Posted by Jim45 on February 19, 2009, at 13:09:45
In reply to Re: 2-1/2 years later have permanent withdrawal sympto, posted by bleauberry on February 18, 2009, at 17:41:39
Bleauberry -
Hey. I too think you're onto something about Effexor (FXR) opioid connection. SLS references some websites that have researched the "possibility". I've bookmarked then for reference (Thanks SLS!!). I'd theorized that there was such but could find no published - intentionally or not - data from the manufacturer or others about it.
I also liked the approach you mentioned in determining whether FXR was to blame, but from personal experience I'd wager the outcome would implicate it.
I tried MANY anti-depressants for YEARS until my Doc gave me FXR. In a week or two I was doing fine. Upped my dose and was doing great.
I could write a long story about it all, but basically after 2 or so years it stopped working, but the withdrawal was terrible. Doc upped the dose and I was okay again for another couple or so years. Had to stop taking it when my Doc lost his license in Jan.07, and I went through INCREDIBLE misery for 2 years.
Back to the opioid thing: in curiousity sometime after I started taking FXR - I'm thinking it might've been after my first 2 year acclimation, I started researching it in an attempt to figure out why it helped when all the other stuff, including NDRI's hadn't. It didn't make sense. If all FXR was doing was affecting Serotonin and Norepinephrine (while it affects dopamine too, that's supposedly only at high doses) the SSRI's I'd tried in combination with the NDRI Wellbutrin should've had at least a similar effect. But they didn't.
Towards the middle/end of my time on FXR I experimented with opiates. They brought me temporarily right back but tolerance limited their use to only 2-3 times a week. Then I read about opioid agonist/antagonist combos reducing/stopping tolerance and dependence. I acquired some naloxone, started taking low doses of it with the opiate........AND IT WORKED!! I could take the combination daily and it kept helping!!
Unfortunately soon afterward I got a nastygram from the FDA about importing controlled substances (the opiate) and had to stop. My wonderful Doc had heard of all that though (he was a cutting-edge Psychiatrist) and prescribed Subutex at my next appointment. Well, I quickly developed a tolerance to that too and asked if he'd let me try Suboxone - an agonist/antagonist combo. He did, and I successfully took that for about 2 years. Had to stop that too though when he lost his license. However - my supply of Suboxone lasted until March or April of 2007. The incredible misery started when the FXR ran out. The Suboxone only helped a little. Curiously, when the Suboxone finally ran out all I suffered was some crampy legs and strange thoughts for a few days.
Well I got carried away there, but thanks for your posts.
I hope Chinaroses quickly gets through all this. I waited unsuccessfully 2 years to get better.
Jim
poster:Jim45
thread:880481
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090213/msgs/881098.html