, taking beads out of the tablet. Like I said, my doc told me just to stop, and I was such a mess I couldn't stand it. So I think I'll taper my way. I've got plenty of Effexor, so I can just taper a few beads at a time until I'm off of it. You have OCD eh... I understand. I don't have it, but I read about it a long time ago, and have seen many examples of it since. You know that what you are doing is silly, but you HAVE to do it or you will go crazy! When I'm not medicated, I get a bit of OCD-like habits, but I don't have OCD. I'll just be very picky about cleanliness (which may not be so bad!), but I don't have rituals, so I'm definitely not OCD. :D
> So, the break down of my medication history with my GAD is...
> BuSpar (I think I took as much as 30mg)- Made me unbelieveably sleepy (falling asleep while sitting, and it's touted as non-drowsy!), made my anxiety worse.
> Paxil (20mg) - Worked like a dream, but I gained 20 lbs and was unable to have sex... physical disfunction, not loss of desire. Kind of a problem when you're a newlywed.
> Celexa (20mg, then 40mg) - Worked, but not for very long. After about a year, had my dosage raised, then it only worked for another 8 months or so. The only side effect I ever had from it was loss of appetite with initial starting and dosage change.
> Effexor (150mg, then 75mg)- I've explained already.
> Now I'm on Prozac (20 mg). Hopefully the Prozac won't cause weight gain or sexual disfunction. We shall see!
>
> Good luck, hopefully the more Prozac that is in your system, the better you'll feel! Keep me posted!
> -BonnieHey Bonnie, I just wanted to update you on where I stand. I wasn't getting much effect from the prozac yet as of yesterday, when I had my most recent appointment with the doctor. Obviously, most people wouldn't expect or have a right to expect any results that quickly, but as I had said before, I've always had a quick response to the prozac. I've also been on anywhere from 10 to 60 mgs depending on my level of depression and ocd at any given time. Since I wasn't having any bad side effects, the doctor upped me to 40 mg. Well, guess what? Today I felt MUCH better. The anxiety is still there, along with the OCD, but those have always taken longer to calm down. But the depression seems to be lifting. It's kinda weird, because I'll feel really good for a while, then it'll come down a few notches, but then it's gone back up. Obviously too early to tell exactly how well I'll do, but I certainly have reason to hope right now. So, if you think you're getting any good results at all, try to stick with it. I'm praying for you. Paul
poster:Paul on Long Island
thread:642452
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060515/msgs/646087.html