Posted by Elizabeth on May 17, 2001, at 15:17:55
In reply to My nightmare experience with Effexor XR, posted by Ginger on May 15, 2001, at 17:54:18
Hi there. Sounds like your doctor is...umm, well, not very user-friendly. He should be taking your reports seriously.
> Totally bizarre and abnormal dreams, nightmares and night terrors on a nightly basis since Day 1 of taking Effexor XR.
This is not among the most common side effects of Effexor (as well as SSRI antidepressants such as Prozac), but it definitely does happen.
> Chronic fatigue as a result of my severely disturbed sleep.
Nonrestorative or disturbed sleep is a common side effect of Effexor (and SSRIs), and fatigue is often a result (not surprisingly).
> A pervasive feeling of being "spaced out", resulting in a lack of concentration and motivation on my part.
Both "spacy" feelings and feelings of apathy or lack of motivation have been reported with Effexor (and SSRIs), especially after long-term use.
> 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.
Again, not the most common side effect, but definitely does happen sometimes.
> Chronic constipation like you wouldn't believe.
It's surprising that you would have really bsd constipation from Effexor, although mild constipation is a known possible side effect. Are you generally prone to constipation anyway? (If so, the side effect could be much worse than it would be for someone who doesn't tend to get constipated easily.)
> Anorgasmia (I'm only 29 and have NEVER had this problem before, not even when I was on Zoloft!).
Very common.
> 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!
I'm not sure what this is about. Can you give more details? Have you ever checked your blood pressure while on Effexor (especially, during one of the dizzy spells)?
> 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.
This sounds like something that people often report after they *stop* taking Effexor (or SSRIs), except that they usually find it quite uncomfortable.
> 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.
Hmm...did you try splitting your dose into morning and evening doses? (You could try splitting it in half or taking different amounts in the AM and PM.)
> 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.
I started getting problems with this in my 20s too. It might be due to or exacerbated by the sleep problems you're having.
> The psychiatrist actually wanted to keep me ON the Effexor XR and prescribed Trazadone to "mask" some of the side effects.
Trazodone could easily backfire -- I know quite a few people who have nightmares as a result of trazodone! It might help you sleep more continuously, though.
> 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.
It's not really an antidepressant at the dose that most people take for sleep. What about clonidine? That can help people sleep and is often used to suppress nightmares. You should find out about your blood pressure before going on it, though (and if you do end up taking it every day, be careful not to miss a dose).
> 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.
Argh. Sounds like an "old school" doctor -- very paternalistic. :-( The only thing you can do is let them know clearly that you're not going to be intimidated or bullied by them and insist that they include you in all decisions. You and your doctor are both adults (I'm assuming), and he owes you the same respect you owe him. If he doesn't agree to this, I guess all you can do is try to find another doctor. I think you were right to go to your GP for a second opinion.
> 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.
I think it would be worth trying, at least. How much did he prescribe?
If you decide to go off the Effexor, be careful; as you've heard, a lot of people suffer bad withdrawal syndromes, even with the sustained-release (XR) formulation.
> 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.
These side effects are not as unusual as your doctor claims. I think that most of them are probably listed in the prescribing information. (Also, the FDA isn't likely to take complaints very seriously unless they come from medical professionals.)
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:63139
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63362.html