[nicole84]

I've been off of Efexor (aussie spelling) for almost 5 weeks now, and it wasn't easy.

I got the doc to put me on Aurorix (Moclobemide) which hasn't been heard of alot but I had some friends on it that said its apparently good, doesn't have withdrawal effects unlike Efexor, which is a huge bonus.

Anyone trying to get off Efexor, have faith you can do it!! My first weekend was the worst.. I spent most of it crying in bed with my bf for support. That and shivering.. the cold shivers are crap and I still get them on occasion. Also brain zaps took almost 3 weeks to subside but they are more or less non existent.

My current issue is now the Aurorix isn't really doing anything, other than keep me awake at night.. I get angry and frustrated, cry again for no reason and am constantly stressing. I've started a new job approx when I withdrew off the Efexor and i'm starting to get bored there and feel unstimulated and I don't know if its just the lack of medication working or what...

I'm hoping some of you have suggestions on medication for me to try?? I really don't want to go on Prozac, Zoloft, Efexor (obviously)

My doc has mentioned Mirtazapine but I don't know that much about it either than the research i've seen that it makes you put on weight and extremely tired.

Any input would be appreciated thankyou

[nana98]

Sorry I can't be more help. What symptoms did you experience that you went on effexor? Maybe knowing more details 'we' could assist you better.

Yea the remeron is known for weight gain and being sedating. I've read where some only gain around 5 lbs and the higher the dose the less sedating,
It's been known to work when other AD's don't.

Looks like it isn't lisenced for USA (and perhaps Canada) so there isn't much about it. (I wonder why it isn't lisenced for USA...) Found this, though:

http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041211/msgs/428123.html

> I've started a new job approx when I withdrew off the Efexor and i'm starting to get bored there and feel unstimulated and I don't know if its just the lack of medication working or what...

Er... Maybe... Your job is understimulating for you now that you are getting the hang of it. The point of medication... Isn't meant to be 'social control' (i.e., to make you a happy little housewife or happy little working drone). There is a function of boredom... Maybe it is to motivate you to... Ask if you can take on some more responsibilities or something like that. Something to keep you stimulated at work.

> I'm hoping some of you have suggestions on medication for me to try??

So sorry but... Telling you to take something to supress that would just be dumbing you down. Are you able to ask if there is more that you can do? Or perhaps you can do things that will help you feel stimulated outside work? Learn to Tango? Play tennis? Start painting?

[nicole84]

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alexandra_k said:
> I've started a new job approx when I withdrew off the Efexor and i'm starting to get bored there and feel unstimulated and I don't know if its just the lack of medication working or what...

Er... Maybe... Your job is understimulating for you now that you are getting the hang of it. The point of medication... Isn't meant to be 'social control' (i.e., to make you a happy little housewife or happy little working drone). There is a function of boredom... Maybe it is to motivate you to... Ask if you can take on some more responsibilities or something like that. Something to keep you stimulated at work.

> I'm hoping some of you have suggestions on medication for me to try??

So sorry but... Telling you to take something to supress that would just be dumbing you down. Are you able to ask if there is more that you can do? Or perhaps you can do things that will help you feel stimulated outside work? Learn to Tango? Play tennis? Start painting?

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Had nothing to do with taking medication to dumb me down. I'm talking about in general. In living with feeling depressed each day that its becoming hard to function again, the crying spells, the unhappiness etc.

The job situation was another issue that I was trying to work out if my new medication wasn't helping me therefore making me feel less interested in work, or if it was the work itself.

My new job has less people contact, older one had more and that stimulated me. I know what works in that sense.

And I thought coming onto these threads you CAN ask for help of what are good medications to try etc, not be told that I 'want' to be dumbed down.

Its the last thing I want to do, I was doing extremely well before coming off Efexor, not that i'm going to get into all that here but anyhow. I saw the doctor and has advised Mirtazapine isn't the best option for me, he's given me the option to trial Lexapro, something i'm not quite sure of either.

I'm sorry - I didn't mean the 'dumbing you down' phrase to be accusatory - I was aiming for uplifting :-)

I missed the mark there, sorry.

Of course you can ask for other meds to try...

I guess I was just wondering whether your feeling of upset... Might be due to your feeling understimulated at work. And whether if you were more stimulated at work... Then you might feel happier and more productive.

Of course medication might be able to numb you so that you aren't really bothered by work... But I guess I was just thinking that it was possible that your body was trying to tell you that it needed more stimulation. And maybe... If there were ways that you could get more stimulation... That you might end up feeling happier and more motivated and more productive. Whereas if you took meds to dull your desire instead of going with the desire and finding other forms of stimulation then you might be missing out on some of those other things you could be doing (and the sense of acomplishment that goes with that).

[nicole84]

Ok thats alright. Just not in the best frame of mind to be thinking that I want to be 'dumb'

I know with the job I am doing that there is minimal contact with people and i'm generally alone alot and I think that has contributed to feeling more down as well. Although I haven't been to work for the last few days due to being so unwell in having no medication, I feel i'm losing it again =( and apparently Aurorix has no withdrawals... either it does or the Efexor is still in my sytem causing problems.

I'm not sleeping.. then i'm sleeping lots.. or i'm taking valium to relax me from wanting to hit my head against a wall.. I hope this settles soon

I know I feel down if I don't get enough people contact. Is there anything you can do to have more people contact? Join some kind of club in order to have more time with people? Are there other people at work who might be feeling similarly so you could hang out with them during lunch breaks and / or after work etc?

I think that MAO's do have withdrawal syndromes associated with their cessation - but Effexor is fairly notorious for particularly severe withdrawal syndromes (in internet chatrooms if not with the manufacturers).

[nicole84]

Well i'm pretty much the only girl working in an engineering company doing office work. Makes it a bit hard. Theres only 12 ppl in the whole company.

With Aurorix its a diff kind of MAOI its actually a RIMA, the reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase. Apparently shouldn't cause too much withdrawal at all.

Saw the doctor today and he said its possible to have some withdrawal effects but my anxiety has just been shocking.

[sujunew]

congrats on coming off effexor. Just to put in my 2cents owrth, when I was on aurorix I didn't believe it was working at all, and after no more than 3 months on it took myself off. Turns out that they were probably doing more than I realised as I ended up in hopsital very quickly after I took myself off them, when things went WAAAAAAAAY downhill very quickly. I have found tho that out of all the ADs I have tried effexor has been the best by far (apart from the withdrawls...). Just wondering, was there a reason for coming off the effexor?- (I think I read you were doing well prior to finishing it)
i hope that things get sorted for you quickly.

[nicole84]

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irishsj said:
congrats on coming off effexor. Just to put in my 2cents owrth, when I was on aurorix I didn't believe it was working at all, and after no more than 3 months on it took myself off. Turns out that they were probably doing more than I realised as I ended up in hopsital very quickly after I took myself off them, when things went WAAAAAAAAY downhill very quickly. I have found tho that out of all the ADs I have tried effexor has been the best by far (apart from the withdrawls...). Just wondering, was there a reason for coming off the effexor?- (I think I read you were doing well prior to finishing it)
i hope that things get sorted for you quickly.

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Yeah I went off of it due to things going really well and didn't want the side effects or the fact of having to have it everyday or i'd get really bad withdrawals. I'm at least now free of the nightmares i'd get constantly on it!

Been off the Aurorix a week now I think and only thing i'm taking is the Neulactil that the doc gave me to help sleep and anxiety

[Peacemaker]

Mirtazipine's brand name is Remeron. It is packed with antihistamines and is used by many oncologists to prescribe to their patients to help them sleep. Unfortunately, if like me, antihistamines do not affect me.

I took Remeron for a while. It is a weight gainer by many. I put on 5 lbs the first week. Didn't work and went off of it.

Good Luck. Remeron may be the answer for you. I increases the appetite in many who do take it.

Peacemaker (Sherri)

[nicole84]

Yeah didn't end up trying it and don't want to. Have heard way too much about it and had a friend recently try it and made them much worse.

I've been very hesitant trying new meds, and the doc has given me Reboxetine to try now which is a newer class of AD's again. A NARI. So it doesn't uptake the serotonin but works on the noradrenaline.