Afraid of taking Effexor XR-need advice

Ronda E · Post by **Ronda E** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:15 am

Jimbobek - thank you for your info. That helps. As Laura mentioned, some of us take it every second day (I'm at 37.5 mg every other day) and I really want to go off it, but it is a challenge. I don't know if it is because of the drug itself or if I am just not ready to go 'solo'!

Laura, keep trying girl. It will work. I know it is really scary at first and I know exactly what you are saying. I am 5' 3" and about 105lbs, so I am in the same boat. If you need to start at 37.5 every other day, do it, but build up to one a day soon as it won't help you if you don't take it right?

When you are feeling afriad of the symptoms, just remind yourself - "taking this is going to get me to a place where I don't feel rotten everyday, this medication is going to help me". Part of your 'sick' feelings are probably from the anxiety of taking it as much as they are from taking it, so be sure to keep relaxing as you go. No matter what you are feeling, 'think' about what the truth is - the drug will help you, the symptoms will pass, you will get better!

Ronda

Laura V · Post by **Laura V** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:52 am

Thanks Rhonda,
I've decided to start taking it this Friday because my husband is off this week and I really would like to spend some time with him and not be sick.

Ronda E · Post by **Ronda E** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:06 am

Laura, if that makes sense to you, then of course, that's what you should do, but I'm wondering if maybe it's an excuse to not take it yet?

Honestly, it isn't going to take long to work through the symptoms, then the next time your husband has time off, you'll be feeling much better?

Understand, I'm not pressuring you to take it or not take it - just understand what you rmotivation is. Sometimes we find excuses when we want them. Knowing that, and uncovering that will help us in dealing with the anxiety!

Good luck!
Ronda

Reckoner · Post by **Reckoner** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:36 am

Hey Laura,

I had IBS for 10 years before my ex wife accidently over-heard the most unlikely cure from a lady at one of her medical conferences who was days from going under the knife for it because it was so bad; garlic pills, specifically Garlique brand because they're the best and the least offensive. Sounds to simple I know but it cured her and it absolutely cured me years ago and I haven't had a problem since. Only draw back was that when I took too much, my wife complained that I smelled like a pizza instead of my normal sweet smelling self.

Far as the Effexor XR; it's almost as bad as Paxil, which I crashed from once and thought I was going to die. It was worse than a bad acid trip. Look Laura, all of those basically UNPROVEN meds are hit and mostly miss and only the lucky ones happen across the right one and it's dosage. Like most prescription meds, the side effects are far worse than the condition sometimes. I've gone thru about 10 different types and Lexapro was the only one that worked somewhat and then only just initially with it's efficay wearing off after a few months.

My advice being a newbie to this program and a veteran of the psychobabble community and its meds is to dive in head long into this program and put your trust in; God, yourself, the program and ALL of us going thru this crap together here at this site.

The ONLY med I allow myself to take now is a very small dosage of the generic for Xanax, and then only as needed when I feel another attack coming. Yoga, meditation, excercise, cognitive behavioral self-help, eat right, and don't prophesy negatively as we all do to our own detrement, all the while making a mountain out of a dirt clod.

In case you're wondering why and how I know what little I do; I had my eye blown out of my head by a riot bullet fired in anger by an out of state cop while I was rescuing people during Katrina. Over 2 years now I have had a screaming case of PTSD, anxiety, depression, anger and all the other goodies that go with it and while what I mentioned above works for me may not work for you but try it and God bless and good luck.

Laura V · Post by **Laura V** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:54 am

Reckoner,
Thank you for the advice. I will have to give the garlique a try but under the advice of my dr and counselor, I should try the Effexor and if the side effects are just too severe or I don't see any improvement with my IBS and other "issues" I'll stop. I've tried so many different remedies for the IBS with no luck; even Peposel, which is peppermint capsules that is supposed to stop the intestinal spasms but it didn't help and I ended up getting heartburn from it. I try the Yoplait Plus yogurt with fiber and probiotics and at first I did see an improvement but no longer so either my body is used to it or my urges of IBS are too strong. It's just very depressing for the damn IBS to kick in today, Valentine's Day, because my husband and I planned to go out for breakfast and I was excited so I don't know if that kicked off the IBS or not but we ended up asking for it to go and came straight home. I was so upset because the place had a relaxing fire going and there weren't that many people there and I really like this place because of their store inside the restaurant but, as always my IBS took control.
Laura

Ronda E · Post by **Ronda E** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 6:41 am

Hang in there girl! It's going to get better. You've got to make up your own mind about things and do what you think is right for you - just recognize when you're talking yourself 'into or out of' something because it might be easier in that moment.

I'm not in the place of 'peace and serenity' that I'd like to be in, but I'm doing soooo much better than I was before and I am able to reduce my dependency on the meds - which makes me happy because I don't want to be on them at all. Who does? But I can say, that I am thankful for them because they got my brain straight enough for long enough that I could absorb the course and learn to better care for myself.

I'm here if you need to talk.

Laura V · Post by **Laura V** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:25 am

Rhonda,
I started the Effexor XR today and as the last time, I started getting nauseated after 30mins but I put some wrist bands on and it helped a little but still had stomach aches all day and tired. I don't know why my doctor wanted me to take this in the morning because it seems to make me sleepy and he said it'd give me the opposite effect. I don't think my doctor knows me very well, but I'll continue to take it in the morning and hope the nausea, stomach aches, and tiredness go away. I did have one really bad spout of "D" it was more water then anything else. I don't remember seeing that on the side effects but I don't want to look again either because I don't want to worry about other possible side effects. If it's just the nausea, stomach ache, and tiredness til it gets in my system then I guess I'll deal with it. Heck, not like I'm working right now anyway and I applied for an at home job with a real company so hopefully once they call for the interview they'll sign me on and I can be sick at home and still do my work AND get paid. Can't beat that!! But, I am going to have to make sure I don't get agrophobic because I've noticed that when I stay home a few days in a row I really have a hard time leaving the house so I make sure I have my "To Do" list and get my errands done and home as soon as possible. Never know when a stupid IBS attack will hit me and there are many roads here with nothing on them.
Thanks for the support; I am such a baby when it comes to taking new meds; these doctors have messed me up so many times before and you're right who wants to be on meds? I don't but, right now I can't do this alone so I'm praying the Effexor XR helps me til I can learn how to better control my emotions and get some friends to hang out with to enjoy my life again.
Thanks for listening!
I hope all is well with you.
Laura

Ronda E · Post by **Ronda E** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 6:24 am

Congratulations on starting! Good for you. I really hope it helps you as much as it did me.

I was just chatting to my husband about it yesterday and mentioning how I'm feeling a bit more 'on edge' since reducing from one 37.5 cap every second day to one every third day. I'm confident I'm going to be able to make the reduction work this time and possibly get off them all together because that's what I'd really like!

I've also got to admit that the comments from others saying that the Effexor is hard to get off of has me a bit concerned, but the determined side of me is saying 'hey, no way, I'm going to prove them wrong!' - that's the side that you and I need to tap into more often - that really strong courageous side.

Don't read the side effects. I did, and although the occurence of some of them was really rare, I 'assumed' I had it. Of course, once the meds got into my system and started working, those reactions passed and I was able to see them as not the truth.

I can't say if morning or night for taking the meds is better. I know that when I did take them at night, the nausia wasn't an issue, but it worried me that I would forget to take them (my night time routine is less structured than my morning routine) and I do sometimes have a glass of wine now and then and didn't want to be taking the meds so close to having wine with dinner, so I switched to the morning.

I just 'toughed' my way through the nausia and headaches - they lasted about 7 days I think - then I kind of fell into a good groove. Not perfect - I still had anxiety - but a place where I could feel normal and focus on working on the skills. I was in a really bad job at the time and my boss caused me to feel horrible about myself. I had a lot of stress and anxiety there so I know the meds were right for me at that time. I really needed them!

Now, I notice that my mental habits are much better and my naturopath has been working with my hormonal levels and I'm noticing vast improvements, so we'll see how it goes reducing the meds.

You are doing wonderfully. You really are! Just hang in there. Eat when you can, focus on the fact that the meds are going to help you, even if you feel crappy right now and know that you're going to get more out of the program as time goes by.

You can do it!!!

Laura V · Post by **Laura V** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:59 am

Rhonda,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. How will I know if it doesn't work? I mean how am I supposed to feel if it IS working? All I know is I have nausea, tiredness, and headaches now with very little appetite. I, too, had a very stressful job and my boss and co-workers made me feel like crap so I retired but, I have a lot of family issues going on here that is keeping me in high stress mode.
I'll hang in there just as long as the side effects don't get worse.
Well, I better sign off, we are having a bad storm right now and where I'm sitting the lightening is coming in the window.
Take care and I'll keep you posted on my progress, I just wonder why the dr has me on it every day.
Laura

Ronda E · Post by **Ronda E** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:45 am

When it IS working, you jut feel closer to 'normal'. At least that was my experience. It's like the 'ultra-nasty' edge of anxiety and sometimes depression that would make me feel incapable and useless and over-whelmed and 'freaked-out' passed and I began to feel 'normal'. I still felt the anxiety to a certain degree, but it lessened and it was like I could relax a bit and say 'ahhhh, okay, now maybe I can handle things'. I don't know if that explanation helps, but that's the best I can say for my experience.

The side effects shouldn't get any worse. They jsut feel crappy for a few days, then you'll notice they start to slowly get better and soon you don't feel them much at all.

You'll be on an 'everyday' dose until you feel you don't need it anymore. I took them everyday right up until I started to feel good enough to slowly come off them, then taking them every other day is the 'last step' in the process. You slowly build up your dose (daily), then maintain that as long as you feel you need it. Then, if you feel like you can (with your Dr.), you start to reduce the dose (still taking them daily), then at the lowest dose, go to every other day and so on. It's just that you've caught me at a point where I'm trying to come off them, otherwise I'd be taking them daily as well.

Honestly Laura, my big motivators for coming off them are #1 - we want to have a baby, so I want to try to be off them if possible and #2 - I'm not a big medication user, so I always try to do things without medication.

That being said (and I said this to my husband the other day), if I have to take this drug for the rest of my life in order to feel 'normal', I would. I absolutely would. But - that's because it worked for me and I am so thankful that it did. I would never have been able to learn all that I've learned from the program and others things and face the challenges of hte past few years without it and for that I'm thankful. But, I want to see if I can go without it. The last time I went off it was when I was working (the 'horrible company') so I needed to go back on and I understand all of that (I also wasn't in the program at that point).

Try to keep busy (get out, do 'regular' things as best you can with the IBS) and try not to focus on the symptoms. In a few days they will pass and I really hope you start to feel better!!!!

Love,

Ronda