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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by geekUK on June 2, 2001, at 7:34:37
Hey all,
though I might post some good news. About three days ago after 6 weeks of 150mg day effexor XL I started to feel better. Calmer somehow. I had two days before an exam I was dreading and up until then I had been very down. Really crawling the walls at 4am. Then Calm, it got better the next day and has been better today. My dog died three days ago, I felt sad for a bit. I feel it did blunt the emotion quite a bit, I dont feel anything now. but on the day it happened it felt like a *real* emotion, not litteraly the end of the world and not a wonderful occurrance. I hope blunted emotion isnt that prevelent. We all must hate the big lows and big highs, but the mediums can sometimes feel good. I am realising the extent of my depression now, symptoms I hadnt even noticed are going. This sounds silly. but I hadnt noticed that for possibly 2 years I havent felt sexualy attracted to the strangers on the street and its strange- Like a dog on heat! I hadnt noticed It! over the years my libido stopped so much that I had forgotten what it was! There is other stuff but this is the wierdest and possibly most entertaining.
So I will keep you all posted
M
Posted by SLS on June 2, 2001, at 12:03:23
In reply to Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by geekUK on June 2, 2001, at 7:34:37
> Hey all,
> though I might post some good news. About three days ago after 6 weeks of 150mg day effexor XL I started to feel better. Calmer somehow. I had two days before an exam I was dreading and up until then I had been very down. Really crawling the walls at 4am. Then Calm, it got better the next day and has been better today. My dog died three days ago, I felt sad for a bit. I feel it did blunt the emotion quite a bit, I dont feel anything now. but on the day it happened it felt like a *real* emotion, not litteraly the end of the world and not a wonderful occurrance. I hope blunted emotion isnt that prevelent. We all must hate the big lows and big highs, but the mediums can sometimes feel good. I am realising the extent of my depression now, symptoms I hadnt even noticed are going. This sounds silly. but I hadnt noticed that for possibly 2 years I havent felt sexualy attracted to the strangers on the street and its strange- Like a dog on heat! I hadnt noticed It! over the years my libido stopped so much that I had forgotten what it was! There is other stuff but this is the wierdest and possibly most entertaining.
> So I will keep you all posted
> MNeat stuff, isn't it?
I know it well. This illness both plagues me and fascinates me.
I bet you have experienced an awaken of your taste buds. Colors? Smells? Clouds and sunsets to become awe inspiring sights to behold? Intelligence? Memory? Focus and concentration? A desire to experience and understand everything within reach and beyond imagination? The humanity in the appearance of true emotions? Bliss?
For me, the re-emergence of libido is one of the first aspects of depression to improve. It is amazing how little volition is necessary to have one's gaze linger upon curves and high cheek-bones.
- Scott
Posted by Cam W. on June 2, 2001, at 12:26:15
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by SLS on June 2, 2001, at 12:03:23
> Neat stuff, isn't it?
>
> I know it well. This illness both plagues me and fascinates me.
>
> I bet you have experienced an awaken of your taste buds. Colors? Smells? Clouds and sunsets to become awe inspiring sights to behold? Intelligence? Memory? Focus and concentration? A desire to experience and understand everything within reach and beyond imagination? The humanity in the appearance of true emotions? Bliss?
>
> For me, the re-emergence of libido is one of the first aspects of depression to improve. It is amazing how little volition is necessary to have one's gaze linger upon curves and high cheek-bones.
>
>
> - ScottScott - Couldn't have said it better. Yup, all those things have happened to me. It's sort of a "in class, the day after acid" clarity, without the fuzzy thinking. I just hope the libido thing isn't transient. I now have earth-shattering, thigh-weakening orgasms. Nearly all aspects of life have improved and now I can really work on all the things that are shitty in my life. I have a clearer understanding of where I need to be.
Thanks for the description, Scott - Cam
Posted by DebbieLynn on June 2, 2001, at 12:35:02
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by SLS on June 2, 2001, at 12:03:23
> > Hey all,
> > though I might post some good news. About three days ago after 6 weeks of 150mg day effexor XL I started to feel better. Calmer somehow. I had two days before an exam I was dreading and up until then I had been very down. Really crawling the walls at 4am. Then Calm, it got better the next day and has been better today. My dog died three days ago, I felt sad for a bit. I feel it did blunt the emotion quite a bit, I dont feel anything now. but on the day it happened it felt like a *real* emotion, not litteraly the end of the world and not a wonderful occurrance. I hope blunted emotion isnt that prevelent. We all must hate the big lows and big highs, but the mediums can sometimes feel good. I am realising the extent of my depression now, symptoms I hadnt even noticed are going. This sounds silly. but I hadnt noticed that for possibly 2 years I havent felt sexualy attracted to the strangers on the street and its strange- Like a dog on heat! I hadnt noticed It! over the years my libido stopped so much that I had forgotten what it was! There is other stuff but this is the wierdest and possibly most entertaining.
> > So I will keep you all posted
> > M
>
>
>
> Neat stuff, isn't it?
>
> I know it well. This illness both plagues me and fascinates me.
>
> I bet you have experienced an awaken of your taste buds. Colors? Smells? Clouds and sunsets to become awe inspiring sights to behold? Intelligence? Memory? Focus and concentration? A desire to experience and understand everything within reach and beyond imagination? The humanity in the appearance of true emotions? Bliss?
>
> For me, the re-emergence of libido is one of the first aspects of depression to improve. It is amazing how little volition is necessary to have one's gaze linger upon curves and high cheek-bones.
>
>
> - Scott
I take Effexor XR 225mg a day. I am so glad to hear positive things about it from other people. I do have a question though. I have been at this dose for about 6-7 weeks. It has worked miracle for me, but in the past week, I have been fatigued, and anxious. Last night, I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack, so I took an ativan to help. It did. I drink pepsi sometimes, and take Excedrin for headaches, which contains quite a bit of caffeine. I am not sure if I need an increase in dose, maybe 300mg, or decrease (I wouldn't think so) or maybe an overload of caffeine is causing me to feel this way. I am not sure. I do feel better today. Or MAYBE........it could be PMS! lol ;pAdvise?????????
Debbie
Posted by Cam W. on June 2, 2001, at 12:40:00
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by DebbieLynn on June 2, 2001, at 12:35:02
Debbie - I have found that the fatigue and anxiousness have started to lessen the longer I stay on the Effexor. I have lost track of exactly how long I have been taking the drug, but it is 9 or 10 weeks now. - Cam
Posted by stjames on June 2, 2001, at 13:28:49
In reply to Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by geekUK on June 2, 2001, at 7:34:37
> Hey all,
> though I might post some good news. About three days ago after 6 weeks of 150mg day effexor XL I started to feel better.james here...
It is common when an AD kicks in to notice lots for things your depression had caused but you were not aware of it. Also to notice how depressed you were but did not know it.
James
Posted by DebbieLynn on June 2, 2001, at 17:32:32
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working » DebbieLynn, posted by Cam W. on June 2, 2001, at 12:40:00
> Debbie - I have found that the fatigue and anxiousness have started to lessen the longer I stay on the Effexor. I have lost track of exactly how long I have been taking the drug, but it is 9 or 10 weeks now. - Cam
You know what I have noticed is, that I cannot tolerate a lot of caffeine on this med. I have not had any soda today, nor have I taken Excedrin because I didn't have a headache (that is what I normally take for headaches) I feel so much better and A LOT less anxious. Do you think an adundance of caffeine could have been the problem?
(As far as the edgy and anxious feeling. Somethimes I know if I have had too much caffeine, it has a reverse effect...tiredness, headache.Thank you again...& again (lol)
Debbie
Posted by Cam W. on June 2, 2001, at 18:18:12
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working---Cam, posted by DebbieLynn on June 2, 2001, at 17:32:32
Debbie - Yup, I notice that caffeine does make my leg shake, even a single can of Coke. Try cutting as much caffeine out of your diet as possible for about a week and see if this helps.
Keep us posted. - Cam
Posted by Noa on June 3, 2001, at 9:25:11
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working---Cam, posted by DebbieLynn on June 2, 2001, at 17:32:32
I agree about the caffeine. Effexor is activating for me, and with caffeine, even more so, causing insomnia, restless legs, etc.
Posted by Neal on June 3, 2001, at 17:27:23
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working » DebbieLynn, posted by Cam W. on June 2, 2001, at 18:18:12
I know you used to take Wellbutrin, didn't you? Why did you switch? Do you take anything else besides the Effexor?
Thanks. Neal
Posted by Cam W. on June 3, 2001, at 19:54:40
In reply to Re: To Cam, posted by Neal on June 3, 2001, at 17:27:23
Neal - I took Wellbutrin for 3 prior depressive episodes. The SSRIs, Paxil and Zoloft did not seem to help very much, even at higher dosages. The Wellbutrin worked the first two episodes, but probably because of the nature of the last episode (death of my 18 year old daughter last June 5 - for details see http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000603/msgs/36519.html ), the Wellbutrin didn't touch my depressive symptoms, even though I had taken it for more than 3 months.
My pdoc does realize that SSRI antidepressants weren't the way to go, so the only real option that I had was to try Effexor because I had been deteriorating more rapidly than ever before. I am surprized at how well the Effexor has worked (few start-up side effects for me). This will be my 10th or 11th week taking Effexor (I have lost count, I have been meaning to look it up, but keep forgetting to).
For the past week I have been taking 15mg to 30mg of temazepam (Restoril™) for sleep. I have been having trouble initiating sleep because I would lie there for hours just ruminating. Once I was asleep I would sleep through the night, it was just that I had trouble falling asleep. I had tried a couple samples of Starnoc™ (zapelon - can't remember U.S. name), but didn't think it worked that well. I now see that it works as well as the temazepam, without morning grogginess, probably due to it's shorter half-life. Also, with Starnoc, I could wake up to noises in the house and fall back asleep easily.
Sorry for the ramble. BTW - I will be away for the next few days, as the anniversary of my daughter's death is Tuesday, and my family and I are going to the mountains, basically to just get away. - Cam
Posted by Neal on June 3, 2001, at 22:12:37
In reply to Re: To Cam » Neal, posted by Cam W. on June 3, 2001, at 19:54:40
Cam- Thanks for the info. I know this is a rough time for you. No need to apologize about rambling. Your rambles are the posts I consistantly read on this board. -Neal
Posted by Neal on June 3, 2001, at 22:23:14
In reply to Re: Me thinks this effexor may be working, posted by SLS on June 2, 2001, at 12:03:23
Scott -Beautiful description of euthymia. Are you conjuring up memories, or is this something you're feeling right now? -Neal
> Neat stuff, isn't it?
>
> I know it well. This illness both plagues me and fascinates me.
>
> I bet you have experienced an awaken of your taste buds. Colors? Smells? Clouds and sunsets to become awe inspiring sights to behold? Intelligence? Memory? Focus and concentration? A desire to experience and understand everything within reach and beyond imagination? The humanity in the appearance of true emotions? Bliss?
>
> For me, the re-emergence of libido is one of the first aspects of depression to improve. It is amazing how little volition is necessary to have one's gaze linger upon curves and high cheek-bones.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by SLS on June 3, 2001, at 22:59:23
In reply to Re: To Scott, posted by Neal on June 3, 2001, at 22:23:14
> Scott -Beautiful description of euthymia. Are you conjuring up memories, or is this something you're feeling right now? -Neal
Memories. I clutch them as tightly as I can. They are proof that struggling through the seemingly endless pain and failure can lead to a reward well worth the effort. They keep me alive.
Next time you ask me the question, I hope I have a different answer.
:-)
Thanks for asking.
- Scott>
> > Neat stuff, isn't it?
> >
> > I know it well. This illness both plagues me and fascinates me.
> >
> > I bet you have experienced an awaken of your taste buds. Colors? Smells? Clouds and sunsets to become awe inspiring sights to behold? Intelligence? Memory? Focus and concentration? A desire to experience and understand everything within reach and beyond imagination? The humanity in the appearance of true emotions? Bliss?
> >
> > For me, the re-emergence of libido is one of the first aspects of depression to improve. It is amazing how little volition is necessary to have one's gaze linger upon curves and high cheek-bones.
> >
> >
> > - Scott
Posted by Neal on June 5, 2001, at 1:13:59
In reply to Re: To Scott, posted by SLS on June 3, 2001, at 22:59:23
>
> Next time you ask me the question, I hope I have a different answer.
>
I hope so too, Scott. You deserve it. -Neal
This is the end of the thread.
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