Depression medicine

[UglyCasanova]

Okay, so I take Effexor and Wellbutrin, and over the past week I've been weeding myself off of the Effexor. I haven't had any for 3 days now, but yesterday and today I have felt incredibly dizzy (for lack of a better word). You know how you feel when you stand up too fast, well I've felt like that for the past 2 days. Could coming off of the medicine be doing that, or something else? I might end up going to the doc tomorrow if it persists, because I can't go on like this.

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
Okay, so I take Effexor and Wellbutrin, and over the past week I've been weeding myself off of the Effexor. I haven't had any for 3 days now, but yesterday and today I have felt incredibly dizzy (for lack of a better word). You know how you feel when you stand up too fast, well I've felt like that for the past 2 days. Could coming off of the medicine be doing that, or something else? I might end up going to the doc tomorrow if it persists, because I can't go on like this.

Yes, that would cause some dizziness and inability to concentrate. Depending how long you have been on it, you should have reduced the amount you take gradually.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
Okay, so I take Effexor and Wellbutrin, and over the past week I've been weeding myself off of the Effexor. I haven't had any for 3 days now, but yesterday and today I have felt incredibly dizzy (for lack of a better word). You know how you feel when you stand up too fast, well I've felt like that for the past 2 days. Could coming off of the medicine be doing that, or something else? I might end up going to the doc tomorrow if it persists, because I can't go on like this.

Ouch. Good luck with feeling happier, depression sucks...

 

[redly]

yep, sounds about right if you are trying too quickly to come off of a brain drug

 

[UglyCasanova]

Yeah, but it was making me (well sexual side effects) so I quit. I was on 150mg, and the doc told me to go gradually down to 75mg then do that every other day. Thing is, I want to be in working condition for new years so I kinda just quit cold turkey. I'm starting to think that wasn't such a smart move. Is there anything I can do to remedy this, or should it go away in a day or so after my body adjusts? Cause right now I am fvcking miserable.

On the plus side though it does make me feel a little better to know this is what is probably doing it. Well, after a few months I have discovered anti depressants suck worse than depression. I'm just relieved that it's just a comedown and not a tumor or something.

 

Here is a list of side effects associated with discontinuation: Effexor.

General interactions and side effects:

Venlafaxine
Effexor Interactions

 

[txxxx]

My girlfriend was on SSRI's for over 5 months, did her no benefit. If your finding after at least 3 weeks that there's no improvements, TCA's would be a sure bet as it hits all the useful nerotransmitters rather than a select few.

 

[txxxx]

PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

 

[NTB]

I would say yes, though I don't have any personal experience with the two that you're taking. My doctor put me on a different one - I can't remember the name off the top of my head - and it made me dizzy as all get out, from the first dose. After about three days I quit taking it because I felt so bad. Heck, my *bed* felt like it was spinning when I laid on it 24 hours later I felt fine. Still depressed, but at least I could walk without looking like I was drunk.

Nate

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

???

Read through there and I get the sweats as well. Literally for the past few nights I have had to wake up and change about 3 times a night because I will be sweating so much. My sheets have been in the washer non stop, because they will be soaking wet from where I was lying. And I NEVER sweat either. When I was running cross country I would just barely break a sweat after running 3 miles, I just never sweat. I didn't put 2 and 2 together though until I read that.

Now, how long is this sh!t going to last?!

 

[txxxx]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

???

Read through there and I get the sweats as well. Literally for the past few nights I have had to wake up and change about 3 times a night because I will be sweating so much. My sheets have been in the washer non stop, because they will be soaking wet from where I was lying. And I NEVER sweat either. When I was running cross country I would just barely break a sweat after running 3 miles, I just never sweat. I didn't put 2 and 2 together though until I read that.

Now, how long is this sh!t going to last?!

Sorry, I havent a clue about side effects. Effexor apparently is one of the better SSRI's that doesnt have the associated side effects as bad as others. Maybe its Wellburtin causing this, rather than withdrawl of Effexor?

As for the meds, cold turkey = bad, please dont do this. I know personally, and thats all im saying on the matter.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Nah it's definitely the Effexor. I was taking the Wellbutrin for a few weeks and it did absolutely nothing for me at all, so my doc put me on Effexor and kept raising the doses. I have skipped taking the Wellbutrin for a few days a couple of times with no problems whatsoever. I'm not sure what the point of me taking it is to be honest. But as soon as I quit the Effexor (I still do take the Wellbutrin btw) all of this sh!t started to happen. I dunno, I think I'm done with anti depressants though. Either my willy doesn't work or I can't see straight because I'm so freaking dizzy. I'd rather just be sad all the time to be honest.

 

[pkananen]

yeah, happened to me when i forgot to take lexapro for a few days at a time. weird feeling.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

???

Read through there and I get the sweats as well. Literally for the past few nights I have had to wake up and change about 3 times a night because I will be sweating so much. My sheets have been in the washer non stop, because they will be soaking wet from where I was lying. And I NEVER sweat either. When I was running cross country I would just barely break a sweat after running 3 miles, I just never sweat. I didn't put 2 and 2 together though until I read that.

Now, how long is this sh!t going to last?!

It might last for months.

I have been on effexor for maybe 2 years. Would like to stop, every time I try to reduce the dose, I get all the stuff you describe and more -- nausea, light-headedness, dizziness, during the day time. A constant feeling of being spaced out, feeling awful. Terrible nightmares, sweat bucketloads during the night.

You sort of have to just put up with it, till it goes away. (Is what people have told me.) Good luck.

Someone also told me that they got rid of Effexor withdrawal symptoms by taking another SSRI, Celexa (?). Another option, if things get desperate.

 

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

What good is staying on it either when suicide, attempts to commit suicide, and thoughts of suicide are listed as possible side effects? There was a recent study that reaffirmed this.

 

[moshquerade]

dude, you should do what your doc says... he said to wean off it, so why'd you go cold turkey?
brain chemical altering meds are nothing to fool around with.

call your doc and tell him what you did and get advice

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
Yeah, but it was making me (well sexual side effects) so I quit. I was on 150mg, and the doc told me to go gradually down to 75mg then do that every other day. Thing is, I want to be in working condition for new years so I kinda just quit cold turkey. I'm starting to think that wasn't such a smart move. Is there anything I can do to remedy this, or should it go away in a day or so after my body adjusts? Cause right now I am fvcking miserable.

On the plus side though it does make me feel a little better to know this is what is probably doing it. Well, after a few months I have discovered anti depressants suck worse than depression. I'm just relieved that it's just a comedown and not a tumor or something.

Quitting cold turkey = very bad move.
Are you on the extended release capsules? You could maybe open up a capsule, and take half a capsule a day (instead of one a day). Then drop down to a quarter capsule a day for a few days. Altho, honestly, if you've got this far you might just want to push through. Depends how crap you feel.

BTW with Effexor, the sexual side effects (an inability to have an orgasm) go away after a while. It is actually a good antidepressant, in my opinion anyway. Good while you are taking it. Not so good when you want to quit.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

???

Read through there and I get the sweats as well. Literally for the past few nights I have had to wake up and change about 3 times a night because I will be sweating so much. My sheets have been in the washer non stop, because they will be soaking wet from where I was lying. And I NEVER sweat either. When I was running cross country I would just barely break a sweat after running 3 miles, I just never sweat. I didn't put 2 and 2 together though until I read that.

Now, how long is this sh!t going to last?!

It might last for months.

I have been on effexor for maybe 2 years. Would like to stop, every time I try to reduce the dose, I get all the stuff you describe and more -- nausea, light-headedness, dizziness, during the day time. A constant feeling of being spaced out, feeling awful. Terrible nightmares, sweat bucketloads during the night.

You sort of have to just put up with it, till it goes away. (Is what people have told me.) Good luck.

Someone also told me that they got rid of Effexor withdrawal symptoms by taking another SSRI, Celexa (?). Another option, if things get desperate.

Yeah those are my symptoms to a T. After Friday I think I will go back to the every other day thing, and try to ween myself off of it. I am going to be seriously pissed if it takes months though.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: DearQT

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

What good is staying on it either when suicide, attempts to commit suicide, and thoughts of suicide are listed as possible side effects? There was a recent study that reaffirmed this.

suicide is a "side effect" of major depression.

the study you are thinking of was on children, not adults

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Yes. Get your Dr. to switch your meds.

My doc had me on Elevil, and it caused double vision.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Yes. Get your Dr. to switch your meds.

My doc had me on Elevil, and it caused double vision.

I don't really think I want to try anything else though. Wellbutrin didn't do anything, and the Effexor?! I don't like the side effects while I'm on it, so I stop. Bad move. I realize that I'm not doing what the doc told me to, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be impotent on New Years . And now I'm scared to think of what other pills would do. I don't want to have to put up with this crap again.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Yes. Get your Dr. to switch your meds.

My doc had me on Elevil, and it caused double vision.

I don't really think I want to try anything else though. Wellbutrin didn't do anything, and the Effexor?! I don't like the side effects while I'm on it, so I stop. Bad move. I realize that I'm not doing what the doc told me to, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be impotent on New Years . And now I'm scared to think of what other pills would do. I don't want to have to put up with this crap again.

anti-deps are over prescribed imho.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Yes. Get your Dr. to switch your meds.

My doc had me on Elevil, and it caused double vision.

I don't really think I want to try anything else though. Wellbutrin didn't do anything, and the Effexor?! I don't like the side effects while I'm on it, so I stop. Bad move. I realize that I'm not doing what the doc told me to, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be impotent on New Years . And now I'm scared to think of what other pills would do. I don't want to have to put up with this crap again.

anti-deps are over prescribed imho.

Thing is I definitely have been depressed for going on 6 years now, and the culmination of events over the past few months had me finally doing something about it. And to be honest I really do think the Effexor helped some. Oh well, life is grand..

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: aidanjm

Originally posted by: DearQT

Originally posted by: txxxx
PSA - DO NOT COME OFF ANTI-DEPRESSANT MEDS SUDDENLY - it can be fatal.

What good is staying on it either when suicide, attempts to commit suicide, and thoughts of suicide are listed as possible side effects? There was a recent study that reaffirmed this.

suicide is a "side effect" of major depression.

the study you are thinking of was on children, not adults

Not only that, but who would cross the street when you might be hit by a car!

It's ALWAYS risk vs. benefit in medicine. The chances of an adult on these meds suddenly becoming suicidal as a result of them is remote at best.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: UglyCasanova

Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Yes. Get your Dr. to switch your meds.

My doc had me on Elevil, and it caused double vision.

I don't really think I want to try anything else though. Wellbutrin didn't do anything, and the Effexor?! I don't like the side effects while I'm on it, so I stop. Bad move. I realize that I'm not doing what the doc told me to, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be impotent on New Years . And now I'm scared to think of what other pills would do. I don't want to have to put up with this crap again.

anti-deps are over prescribed imho.

Thing is I definitely have been depressed for going on 6 years now, and the culmination of events over the past few months had me finally doing something about it. And to be honest I really do think the Effexor helped some. Oh well, life is grand..

if the effexor helped some you should've stayed on it.