Posted by Ginger on May 15, 2001, at 17:54:18
Hello! I wanted to share with everyone the many ways in which Effexor XR did NOT help me!
Effexor XR has been anything but a wonder drug for me. My 80-year-old HMO psychiatrist chose to ignore my repeated and consistent complaints of side effects because he felt like I wasn't "supposed to be having" these experiences (is that a fact!?!). Thank God for the medical message boards, where I was able to find that I wasn't alone in experiencing some rather bizarre side effects.
Anyway, the past three and a half months of my life have been totally disrupted as a result of his ignorance and my being advised to "wait" for weeks on end because the side effects "should subside"...
Following is the list of side effects that I experienced on Effexor XR, a 75 mg dose taken once daily. Some of them are not officially listed as "common" side effects and I completed hours on end of thorough and exhaustive research to even find some of them mentioned at all.
Here we go:
Totally bizarre and abnormal dreams, nightmares and night terrors on a nightly basis since Day 1 of taking Effexor XR.
Chronic fatigue as a result of my severely disturbed sleep.
A pervasive feeling of being "spaced out", resulting in a lack of concentration and motivation on my part.
MORE WEIGHT GAIN, plus, the weight I gained during my major depressive episode hasn't moved, despite my efforts. Now, instead of 15 pounds, I need to lose 25.
Chronic constipation like you wouldn't believe.
Anorgasmia (I'm only 29 and have NEVER had this problem before, not even when I was on Zoloft!).
An episode of dizziness, usually occurring once per day, for a period not lasting more than a few minutes. Once, I slammed myself right into a wall because of it. Needless to say, THAT didn't feel too good!
Strange tingling sensations, like electrical currents running up and down the right or left side of my body, right up into the right or left side of my head. They were not uncomfortable, just strange.
Morning vs. Evening dosages: If I took the Effexor XR in the morning, I would be drowsy the entire day and still wouldn't sleep well at night. If I took the drug in the evening to combat the drowsiness, the bizarre dreams would then turn into fully-fledged nightmares and night terrors, which were very disturbing. I used myself as a guinea pig on a few occasions to test this out, changing from morning to evening dosages for a few weeks a time during each stint. I got the same results every single time.
Muscle and joint stiffness. I have never before experienced this either, but I'm here to say that right now, I am very stiff all over and have been for a few weeks now. Again, I'm only 29.
The psychiatrist actually wanted to keep me ON the Effexor XR and prescribed Trazadone to "mask" some of the side effects. He was very evasive in describing to me exactly the purpose of taking the Trazadone and barely mentioned that it was yet ANOTHER anti-depressant which should help me sleep. This just didn't feel right to me and when I questioned him on this, suggesting that I perhaps didn't agree with his judgment, he had a "how dare you question my judgment -- just take your meds" attitude, which I found extremely intimidating.
Well, I'm here to say that I do have enough reasoning and intellect to know that I'm NOT a pharmacological guinea pig. I never took the Trazadone because I had a very strong gut feeling that told me not to.
The only positive benefits I can report on the Effexor was that it did seem to help the anxiety and depression -- moreso the anxiety. HOWEVER, the stimulus that was causing the severe anxiety and depression (a very bad job situation), was removed when I left my job. Starting the new med and leaving my job both took place within weeks of each other. So really, which one was it that was helping the depression and anxiety the most? There's really no way of telling.
I found it quite interesting that most people experienced the bizarre and abnormal dreams upon withdrawal from Effexor XR. (Note: Please be careful when discontinuing this drug and be sure that you taper down your dosage per your doctor's advice; otherwise, you will experience horrible withdrawals! My best friend is a rep with Pfizer and told me that one of her doctors refuses to prescribe Effexor XR anymore because of the difficulty he has experienced with withdrawing his clients from this medication).
I'm not trying to "scare" anyone and I don't have a vendetta against Wyerth-Ayerst. The truth is that everyone's metabolism is different and prescription meds have different effects on different people. For some of you, Effexor XR will be your godsend. However, I totally believe that knowledge is power and I felt compelled to share my experience. This is still a relatively new drug (The XR version is). That means that, in essence, WE ARE the guinea pigs. Remember, too, that this is YOUR brain chemistry that is being altered.
I plan to write a letter to the FDA, recounting my experience with this drug. If anyone else is experiencing similar "unusual" side effects with this or any other anti-depressant/anti-anxiety drug, side effects that aren't officially listed as "common", please, please write to FDA and tell them. If an overwhelming number of similar complaints are received by the FDA, the FDA can force drug companies to revise their pamphlets and literature with regard to potential adverse effects. Remeber, it's our bodies and our minds that we are dealing with.
Today, I visited my family doctor who is well informed on my medical history. He agreed that the Effexor XR (which he said that he and his circle of colleagues refer to as "Side-Effexor") was not working in sync with my metabolism. He is slowly tapering me off of the Effexor XR and is starting me out on an initially lower dosage of Celexa. I am very comfortable with his recommendation. I know I need something to keep my problems with depression at bay and I actually have a good feeling about Celexa. Fingers crossed...
Thank you for reading and good luck to you all. And if you ever have a strong gut feeling about a medication you are taking, be it bad or good, please, trust your instincts. Your "gut feeling" is there for a reason -- to protect you. Remember, doctors do not know everything and they certainly don't know your body as well as you do. :o)
poster:Ginger
thread:63139
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63139.html