|
|
I understand what you are going through with the Effexor. I've been on and off of it two different times. The first time I was on it for about 2 years and was at 300mg per day. It did help my anxiety/depression, but I hated the side effects. The side effects I had were...sexual side effects, shaking, headaches, "brain zaps" (a feeling of electrical shocks), weight gain, constipation. I welcomed the constipation because I have always been IBS-D. I was able to successfully wean off of the Effexor over a 7 month period and continued to have the side effects as well as withdrawal symptoms for a few months after. The second time I was on Effexor was only a short time after getting off it....I was having horrible health issues and needed something to help me with the stress. So I went on a very low dose (75mg) for a short time and found out that I needed a hysterectomy. After surgery I was able to successfully get off Effexor once again and felt great for a while. I'm now having anxiety once again, though, and may need to go back on a med for it. Am hoping never to go back on Effexor, however, because of the side effects I've experienced in the past.
I've never been on Wellbutrin, so I have no information for you on that.
I wish you well. Good luck. Hope you feel better soon...
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
7 months?? wow! that is a long time of weaning off a medication!! no wonder i've felt so crappy! but i think today is better than yesterday (see my "AD withdrawal" posts)...
now that i'm nearly off of the effexor, i'm realizing just how much it was making my C worse! It's amazing!! Time to re-balance my IF and Natural Calm...
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
It took me 7 months because I was on such a high dose and I'm real sensitive to medications. The weaning off time just depends on how high your dose was to start with. And, yes, Effexor made me constipated, too...after years of IBS-D. I'm glad I'm off it. Did you have the shakes, brain zaps, etc?
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Luckily, it's only taken me about three weeks to get off of it and onto Wellbutrin. Hopefully this will be the last one - I want to get pregnant, darn it!!!
I did have withdrawal for a few days and I Just felt really out of it; zoned and dizzy and nauseous... Glad that's over!
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Are you tolerating it okay? And is it helping?
Did it make your C or anxiety worse? I hope my doctor agrees to stop mine. It's been 3 months and I'm still more C than before. I don't even know what I would try next. 
--------------------
IBS-C with pain and bloat
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I know you probably don't want to hear this, but so far I LOVE Wellbutrin! I'm still weaning off the Effexor, though. Every time I take my "last dose", no matter how small, I end up with withdrawal. Just going from half of a 75 mg pill per day to not taking it made me sick!! So now I'm taking 1/4 of a pill daily. Geez!! Hopefully I only have a few more days of that, then I'll be free of it! So far I haven't noticed any problems with it - and no more sexual side effects! Yippee!!  I'm hoping to be off ADs by the end of the year, for good!
As for C, I have drastically reduced my NC. When I was on the Effexor, I took about 2 tablespoons per day, now I only take about 2 teaspoons! Big difference! I can't believe how much the Effexor was making my C worse.
I'm so sorry the W isn't working for you! Amazing how it can work amazingly well for one person, and be awful for another. I wish I could help you!! Which ones have you tried now?
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
No! I'm happy it's working for you!!! Maybe I'm just blaming the bad C on the Wellbutrin. Although, after doing a search on it, I have seen others have had the same experience. 
Is it increasing your anxiety at all? That was another thing I thought it was causing.
I have tried numerous ADs. Either didn't help or couldn't handle the side effects.
--------------------
IBS-C with pain and bloat
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I've been MIA for the last week or so because I've been in AD hell as you can see from my subject. I finally stopped taking the Effexor when I got down to 1/4 of a pill - I couldn't break it up any smaller!! What followed was a week of horrible vertigo and nausea. This started a week ago today. Tuesday the doctor finally said to stop taking the Wellbutrin, too, in case that was part of the problem. So now I'm off of everything, but still not feeling great. I've missed 3.5 days of work and yesterday was my first day out of bed.
Yeah, I'm pissed. I'm pissed because I had NO idea this would happen when trying to get off these meds. I'm more pissed because I haven't been able to function for the last week - and that's very unfair to DH, too. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Today has been a little better than yesterday. I went to work for a few hours yesterday (had a meeting i HAD to go to) and ended up with one of the worst migraines I've ever had. It took TWO maxalts to make it go away (Toady can appreciate that!!). Today, I've already taken another two maxalts, but it does seem to help. Initially, I tried dramamine and valium and NOTHING helped. I finally just knocked myself out with dramamine and slept all day since I couldn't do anything else.
I guess my advice is this: before you take an AD, make sure you know:
1. What the possible initial side effects are
2. What can happen when you try to get off of them later!
I'm just glad I'm off of everything. IBS-wise, I feel great! Even when I was hardly eating because of the nausea, I had a bm every day. I'm down to less than 1 teaspoon of NC each day. When I was on the effexor, I took TWO TABLESPOONS! i probably don't even need it, but i'm not quite confident enough to give it up. 
And through all this, my regular doctor has been on vacation, so I've had to deal with doctors who aren't familiar with my situation. Ugh!!
But I think the worst is over. The fact that I've been sitting up for more than half an hour at a time now is HUGE progress.
Anyway, there's my update. It's almost time for another nap....
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Sorry to hear that you went through all that (another reason to make me want to stay on my Lexapro forever!). It sounds like it took the same trip down as it did up as far as getting your body to adjust. HOpefully you are on the steady end now. Feel better...I know how you feel about being unproductive and missing work, etc. You'll be back on your feet in no time...and yes, thank goodness for the IBS stability so you don't have one more thing to worry about. 
--------------------
Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I'm so sorry you've had such a rough time. Remember, even though they list all the side effects, every med and every person is different. One person can have absolutely no side effects, and some dreadful ones, FROM the same MED. Also, AD's also work in different parts of the brain, and in different ways, so there's also no telling which one will work for you. It's terrible to go through. I've been switched from med to med I don't know how many times.
It's the unfortunate result of the trial and error and everyone is different syndrome. Hugs to you! Hopefully the worst is over. Try to eat - whatever you can get down right now. Lots of SF - even saltine crackers and water - try not to let your tum get empty - that only worsens the nausea. Lots of nice hot herbal tea, too.
Hang in there, tons of hugs,
A.
--------------------
Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
Posts
