Posted by Racer on May 7, 2005, at 12:53:48
In reply to Re: New to Effexor - to take or not to take?, posted by linkadge on May 7, 2005, at 1:06:49
I guess we have different ideas of what "holistic" means: to me, it doesn't necessarily mean going herbal.
For one thing, herbs contain chemical compounds, and natural doesn't mean safe. (Arsenic is natural, after all. And Lithium is natural, too -- yet it's prescribed by doctors and purchased in a pharmacy.)
Effexor can be a very effective medication for many people, and now that the withdrawal symptoms are known they are generally considered when it's time to discontinue. I guess I'd recommend that you consider other anti-depressants first, though, and I would also mention that many people find that Xanax can leave them more depressed and more sensitive to anxiety. It's a great drug to use as needed, but if you're sensitive to those effects, it may not be the best choice.
As far as anxiety goes, beta blockers or calcium channel blockers can be very helpful for some people. You might want to discuss something like that with your doctor. Biofeedback might be helpful, too. Talk to your doctor about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, too. Maybe a short course of it would help a lot with anxiety, and wouldn't involve pills.
Good luck.
poster:Racer
thread:494726
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050504/msgs/494870.html