Posted by Effexor13 on June 5, 2007, at 13:56:30
In reply to Sorry for Mistakes -- It's Late » BobS., posted by Ron Hill on December 24, 2001, at 1:29:15
I've been on Effexor for 13 years and have experience with trying to go off it.
James makes a good point, that I would boil down to this: It's unclear exactly how antidepressants work.
The manufacturers are fairly up front about this. If you read the fine-print handout (the material that's reprinted in the PDR), it usually has a line similar to this: "The mechanism of action is unknown."
Effexor has generally helped me. I've noticed that descriptions of Effexor withdrawal vary pretty widely. For years, I would infrequently stop it, just to see what would happen. Consistently, a few days I would become very emotional. It's wasn't really bad; I would get a little teary-eyed just by watching something as harmless a cute little kitten. I'd go back on at this point, not wanting to see if it got worse.
But, what very nearly killed, was stopping during a time when several extremely "bad things" occurred simultaneously--things bad enough to bring on a powerful depression even if I never taken Effexor or any AD in my life. But the withdrawal combined with the other stuff resulted in a complete meltdown, a very serious meltdown.
I didn't get much relief until I went back on Effexor (I should note that when I stopped Effexor, I went on Paxil and later added Wellbutrin--these weren't too much help--gave 'em about a 3- to 4-month try).
I have asked my doctor whether the years of Effexor made the depression so much worse. She said it "doesn't work that way" but I have limited confidence in her knowledge, so the question for me remains unanswered. I don't think there an airtight answer. Treating depression I think is, as they say, "much art than science."
poster:Effexor13
thread:3670
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070604/msgs/761350.html