[dsmith]

Hello all, thanks for your replies to my maiden post, "Smorgasbord of Medications and Issues."

Saw my psychiatrist today and she affirmed exactly what I was thinking - the smorgasbord wasn’t working:

• I still feel awful and depressed all the time
• Don’t want to do anything / interact with anyone (not just friends and colleagues, but my own wife and kids)

The list goes on...the only saving grace has been that I won't be traveling for a little while, which will hopefully help address some of the issues I mentioned in my post about the link between consulting and depression. However, now I feel anxiety about the fact that I don't have my next project lined up, and am worried about losing my job if this goes on for too long.

So here are the next steps:

• Staying on the Lorazepam / Ativan
• Using Ritalin on an as needed basis
• Going off Fetzima and Abilify
• Starting Effexor

I really don’t care anymore, however; I remember I used to feel a ray of hope when my doctor prescribed a new medication - kind of like getting a shiny new toy / silver bullet that would solve all my problems. I really feel like I have a form of depression that is untreatable, and that the medication is not helping matters at all. For all I know it is exacerbating the problems I mentioned before:

• Focus, Basic Comprehension
• Lack of Energy
• Seeking Isolation

Anyway - would like to get a better sense of what I’m in for; anyone have anything (good or bad) to say about Effexor?

[sideblinded]

Effexor is one of the antidepressant meds (SNRI) that has been used for focus and concentration (ADHD). It may be a very beneficial medication for you since you mentioned lack of focus and you are taking Ritalin as needed. Let us know how it works as I have ADHD and depression.

[Squaw]

Please understand I cannot personally say how good/bad Effexor is, only to say the experience my ex-husband had was terrible..he was taking Effexor ER and it gave him "brain shocks" really bad, and he couldn't concentrate on doing anything but laying in bed..he was taking multiple other meds but didn't have these problems until he started the Effexor. He had to be IP hospitalized for 28 days to get stabilized after coming off of it..I hope you have good success with this medication yourself...By the way, did you have problems with the Fetzima?

[kaliope]

haha.....youre going to love this........my sister had a consult with the psychic sylvia browne and she said that effexor would solve all my problems....lol... so without tellling my doctor that i convinced him to switch me to that from wellbutrin. well i had this side effect i couldnt tolerate so i never found out if it was the magical pill for me. i was yawning constantly. real big longlasting yawns. while i was driving. this made it so my eyes closed and i couldnt pay attention to the road. so it was unsafe to drive. so i had to get off of it. wellbutrin is really the magic pill for my depression. it works great. for some it is energizing. they warn against that actually. doesnt do that to me but my friend at work is on it and she says it stims her so much she nearly has a panic attack within a half hour of taking it. good luck on finding something that work. it took me quite a while and lots of med changes but my stability seems worth it.

I hope that you're going to be taking the extended release version of Effexor. I've taken both and with the non-extended release version I had to take it 3x/day and I'd be having withdrawals between every dose (like tingling lips and fingertips.)

Do you know what dose of Effexor your doctor has in mind for you? When I took it, I was a high dose (375 mg/day) because I was taking it for chronic pain as well as for depression. I took it for about 5 years but eventually switched to Cymbalta because the Effexor started making my blood pressure high.

When I first started taking Effexor, it was energizing and helped my focus.

I've actually taken Effexor two different times - the first time was in 1995 when it wasn't available in extended release form. That was also the first time that I had taken an SNRI type antidepressant. It took nearly a month before I adjusted to the drowsiness and slight dizziness.

The next time I took it, it was the extended release version. When I switched from that to Cymbalta, I didn't even really notice the difference as far as getting any side effects.

Since you're already taking Fetzima, that should make your transition easier.

Did you doctor say why she wants you to take Effexor rather than Cymbalta or Pristiq?

Just curious.

I really don’t care anymore, however; I remember I used to feel a ray of hope when my doctor prescribed a new medication - kind of like getting a shiny new toy / silver bullet that would solve all my problems. I really feel like I have a form of depression that is untreatable, and that the medication is not helping matters at all. For all I know it is exacerbating the problems I mentioned before:

That's pretty much how I feel, too. Even with my medication, I only manage to achieve a medium-bad case of depression instead of a horribly bad one.

I used to get massages every two weeks and I felt like it helped my depression. I can't afford it now, but it's something I would recommend. Medical insurance usually won't pay for it.

I have also tried acupuncture, meditation, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, biofeedback, nutritional supplements, special diets, limiting caffeine and alcohol, good sleep hygiene, exercise, and of course psychotherapy.

I got the best results from the massage and certain types of psychotherapy. Another thing that helped was choral singing, although I didn't get into that with the idea that it would be a depression remedy. The yoga was good as well, although I felt that it mostly helped with stress relief and helped to keep my spine and muscles in good shape. That's helpful if you have depression, because the emotional tension also takes up residence in your body.

For me, it has been helpful to accept that it's possible that I'll always be dealing with depression at some level. That doesn't mean that I've stopped trying to get better. Not everyone agrees with this attitude. I want to be as well as I can, but I won't let myself feel like a failure if the depression won't go away.

Here's a link to a blog post that discusses some medical issues that can cause depression. The blood tests are the easiest things to get checked if you haven't already. The diet changes (#1 & #2 listed) are time-consuming to implement.

Top 5 Hidden Causes of Depression

[dsmith]

Originally Posted by jo_thorne

Here's a link to a blog post that discusses some medical issues that can cause depression. The blood tests are the easiest things to get checked if you haven't already. The diet changes (#1 & #2 listed) are time-consuming to implement.

Thanks Jo, I am a big fan of Therese Borchard's writing - are you as well?

[kiwi33]

Hi dsmith

I have been on Effexor XR (150 mg/day) for a while and have found it helpful. My psychiatrist told me that it is important to take it at the same time each day, which I do.

Apart from that I have found non-pharmaceutical approaches (mindfulness/meditation methods and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), which my clinical psychologist has taught me, of value as well.

Those approaches might be worth thinking about as well as medication.

I am now. I only discovered her about a month ago. She is very knowledgeable and I really admire her fighting spirit.

[splitimage]

I've been on Effexor Xr from sometime around 1999 and I love it. It blasted me out of a deep dark depression quite quickly. I did have some trouble with dizziness, migraines, and nausea when I started it, but those side effects pretty much went away.

Like Kiwi, I too use mindfulness and CBT and find that the combination really helps.

splitimage

[monstermash]

It is a very powerful drug and can do great things if you use it right. Here is what I learned from my experience with effexor and I hope you can learn from my mistakes!