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20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 79

Thanks Redface, I had to stop the Effexor XR, unfortunately the side effects were too much. All I've done is throw up for the last 2 days, talked to the Doctor on call and he told me to stop taking it. Back to square one. I'm really discouraged today, I hope I can make it to work and stay there, but I'm still feeling VERY nauseasus(sp?). I guess I may talk to my Doc about trying Buspar. With my luck, the same thing will happen with that. I'm also having a very hard time sleeping, man, I'm so tired all the time! I'm so irratable I can't even stand myself sometimes. Oh well, here I go again

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 274

Lester: How is the Effexor XR going? It takes time to work, maybe up to 3 or 4 months...but I found that it had less side effects for me than the Serzone and Paxil. Probably they all have side effects that could be dangerous to some people, however, personally, I would rather take something than do nothing at all. It's everyones free choice. Of course your doctor can advise you as to what to do and knows more about particular drugs than we do, however, we can tell you what we have experienced personally. Sometimes what we think are side effects are really results of other problems we are having that have not yet been diagnosed, but then how do we know? It is a personal choice that you have to make, not just the choice of your doctor. I know what you mean about trying health food store suggestions, which usually do not work in the long run. However, occassionally for some people, health alternatives do work on some things for some people. Right now, I know I need to be on something stronger. But occassionally when I wake up at 3pm in the morning, I am not going to just put up with it any longer and just stay awake. I also have a bottle of herbs that I have in my side table, and if I can't go back to sleep, I take them also. They are not the ones that contradict the drugs. You have to do your own research. They do work to get me back to sleep, however, depression is another story. And my panic attacks have pretty well stopped now after taking higher dosages of anti-anxiety meds with the anti-depression meds. So I hope you can find some solutions for yourself. I wish you all the best...

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 79

Thanks, Melanie! I certainly didn't use anyone's advice here on the board as "God's Word". I was just looking for some real world experiences from board members on the effects that non SSRI drugs may produce. (If that makes any sense!) I HAVE discussed my thoughts and feelings with my Doc, he's pretty Pro- SSRI, and I needed another option. He thought it was great that I did some research and made a (somewhat) educated choice. He did say that Effexor was more of an anti-depressant than an anti-anxiety drug, but since I do suffer from depression also, I don't think it will hurt, and he agreed. So far, the only side effects I have are nausea (don't know if it's from the drug OR the fear of taking a new drug) and I get REAL sleepy about 1 hour after I take it. I just hope it works out. And again, thank you everyone for your help!

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 117

Facing your fears is definitely an important part of the healing process. Agoraphobia, or avoidance, develops as a result of avoiding things which you fear, whether they be rational or not. Unfortunately if we avoid everyday things in our life as a result of our fears, whether they be work, catching a bus, going to parties etc, we reduce out quality of life, and actually make our anxiety disorder much worse. Its not always easy to confront your fears. Normally the best way is to take small steps. Do something, even if you are uncomfortable doing it (like going to work for example), and as your confience grows you can do it more. Reassuring yourself and distracting your thoughts towards other things are very important tools to reducing your anxiety. Come on runner you can do it!

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 154

Thanks chimpmaster I just needed reassurance. If I think about something other then what is bothering me the anxiety should recede. Is that acorrect thought? I no when I do deep relaxation it reduces the anxiety attack. If i use amatra over and over that should reduce the fear. My daughter keeps telling face your fear will facing the fear help me overcome it or make it worse?

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 117

Lester good for you. Hang in there, remember your breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and to accept and not be too scared by any minor side effects in the first few weeks. Post here with any questions, or if you need any support. Melanie, I agree with your comments about taking medical advice over advice from people here first and foremost. That is why in each post about meds that I made, I specifically said "talk to you dr about this option" etc. I have a lot of knowledge but am not a medical dr and do not pretend to be. Out of interest, I have made a decision to get out of my IT career and go back to uni and study to be a clinical psychologist. I want to build on what I am learning now and help others. Perhaps once I am certified I can help out with this site, and also help whilst I am a student :) Its going to take me somewhere between 4-6 years but it will be worth it!

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 117

Hi 53runner, I agree with your therapist that confronting the issue will help you. I also understand that this is going to be a hard thing for you to do. If you arent already you should try relaxation, meditation or yoga. There are often free/inexpensive classes you can go to, or even books/ dvds/videos you can buy which show you what to do. If you do them at the start of each day, they do help you relax better throughout the day. Relaxation is something that you need to learn how to do again when you have developed an axiety disorder. Like the anxiety itself, it can become a habit and can give you so much more control over the way you think and your behaviour throughout the day. Exercise can also work really well. For any of these things to work you need to be in a reasonably relaxed state of mind first up. Have you tried thought stopping/mantra techniques? Repeating a positive thought over and over in your mind in response to anxious feelings can really help as well. All of these methods take some time to become effective though. Which meds are you on at the moment?

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1521

Lester, It is important to take the information and advice you receive here to your doctor. Everyone has different opinions and medical advice is the best answer here. Please keep us up to date on your outcomes and we will be looking forward to hearing from you again soon. Take care, Melanie

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 154

Hey Chimpmaster My anticipatory anxiety is kicking up. I have to go back to school for 2days in order to retire from teaching. This where my anxiety began. I am looking for advice on how to containit. I went to my therapist last week and he said i need to do this or it will haunt me. Any advice from you or others is greatly appreciated.

20 years ago 0 +0 / -0 79

Just wanted to let y'all know that I started on Effexor XR today, I hope it worksout for me! I guess I'll find out in a few weeks. If anyone has any comments on their experiences with Effexor, I'd love to hear about them! Thanks for listening! :)

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