Posted by Mireille on July 25, 2002, at 16:34:45
In reply to Re: Going off Effexor, thanks in part to you all!, posted by Bill L on July 25, 2002, at 9:04:45
> Effexor is a very safe drug. And we have a tremendous amount of experience with it in the US. It's also very effective. It's probably safer than aspirin. Aspirin can cause ulcers in the stomach. Effexor generally does not cause anything as dangerous as ulcers.
Can aspirin alter your brain chemistry in subtle but unmistakable ways? And what is "a tremendous amount" of experience - I guess what I mean is, does anyone have any literature to back this up? (I wish Dr. Bob could give us his $0.02...:) What is weird is that none of my doctors, psych or GP, have ever sat down with me and said, "ok, here is what you will probably go through, and there are severe withdrawal symptoms so don't go off cold turkey..." And when I call in to my doctor to ask her if my symptoms are normal, she doesn't seem to know. Everyone is so bent on prescribing the pills but so unclear as to how they will effect you. I know - maybe I just have a bad doctor! Or maybe no one really knows. It's scary. I don't want to be one of those drug victims like the PHen-fen takers, or women on PremPro who now have to worry that - thanks to the drug companies not testing long enough - they may now have increased risks of breast cancer or heart disease.
Maybe we can't know - maybe we are the new guinea pigs, and maybe there's nothing wrong with that. Someone has to do it. We have to help be the pioneers for the next generation, I guess.
> Doctors cannot do pregnancy studies on most drugs using humans since it's unethical. But there have no doubt been tons of people on Effexor during pregnancy who did not have problems.
Well, pregnancy is another issue. They aren't sure if it comes out in breast milk or not. However, as we've seen recently on the news, the effects of pregnancy in some people can be psychotic (Andrea Yates), sometimes the drugs are necessary anyway. And I couldn't judge someone who felt that their baby's life was more endangered by their *not* taking the drugs than by their taking them...
It just seems like so many people are on these, and is it that we are all depressed beyond any help other than drugs, or could we be helped without them? It may be a rhetorical question, or one that we each have to answer for ourselves. I'm not sure.
> Since you returned to depression last time you went off Effexor, I really hope that you reconsider and stay on it.
You're right - I'm really scared - but I have to try and do this. At least all of the doctors I've talked to say "please go off Effexor if you are getting pregnant," even though no one is sure what it would do to the baby - and my husband and I would like to have a baby in the next year. So I have no choice now, unless I become severely depressed. We'll see. Thanks for your thoughtful words, though. I appreciate them.
poster:Mireille
thread:113537
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020725/msgs/113706.html