Posted by rmshed on July 18, 2001, at 17:41:49
In reply to Re: 80% Overall Improvement on Effexor! » rmshed, posted by adamie on July 17, 2001, at 21:47:35
> > I am now on my 5th week of being on Effexor XR. I started taking 37.5 mgs at bedtime. 15 days later my dose was increased to 75 mgs. I had several days of a handful of side effects, which have passed for the most part and are by all means putting up with. I have not felt this good in a long time. I think that I found that two ginger root capsules and two pepcid ac and one draminine eliminates the slight nausea that I feel at times. I have been on so much different medication in my life time it is hard to say which ones cause a particular side effect. I had some numbness in my right hand, it feels like my hand is falling asleep sometimes, but if this is all that I have to deal with, I can live with that. Beside that, I have had carpel tunnel syndrome on and off in the same wrist/hand. It may not be the Effexor XR at all. I think that I was so worried about the side effects that I felt them whether they really existed or not. I decided that I needed to let my body tell me what my side effects to Effexor was going to be.
> >
> > You know what, life is "ok" the way it is right now!
> >
> > Becky
>
> hi becky. I replied to one of your posts above. It's good to hear sucess stories. even partial ones.
>
> How severe has your depression been? Mine has been extremely severe and if my current paxil fails I will be considering effexor as one of my options since I feel I need something that is stimulating.
>
> So I was just wondering how effective effexor could be for extremely severe and even suicidal depression if you have possibly had such severity.
> I had other questions but it is so hard for me to remember. have your symptoms possibly included lack of concentration and in general lack of strong emotions? these are my primary problems which i hope will be cured.
>
> since you've been on it 5 weeks perhaps it will continue to even greater improve your condition. good luckHi!
My depression was severe, some days more than others, but my depression continued from one day to the next, as I said in my other post, I merely existed and have for the most part, held myself together at work. I am a self-injurer. Last July, I had a run in with my lady boss. She criticized me to the point where I felt life was no longer worth the struggle. I work for a construction company and there was boxes of straight razor blades everywhere, the workers used them. I grabbed a handful and headed home where I slashed my arms and chest in approximately 75 places. I had totally lost control. I got scared, because I felt so brave and I took myself to a local crisis intervention center. I was then put in a hospital for a week. I was started on lithium. It helped some, but I didn't feel that I needed to be on it.
Death and how to end my life was in my thoughts several times a day. It was when I started to stand on top of the wall that held up my stairs and thought about closing my eyes and jumping, did I realize that my depression and thoughts of suicide were in control, it was just a matter of time before I try something extremely dangerous. I didn't like this feeling and I wanted to get better. I then decided that if my current doctor wouldn't try some new medication, then I would start to get other opinions. I have been with the same doctor since 1988. I know that I will never be cured of depression. Mental illness runs in both of my parents family. My mother and father have both been hospitalized for mental health disorders. I have been told and I believe that 50% of our body chemistry is inherited. I have been told that I will always need an AD. If I could only achieve 50% improvement with some type of treatment, I would be satisfied with that. With Effexor XR, I already seen more improvement that what I expected. I have suffered from depression and panic and anxiety disorders since my early teens, I am now 41. I have been hospitaled about 6 times, everytime was due to self injury. I have no problem answering any questions that you may have, I am not a doctor, but I have had much life experience in the mental health area. I don't know how old you are or how long you have been depressed or why or what makes you feel suicidal. Is Paxil the only drug that you have taken for depression? My first experience with Prozac was excellent. With time, I required more and then it got to the point that it was just better than being on nothing for depression. Perhaps, I no longer was responding to that type of medication. I still take the Prozac along with the Effexor XR. My doctor wanted to take me off the Prozac slowly, but I told him that I would like to leave well enough alone for now and he agreed. I hope that I have helped you some.Becky
poster:rmshed
thread:70527
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010714/msgs/70700.html