Posted by KimberlyPS on August 26, 2000, at 10:10:46
I have been on anti-depressants for years. Due to work-related stress and intense therapy, the Wellbutrin I was taking no longer seemed to work for me. My doctor put me on EffexorXR - 375mg/day. I lasted only 3 months. The side effects were terrible. I began suffering from extreme panic/anxiety attacks. I was then given Ativan to calm me down. Buspar(the known preventative) made me too dizzy. I couldn't sleep, ever. I was prescibed many drugs to help me sleep, but Klonopin was the only one that at least got me two straight hours at a time. My mind never shut off and neither did my body - I couldn't stop fidgeting. I became very mean to the people who cared most about me. I lost 22 pounds in three months. I was down to 98 pounds by the end. I ate more than normal, but my metabolism was off the charts. My days with Effexor came to an abrupt end when I was so tired and miserable I just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. I took 29 Klonopin and went to bed. I woke up 4 hours later feeling nothing but anger. I wasn't even nauseated. I then slit both my wrists and my boyfriend rushed me to the emergency room. Of course, with an attempted suicide I had to spend 72 hours in the psych unit before I could be released. That is when I realized that I had to stop the drug. I spent the next two weeks in hell. I was so dizzy and nauseated that I thought I really would die. I couldn't do anything - TV, read, write, drive, etc.I went to the pharmacist and begged for help, only to be told that someone should've warned me about the effect of withdrawing cold turkey instead of tapering down. I am now back on Wellbutrin and hanging in there. I hope my story enlightens someone out there.
poster:KimberlyPS
thread:43769
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000822/msgs/43769.html