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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Exactly what drug (or lack of drug) is causing my symptoms?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Exactly what drug (or lack of drug) is causing my symptoms?
by ickyhead, Oct 10, 2003 12:00AM
I have been on 37.5 mg Effexor XR and 150 mg Wellbutrin SR for about 2 1/2 years now. Sick of the night sweats, I decided to try and stop the Effexor XR. To help with withdrawal my doc put me on Zoloft 50 mg for a week before and then had me stop the Effexor XR. (About a week before I started the Zoloft I had increased my Wellbutrin to 200 mg from 150 mg because I was getting a bit depressed). I continued with the Zoloft - we decided we would wait a little while and then stop that too. I didn't seem to get any of the weird side effects I had gotten before when I had tried to stop the Effexor (which were horrible), but I did have a low grade headache which started about an hour after taking my drugs in the morning and didn't quite all day. So, she had me stop the Zoloft. And walla, the headaches stopped. But a couple days later, more troublesome things began. At this point in the story I am taking 200 mg of Wellbutrin SR and that's it.
Emotionally, fine, but physically, feeling quite ill. Waves of nausae, mouth watering, dizzy full feeling in my head. Starts in the morning and lasts all day and by nighttime its pretty continuous AND i get a lovely headache to boot. Every night. This has been going on for about a week now. Unfortunately, my doc is away for another week and a half. I decreased the Wellbutrin to 150mg qd in hopes that that might help, but it doesn't seem to.
My question is, could this still all be related to withdrawal from the Effexor XR which I stopped about 2 weeks ago? I know when I tried to stop the Eff XR before I was down to a 1/4 of a tablet QD and when I would stop I would still get icky side effects. So I'd imagine I am pretty sensitive to it. I am tempted at this point to take an Effexor just to see if I feel better, but I think that might be a bad idea since we are trying to get me off it!!! Help help. I'm not dying or anything, but I would just like to have an idea what on earth is going on. I think if i knew what was causing this it just might make it a little easier to cope with.
Emotionally, fine, but physically, feeling quite ill. Waves of nausae, mouth watering, dizzy full feeling in my head. Starts in the morning and lasts all day and by nighttime its pretty continuous AND i get a lovely headache to boot. Every night. This has been going on for about a week now. Unfortunately, my doc is away for another week and a half. I decreased the Wellbutrin to 150mg qd in hopes that that might help, but it doesn't seem to.
My question is, could this still all be related to withdrawal from the Effexor XR which I stopped about 2 weeks ago? I know when I tried to stop the Eff XR before I was down to a 1/4 of a tablet QD and when I would stop I would still get icky side effects. So I'd imagine I am pretty sensitive to it. I am tempted at this point to take an Effexor just to see if I feel better, but I think that might be a bad idea since we are trying to get me off it!!! Help help. I'm not dying or anything, but I would just like to have an idea what on earth is going on. I think if i knew what was causing this it just might make it a little easier to cope with.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Oct 13, 2003 12:00AM
, Oct 13, 2003 12:00AM
You are obviously very sensitive to this whole class of medications, and when that is true, getting off takes longer. YOu might think of trying the small dose experiment, and then if you get some relief, you will know, and then wean yourself again, but even slower than before.
Its not uncommon to get into these confusing situations, and you are correct to work it out experimentally, step by step.
Its not uncommon to get into these confusing situations, and you are correct to work it out experimentally, step by step.
Member Comments (6)
by Try_to_be_social, Oct 12, 2003 12:00AM
Your symptoms are consistent with Efflexor XR withdrawal symptoms. They will subside soon.
by madiola, Oct 18, 2003 12:00AM
Hi,I have been having anxiety and pretty bad panic attacks that started about nine months ago.Thank god the panic attacks have disapated some.But at the begining of that nine months when they first started I was rushed to the emergency room,and that is when they told me that I was having anxiety and panic attacks.They put me on Larazapam 1mg.Then I ended up back in the emergency room again with another panic attack and they raised my dose to 2mg of Larazapam.They really helped alot,but when I did not take them evey day I would have really bad anxiety shaking in side all day long,my heart pounding out of my chest,I felt like I could not breath.I have been trying to stop taking them for about two months now.The most I have been able to go with out them compleately is two days in a row.But then I feel like I cant think clearly like my head is in a fog.I sit and stare in a daze alot and I feel my anxiety coming back and even maybe a panic attack.I get real shaky sweating at night or even during the day.Then I'm cold.Is this because I am trying to stop taking the Larazapam?Like a withdrawl or something?or is it just my anxiety trying to get the best of me,and if so then how do I get off this stuff? One more quiestion please.Taking this drug for a long period of time.Is It hramful to me?Thank you so much for listening,this site is so awsume!!!!! Gina
by pooh4u1974, Nov 09, 2003 12:00AM
I also have headaches after taking my paxil cr.....I have allergies and this headache feels like a sinus headache x 3.....I wish you the best of luck...I am trying to find a psychiatrist that might can help with my panic/depression because I think 9 years is enough I am ready for results. I have only been taking paxil cr for 12 days or so should i still wean my self off of it or could i just take my xanx(i have it to take just when i have to have usally 8 a month) until i can get an appointment? I have tried paxil, zoloft, lexapro, welbutrin now paxil cr.....all had side effects so severe i could not take them with the exception of zoloft wich had sexual side effects but lived with thaat for 3 years and then it just quit working....... God be with you and best of luck
by v125, Jan 06, 2004 12:00AM
Could be the Zoloft. I was on Zoloft for 10 years at 50 mg per day. I slowly stopped taking it. Then in May I woke up in the middle of the night with bedspins and cold sweats. Around July, I decided to stop the Zoloft altogether. Now I have severe vertigo which wakes me from a dead sleep along with severe cold sweats, nausea and vomitting. I can't sleep at night because I am so afraid that it will happen that night. I am afraid to go away or do things overnight. During the day, I feel lightheaded, fatiqued, feverish and dizzy at times. This has become dabilitating for me. It has gone on for 7 months now and wonder when or if it will stop. I have had blood tests run and hormone levels checked. All are fine. I have no insurance so I cannot afford to have a battery of tests run that would probably not indicate anything anyway. Something needs to be done about these SSRI's.
