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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 5, 2005, at 6:18:08
I sleep 12 hours a night and still am drowsy all day. I take 150mg xr (effex), my eyes are cloudy, I am having weird vision focusing problems they focus in and out etc. I dont know what to do, I always feel so foggy that it almost hurts, I always scratch my eyes and wonder what the heck am i gonna do. I have to drink coffee and diet soda all day in order to just walk or do simple things like do the dishes.
Posted by KaraS on January 5, 2005, at 15:47:42
In reply to *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 5, 2005, at 6:18:08
> I sleep 12 hours a night and still am drowsy all day. I take 150mg xr (effex), my eyes are cloudy, I am having weird vision focusing problems they focus in and out etc. I dont know what to do, I always feel so foggy that it almost hurts, I always scratch my eyes and wonder what the heck am i gonna do. I have to drink coffee and diet soda all day in order to just walk or do simple things like do the dishes.
If you've been on this dosage for a while and the symptoms haven't remitted, then this isn't the medication for you. But then, I'm sure you already know that. If your side effects don't decrease with time, then you don't have much choice other than to go off of the Effexor. Do it slowly and make sure to get a small amount of Prozac or another SSRI to take should the withdrawal effects become troublesome. A lot of people here, including myself, have survived the withdrawal without horrible problems.K
Posted by dancingstar on January 6, 2005, at 14:42:38
In reply to *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 5, 2005, at 6:18:08
That's why we stopped taking Effexor. But you also need to have your thyroid checked. It has probably been affected by now. Messy stuff. Even if you add in thyroid, you may have to cut out Effexor. Rule out everything else first, which is what I did. After three years, I wanted my life back, and there wasn't another possible cause.
Good luck!!!
Bebe
Posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 0:32:06
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by dancingstar on January 6, 2005, at 14:42:38
> That's why we stopped taking Effexor. But you also need to have your thyroid checked. It has probably been affected by now. Messy stuff. Even if you add in thyroid, you may have to cut out Effexor. Rule out everything else first, which is what I did. After three years, I wanted my life back, and there wasn't another possible cause.
>
> Good luck!!!
>
> BebeThere's no way you can be certain that your thyroid problems were caused by Effexor. Thyroid problems are extremely common in women. I was diagnosed as being hypothyroid while I was taking Zoloft. My sister, who has never taken a pscyhotropic medication in her life, was diagnosed with it at around the same age I was.
You know that I support your going after Wyeth for not being upfront with us about the side effects and withdrawal problems of Effexor, but I think you're way off base with the thyroid issue.
Kara
Posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:42:22
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » dancingstar, posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 0:32:06
Yes, Kara, I agree with you. My mother also had thyroid problems, but at a much older age. It does seem like they're genetic. Also, fortunately, good doctors have been looking more closely for thyroid issues these days.
The only connection that I wondered about was because of the fatigue. I guess I am curious about the relationship between Effexor slowing the metabolism, fatigue, and thyroid problems...but I am not making a direct connection. I'm curious more than anything.
I had my feathers in a tailspin the other day for reasons I won't go into. It would be interesting research, though.
Posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:54:45
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » dancingstar, posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 0:32:06
Kara,
Did you see that Phillipa is taking a survey just to get a very informal idea about whether there is any relationship between when antidepressants were started and thyroid issues? Even if there is, it doesn't necessarily indicate causation.
Even though healthy thyroid levels are known to assist people with mood disorders, I don't know what the survey really tells us, but it's kind of kewl to find out.
Posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 7, 2005, at 6:08:54
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:42:22
I take ginseng daily plus I drink energy drinks once per day I have to have it after coffee and water, then I get sluggish later on in the day and I need more coffee and soda so I dont know.
Posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 7, 2005, at 6:09:50
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:42:22
Regarding this thryroid issue, how can I have it checked and what research or evidence of a problem is there, besides your opinion.
Posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 10:53:12
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by xxNightOwl28 on January 7, 2005, at 6:08:54
I am taking thyroid, but I was still really tired until after I stopped taking Effexor.
Now I'm honestly not tired. Admittedly, I've been doing a lot of research on what venlafaxine (Effexor) does to us since I stopped taking it in Sept. and have been up half the night working on this stuff. I couldn't have done that before. A chemist that I know just wrote me an email that said, "Don't you sleep?" Kind of funny, really. I almost never even drink coffee anymore unless I'm cold. Until recently all I did was sleep. I slept for three years straight.
You can check for any symptoms that you have that Wyeth will admit to at www.wyeth.com. Beyond that, no, I have no evidence, but as Kara said a lot of women seem to develop thyroid problems.
There is also research to show a strong link between thyroid and depression; so it is worth having your doctor run a blood test to check your TSH levels. If it is above 3, that could be contributing to your tiredness even though that was considered "normal" until recently. Today's thought is to keep it at 3 or under without going so low as to damage bone density. Just a thought, but it might be worth checking if you are tired.
And like I said, my fatigue was every bit as bad on 120 mg of Armour thyroid until I stopped taking Effexor. Now it's completely gone.
Posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 15:01:26
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » KaraS, posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:54:45
> Kara,
>
> Did you see that Phillipa is taking a survey just to get a very informal idea about whether there is any relationship between when antidepressants were started and thyroid issues? Even if there is, it doesn't necessarily indicate causation.
>
> Even though healthy thyroid levels are known to assist people with mood disorders, I don't know what the survey really tells us, but it's kind of kewl to find out.
No, I didn't know that Phillipa was taking a survey. The problem is, since thyroid disease is so very common among women today, how can you possibly know what to make of the information that she receives? You can't know if those same people would have had thyroid problems had they not been on the meds. Perhaps the only way to get any meaningful scientific data here is to have a very large study spanning many years that measures rates of thyroid problems in both populations (those who take psychotropic meds and those who never have).You may very well be right about the link between these meds and thyroid problems but until you have hard data to back that up, I don't think it's fair for you to tell others with certainty that taking Effexor will cause them thyroid problems.
Kara
Posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 15:03:43
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........, posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 0:42:22
> Yes, Kara, I agree with you. My mother also had thyroid problems, but at a much older age. It does seem like they're genetic. Also, fortunately, good doctors have been looking more closely for thyroid issues these days.
>
> The only connection that I wondered about was because of the fatigue. I guess I am curious about the relationship between Effexor slowing the metabolism, fatigue, and thyroid problems...but I am not making a direct connection. I'm curious more than anything.
>
> I had my feathers in a tailspin the other day for reasons I won't go into. It would be interesting research, though.Sorry, Bebe, I didn't see this response efore I answered your other post.
K
Posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 15:23:26
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » dancingstar, posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 15:01:26
You may very well be right about the link between these meds and thyroid problems but until you have hard data to back that up, I don't think it's fair for you to tell others with certainty that taking Effexor will cause them thyroid problems.
Kara
You are right, Kara. I shouldn't do that.
See the following at "endocrine system":
Posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 20:22:42
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » KaraS, posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 15:23:26
> You may very well be right about the link between these meds and thyroid problems but until you have hard data to back that up, I don't think it's fair for you to tell others with certainty that taking Effexor will cause them thyroid problems.
>
> Kara
>
>
> You are right, Kara. I shouldn't do that.
>
> See the following at "endocrine system":
>
> http://www.wyeth.com/content/ShowLabeling.asp?id=100
Yes, I read that. I believe that if someone gets diagnosed with something during a drug trial that it has to be put on the drug monograph - even if there is no direct evidence for the medication causing the problem. Any symptom that anyone complains of is supposed to be included in the monograph as well. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the other SSRIs mention that as well. I wish there were more studies that followed people for several years and got more info than what we get from the relatively short-term trials.That said, I think that all of the pscyhotropic drugs carry some risk... but suicide is a severe risk as well. I would like more open and truthful information provided by the drug companies so that we can all make more informed cost/benefit analyses for ourselves about these medications.
K
Posted by dancingstar on January 7, 2005, at 20:30:22
In reply to Re: *More Effexor Problems* to be continued........ » dancingstar, posted by KaraS on January 7, 2005, at 20:22:42
Unfortunately, Kara, as you know, I had a lot of the symptoms that were reported in the monograph. The problem is that at the time I began to take Effexor in 2002 no one bothered to spell these problems out as potentialities so that we could choose whether or not to take them seriously or brush them aside as something that is simply required reporting. I'm the type that would choose to take it seriously. Others may not be.
Like those television commericals..."it will relieve your allergy but you may experience the following symptoms:...." I never take any of those drugs. Some people do.
This is the end of the thread.
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