Posted by paulk on May 27, 2001, at 20:36:28
In reply to Hate it! , posted by SCALLOPSHELL on April 13, 2001, at 7:42:19
have been taking Effexor for 3 years now. At first it was quite good – I have had depression all my life – never stopping. After I started Effexor-xr my wife all of a sudden thought I was sweet< grin >.
I never could take more than 75mg and function. I would lose the ability to concentrate – memory problems – I would be unable to remember a phone number I give out several times a day. Problems with word choice. Recently, I had to cut the dose to 37.5mg or my concentration became so poor that I couldn’t work. It is as if a metabolite just keeps collecting but not the one that does me good. I am wonder if anyone else here has had the experience of memory/ concentration problems with long term use of Effexor-xr??
I decided to change to a MAOI and stop the Effexor-xr a few weeks ago – I have had a lot of withdrawal side effects – I first went a week at 25 mg and then stopped. I would recommend anyone stopping to learn to open the pills and count the pellets. Then taper down cutting the daily dosage in halve each week until you are down to 9mg. Effexor-xr really should come in smaller amounts for tapering. Anyone starting it should be told, up front, that it takes a good month to stop the drug.
Before starting ANY antidepressant you should see a good endocrinologist who can rule out hypothyroidism. A good endocrinologist needs to be familiar with combined T4/T3 treatment and understand treating the patient and not just the lab test numbers.
A high TSH indicates hypothyroidism – but what WAS a high normal is now treated. Many doctors are not aware that the normal range for TSH has changed – and that replacement therapy for hypothyroidism should probably end up with the TSH level in the bottom 25% of the new normal range.
Most of my concentration is back – along with my depression – I have found tears in my eyes unexpectedly. I have to be totally off the Effexor-xr for one week before I start the MOAI.
Please be aware the risks of taking antidepressants are much less than the risks of depression itself. While psychopharmacological treatment is still crude and in its infancy, it has helped me much more than the years and years of psychotherapy that in hind sight was mostly an expensive waste of time for me.
poster:paulk
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010522/msgs/64452.html