Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Anti-Depressant Info

Hey Guys,

There's something that's been bugging me lately and I wanted to post about it in case it helps some people here. Sorry I haven't been around lately, I've got bad tendonitis in my left wrist and because I have to type all day at work I'm not supposed to be on the computer at home

I've been lurking though and keeping up with everyone!

Anyways, for those of you who may know, I'm currently trying to get off of Effexor XR, and having some pretty nasty withrdrawal effects. I was doing a lot of research into the SSRIs as well as talking with doctors and pharmacists and based on what I found, I just really wanted to share my thoughts here for you guys.

I know a lot of doctors suggest SSRIs to people with IBS and assorted tummy problems, and I'm not by any means against it, but after having two rather bad experiences with them I wanted to post my sort of warning and advice...I figure if it helps one person avoid my pitfalls...it'll be worth it. I personally believe that SSRIs can really help people with IBS (Paxil really helped me), but I find most doctors do not adequately explain the risks...specifically how hard it can be to get off of these drugs.

For those of you who don't know, the shorter the half-life of an SSRI, the worst the withdrawal. Paxil was for a long time known to be the worst (and boy did I have trouble with it!), but Effexor has now taken that title, with a half-life of only 18 hours you can experience horrid withdrawal from missing just one pill! I just feel it's unfair that the doctor's dont' explain the kinds of things you might go through if (or when) you decide to stop taking these drugs (sweats, nausea, anorexia, irratibility, dizziness etc). In fact, I was doing some reading lately that stated that in some cases, Effexor withdrawal can be so bad that some people literally have to stay on it for life...it's considered worse than opiate withdrawal!

Ok, I'm rambling, but basically I just wanted to encourage everyone to make sure they talk to their doctors and get all the info before going on one of these drugs. Obviously, if it's for severe depression you may not have a choice, but if it's just a last-ditch effort to see if it might help the tummy, it seems only fair that people be given all the options before making a decision.

From what I've read, Prozac is the best for getting off of, followed by Lexapro. Paxil and Effexor are the worst and the rest fall somewhere in between.

Maybe I just needed to get this out, but I really hope this helps someone. Believe me, if I had done my research beforehand (and knowing how hard a time I had with Paxil) I would have never decided to try Effexor

Anyways, that's enough rambling from me,
Kelly

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