# scared of new antidepressant for anxiety



## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi there i wondered if anyone could ease my mindim about to take a new tablet for my anxiety/depression and the silly thing is im so anxious about taking it(anxious about anxiety pills maybe im loosing it even more)the tablets are called efexor xl 75mg my worry is when they have tried me on other types within a few hrs i have had severe d and thats something for some reason that freaks me out more than being constipatedif anyone has heard or tried the tablet i would be grateful to hear from youthanks


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## 22943 (Aug 27, 2005)

I've used it, I don't have IBS-D, but I think some people that have IBS-D and have used it have been ok. You need to stay on it for awhile before it will really kick in, it can take up to 4-6 weeks to feel the true effect on it. You also may experience some side effects at first, but if you continue on with the med, they tend to go away. Just try it, it maybe the thing that works for you.


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

thanks for that i will give it a go i have to if im ever gonna get out of my depression/anxiety if it makes the d worse il just try and stick it out as d tends to make me more anxious than c which i swing to as well sometimesits just when its something youhave not heard of it cn make me a bit more scared


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## Vamplady (May 10, 2003)

I have been on Effexor XL 75mg. It definitly helps the anxiety but at first I experienced a slight increase. It will pass. It also helped with the IBS-D I had and I let go of alot of my worries. I however am not taking it due to blood pressure issues. I totally understand you statement about D tending to make your anxiety worse as D always does this to me and then the D just gets worse and worse. Keep close tabs with your doctor if you experience and side effects but I think you will find it will calm you.Good Luck!- Vamplady


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi there thanks for your kind pills i took the first pill and d was ok but after 3 or 4 hrs i started feeling feeling really bad i was hullucinating room spining felling dizzy and basically freaking me out my gp told me to stop it and is trying me on prozac tonight which i have had yrs ago for dif reasons and was ok so im trying to tell my head i will be ok this time it just seems that my body doesnt seem to always tolerate things i have had before since i was very ill at xmas with my ibsdo you know of others who have tried the prozac tablest when there ibs has been up in the air


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## 15976 (Nov 22, 2006)

I took it also and found it only constipating from like the 1st day or maybe the 3rd.I also remember feeling quite anxious on it the first week or two.Prozac made me feel worse. Hope it works better for you.


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi thanks everyone just a updatehad first prozac pill last night as i handle anti depress better at night the gp gave me tamazipan to help sleep incase had any weird ness like the other so i slept through any of that and im not dead yet (got im getting more dramatic) no funnyness or d so hope tonights is the same really hoping this one likes meas i freak out completely with just one night of hullucinating room spinning etc then they take me of when this happensfingers crossed


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2007)

Taminara - I'm not being funny - but are you getting some professional help. Anti-depressants (of any size, shape or colour) have their place (I'm on 30mg Mitrazapene at night) but must come with some proper support and guidance. Have side-effects been discussed with you, are you seeing a psychiatrist. You sound very, very anxious and I'm sure you should be getting a considerable amount of support.Another thing to bear in mind - I think Accident Girl touched on - these will take about 6/8 weeks before you can see the benefits. I have never taken the tablet you mention and all anti-d's affect each individual differently - but its the first week or so that might be tough - if you are worried or frightened either by your anxiety or by the side-effects of your tablets - I'd urge you to seek some medical help ASAP.I wish you all the support in the world - its a long, tough journey but you can and will come out the other side - I have.Hang in there.Sue


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi and thanks all and sue vi have close contact on the phone with my gp who is very understanding so far day 4 of prozac seems ok a little loose stools which is either normal for me or becouse of the new anti di also take diazapan as i have a fear of so many things going out food new pills etcim awaiting a appointment with the community pychiactric nurse to come through but as u know in uk that can take timealso i hacve a crisis number i can call for urgent calminglittle more anxious today as im having another operation tommorow morning


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2007)

Oh bless you - I know what you are going through - I really do - I never used the CPN but I know plenty people who have and they are very supportive and understanding - I'm glad you've got a team in place - very important.Good luck for your operation - you are going through the mill aren't you.Where abouts in the UK - I'm a Scouser who has "emigrated" east to near Manchester?Sue


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi sue and thanks im in the east in norfolk panic is major atm so may have to ring my crisis team in a mo as the time is getting nearer diazapan hasnt kicked in yet its just getting out the door which is a prob once im on hospitale bedil be okhelp


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2007)

Sorry hun - have only just seen this - I hope you've contacted your criscis team - remember THATS WHAT THEY ARE THERE FOR!!Let us know how things are tomorrow OK!!Sue xxx


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## 19596 (Jan 3, 2007)

hi there suethanks all for the support sorry not been able to reply very soon as still in a bit of pain from wed opthey removed some old endometriosis which i never new i had and also found the fatty tissue of my bowel had stuck itsself to the old scar tissue of my c section they are hoping that helps the ibs 3 wounds instead of the 1 i was expectingstill on the prozac day 9 now not sure it doin anything yet but early daysblubbed myself on the phone to the crisis team so many times now i think ive warn them out noweating is my worst prob as the fear is so strong ican hardly manage it still awaiting appointment with cpn after chasing up again getting weaker not stronger feeling sick everyday and can hardly drink much so getting dehydrated lips cracked bad breathi use to love my food i know its all in my head but i cant seem to get my self better on my own im trying so hard what am i supposed to do docs dont seem bothered by the food thing but people can get very ill through not eating even i know that but knowing that doesnt sem to make me beable to do itwhat do i do how long can a person go with eating such small amount of white bread and not enough fluids help im goin crazy


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## Guest (Feb 27, 2007)

Well thats ludicrous - you obviously need alot more help and support than these people seem prepared to offer you - of course you cannot survive long-term on white bread - have you discussed this issue specifically with them???I'm sorry you are having such a rotten time but that is what the criscis team are for - so don't be afraid to bother them until they take you seriously - otherwise, frankly, they are not doing their job properly. You hang in there and be persistent!!!Good luckSue


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## Gutguy22 (Jul 6, 2004)

I would only try Effexor after trying every single SSRI first. Obviously this is only my opinion. But, from what I've seen the odds of Effexor working aren't going to be much better than the SSRIs, while the odds of Effexor causing problems and being hell to get off of are higher. It helps some people a lot and many shrinks give it out like candy but it can be particularly nasty. I'd try Prozac like you're doing first, and Lexapro, Celexa, etc... then if they don't work I'd go to Paxil, and lastly Effexor if everything else failed. Just my 2 cents.


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## jms1963 (Feb 23, 2007)

I have been on Prozac for 10+ years now - was anxious to start at first also. With my experiece the benefits (being able to eat full meals again, sleeping through the night !) far outweighed the side effects.Remember, these medications are not a quick fix and take time to work. I know it's hard to have the patience to wait and see what works ..... Hope you are feeling better - Chin up - this too shall pass ....


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2007)

Well said and great to hear a positive experience from somebody "At the Coal Face" - I'm on Mitrazapene (an SSRI derivative) - I've been well for almost a year now and the only long-term side effect is being abit on the plump side!!Sue


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## 15976 (Nov 22, 2006)

Gutguy, what do you think is so bad about Effexor? I was on it and it may have caused bad side effects for me, not sure. I was much less anxious on it and didn't have IBS. It is very hard to get off Effexor but Paxil is worse, or at least was for me.


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## 21185 (Dec 31, 2006)

Gosh every body is different chemically. I tried Effexor and it made me grind my teeth at night, I suffered insomnia, weight gain.It just increased my depression because I turned into an overweight slovenly looking woman.Makes perfect sense that you would feel anxiety anyway with your upcoming surgery. I hope everything goes well for you.Currently, I am on Paxil. Would love to wean off, but I know the side effects will suck. I think Smith-Kline or Pzizer (who ever makes this drug) ought to offer everyone who wants to get off of Paxil to pay for a 30day treatment center for detox. I understand that Paxil the longer you take it can be very difficult to withdraw from. Makes you think, it's addictive somehow.


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## Gutguy22 (Jul 6, 2004)

KAD, I think effexor helps a lot of people, what I was getting at is that in comparison, from the many things I've read, it has a higher probability than SSRIs to cause problems. This may be because it targets more than serotonin, at least at the higher dosages. Everyone is different as egbert said, so it's possible to have less problems with effexor than lexapro for example, just more unlikely from what I've seen. In general Paxil and Effexor are considered the most likely to cause problems. There is also some suggestion that Effexor can very rarely cause permanent problems in the brain. http://www.crazymeds.org/effexor.htmlAll these drugs screw with neurotransmitters and the long term effects have not been well studied. I think the important thing to always keep in mind is that it is not clear at all that just because altering these neurotransmitters alleviates some psychological/IBS problems - that that is what was the cause of the psychological/IBS problem. Many docs will talk to you for ten minutes and say completely ridiculous things like "you have low serotonin, you need an SSRI." It'd be like going to a doctor for back pain and the guy saying here's a pain killer, you're low in opiates. People like simple answers to complex problems, and as we know nothing is more complex than the brain. I just wish docs would say "we really don't know what's going on, but there's a chance this SSRI could help you." I'm much more comfortable with that kind of explanation. Anyway, sorry for rambling. Again, just my opinion. And I'd add that if a person is really suffering I don't see anything wrong with trying an SSRI, it's just a question of deciding when things are bad enough to take a risk.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2007)

Gutguy - I think you've talked alot of sence. I'm very pragmatic about the anti-depressant I take - as long as I'm well and happy and being a half-way decent mum and wife etc then I'll carry on with what I'm on - I don't want to look too closely at the longer-term picture and as you say, its quite hard to second-guess anyway.Sue


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## 15976 (Nov 22, 2006)

Sue, my husband has been on the same one you take for I think 6 years or more (bipolar) and I do find I think he has had a lot of side effects. He has gained weight. He has pains in his stomach and legs. He can't seem to get off it. We can't attribute the pains to anything but the medicine.I think I grinded on Effexor also because my teeth are worn down. I didn't notice it.I'm not sure what my next try will be. I did nortriptylene and ativan in college for about 3 years. I took Paxil and never want to go back on that. I took Effexor for about 2-3 years and that was no picnic to come off either. The Paxil worked the best overall. The Effexor also was great. I have now been 9 months off meds and both my anxiety and IBS are awful. I have been through CBT training. I'm going to try some breathing classes, stress management, and acu-yoga. If none of those help, there comes a point where having a decent life is worth whatever side effects come now and later. I will likely have to go back and see my psych and start anew.


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