To make a very long story short - I've dealt with depression on and off for most of my adult life. There have been times when it was almost completely gone - for sometimes years at a time (and not controlled with medication) but eventually, it finds it's way back. This last time was one of the more severe "episodes" as it was shortly after my child was born and diagnosed as postpartum depression (yes, I'm aware there is a sub category for that.) I saw my Dr. shortly after the symptoms started and she prescribed me effexor XR (extended release) I have heard some of the effexor horror stories, but nothing else seemed to work (we tried various ssri's before going to the effexor) I'm on a very small dose (37.5mg) I usually take it in the morning because it has a tendency to wind me up a bit (It's an snri, similar to the ssri's except it effects your adrenaline). Well, the other morning (3 days ago) I forgot to take it, and I didn't realize until early evening - when I started experiencing some of those awful withdrawl effects. So I took it. The next day I woke up feeling extremely depressed. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I didn't want to leave the house...I took care of my Baby, but I can't say I wanted to do that either. My Husband came home and I pretended I was asleep. I tried to go shopping and literally had to leave the store. I just wanted to climb in bed and pull the covers over my head. I woke up the day after that feeling the same way. Only today am I starting to feel a little better. I can't say my depression was ever "cured", for the past year or so I've been walking around with it to some degree, but it's been very tolerable and manageable. The past couple days though, it was barely tolerable. I felt very hopeless and just basically ******. My question is, do you think that could have happened because I changed the time I take my effexor? (I take it in the evening now) could something as small as a a time change effect me that much? If it was a normal pill I would say no, but being that it's an extended release I kind of wonder. It makes me nervous because I don't want to slip back into a severe depression again. And if it's not the pills, is it common to have a few days were you feel completely depressed and hopeless?

I'm thinking about giving my Dr. a call tomorrow as she's been out of her office....my therapist is also not around this week so I figured I'd consult with the good old PC experts