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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Anike on August 22, 2004, at 1:33:21
Hello!
About 6 months ago I went to my family doctor worried about my lack of energy and trouble to focus. Remembering my school years I wondered if I may have Adult Attentional Deficit Disorder. Before I could finish she jumped and said she had something great for me: Effexor Xr. I had used Prozac a couple of times before for short periods of time. Searching on the web I discovered that this was a drug for mayor depression, but I decided to give it a try. I got hooked because I was not hungry and it was easy to lose weight (although I'm 5'3" and 110 pounds) and I did felt more energy and focus. I even asked her to go from 150 mgs. to 225 which she told me was still a low dose. The problem began when sometimes I forgot to take the pills in the morning and began to have the worst, most horrible an real nightmares of my life; still the benefits were more energy and focus, so I put more effort in not forgetting to take my pills. I decided that I don't really need them, so I will ask to begin deacreasing the dose one pill a week. The problem is that I began to have the nighmares even with the full dose and it seems to me that more than toxicity, it is beggining to look like deprivation symptoms, like my body is asking for more. I am afraid to go to sleep. And although my dreams always have very vivid, detailed and colorful, they also have always been wonderful and extremely entertaining. Now all the creativity has turn to violent, scary and just awful stuff. I am really, really scared to lower the dose, but at the same time I want out of it. Also I feel more and more often a sensation that the ground falls under me,(like going down in an elevator) and strage sensations when I am beginning to fall asleep (like electical sounds or falling sensations) I am 36 years old and I have a 2 year old girl; I am afraid that I may fall because I feel floating until I take the pills. I haven't found too much on the web sites about this particular side effect. I am a nurse and I would like to kwnow the exact nature of the chemical changes in my brain that might been causing all this. I appreciate any commentaries or experiences that you could share with me. Thanks!!
Posted by malthus on August 22, 2004, at 5:33:17
In reply to Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by Anike on August 21, 2004, at 22:49:03
Now that you mention it I have also been having nightmares tapering off Effexor and even at the full dose of 225mg. I mentioned to DieCheerleader that I've also had headaches, twitching and lethargy. Check out her post and anything Chemist may respond to her or you could also post to Chemist.
Take care, Malthus
Posted by nicolas on August 22, 2004, at 21:50:17
In reply to Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by Anike on August 21, 2004, at 22:49:03
I have had a lot of sleep disturbances over the years, nightmares, sleep-paralysis, and I think I know what you're talking about when you refer to electrical noises. Soon after falling asleep my eyes would open and I would hear a zapping sound, as if I was having a seizure. Very frightening. From what I have heard this is a strange sleep disturbance not related to medications (and I have never been on Effexor... but I don't know for certain.
Do check with your doctor and I hope you find good advice on this forum. All I can recommend, and in light of your suffering this may seem like lukewarm advice but it really has helped me, and that is to take some time each day to find peace. Meditation, breathing excercises, prayer, listening to beautiful music, drinking tea. Sleep is influenced by our emotions in the day. So try to make peace happen.
Posted by Starlight on August 23, 2004, at 17:34:43
In reply to Re: Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by nicolas on August 22, 2004, at 21:50:17
I definitely have more intense dreaming, but I study dreams, so for me things have just gotten more interesting. I have nightmares too, but I'm very concious that they're not real and can watch them play out without feeling scared which is cool. I take effexor xr - but not a very high dose.
starlight
Posted by karen m. on August 23, 2004, at 19:00:43
In reply to Re: Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by Starlight on August 23, 2004, at 17:34:43
two of the ssri's that i have tried gave me (over a period of time this kicked in) the most horrendous nightmares i have ever had. in doing some digging i found that that can be a side effect. i would wake up practically screaming (of course actually screaming in the nightmare), breathing hard and sweating. it was horrible. i actually had to go off one of them because of it. they were so vivid, real and always horrifying. sorry to say i can't remember which two ssri's they were now it was so long ago. i think one was prozac strangely enough. and everyone is different.
Posted by antigua on August 24, 2004, at 0:32:01
In reply to Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by Anike on August 21, 2004, at 22:49:03
Yes, I know what you're talking about. When I first started effexor and anytime the dose has been upped, I've experienced nightmares and some really fascinating dreams. Once my body adjusted, the dreams went away.
good luck,
antigua
Posted by hannahmlle on August 26, 2004, at 18:27:39
In reply to Re: Is anybody having nightmares? » Anike, posted by antigua on August 24, 2004, at 0:32:01
When I first began weaning off, my nervous system was so wired, I couldn't sleep, though I was exhausted. Finally started taking Benedryl so my body would calm down and go to sleep.
Posted by hannahmlle on August 27, 2004, at 10:11:59
In reply to Is anybody having nightmares?, posted by Anike on August 21, 2004, at 22:49:03
I had a few nightmares on the medication. My drug handbook said "abnormal" dreams were a side effect of the medications. I didn't really care, because I kinda have weird dreams anyway, but on the medication they got a little weirder. I, too, decided to wean off my effexor, and know about the floating sensation, and elevator sensation you mention. I, too, am a nurse, and have been dropping things lately. Everytime I go to give a shot, I pray that my hand won't start twitching. Read on one of the company websites that effexor not only effects norepinepherine and serotonin, but also dopamine. That scared the pants off me, knowing that one extreme of dopamine is parkinsons, and the other is schizophrenia. That may be where the nightmares are coming in. Effexor blocks the reuptake of dopamine.
This is the end of the thread.
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