Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 110267

Shown: posts 1 to 25 of 38. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

After watching the news media regarding the Andrea Yates story, as this is the one-year anniversary of her killing her children, I was curious as to which antidepressant she was on when she committed this horrific crime. I wasn't too surprised when I found that she was on Effexor. My own living nightmare with Effexor also happened one year ago. I experienced blackouts for periods of 24 to 48 hours, and I am still trying to clean up the mess I made during those blackouts. I'm not alleging that Effexor was the culprit causing Andrea Yates to kill her children, but I can certainly empathize more now than before I found out she was on Effexor.

In my opinion, based on my own personal experience, this drug is dangerous. After my life-changing experience, I started researching this drug on the internet and found that the side effects I was experiencing had been upgraded from "rare" to "frequent." In trying to discontinue this medication, I suffered through nightmares, night sweats, electric shock-like feelings, and the list goes on and on. It took four months of gradually decreasing the dosage and finally making it through the discontinuation process. Being on this drug was horrible, but getting off it was just as bad. Being depressed was a cake-walk compared to the ups and downs of being on the wrong medication. Because of those experiences, I will NEVER use another antidepressant medication.

I'm not saying that this medication doesn't work for some people. I'm not trying to discourage people from trying medications to help ease depression. I am saying that we need to be proactive in our own treatment and research the side effects. I am also suggesting that use of these medications should be followed by specialists, not just your primary doctor. MD's are not psychiatrists and should refer patients with depression/mental illness to specialists for diagnosis and treatment.


 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by oracle on June 19, 2002, at 11:28:29

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

I think it is inflammatory to post things like this. In truth, Yates was taken off her meds too early. What happened here was a tragedy and I object to the Yates situation to be used to put down Effexor.

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by Denise528 on June 19, 2002, at 12:00:16

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by oracle on June 19, 2002, at 11:28:29

Terri,

I understand what you are saying and If I only had my experiences of them now to draw on, I would probably wholeheartedly agree with you. The thing is in the past I have wonderful experiences on ADs, they made me feel better in everyway, more:- positive, engergised, sociable, creative, alive, relaxed, even my sense of smell was more acute and colours seemed more vivid. It was a total revelation.

This time round though I have experienced the downside and can understand how they can drive somebody to suicide or homicide.

However, I can still remember how they used to make me feel, be it vague and I will continue to hanker and chase that feeling through trying different drugs.

Denise

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 12:01:34

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by oracle on June 19, 2002, at 11:28:29

You, as well as I, are certainly entitled our opinions, and had you read my posting, I did not allege that Effexor was the culprit causing Andrea Yates to kill her children. I do have my own experience with this drug and have every right to post how my experience lead to my opinion of how dangerous I FEEL this drug is. I will continue to post my feelings regarding this medication, and based on my understanding of this web page, we all know that the opinions expressed here are simply that, opinions. I will not lie about my feelings or sugar-coat them for the benefit of trying not to offend anyone. I feel there may be someone out there who has had similar unfortunate experiences with this drug, and hope to help them not feel so alone. So....have a nice day.

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 12:10:39

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Denise528 on June 19, 2002, at 12:00:16

I believe that dialogue regarding ADs is the key to ensuring successful mental health. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying anything that can elevate their mental health and ultimately their life. I'm simply playing devil's advocate with this topic. It just hit me this morning after watching the interview with Andrea Yates' husband, and I simply wondered what medication she was taking. I am not an advocate of Effexor and do not pretend to be; however, I am not advertising my feelings to discourage users who have had success on this drug but to empower users who may having adverse experiences on it. I wish I would have found Psycho Babble BEFORE I had my bad experience on Effexor. Information is critical in any situation, and feeling alone in adversity is dangerous. I'm simply trying to reach those people out there who might need to hear they're not alone.

Hope you find peace in your life. I wish you the best.

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by Essence on June 19, 2002, at 17:16:56

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 12:10:39

My experience with Effexor was not a positive one. I thought I was doing fine for a few years on it...then I lost my job, my reaction? oh well...my son had a horrific car accident, did I get upset or react appropriately? No!! I didn't feel a thing. I seperated from my husband who I had loved for 22 yrs, I just didn't care anymore. My mother developed breast cancer, once again, I was non-responsive and unphased. Saddest part was that I wasn't there for her in her time of need as she has always been for me. I will always regret that. To make a long story short, I finally realized that my reactions to things were not normal and went back to my psychiatrist, only to have him UP the dosage. Got rid of him quickly and went to another Psychdoc who took me off the Effexor, after going through the hellish withdrawal (was told there would be none)I finally began to feel things again. Got my marriage back on track, found a part time job, have made myself available to my friends and family that I had distanced myself from and resumed living again. That was until my new anti-depressant pooped out on me...., but that's a whole different story. Just wanted to share my experience with Effexor in hopes that it may help someone else who is dealing with "blunted emotions".

 

How... » Terri C.

Posted by Phil on June 19, 2002, at 17:59:09

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

How did you taper with Effexor? Were you taking anything else at the time. You were having blackouts, was your Doctor aware of all of these problems?

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous?

Posted by ctrlalt n del on June 19, 2002, at 18:55:15

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Cindylou2 on June 19, 2002, at 17:35:21

Hi all..

I can't get off this med..today I missed just 75mg from the usual 225 just so I could have an orgasm ,recommended by pdoc--not the orgasm the reduction :-)
I hallucinating-the bad kind-and almost killed myself.
The reason why I'd like to get off it is I'm wondering if it's responsible for my rapid cycling which is controlled a little by neurontin and I can't quit yet because of anxiety..
Feel like I'm trapped on it.
Oh,

 

Terri, what types of activities during blackouts?

Posted by KellyM on June 19, 2002, at 20:12:18

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

Hello Terri,

I'm curious... You mentioned blackout periods and having to clean them up. I realize you probably don't want to get too specific but can you give a couple of examples of what happened?

Perhaps I'm lucky, but I thought Effexor was pretty good for me- unfortunately, it caused my blood pressure to go really high so I had to stop taking it. No problems tapering off of it, though.

 

Followup for Kelly and Phil

Posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 21:09:04

In reply to Terri, what types of activities during blackouts?, posted by KellyM on June 19, 2002, at 20:12:18

Hi folks! After I concluded that my blackouts were being caused by the Effexor (conclusion made after significant research on the Effexor web page), I tried to taper off the drug on my own but tapered too fast. I ended up in the hospital suffering with myoclonus (uncontrolled muscular seizures). The ER doc said that if I hadn't gone in to the ER, it was very possible that my heart muscle would have seized. At that point, I got a new doctor (coincidentally, one whose mother had been on Effexor and had a bad experience), and he tapered me off over three months; 150 mg daily x 3 weeks, 75 mg daily x 3 weeks, 37.5 mg daily x 3 weeks, and 37.5 mg every-other-day x 2 weeks then every-three-days x 1 week. Even then I found the need to take it once a week until the electric shock-like feelings went away. I was not on any other medication, although my doctor did allow Benadryl to induce sleep. The night sweats and horrific nightmares were awful.

While on the Effexor, I experienced three blackouts. On one occasion, I apparently invited my son's father (a very abusive man) to our home, agreed to start over with our relationship, and slept with. In coming out of the fog, I remember seeing him walk away from my bedroom door. I went back to sleep, and when I awoke, I asked my oldest daughter why he had been there. She told me he'd been there all day the previous day and had spent the night. She said he and I were getting back together. I was mortified, as I had no memory of any of that. I had to call him and tell him that I was in a blackout and that we could not get back together. He was not happy, and I had to endure another round of his abuse.

During the last blackout, I was apparently involved in two car accidents within 20 minutes, got a speeding ticket, wreckless driving ticket, and DUI, and spent the night in jail. In cleaning up that wreckage, I spent time additional in jail, paid huge fines, lost my license, etc. I had been job hunting prior to this blackout, and because of the DUI, I have not been able to find a job as the criminal background checks disclose the jail time and DUI.

In closing, my experience with Effexor was very negative to say the least. I've been off the drug completely since September of last year. I've found peace in living my life one day at a time. I prefer not to take medications; this is my personal choice and not a suggestion for anyone. I simply posted this information in case someone out there might be having a bad experience. I've not tried to offend anyone but only want to post my experience for information purposes.

Hope this answers your questions. Thanks!

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by pharmer on June 19, 2002, at 22:07:31

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

First Prozac,now Effexor!!! Get real,thousands of people use both drugs and are a lifesaver. All it takes is one person and the media to target a drug and black list it. Many more people carry out acts of violence while intoxicated;would that stop you from drinking? I once heard of a person who murdered his friend while on sudafed!!!! What will I do now for my head congestion???

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by joy on June 19, 2002, at 22:26:09

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

Andrea Yates needed an antipsychotic drug, not just an antidepressant. If she did not squirt out babies one after another, and stayed on proper medication, a terrible tragedy could have averted. Effexor has helped many people, so has Prozac. I do believe the SSRIs/SNRIs are overprescribed, but when they work, it's a very good thing. Just my humble opinion.........
Joy

 

No need to freak out...chill!

Posted by Terri C. on June 20, 2002, at 9:16:31

In reply to Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by joy on June 19, 2002, at 22:26:09

There is really no need to get so upset by one person's opinion. If one would read the entire comment and not take things out of context, there would really be no need to get so upset.

I, too, believe these drugs help many, many people; however, there are those of us who react to these drugs in an adverse way, sometimes leading to painful residuals and even dangerous behavior. It would be a tragedy if we didn't talk about those people. As one of the people who had a bad experience with Effexor, I feel a responsibility to share this information with others. The state of mind I was in prior to initiating Effexor was less than desirable, and the adverse reaction I had did not allow me to differentiate between the idea that I was crazy or the drug was the culprit. Had someone shared their adverse experience with me, maybe I would have sought help from my doctor earlier and not just assumed I was crazy.

By the way, I don't drink, but if I did drink and I killed someone, I'd definitely never take another drink again. And if Sudafed was the culprit that caused another person to kill, then that person shouldn't take Sudafed. Duh! You know that old saying..."It hurts when I do this, doc...." "Well, then don't do that!"

 

Re: No need to freak out...chill!

Posted by pharmer on June 20, 2002, at 20:24:49

In reply to No need to freak out...chill!, posted by Terri C. on June 20, 2002, at 9:16:31

Sorry,must of been my Effexor causing me to type such a psychotic message. chill!!!

 

Peace. » pharmer

Posted by Terri C. on June 20, 2002, at 20:58:23

In reply to Re: No need to freak out...chill!, posted by pharmer on June 20, 2002, at 20:24:49

Pharmer:

With no intention of offending you, and with many disclaimers stating just that in my previous postings, I have to wonder why you're taking my comments so personally. I apologize if I've offended you. Once again I'll say, if Effexor is working for you as it has for so many, I couldn't be happier. It was a nightmare drug for me, but, luckily, I have received a lot of support from Psycho Babble folks who appreciate knowing they are not alone and clearly understand that my intentions are honorable.

In playing devil's advocate with the Andrea Yates analogy, I guess maybe I hit some nerves. On a personal note, I thought it was interesting that she was on 450 mg of Effexor and had just been discontinued off Haldol prior to killing her children. I had similar thoughts and feelings while on this drug, and although I never acted on them, I remember how intense they were. I know now that I was experiencing side effects from the Effexor, and that was confirmed by my doctor. There are web sites that document these side effects, and they are real. They happen to some people, Pharmer, and we have a right, if not a responsibility, to share our experiences.

So, I'm chillin today, off medication, living life one day at a time. Thanks for your support. I wish you happiness and peace.

 

Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates

Posted by vivienneX on June 21, 2002, at 23:02:32

In reply to Peace. » pharmer, posted by Terri C. on June 20, 2002, at 20:58:23

Effexor is the only prescribable form of phencyclidine- PCP, also known as angledust. PCP causes "euphoria, disorientation, confusion, anxiety, irritability, paranoid states, and dangerously violent behavior. Hostility and belligerence can remain long after the drug is no longer measurable in the blood. Chronic users may also experience depression or a schizophreniclike state that can last months after discontinuation. as well as heart rate abnormalities, seizures and withdrawl." (encarta.msn.com)
Now, take an anti depressant made from this substance daily- do you think this is going to have any effect on a person? Most of the people I know of that have taken Effexor for a while have wound up addicted to it, which is not a usual side effect with ADs. While taking Effexor, some people I know have experienced side effects like extreme irritability, violence, deppression, even black outs. If you consider that you're taking a form of PCP, it's not all that unreasnoble to have such side effects. I consider myself very lucky to have gotten off the drug within a week of starting it.
I'm not trying to say taking Effexor is just as good as going to your nearest dealer and getting some PCP, because it's not the same thing. Obviously, the FDA wouldn't allow that. But taking such a medication would have prolonged effects on anyone, particularly someone who was already as ill as Andrea Yates.

 

Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates » vivienneX

Posted by Terri C. on June 22, 2002, at 10:59:15

In reply to Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates, posted by vivienneX on June 21, 2002, at 23:02:32

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing your opinion and knowledge.

I didn't start this string to promote hysteria or to personally attack Effexor users; however, I am one of those unfortunate people who experienced many of the side effects you've outlined. My goal was not to determine whether the Andrea Yates case can be attributed to Effexor or not but to spark dialogue and bring attention to these side effects for ANYONE who may be experiencing them. For those people, you are not CRAZY.

Thanks again.

 

Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates

Posted by oracle on June 22, 2002, at 18:23:14

In reply to Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates, posted by vivienneX on June 21, 2002, at 23:02:32

Effexor is the only prescribable form of phencyclidine- PCP,

No it is not. Not even close ! Please show me your research
to support your claims.

O

 

Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates

Posted by NikkiT2 on June 22, 2002, at 18:34:34

In reply to Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates, posted by oracle on June 22, 2002, at 18:23:14

*lol*

Effexor is NOT a prescribale form of PCP... it is nothing related to pcp in any way really.

get your facts straight before coming here and spouting such stuff.

nikki

 

PCP or PCP-like effects

Posted by Terri C. on June 24, 2002, at 10:43:09

In reply to Re: Effexor , PCP, and Andrea Yates, posted by NikkiT2 on June 22, 2002, at 18:34:34

Seems getting caught up in whether this drug is PCP or not is mute. The side effects that were outlined in that posting have been experienced by some users and are valid. Documenting and sharing experiences based on negative side effects is a crucial part of the on-going analysis of any drug, psych or not. Documenting and sharing positive experience is equally as important but seems to be the only dialogue that some successful Effexor users want to read about.

I applaude any medication that helps people and would never want to see its discontinuation off the market because of few of us have had bad experiences; however, there needs to be equal understanding and respect shown to those of us who have not had such a great experience on this medication. You certainly don't see people get so upset and lash out at people who are allergic to penicillin and experience adverse reactions to that wonder drug. Quite the contrary. Doctors have learned throughout the years that every person is different and each of us may react differently to medications. So let's continue to share our perspectives and our opinions so that we can provide critical information to the medical society...information that could lead to earlier intervention by the doctors.

 

Re: PCP or PCP-like effects

Posted by oracle on June 24, 2002, at 12:02:12

In reply to PCP or PCP-like effects, posted by Terri C. on June 24, 2002, at 10:43:09

> Seems getting caught up in whether this drug is PCP or not is mute.

Huh ? Giving out false info is wrong. PCP is very dangerious. Equating Effexor with PCP might cause
a poor soul to stop their meds.

I am not questioning hearing others stories, but lets keep it factual.

I am still waiting for proof that Effexor is related to PCP.

 

Re: PCP or PCP-like effects

Posted by telephone on June 25, 2002, at 0:50:48

In reply to Re: PCP or PCP-like effects, posted by oracle on June 24, 2002, at 12:02:12

> Huh ? Giving out false info is wrong. PCP is very dangerious. Equating Effexor with PCP might cause
> a poor soul to stop their meds.
>
> I am not questioning hearing others stories, but lets keep it factual.
>
> I am still waiting for proof that Effexor is related to PCP.

Well it's not really similar to PCP at all but it is related chemically to some other illegal drugs.

Effexor (Venlafaxine) is classed as a Phenethylamine Monoamine Reuptake Inhibitor.

A phenethylamine is a compound that is based around a certain structural skeleton (in this case the phenethylamine skeleton) and modified by chemical constituents at appropriate positions in the molecule.

Other drugs that are also classed as Phenethylamines include: mescaline, 2CB, MDMA(ectascy) and many other "designer drugs/research chemicals" currently being used/abused today (for instance 2c-t-7 which has already caused a handful of deaths in the last couple of years).

Effexor is somewhat chemically similar to these "recreational" drugs mentioned above - not to PCP.

A researcher named Alexander Shulgin has done an amazing amount of research into this class of compounds and their pharmacological effects. More information about these sorts of things can be found at www.erowid.org and www.alchemind.org

 

Re: PCP or PCP-like effects » telephone

Posted by NikkiT2 on June 25, 2002, at 6:48:09

In reply to Re: PCP or PCP-like effects, posted by telephone on June 25, 2002, at 0:50:48

My Pdoc has assured me that its not a PMRI, but an SSRi / SNRI...

Can I ask where you got your information from??

Nikki

 

Re: PCP or PCP-like effects

Posted by oracle on June 25, 2002, at 12:54:09

In reply to Re: PCP or PCP-like effects, posted by telephone on June 25, 2002, at 0:50:48

>> Effexor (Venlafaxine) is classed as a Phenethylamine Monoamine Reuptake Inhibitor.
> A researcher named Alexander Shulgin has done an amazing amount of research into this class of compounds and their pharmacological effects.

Dr Shulgin (Shasa) would be amused at calling Effexor a Phenethylamine.

However, all the NT's are related to many of the psychedelic drugs, so where do that leave us ?
Is 5-HT bad because it is related to LSD ?

This is "junk science" at its best. Tell the people that the AD's are related to the psychedelic drugs and leave out the fact that many NT's are chemically like the indole (and other) based psychedelic drugs. Of course one does not mention this as it blows the whole argument !

Psychdelic drugs work because they are chemically "close" to NT's. The same is true of
AD's, generally. These facts do nto mean on is bad or good.

 

Re: Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?

Posted by LostBoyinNC1 on June 26, 2002, at 1:27:29

In reply to Effexor Dangerous? Ask Andrea Yates?, posted by Terri C. on June 19, 2002, at 10:45:51

> After watching the news media regarding the Andrea Yates story, as this is the one-year anniversary of her killing her children, I was curious as to which antidepressant she was on when she committed this horrific crime. I wasn't too surprised when I found that she was on Effexor. My own living nightmare with Effexor also happened one year ago. I experienced blackouts for periods of 24 to 48 hours, and I am still trying to clean up the mess I made during those blackouts. I'm not alleging that Effexor was the culprit causing Andrea Yates to kill her children, but I can certainly empathize more now than before I found out she was on Effexor.
>
> In my opinion, based on my own personal experience, this drug is dangerous. After my life-changing experience, I started researching this drug on the internet and found that the side effects I was experiencing had been upgraded from "rare" to "frequent." In trying to discontinue this medication, I suffered through nightmares, night sweats, electric shock-like feelings, and the list goes on and on. It took four months of gradually decreasing the dosage and finally making it through the discontinuation process. Being on this drug was horrible, but getting off it was just as bad. Being depressed was a cake-walk compared to the ups and downs of being on the wrong medication. Because of those experiences, I will NEVER use another antidepressant medication.
>
> I'm not saying that this medication doesn't work for some people. I'm not trying to discourage people from trying medications to help ease depression. I am saying that we need to be proactive in our own treatment and research the side effects. I am also suggesting that use of these medications should be followed by specialists, not just your primary doctor. MD's are not psychiatrists and should refer patients with depression/mental illness to specialists for diagnosis and treatment.


You are a very confused person. Effexor did not contribute to any murders in the Yates case. What did was severe post partum psychosis. Yate's wasnt medicated when she committed the murders.

As for primary care doctors not being able to prescribe meds, thats a bunch of bunk. There are many advantages to using a primary care physician over a psychiatrist. A primary care physician will not be as likely to do the usual psychiatrist overanalyzing thing on you, which tends to lead to being overmedicated. A primary care physician will be more likely to keep things simple and not use polypharmacy...which believe it or not can be a BIG advantage in many cases of straightforward depression and anxiety. Simple is good when it comes to medication.

Now in a severe case like Yates, a psychiatrist is necessary. Actually what Yates really needed was a Neurologist, a brain science expert. But most cases of depression and anxiety can be handled adequately by family doctors and internal medicine doctors. In fact, most prescriptions for SSRIs are written by non psychiatry doctors.


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