Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 350565

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ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by Eve70 on May 25, 2004, at 18:46:36

Hi to every, I have posted even upper.
I'm ULTRAsensitive to drugs.
Normal dosage of AD and TCA have both an enormous effect than side effecs on my organism.
I've calculated that my tolerance is about 1/5 than normal dosage.
I got lot of Effexor XR 75mg pills, but to take i pill will put me in a sedation state for days.
So last night i open a capsule and take away 20 pellets from inside. I don't know how much venlafaxine is corresponding, but i think about 10 mg (1/7 normal beginners dosage).
I fast stay well. All rumination, anxiety and bad thought fade in most part. I will try to go on this way but I i try to answer to this 2 questions:
- Could 10 mg of venlafaxine be enough for a therapeutic effect?
- Anyone knows how much pellets are there in a capsule of 75 mg of Effexor XR?

Could anyone please try to give me an help or share similar experiences?
Tanxxxxx very much in advance

Eve

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by griswald on May 25, 2004, at 19:05:35

In reply to ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by Eve70 on May 25, 2004, at 18:46:36

Hi Eve,

I am ultrasentive to most medications but especially to antidepressants, as I am bipolar. 1/100 of a 15mg Buspar or 1/100 of the smallest amount of Paxil will keep me up for days.

Are you sensitive to other meds too?

I definately think small doses can have a therapeutic effect.

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald

Posted by Eve70 on May 26, 2004, at 14:55:43

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by griswald on May 25, 2004, at 19:05:35

Hi Griswald!
I see i'm not alone!

I'm ultrasensitive to the most part of meds, but in particular to all the psico-drugs.
I think my normal dosage could be fixed in 1/10 - 1/20 of normal dosage.
At this dosage i feel effects an side effects that people usual get at prescribed dosage.
I did blood tests for cheking function of liver and renal functionality, but everyting seems normal.
About Effexor:
I opened a capsule of 75 mg and counted the grains enclosed: 250.
So the right dosage could be 10-20 pellets a day.
But i think that Effexor is not my answer cause it gave me great sedation the day following, and a sort of enotional depression.
Still waiting for something that could hep me!

Best luck to you!

Eve

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by griswald on May 26, 2004, at 15:56:46

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald, posted by Eve70 on May 26, 2004, at 14:55:43

Hi Eve, I think your calculation on the Effexor is right. Have you tried Wellbutrin?

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald

Posted by Eve70 on May 27, 2004, at 6:32:40

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by griswald on May 26, 2004, at 15:56:46

No,
Unfortunely in my country (europe), Bupropion is not approved as Antidepressant.
It has a prescription for quit smoking use, but Pdoc usually do not prescribe it.

Best for you all!
Eve

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by griswald on May 27, 2004, at 12:01:14

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald, posted by Eve70 on May 27, 2004, at 6:32:40

Can you find a pdoc who will prescribe off-lable? Wellbutrin has been the only thing that has worked for me and there is a generic available (at least in the U.S.) so it's not that expensive.

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald

Posted by Eve70 on May 27, 2004, at 14:30:44

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by griswald on May 27, 2004, at 12:01:14

Thanx for your counseil!

I will try to ask to my doc when i'll see him next time!
Unfortunely here we don't have generic bupropion yet, and i think brand should be quite expensive.

What dosage was you on?
Effect and side effects?

Thanx very much for your help!

Eve

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by griswald on May 27, 2004, at 14:51:38

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage? » griswald, posted by Eve70 on May 27, 2004, at 14:30:44

The brand here was very expensive. But one of the advantages of being so sensitive to medications is that we require less, so they are cheaper. I take about 1/50 of a 150mg pill three times a day. If I take more it sends me hypomanic. It can make me a little jumpy and if I take it too late it causes a little insomnia. I have to have a mood stabilizer on board, or it immediately sends me cycling. Right now I take Lamical and Zyprexa (as needed). I think it might also cause some weight loss in some people. It is excellent for my depression. Unfortunately, it has not been so good for anxiety.

 

Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?

Posted by psychosage on May 27, 2004, at 22:21:43

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by griswald on May 27, 2004, at 14:51:38

venlafaxine {effexor} immediate release comes in 25mg pills. XR comes in 37.5mg. The insert says you can open capsules and sprinkle them, but I wonder if all the beads are the same size.

All psych pills have side effects, and don't mistake tolerance to side effects for a placebo or therapuetic effect.

If you took just one 25mg effexor immediate release once a day you would probably not have an even effect or enough action throughout your waking hours.

You should try something with a longer half life at a low dose if you are still compelled to stay low.

Are you in a part of the world where Strattera or Edronax can be taken? That can combat the sedation.

I take provigil to balance out my mood stabilizer, Trileptal and the sedation from Effexor XR {75mg}.

At higher doses past 150mg or 200mg Effexor's norepinephrine action is supposed to kick in to therapeutic levels {it is 4 parts to 1 serotonin to norepinephrine effect}.

good luck!

 

Thanx you all for your helpful counseils!

Posted by Eve70 on May 28, 2004, at 6:33:33

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by psychosage on May 27, 2004, at 22:21:43

Thanx you all for your helpful counseils!

Yes in my country there is edronax on the market.
I know it acts as a stimulant....will talk of it with my doct next time.

Thanx you again guys!!

Eve

 

smaller dosages can be therapeutic » griswald

Posted by Lyrical13 on May 29, 2004, at 22:20:35

In reply to Re: ULTRASENSITIVE: EFFEXOR minimal effective dosage?, posted by griswald on May 25, 2004, at 19:05:35

I was very relieved to see others who are ultrasensitive also and get good effects with lower doses. I am trying to convince my pdoc that a much lower dose than usual will work for me. I have been working with him for just a few months (since Oct.) but have been very faithful about taking meds. I think he is skeptical because many folks with BP resist taking meds or quit. I keep telling him that I am very sensitive and often require only pediatric doses. He still doesn't believe me and keeps trying to convince me to take more. I have been keeping documentation of dose, my moods, side efffects, etc. I started on Depakote at the beginning of the month...he wanted my dose to eventually be 1000 mg. I thought it might be more like 500 or maybe 750. It did improve my mood...actually stabilize..I was a bit manic and am much better...but for the past couple weeks I've been a bit down. Wed. night I was even crying and so last night I increased to 1000mg from 750. I've been at 750 for a couple weeks. Today was awful. It was a beautiful bright sunny day adn I was at my friend's wedding and I am SO happy for her. There were lots of folks I know and enjoy being with at the reception...yet I found myself tearing up and feeling so sad and crying. Also headache, abdominal pains, diarrhea, nausea, VERY fatigued, weak. I am also a bit irritable and was violent toward the dog. This is very upsetting to me. I slept 10 hours last night and then took a 2 hr nap this afternoon. I think the Depakote is causing the depression and these other effects. I think 1000 mg is too much for me.

Can Depakote cause depression? I'm wondering if I need a lower dose and maybe an AD to go with it. I see my counselor on Tuesday and she usually contacts my doc if it's between appts and there is a med issue. I will copy my documentation and hopefully that will help back up my sensitivity claims. It's just so frustrating for me that he doesn't take me seriously on this. I have been battling this disease for 13 years and have been on meds since 1996. And my track record on med sensitivity is on ALL types of meds, not just psychotropics.

Anyone have any insight or any experience on dealing with a doc re: med sensitivity? How bout on depression and Depakote? I'm actually BP2 (biggest problem is depression with periods of hypomania)

Thanks

 

Re: smaller dosages can be therapeutic » Lyrical13

Posted by griswald on June 1, 2004, at 18:21:22

In reply to smaller dosages can be therapeutic » griswald, posted by Lyrical13 on May 29, 2004, at 22:20:35

For me the only thing that has worked is to keep trying to tweek small amounts of different medications. I'm bipolar II, too and finding an AD that doesn't cause rapid cycling has been really difficult. Right now I'm taking ultra small doses of Wellbutrin and it is helping. Mood stabilizers control the hypomania, but I will get breakthrough depressions without an AD. Lamictal has been very helpful. Are you sure it's the depakote that is making you depressed? Could it just be a breakthrough depression? I had a doctor that wasn't sensitive to us "statistical outliers" and was able to get a knew one who was willing to work with me. That was essential.

 

breakthrough depression

Posted by Lyrical13 on June 2, 2004, at 5:24:42

In reply to Re: smaller dosages can be therapeutic » Lyrical13, posted by griswald on June 1, 2004, at 18:21:22

Well, for the past 2 weeks when I was on 750 mg Depakote and was a little down I thought it could just be depression because my grandpa died and I was in a car accident. But when I went up to 1000 mg and was crying all day on a beautiful sunny happy day at a wedding reception surrounded by friends and all was right with the world during the time of year when I normally don't feel like that and was also have many physical side effects, I attributed it to the Depakote. And the next day when I had backed down to 750 mg I was just fine and haven't had a problem since. So I really do think it's the med.

I think you are right about having to balance small doses of AD to keep from triggering hypomania. I talked to my counselor last night and she is going to contact my pdoc about this. I should hear something today.

I'm getting really sick of this whole mess wtih meds. I wish we could just find the right doses and I could feel fine and the only way I would know that I have a problem is that I would have to remember to take these pills each day. Every other time I would just be smooth sailing. That's my goal. Maybe it's unrealistic but that's what I'm shoooting for.

 

Re: smaller dosages can be therapeutic » Lyrical13

Posted by sac on June 2, 2004, at 20:02:18

In reply to smaller dosages can be therapeutic » griswald, posted by Lyrical13 on May 29, 2004, at 22:20:35

Absolutely!! I, too am bipolar II. I never got beyond 500 mgs on Depakote! I actually really liked it in the beginning. It was very calming for me, I felt grounded if that makes any sense. But anytime my Pdoc tried to raise the dose, I had a terrible side effect....DEPRESSION. It was terrible, I just wanted to cry, it was a feeling of total, utter despair and I told my doctor it's definately the med. I also tend to do ok on smaller doses of meds. I am currently on Lamictal but am going off for other reasons and I may end up going back to Depakote but will not be able to get to a high dose because of that side effect.


> I was very relieved to see others who are ultrasensitive also and get good effects with lower doses. I am trying to convince my pdoc that a much lower dose than usual will work for me. I have been working with him for just a few months (since Oct.) but have been very faithful about taking meds. I think he is skeptical because many folks with BP resist taking meds or quit. I keep telling him that I am very sensitive and often require only pediatric doses. He still doesn't believe me and keeps trying to convince me to take more. I have been keeping documentation of dose, my moods, side efffects, etc. I started on Depakote at the beginning of the month...he wanted my dose to eventually be 1000 mg. I thought it might be more like 500 or maybe 750. It did improve my mood...actually stabilize..I was a bit manic and am much better...but for the past couple weeks I've been a bit down. Wed. night I was even crying and so last night I increased to 1000mg from 750. I've been at 750 for a couple weeks. Today was awful. It was a beautiful bright sunny day adn I was at my friend's wedding and I am SO happy for her. There were lots of folks I know and enjoy being with at the reception...yet I found myself tearing up and feeling so sad and crying. Also headache, abdominal pains, diarrhea, nausea, VERY fatigued, weak. I am also a bit irritable and was violent toward the dog. This is very upsetting to me. I slept 10 hours last night and then took a 2 hr nap this afternoon. I think the Depakote is causing the depression and these other effects. I think 1000 mg is too much for me.
>
> Can Depakote cause depression? I'm wondering if I need a lower dose and maybe an AD to go with it. I see my counselor on Tuesday and she usually contacts my doc if it's between appts and there is a med issue. I will copy my documentation and hopefully that will help back up my sensitivity claims. It's just so frustrating for me that he doesn't take me seriously on this. I have been battling this disease for 13 years and have been on meds since 1996. And my track record on med sensitivity is on ALL types of meds, not just psychotropics.
>
> Anyone have any insight or any experience on dealing with a doc re: med sensitivity? How bout on depression and Depakote? I'm actually BP2 (biggest problem is depression with periods of hypomania)
>
> Thanks
>


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