Posted by Jiggitykid on November 18, 2004, at 21:29:35
In reply to Re: withdrawl? Not sure, but I AM depressed again, posted by DustBuster on November 18, 2004, at 21:01:43
Patrick, you need some help that goes beyond a message board. Many folks here have recommended taking Prozac to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms (one of which was despair for me, for a while). Personally, I would call my doctor and tell him/her that this is an emergency and get in that office. They can work you in. You already know that adding alcohol to the mix was not healthy. Alcohol is a depressant.
Your cats will forgive you :-). Mine did.
Perhaps you wouldn't have stopped taking the Effexor had you not found this board RIGHT NOW, but you would have had to quit eventually. Effexor has a tendency to plateau, and you need more and more for it to work. With me, the higher the dosage, the more anxious and detatched I became. Quitting wasn't an option. Had I been warned about the withdrawal, I wouldn't have swallowed the first pill. There are so many ADs available right now.
Sounds like the support group you found isn't the right one. Perhaps your local hospital or social services could recommend a real, reliable support group?
As for the weight, I gained 20 lbs on Effexor. I'm significantly overweight, too, so this was a real blow. I've not lost any of it, but, I've not been able to really get into the exercise. I have inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia, and now that evil Merck has recalled Vioxx, I'm in more pain and it hurts to exercise. Yes, my blood pressure has gone down (again, no information about risks until the last few weeks before the recall, and I had been taking it for six years), but I've got no real alternative for anti-inflammatory treatment. I'm looking, looking, looking :-). I know it might sound trite, but let your weight be the LAST worry right now for you. You've got to get your mind and emotions healthy first, before you can think about anything else. During the first weeks of being effexor-free (cold turkey from 275 mg), I didn't give a darn about much of anything. This lifted for me after the second week. I suppose perhaps I had a blessing in not knowing how long the withdrawal would take, so I wasn't counting the minutes until the two-week mark.
Please, call your doctor first thing in the morning. Someone once said, "Never accept a no from someone who has no authority to give a yes." In other words, get past the receptionist and get the doctor to hear you. Call and get in there. Perhaps a low dosage of Prozac would help you the way it has helped others here. You need support. Don't go this alone. If I had not had support, I don't know how I would have made it. They were my light.
Please, call your doctor. Call your sister, too. She doesn't mind listening. Clearly she loves you. Direct her to this site and help her understand what you are going through. Maybe she could come stay with you for a while?
Hang in there. Come here and vent all you want. We've been there and we care. We know what you are going through, and we know how lonely it is. Take care!!!!!
poster:Jiggitykid
thread:12459
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041118/msgs/417707.html