Posted by Dramatica on May 7, 2003, at 14:42:33
I'm 19 and have been taking meds for depression for several years. Zoloft actually made me worse, and Paxil had no effect on me at all. Effexor has made me sane again and I thank God for that, but I'm actually scared to continue to take it and terrified to stop taking it. Even though Effexor 150mg has effectivly controlled my moods and emotional explosions, at the same time it drains me of all energy and has effected my sleeping/dreams. When I started Effexor I was also put on Ativan 1mg tabs to calm me down enough to sleep. I've since stopped the Ativan and I'm sleeping great...but its wierd because I can be at work, totally busy, and all of the sudden a dream that I had 5 years ago that I didnt remember back then will flash in my mind. This happens at least twice a day, where as before I took Effexor it had NEVER happened. I dont have the nightmares that alot of people have posted about, but I have noticed that my dreams are so vivid that sometimes I have hard time remembering that my dreams arent real. My experiences and those of other people that I've heard about have made me question as to whether or not this is a medication I really feel safe taking. I mean when you're dealing with manipulating your brains chemicals you need to be careful, right?
On the other hand, the withdrawl effects of Effexor scare me to death. With my busy schedule I once forgot to take my pill for 2 days...I thought I was dieing..I even missed work because of it!!! I had no idea it was the Effexor, I just though I was really sick. I finally figured it out after forgetting to take it a again a few weeks later. I would get so dizzy and I'd have this intense buzzing in my head...I could barley keep my balance if I were to stand. Then if I were to lay down I'd feel like the room was spinning. It's a hellish feeling that I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy.
So I dont know what to do. Do I continue to take Effexor because all these side effects are normal and the fact that being sane is worth having no energy? Or do I try to quit and risk "withdraw-hell"? The thought of quitting scares the crap out of me, but I'm also worried that taking such strong meds while I'm still young with hurt me in the long run.
Is anyone else worried about how Effexor will effect them over time? Has anyone had sucess with none med-related therapy?
poster:Dramatica
thread:224904
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030505/msgs/224904.html