Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 73585

Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

effexor for depression fibromyalgia???

Posted by reb on August 4, 2001, at 20:46:38

hi there,
i'll try to keep this short....my symptoms:
long-term depression, recently gotten worse afer quitting job and LONG bout of bronchitis. lungs have never been the same (soreness in morning)-
also recently have had extreme unexplainable muscle soreness/weakness/stiffness- mostly lower back & legs- not from either exertion or lack of exercise- just the usual activites: getting up in morning (feel like hit by mack truck!), regular walking, standing for more than 1 minute. never had pain like this before. got blood work & lung x-ray- all OK.
i've been depressed most my life, hospitalized 4x when younger (for school "phobia"- < or---crappy schools! > & family problems- "broken home")... dep is nothing new, but recently gotten worse, can't seem to crawl out of. unable to work (yes i'm broke now), or socialize, don't want to see or talk to anyone. i'm 33 but feel & like a sick old lady (my bf says i walk like one). don't drink or smoke, extremely sensitive to cig smoke (& other smells, loud noise, bright light) so don't go out anymore to clubs or bars. also super-sensitive to alcohol, never drank much but now don't at all. (2 sips=instant hangover/migraine!) very prone to headaches & migraines... also bronchitis, prob due to smoke from working in bars.

i'm VERY reluctant to try any new drugs, don't trust them AT ALL. very afraid due to my past- being forced to take psych drugs (trilafon, elavil, navane, lithium)that made me feel like i had a "chemical lobotomy"--- shattered my concentration, took YEARS to rebuild. now, my doc says my "depression is causing the muscle soreness" although that's kind of vague-- and there's MORE to it than just dep--- but there might be some truth to it. the more i read about FM, the more it fits symptoms exactly- esp SORENESS (which is a new thing)/fatigue/spaciness/memory problems.
MY possible diagnosis: i've had chronic burnout from stress, which has led to adrenal exhaustion, which maybe has led to FM??? anyway........she suggested effexor, since it blocks reuptake of noradrenaline as well as seratonin (lifts dep, AND gives you a shot of adrenalin, supposedly). but I AM AFRAID!!!! not only can i not afford, but also worried even if it works great i will be dependant on it. THEN what?
plus i don't have insurance!!! these drugs only mask symptoms, they don't get to the ROOT of the problem & solve it. but i can't live like this anymore!!!!!! i am in low-cost therapy. i took zoloft for several months last yr which helped (my lows weren't so low & i didn't cry all the time anymore) but then i couldn't afford anymore--- also i felt like it wasn't working as well (THEN what? do you keep upping & upping the dosgae? i don't THINK so!!)-- also heard that your brain chemicals get dependent- i.e. grow "apathetic" on it- and also that it leaves some kind of sticky deposits/residue on your heart valves. (and i have mitral valve prolapse, so that is scary!) ----ANY TRUTH TO THIS????

one more thing-----let's remember, SO FAR, ELI LILLY HAS MADE OVER 20 BILLION ON PROZAC ALONE!!!!!

so, does anyone have experience with using effexor for depression and fibromyalgia (if that is what i have)??? my doc says she's had the best feedback w/ this drug, but then i see all the scary stuff on this board.
also does anyone know about these zoloft side affects?

thanks to all for any insight/enlightment...
take care of yourselves!
reb in austin, TX

 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia??? » reb

Posted by SalArmy4me on August 4, 2001, at 20:58:29

In reply to effexor for depression fibromyalgia???, posted by reb on August 4, 2001, at 20:46:38

Leventhal, Lawrence J. MD. Management of Fibromyalgia. Annals of Internal Medicine. 131(11):850-858, December 7, 1999:

"Venlafaxine, a nontricyclic antidepressant, significantly improved pain, fatigue, sleep quality, morning stiffness, depression, anxiety, and patient global assessment of fibromyalgia in a small, open-label clinical trial (56)."

56. Dwight MM, Arnold LM, O’Brien H, Metzger R, Morris-Park E, Keck PE Jr. An open clinical trial of venlafaxine treatment of fibromyalgia. Psychosomatics. 1998;39:14-7.

 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia???

Posted by Willow on August 4, 2001, at 21:54:45

In reply to effexor for depression fibromyalgia???, posted by reb on August 4, 2001, at 20:46:38

>LONG bout of bronchitis. lungs have never been the same (soreness in morning)-

Have you ever been checked for reflux. You can try buying generic zantac and taking it at night for a week to see if it helps. Caffeine products will make this worse.

> also recently have had extreme unexplainable muscle soreness/weakness/stiffness- mostly lower back & legs- not from either exertion or lack of exercise- just the usual activites: getting up in morning (feel like hit by mack truck!), regular walking, standing for more than 1 minute. never had pain like this before.

Go read up on GAD, "generalized anxiety disorder." Here I go again, until I started the effexor I wasn't even aware of anxiety, but once the medication got rid of it I noticed the difference. Hence the term generalized, I presume it's just a constant state of apprehension.

>very afraid due to my past- being forced to take psych drugs (trilafon, elavil, navane, lithium)that made me feel like i had a "chemical lobotomy

There are so many new medications out there that you don't have to suffer through a "chemical lobotomy." Effexor has worked for me but may not be what works for you. Your post could have been me before I started the effexor.

>not only can i not afford, but also worried even if it works great i will be dependant on it. THEN what?

Have you talked to your doctor about the cost? There are some threads on ways to get help covering the cost of medications, just try the search button. If it works, great you get your life back to normal! Doesn't sound like such a problem to me now that I'm standing on the other side of the fence.

> and also that it leaves some kind of sticky deposits/residue on your heart valves. (and i have mitral valve prolapse, so that is scary!) ----ANY TRUTH TO THIS????

I can't comment on this but perhaps somebody else will. On the flip side chronic anxiety and depression are rough physically on your body too. Lower immune response and heart attacks, etc.

> one more thing-----let's remember, SO FAR, ELI LILLY HAS MADE OVER 20 BILLION ON PROZAC ALONE!!!!!

The best selling drug in the world is zantac. No one seems to have a problem with this. Healthier life choices could get rid of this "gold-mine!" A perfect society may help lower the sales of prozac though I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.

> reb in austin, TX

Nice people in Austin! Knew a lady from there that helped me through a rough time in my teen years.

Hang in there!
Willow


 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia??? » reb

Posted by Noa on August 7, 2001, at 11:49:18

In reply to effexor for depression fibromyalgia???, posted by reb on August 4, 2001, at 20:46:38

Get a GOOD endocrine evaluation first. Some of your symptoms sound like they could be hormonal, including possibly hypothyroidism, which can be brought on or exacerbated by stress. Routine testing by most doctors often doesn't detect thyroid problems, though. That is why you migh want to see a specialist. For lots more info, see the thyroid and depression folder (link toward top of psychobabble page). There you will find lots of links to info, including what tests to get, how to interpret tests, etc. etc.

Good luck.

 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia???

Posted by Andy123 on August 7, 2001, at 21:08:30

In reply to Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia??? » reb, posted by SalArmy4me on August 4, 2001, at 20:58:29

> Leventhal, Lawrence J. MD. Management of Fibromyalgia. Annals of Internal Medicine. 131(11):850-858, December 7, 1999:
>
> "Venlafaxine, a nontricyclic antidepressant, significantly improved morning stiffness in a small, open-label clinical trial (56)."

I have totally lost my morning stiffness on effexor.

 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia???

Posted by reb on August 8, 2001, at 17:12:57

In reply to effexor for depression fibromyalgia???, posted by reb on August 4, 2001, at 20:46:38

hi, thanks to all for the great feedback...
i still have the effexor sitting on the counter & am still very afraid to try it. it's not just the side effects i'm worried about... it's more the fears of:
-how will i keep affording this?
-what happens if it works, do i have to be on it for the rest of my life?
-if not, what happens when i go off? will my brain chemicals be "atrophied" & will i just sink down even lower when i get off the "crutch" of the drug? then i'll wish i had never taken it.
-what happens when it stops working, when the brain develops a "resistance" to it (which i've also read a lot about)? then they will just keep upping the dose, and upping it, and.....??? no way man!
-why do i want to be a guinea pig all over again for a drug whose damaging long-term side effects are still not proven or disproven???

i keep reading stuff about eye damage, "brain shivers" that last for many months after quitting, "serotonin overload syndrome" (or whatever it's called... & all this other frightening stuff. i DO NOT take these drugs lightly. but at the same time, i'm desperate for some help, i can't even work, too broke to go to any more docs to find out what's wrong. there has GOT to be a name for what's wrong w/ me. i cannot possibly believe that it's normal to feel like this!!! if it's this bad at 33, then how is it going to be at 40, 50, or ---60? don't think i will be able to make it if that's the case.

noa, i got some basic blood work done- thyroid, liver, iron, etc. was all fine. they didn't do the tests that rule out FM though. that means going to another doc and shelling out more cash (no insurance). she wants to send me to a rheumetologist... but said be careful because some "don't believe in" FM. but i also don't want to go to one who just throws everyone with miscellaneous symptoms into that category either. i either want to KNOW if it IS or is NOT FM. (or even if there IS such a disorder in the first place).
thanks for letting me vent... (very frustrated right now!)----- take care everyone...

> hi there,
> i'll try to keep this short....my symptoms:
> long-term depression, recently gotten worse afer quitting job and LONG bout of bronchitis. lungs have never been the same (soreness in morning)-
> also recently have had extreme unexplainable muscle soreness/weakness/stiffness- mostly lower back & legs- not from either exertion or lack of exercise- just the usual activites: getting up in morning (feel like hit by mack truck!), regular walking, standing for more than 1 minute. never had pain like this before. got blood work & lung x-ray- all OK.
> i've been depressed most my life, hospitalized 4x when younger (for school "phobia"- < or---crappy schools! > & family problems- "broken home")... dep is nothing new, but recently gotten worse, can't seem to crawl out of. unable to work (yes i'm broke now), or socialize, don't want to see or talk to anyone. i'm 33 but feel & like a sick old lady (my bf says i walk like one). don't drink or smoke, extremely sensitive to cig smoke (& other smells, loud noise, bright light) so don't go out anymore to clubs or bars. also super-sensitive to alcohol, never drank much but now don't at all. (2 sips=instant hangover/migraine!) very prone to headaches & migraines... also bronchitis, prob due to smoke from working in bars.
>
> i'm VERY reluctant to try any new drugs, don't trust them AT ALL. very afraid due to my past- being forced to take psych drugs (trilafon, elavil, navane, lithium)that made me feel like i had a "chemical lobotomy"--- shattered my concentration, took YEARS to rebuild. now, my doc says my "depression is causing the muscle soreness" although that's kind of vague-- and there's MORE to it than just dep--- but there might be some truth to it. the more i read about FM, the more it fits symptoms exactly- esp SORENESS (which is a new thing)/fatigue/spaciness/memory problems.
> MY possible diagnosis: i've had chronic burnout from stress, which has led to adrenal exhaustion, which maybe has led to FM??? anyway........she suggested effexor, since it blocks reuptake of noradrenaline as well as seratonin (lifts dep, AND gives you a shot of adrenalin, supposedly). but I AM AFRAID!!!! not only can i not afford, but also worried even if it works great i will be dependant on it. THEN what?
> plus i don't have insurance!!! these drugs only mask symptoms, they don't get to the ROOT of the problem & solve it. but i can't live like this anymore!!!!!! i am in low-cost therapy. i took zoloft for several months last yr which helped (my lows weren't so low & i didn't cry all the time anymore) but then i couldn't afford anymore--- also i felt like it wasn't working as well (THEN what? do you keep upping & upping the dosgae? i don't THINK so!!)-- also heard that your brain chemicals get dependent- i.e. grow "apathetic" on it- and also that it leaves some kind of sticky deposits/residue on your heart valves. (and i have mitral valve prolapse, so that is scary!) ----ANY TRUTH TO THIS????
>
> one more thing-----let's remember, SO FAR, ELI LILLY HAS MADE OVER 20 BILLION ON PROZAC ALONE!!!!!
>
> so, does anyone have experience with using effexor for depression and fibromyalgia (if that is what i have)??? my doc says she's had the best feedback w/ this drug, but then i see all the scary stuff on this board.
> also does anyone know about these zoloft side affects?
>
> thanks to all for any insight/enlightment...
> take care of yourselves!
> reb in austin, TX

 

Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia???

Posted by reb on August 8, 2001, at 17:37:14

In reply to Re: effexor for depression fibromyalgia???, posted by Willow on August 4, 2001, at 21:54:45

thanks willow...
haven't been checked for reflux. it's more of a swollen, rattly, sore/tender feeling when i take my first breaths in the morning. only had it since the long bout of bronchitis (2 yrs ago). never smoked, but around plenty of second-hand smoke (until 2 yrs. ago) the scary thing is it's never gone away. i know it can take lungs a long time to heal but this is ridic!!! just got a lung x-ray--- which was fine of course.
as for the cost of meds i feel pretty hopeless about that. it seems the ones who are the drug addicts & criminals get coddled in this society & the ones who really try & work hard & truly need help since the middle class has been obliterated... get no help at all. maybe if i were a drug addict with 6 kids, THEN i'd get some help. the old wives tale of "god/the world helps those who helps themselves" is total B.S.!!!!! years ago i tried getting medical assistance for students but they said you could not be accepted unless you also were accepted for unemployment which you could not get unless you had been fired from your last job. meanwhile here's all these others totally milking the system....!!!
it's extremely frustrating & discouraging. then the docs dangle these drugs in front of you & say this is the only thing that will help"--- and you KNOW it's a luxury.
OK, just had to get all that off my chest.

about the effexor, i still haven't ruled it out, just want to make sure it's worth trying... & i won't end up regretting it. do you have any other side-affects or have you ever tried to go off of it? also, have you gotten used to it to the point where it doesn't work anymore?
i'll check those threads about med costs. sorry i haven't been more positive... please let me know more about your experience w/ effexor, if you wouldn't mind sharing. glad you found something that helped!
thanks again, cheers---reb

> >LONG bout of bronchitis. lungs have never been the same (soreness in morning)-
>
> Have you ever been checked for reflux. You can try buying generic zantac and taking it at night for a week to see if it helps. Caffeine products will make this worse.
>
> > also recently have had extreme unexplainable muscle soreness/weakness/stiffness- mostly lower back & legs- not from either exertion or lack of exercise- just the usual activites: getting up in morning (feel like hit by mack truck!), regular walking, standing for more than 1 minute. never had pain like this before.
>
> Go read up on GAD, "generalized anxiety disorder." Here I go again, until I started the effexor I wasn't even aware of anxiety, but once the medication got rid of it I noticed the difference. Hence the term generalized, I presume it's just a constant state of apprehension.
>
> >very afraid due to my past- being forced to take psych drugs (trilafon, elavil, navane, lithium)that made me feel like i had a "chemical lobotomy
>
> There are so many new medications out there that you don't have to suffer through a "chemical lobotomy." Effexor has worked for me but may not be what works for you. Your post could have been me before I started the effexor.
>
> >not only can i not afford, but also worried even if it works great i will be dependant on it. THEN what?
>
> Have you talked to your doctor about the cost? There are some threads on ways to get help covering the cost of medications, just try the search button. If it works, great you get your life back to normal! Doesn't sound like such a problem to me now that I'm standing on the other side of the fence.
>
> > and also that it leaves some kind of sticky deposits/residue on your heart valves. (and i have mitral valve prolapse, so that is scary!) ----ANY TRUTH TO THIS????
>
> I can't comment on this but perhaps somebody else will. On the flip side chronic anxiety and depression are rough physically on your body too. Lower immune response and heart attacks, etc.
>
> > one more thing-----let's remember, SO FAR, ELI LILLY HAS MADE OVER 20 BILLION ON PROZAC ALONE!!!!!
>
> The best selling drug in the world is zantac. No one seems to have a problem with this. Healthier life choices could get rid of this "gold-mine!" A perfect society may help lower the sales of prozac though I doubt it will happen in my lifetime.
>
> > reb in austin, TX
>
> Nice people in Austin! Knew a lady from there that helped me through a rough time in my teen years.
>
> Hang in there!
> Willow


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