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I got a call today from my doctor's office recommending I try the antidepressant Effexor ER. Has anyone had any experience with this? After reading the very long list of side effects, many that I already have, I am tempted to bail out. If I do, I'm then stuck with what to do next. It's my hopes if I give this the three month try to see if it helps it will either A} actually help or B) be a means of telling them I tried what they recommended, now can you try what I asked for and look at my thyroid again.
I'm still convinced that I can't take a drug that will make me deal with the ups and downs of my life better than I am now but if I do have a chemical imbalance of some sort, maybe I'm wrong. I just look at the dooming list of possible side effects: low labido, decrease in REM sleep, dry eye, worsening colitis & D , hair loss....... on and on. Maybe I wasn't clear enough that I want to get rid of issues not aggravate them. Maybe the side effects will take to reverse psychology and improve.
Maybe I shouldn't have read the warnings. Any comments would be appreciated.
Hi Deb,
While I haven't been prescribed this drug, my DH has and has been able to taper down to the lowest dosage of it. He has not had any of the side effects and it has helped him immensely. He tried several before this one, with little to no success. I would give it a try!
Gosh...I don't know really what to tell you. I would be very wary of taking anything that says its can worsen colitis or cause diarrhea. My doctor prescribed Paxil to me about 6 years ago and I got diarrhea from it within a week.....had it 4 weeks and decided to get off the med. After only being on it for 4 weeks, I did go through a little withdrawal side effects once getting off. I've been on Amitriptyline for 20 years but that's mostly given for chronic pain.
I have heard Effexor is one of the better ones but I never have tried it. Now I'm terrified to try anything. I seem to get diarrhea a lot when taking a new med....unless it's my Armour thyroid...never had a problem with that. I'm thinking I must have mast cell issues going on.
Unfortunately, those meds take at least 3 weeks to start working. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it. Maybe take an anti-histamine if the D gets worse. I can't remember...are you currently having the D or is just depression and fatigue? BTW, Paxil worked wonders for my anxiety/depression but couldn't tolerate WD twice a day.
Keep us updated!
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Most medications list nausea, constipation diarrhea as side effects!!!!!!
we are all different, how one person reacts to a med can be completely different to another.
the sucky part, it is painful and tiring having to figure it out.
Terri, I transitioned about 10 months ago.
when my digestion was really sensitive, any new med or ingredient would cause D for a few days. only if the D continues more than a week would I be concerned that it will be a long term issue.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
While Effexor tends to have the opposite effect for many of us, at least a couple of other members (Monique and Carol) have recently used it to bring remission when they were searching for a way to break a stalemate situation. The only way to find out which category you might be in, is to try it.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I tried it for two months at the lowest dose. It was supposed to help my hot flushes, which it did. However, it gave me unbearable constant dizziness and nausea. I couldn't function very well with it, so just had to stop. It had no impact of my colitis (which is well under control) one way or the other.
Irregardless of what you decide to do re: the anti depressant possibly consider an appointment with an endocrinologist/hormone specialist even if you schedule it for say 3 months out or something. I saw your other recent thread and it seems like you have been suffering for a long time. You might possibly get a specialist who is a little more open re: treating thyroid outside of the ranges. If you are better in 2-3 months you can always cancel or push back the appointment. My experience with the lower level docs re: hormonal issues is that they are pretty inflexible and I think really did not take me seriously. Just a thought. Best wishes, Brandy
Thanks everyone, at least now it doesn't seem so scary. Taking another drug is exactly what I don't want to do. I suppose if the side effect become bad I can always stop but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised if it helps.
Terri, I still have WD and a long list of symptoms that they tell me are related to depression ( I'm not totally convinced). I don't consider myself as depressed but matbe I'm in denial??? The nurse told me I may be functional and have a smile on my face yet have the physical symptoms. I've always been very moody so maybe there's something to it. However, last year was my breaking point when I found out my son has basically an untreatable liver disease. I struggled for a very long time grieving the loss of my healthy son. He is doing well but deals with insane puritis daily. So I agree that the diagnosis is not off but it's something I will have to accept in order to be the best suport for him because there is no predictable timetable for the decline of his health but it hangs over me like a dark cloud and the dread never goes away. I am a very spiritual person which helps a lot but to me it seems it is just something I need to figure out- there's always a little piece of me that is sad. I almost want to laugh and ask what else would you expect? I don't want to start a pity party because I think I'm dealing with things pretty well considering I have my own health issues I'm trying to figure out. I do know there are people that have worse lives than me so I try to focus on the good.
Brandy- that's a great idea. I think I'll check into it as I'm not sure a referral is required. I agree with not being taken seriously and those are the people that act as the gatekeepers to the specialties. It's frustrating because if you can't convince them, your stuck.
I do feel much better about giving it a try and if I have to deal with a few more issues on the short- term, it won't be the first time and at least I will know I tried and move on to the next step.
DebE13 wrote:Thanks everyone, at least now it doesn't seem so scary. Taking another drug is exactly what I don't want to do. I suppose if the side effect become bad I can always stop but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised if it helps.
Terri, I still have WD and a long list of symptoms that they tell me are related to depression ( I'm not totally convinced). I don't consider myself as depressed but matbe I'm in denial??? The nurse told me I may be functional and have a smile on my face yet have the physical symptoms. I've always been very moody so maybe there's something to it.
Deb,
The fact that you have a lot of symptoms related to depression, even if its true, does not mean that Depression is the primary cause of your symptoms or that treating this Depression with a pill will magically make the symptoms disappear. Of course it doesn't mean it won't but I would hold onto your skepticism. One thing to keep in mind is that these anti-depressants are notoriously hard to get off of. You generally need to wean off them very slowly or the symptoms they produce can be worse than what they were meant to treat. I speak from experience here, having tried many anti-depressant over the years, never having found any to be helpful and having had a hard time weaning off of them. I no longer take any. I have no doubt that I was Depressed but I found that going paleo about 10 years ago removed the depression with no adverse effects much better than any pill ever did. I no longer consider myself depressed but that hasn't stopped the intestinal issues from increasing. Finding this forum, being more diligent about my diet and following the Enterolab results to the letter, is what has helped that. I know that some people have found anti-depressants helpful but I never did. I question a lot of the "science" behind both the diagnosis of depression, its putative causes and the easy prescribing of pills for its treatment.
So sorry to hear about your son. I am praying that the Effexor will give you some relief. I know stress plays a large part in this disease. I have been a high strung gal for a long time and a chronic worrier. I'm sure that's what brought on this disease. Praying for you.
@Jean....you are so right about the antidepressants. So hard to get off of. I've tried to get off Amitriptyline 3 times. The only time I was able to get off of it was when I got pregnant. Right after childbirth, my chronic headaches, jaw pain and anxiety came back and I had to get back on the med. I've tried getting off them some years after that, but it was hell. I admire you for getting off them and sticking to a paleo diet. I honestly think gluten was the cause of those chronic headaches I used to get and maybe even my anxiety. I'm hoping one day to be off all my anxiety meds. But with a teenager in the house, I won't even attempt that right now....lol!
Keep us updated DebE!
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
Jean- For many reasons, I'm a skeptic by nature so I am no longer willing to believe anything I'm told just because it's from someone with a medical agree. I have to keep myself in check to actually listen, though, because they do have the training that I do not. However, there are certain things that simply ring true to one's self that don't always blend with what the experts say. It's nice to hear from people on both ends of the spectrum and it makes me wonder where I'll fit in.
Terri- thanks for the prayers, I'll take them anytime!
What are the side effects and can they be that bad where you would have to stay on the meds? It it anything like Prednisone? I believe my taper was a bit too quick and life was hell for me during that period and don't want to end up on that road again in three months. Again, the skeptic I'm already planning it's not going to help and I will begin tapering off after I've done what they asked. I do know it may be the wrong attitude to have but secretly hope I'm proven wrong. I just don't want to regret giving it a try, although that's something no one can answer or give advise on.
I've never taken Prednisone before but this is what trying to get off Amitriptyline did to me. First off, my headaches came back, dizziness, lightheadness, major nausea, vertigo, chronic motion sickness feeling, more bowel movements and insomnia. I could have handled that for a day but it didn't seem to go away. I managed to stay off a week but still had the headaches, some motion sickness so went back on it. Was stuck in the bed for a week. As for Paxil, since I was only on it for 4 -6 weeks, I only had the motion sickness, dizziness for a day or two and it went away and I was fine after that. I think that the longer you are on them, the harder it is to get off them. My doctor even told me recently not to try to get off my Librium (anti-anxiety drug) as it can cause seizures. I think I would have to take something else in order to get off of that stuff. However, back in 1994 I took Paxil for 6 months and when I went off that then I had no issues. So you never know. The best thing to do is start out at the lowest dosage and when you decide to wean off, to wean off very, very slowly.
I do hope it works for you. Wouldn't it be amazing if you started taking it and your D stopped? You just never know. But from my experience, they definitely have worked on my anxiety and depression symptoms very well.
Sending more good vibes your way.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
You can check out Heatherann'a blog to get a sense of what Effexor xr withdrawal can be like. I know Heatherann and trust her information. She is smart and no drama queen.
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I'm already planning it's not going to help and I will begin tapering off after I've done what they asked. I do know it may be the wrong attitude to have but secretly hope I'm proven wrong. I just don't want to regret giving it a try, although that's something no one can answer or give advise on.