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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by T.T. on June 20, 2001, at 22:43:07
Memory loss is a side effect of Effexor that some providers are either ignorant to or just not telling their patients. Either way, the word needs to get out, and I guess it will have to be those of us who have suffered to get this news out.
I am very happy for those of you who are experiencing success on this drug, but for those of you who are experiencing the nightmares (me too), the night sweats (me TOO) and/or memory loss (ME TOO), I want you to know you are not alone. I've posted a few messages about my personal experience with my e-mail address and have had several responses from others who share my fear and sorrow. The memory loss (the worst side effect, believe it or not) caused two days of complete blackout for me. I was in two car accidents, got two tickets (wreckless driving and DUI) and went to jail...all without one memory of any of it. Please folks, lets pool together and talk to each other. If you're suffering from these side effect, you are not alone. I found it very comforting to hear from people who had experienced the same things. It alleviated my fear that I was just crazy or going crazy. For that, I am grateful.
In the meantime, I'll be in court soon to fight these tickets. Hopefully, with all the information I've gathered from the Net, the judge will understand that I was not ME. I don't even drink for cryin-out-loud!
Good luck to all and God bless. T.T.
Posted by Willow on June 20, 2001, at 23:02:18
In reply to Effexor and memory loss!!! Urgent!!, posted by T.T. on June 20, 2001, at 22:43:07
There is a warning on the medication not to drive until you know how it will affect you. Having said that I think it is a way for the drug company to protect itself. When I did start the medication during the first several months I had some pretty bad scares, even considered to stop driving, but then I would be stuck in the house. I've had these sort of blackouts before the effexor too though.
Willow
Posted by Jane D on June 20, 2001, at 23:11:20
In reply to Effexor and memory loss!!! Urgent!!, posted by T.T. on June 20, 2001, at 22:43:07
T.T.
Have you checked out the possibility that it was not the effexor? You may be right about the cause but this does sometimes happen to people who aren't taking anything. I think I would want to eliminate as many other causes as I could too.
Jane> Memory loss is a side effect of Effexor that some providers are either ignorant to or just not telling their patients. Either way, the word needs to get out, and I guess it will have to be those of us who have suffered to get this news out.
>
> I am very happy for those of you who are experiencing success on this drug, but for those of you who are experiencing the nightmares (me too), the night sweats (me TOO) and/or memory loss (ME TOO), I want you to know you are not alone. I've posted a few messages about my personal experience with my e-mail address and have had several responses from others who share my fear and sorrow. The memory loss (the worst side effect, believe it or not) caused two days of complete blackout for me. I was in two car accidents, got two tickets (wreckless driving and DUI) and went to jail...all without one memory of any of it. Please folks, lets pool together and talk to each other. If you're suffering from these side effect, you are not alone. I found it very comforting to hear from people who had experienced the same things. It alleviated my fear that I was just crazy or going crazy. For that, I am grateful.
>
> In the meantime, I'll be in court soon to fight these tickets. Hopefully, with all the information I've gathered from the Net, the judge will understand that I was not ME. I don't even drink for cryin-out-loud!
>
> Good luck to all and God bless. T.T.
Posted by Jane D on June 20, 2001, at 23:15:40
In reply to Re: Effexor and memory loss!!! Urgent!!, posted by Willow on June 20, 2001, at 23:02:18
> There is a warning on the medication not to drive until you know how it will affect you. Having said that I think it is a way for the drug company to protect itself. When I did start the medication during the first several months I had some pretty bad scares, even considered to stop driving, but then I would be stuck in the house. I've had these sort of blackouts before the effexor too though.
>
> WillowWillow - What kind of scares? I sometimes felt a little "off" while driving in the early days of an antidepressant but never anything more dramatic than that. Fortunately!
Jane
Posted by Willow on June 21, 2001, at 8:01:28
In reply to Re: driving scares » Willow, posted by Jane D on June 20, 2001, at 23:15:40
Gosh if I list them all I know I'm going to be told to "get off the road!" So here's my arguement which doesn't have much weight, but driving means my children can visit friends, the corner store is 3 km away, etc. When I know I'm not doing well my father drives me or the children. But sometimes I'm not aware that I'm having problems or just plain stubborn (or stupid.)
The most insignificant ones are forgetting how to do stuff, eg turn on turn signal, window wipers (I only drive my car.)
At times I'm easily confused, eg look in the rearview mirror and see a car coming at me and I'll slam on the brakes or worse try to move out of the way. Or I'm slow to notice things and then I'm startled by them.
The worse is the daydreaming. I use to think I must of blacked out but was still functioning, but now on the effexor I realize that I'm doing some heavy duty daydreaming. eg driving down the road, a car is in the wrong lane coming at me, he goes around me, I think what a nut, takes a couple minutes kms to realize I'm in the wrong lane, can't figure out how I got there. Later when I realized what happened I was pretty shook up.
Willow
Posted by Noa on June 21, 2001, at 8:41:11
In reply to Re: driving scares , posted by Willow on June 21, 2001, at 8:01:28
The only experience I have had with memory issues on Effexor was some word retrieval difficulties that were dose dependent. When my pdoc and I lowered the dose, it went away.
Posted by Jane D on June 22, 2001, at 22:51:50
In reply to Re: driving scares , posted by Willow on June 21, 2001, at 8:01:28
> Gosh if I list them all I know I'm going to be told to "get off the road!" So here's my arguement which doesn't have much weight, but driving means my children can visit friends, the corner store is 3 km away, etc.
Willow:
Ok. I wont say that. I know how important driving is. One of my great fears is that I'll someday need to choose between AD's and driving but I haven't seen any problems yet. Still, those warnings on every bottle spook me and periodically I spend a few weeks second guessing everything I do behind the wheel. But you've really scared me here. You have to do something.
If this is worse on the Effexor but the Effexor is otherwise working for you maybe you can add something to make you more alert. I know in some places doctors can get your license pulled so if that is true where you are you will need to think about how honest you should be - personally I think you should be - but that is a decision you'll have to make.> The most insignificant ones are forgetting how to do stuff, eg turn on turn signal, window wipers (I only drive my car.)
I've done this and I seem to do it more often these days. Especially when I'm not driving everyday. Luckily for me it only happens if I try to think about where the wipers or lights are. If I reach for them automatically I have no problem.
> At times I'm easily confused, eg look in the rearview mirror and see a car coming at me and I'll slam on the brakes or worse try to move out of the way. Or I'm slow to notice things and then I'm startled by them.
OK. I have a question here. Are you sure you're really making mistakes? I remember driving shortly after a medication change when I was a little wired and suddenly all the cars seemed too close and I was sure I was reacting way too slowly to everything. I was really driving OK - my nerves were just shot. Is there any possibility that this is happening here?
As far as the day dreaming goes - is this something you can fight? Talk to yourself every minute of the drive? Play the radio or turn the radio off? Does it happen when you've got other people in the car to talk to?
I'm sure you've already thought of all this but please take care of yourself whatever it takes.
Jane
Posted by Willow on June 23, 2001, at 9:18:36
In reply to Re: driving scares » Willow, posted by Jane D on June 22, 2001, at 22:51:50
*As far as the day dreaming goes - is this something you can fight? Talk to yourself every minute of the drive? Play the radio or turn the radio off? Does it happen when you've got other people in the car to talk to?
The reason I went on the Effexor is hard to explain. Any stimulus sent my head spinning. The effexor has helped this extremely.
The daydreaming happens if I'm tired, which is fairly constant. Unfortunately it can even happen during a conversation. The fatigue is like an anesthetic. I had thought that it could be narcolepsy, but reading about it I think you are born with it and my sleep test didn't suggest it.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm a survivor, I just have to take care not to hurt anyone else. I only take trips into town in the morning and after good rests later in the day, but it is difficult to make the choice wether to drive or not when I have appointments or errands. I end up driving. You've made me realize that I should get my father or someone else do the driving. I have discussed it with my psych and avoid the topic unless generally with the gp for fear of losing my license.
Dippy Willow
Posted by Seraphim on June 23, 2001, at 20:59:17
In reply to Effexor and memory loss!!! Urgent!!, posted by T.T. on June 20, 2001, at 22:43:07
You know what is scaring the most, now? I weaned off of the Effexor, for many reasons (mostly side-effects), from 300mg, over 3 months. Effexor free for about 2 1/2 weeks. Still have side effects and withdrawal. Worst is the memory loss. I have trouble with word retreival, short-term memory (forgetting what I'm doing or meant to do), but the worst is this: I love movies, rent them all the time, but I am finding that I am re-renting movies I've already seen and not remembering much of them. I've re-rented movies, come home, told my husband how I'm looking forward to watching it, just to have him look at me like I'm crazy, and tell me we watched it last month. Before Effexor, my memory was excellent and I've always excelled at school, college, work, etc. Now I question myself continually. What else have I forgotten? I don't trust myself and am losing confidence. I started taking some supplements that are supposed to improve memory and cognitive thinking. Just started them. If I see a significant improvement, I'll post the name and ordering info. Until then I keep praying that the longer I am off of the Effexor, the better I will get. Oh, I am also taking vitamins religiously now.
Seraphim
> Memory loss is a side effect of Effexor that some providers are either ignorant to or just not telling their patients. Either way, the word needs to get out, and I guess it will have to be those of us who have suffered to get this news out.
>
> I am very happy for those of you who are experiencing success on this drug, but for those of you who are experiencing the nightmares (me too), the night sweats (me TOO) and/or memory loss (ME TOO), I want you to know you are not alone. I've posted a few messages about my personal experience with my e-mail address and have had several responses from others who share my fear and sorrow. The memory loss (the worst side effect, believe it or not) caused two days of complete blackout for me. I was in two car accidents, got two tickets (wreckless driving and DUI) and went to jail...all without one memory of any of it. Please folks, lets pool together and talk to each other. If you're suffering from these side effect, you are not alone. I found it very comforting to hear from people who had experienced the same things. It alleviated my fear that I was just crazy or going crazy. For that, I am grateful.
>
> In the meantime, I'll be in court soon to fight these tickets. Hopefully, with all the information I've gathered from the Net, the judge will understand that I was not ME. I don't even drink for cryin-out-loud!
>
> Good luck to all and God bless. T.T.
Posted by Jane D on June 23, 2001, at 23:37:28
In reply to Re: driving scares , posted by Willow on June 23, 2001, at 9:18:36
Willow- I'm sorry. My assumptions and suggestions were way off the mark. I have read some of your other posts but didn't put it together with what you said here. You said somewhere else that the Effexor continues to improve things. I hope this problem will go away soon. In the meantime please be careful. You must take care not to hurt yourself either. Jane
Posted by Willow on June 24, 2001, at 10:28:21
In reply to Re: driving scares » Willow, posted by Jane D on June 23, 2001, at 23:37:28
> Willow- I'm sorry. My assumptions and suggestions were way off the mark. I have read some of your other posts but didn't put it together with what you said here. You said somewhere else that the Effexor continues to improve things. I hope this problem will go away soon. In the meantime please be careful. You must take care not to hurt yourself either. Jane
This is the end of the thread.
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