Posted by SLS on September 24, 2001, at 0:39:56
In reply to I can ''feel'' again-yikes-not sure I like this!, posted by Janelle on September 23, 2001, at 23:11:14
> I didn't realize until going off EffexorXR (and Celexa before that) how I was NUMBED out by the med like many people here have said can happen from the pyschopharmaceuticals ... there are some *heavy* things going on in my life and I'd had NO emotions about them whatsoever while on EffexorXR (and Celexa prior to that).
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> Interestingly, I was not at all numbed out, i.e., I *did* have feelings/emotions the whole time I was on Paxil; in fact, after many years it contributed to hypomania, then pooped out (nice, huh?!)
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> Anyway, I thought I had somehow become incredibly strong and resilient, but now that the EffexorXR must be cleared out of my system, and I'm experiencing feelings and emotions again, I've come to believe that it wasn't such powerful inner strength and resiliency I developed, but rather the med that was blocking things in me and creating that numbed out lack of feeling or emotion. Wow ... what a revelation ...
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> And, now I find myself crying at times again, but not the *depression-type* of crying (been there, done that plenty) but rather from feelings about some heavy issues (e.g., my dad has a life-threatening illness, I had made a mess of things with the person I believed and still do believe is the love of my life, who I may have lost forever and I'm just soooooo mad at myself now after feeling nothing for quite some time).
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> Eeeek - I'm not sure I like *feeling* again ... anyone who wants to share similar experiences with meds, numbing out, etc. please do! Thanks.Dear Janelle,
Hopefully, this doesn't pertain to you:
Sometimes, people actually experience an improvement immediately after discontinuing an antidepressant. This is sometimes called a withdrawal-rebound. It generally lasts for a week or two and then fades. I have had this occur with both tricyclics and MAOIs, although the tricyclic rebounds are for me qualitatively better. I don't recall ever reading anyone describe this of SSRIs, although it may happen. It might be that it is the NE reuptake inhibiting properties of Effexor that might be responsible for a rebound should this be the case.
You might definitely be experiencing a return of those emotions that were dampened by the serotonergic counterpart of Effexor and the SSRIs. Often, the cognitive and emotional side effects of drugs come on so gradually and persist for so long, that one doesn't realized the degree to which they are being affected until they finally stop taking them.
How much Effexor were you taking?
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:79417
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010917/msgs/79425.html