Posted by bleauberry on October 18, 2019, at 15:39:59
In reply to Why Is Getting On a Med So Hard?, posted by Hoopa1013 on September 30, 2019, at 8:54:31
Some people just jump into a new med with no problem. For others it is extremely challenging.
If it's a real problem, then something isn't right. My journey suggests that being sensitive to psych meds is a sign of one of 2 things: 1.It's not a so-called chemical imbalance, and the med itself is causing a chemical imbalance that is unnatural and problematic for your situation, rather than correcting an imbalance. 2.Lyme, stealth, misdiagnosed, or totally missed.
What is Effexor going to do? Well, it will cause a backlog of serotonin to build up in the area of the receptors, a buildup which is not natural, which causes overflow to be mopped up by other receptors not meant for serotonin - for example the dopamine and norepinephrine receptors will get some of the excess. Feedback loops will sense genetically that there is too much serotonin all of sudden, and will send instructions to stop manufacturing more, to stop firing more, to slow down. The brain will actually see a reduction in receptors, a destruction actually, as the genetic response to excess serotonin from the med.
Somewhere in all of that adjusting is where the med is supposed to "kick in". When it's kicked in, if it ever does kick in, is when all that changing and adjusting has happened, and the dust has settled. Whether that leaves your feeling better or not is a totally different story.
Effexor happens to be harder than most to get on, and definitely way harsher than most to get off of it. You think it's hard getting on it. That's the easier part.
So I don't know anything about your case or why Effexor was chosen. I just think a difficult start is not a good sign. Not a good prognosis. It doesn't mean it can't end well. But the odds are low. There are even clinical studies that suggest what I just said is true. That a rapid response and an easy time getting on a med is predictive of a good outcome later down the road, and that a slow response or a difficult start are predictive of a worse outcome.
I think Prozac is a better choice, combined with either Ritalin, Adderall, or Savella, to get a similar chemical coverage of Effexor, except with way better mechanisms and way better control of the various parts. With Effexor you have no control of serotonin versus norepinephrine versus dopamine.
poster:bleauberry
thread:1106270
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20190728/msgs/1106483.html