Posted by kid47 on September 6, 2001, at 10:17:55
In reply to Any Tips For NEW meds?, posted by MCMontreal on September 4, 2001, at 22:56:27
Hi. Sorry you're feeling bad. There are all sorts of different meds available to treat the type of illness you have. The bad news (as you know) is it can take quite awhile to find the right one(s). SSRI's did not work well for me. Especially if I was not taking a mood stabilizer. ( I am Bipolar ) Find a pdoc who will work aggressively with you to find the right med cocktail & who knows when a drug is not working. Besides meds I forced myself to make some lifestyle changes. I gave up recreational drugs, alcohol, nicotine, caffiene & began to exercise & eat right. I didn't do this all at once but gradually over a couple of years.
How much Effexor were you taking? FXR is notorious for discontinuation side fx. You should taper slowly off it. There is tons of FXR info here in the archives. After two years of trials & failures I finally, with the help of my pdoc & lots of research on my own found a couple of med cocktails that work pretty well for me. Right now I am on a med-free holiday (with the knowledge & approval of my pdoc) but am fully prepared to resume my meds when I feel the need. Try not to be discouraged. There are plenty of options you have not tried. It may take some time but with effort & resolve I am confident you will find the right combo of meds & lifestyle to allow you to have some fun & live a great life. Take care (sorry for the ramble) Good Luckkid
> Hi,
> It's 11:30 pm and I've been awake for four days. I thought it was about time to make the most of the wee hours and connect with people who are going through similar experiences.
> A bit about me: Diagnosed with Severe depression at 9 years old,
> At 19 years old, Bipolar Disorder Without Mania, and Schizo-Affective Disorder
> -originally put on Zoloft in '94 to treat depression...went off a few years later(wow, no horror story)...
> -relapsed---wanted that "Zoloft" feeling again
> -Dr. prescribed Paxil and Ativan..6 months later I was extreme OCD and had painted everything in my home white (my toothbrush too!), began experiencing psychotic episodes, time lapses, mania
> -Barely survived getting off of it
> -Went back on Zoloft for a year, Clonazepam, and Epival (a mood stabilizer) but when I reached the max dose of 200mg of Zoloft a day my Dr. said it was probably best if I tired something new...
> EFFEXOR...
> Oh man.
> My pyschiatrist prescribed it to me and then left for another hospital. All of my files are being transferred ...I get to start from scratch...
> After taking Effexor for a month, I couldn't do it anymore. I was suicidal again and was re-considering some very bad habits of mine...
> I've been off it for a week now.
> I'm shaking, sweating, having horrific dreams that I think are so real that I've accused people of doing things they haven't done, oh- and here's my personal favorite-
> Bursting into tears every five minutes.
> I can't do this anymore folks. I feel like a testing site for pharmaceutical companies...
> Has anyone had a good or even decent experience with an antidepressant or alternative?
> It's the depression I'm most concerned about...the mania, OCD and all that junk wasn't a part of my life until the Paxil...
> I know everyone has different reactions, but this is eating my life up...I just want something to help the depression...I'm 20 years old and don't want to spend the next 20 years searching for a coping strategy.
> Any advice, personal story is extremely welcomed...feeling a bit alone and anxious here.
> Sorry to type so much!
> MC
poster:kid47
thread:1016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77992.html