Been off effexor since October 7th,
On zoloft 50mg since same day.
Update, it's been slightly over a month later. Anxiety and panic attacks haven't happened since I posted last. Depression has been down a little. But these past couple days I don't know if it's because I got over a cold or thinking to much. But I feel weird in the head. Like I can't think straight. Mind feels slow, forgetful, spaced out, like a bit of a strain feeling like I'm going brain dead. When I wake up feels like I was knocked out and takes a while to feel actually awake.
Got results back from MRI, sleeping test doctors said normal.
Don't know who else to talk or what to do to since doctors and psychiatrist think I'm fine. :(
I agree. I don't fully understand why they want to change your medication when it has worked well. Shouldn't be a major cost difference regardless of insurance with both being generic. If you do switch, you should follow your doctor's advice and call them with any concerns or issues you have. But I am one to not rock the boat unless you have to (such as the initial drug not working as well). If you had to see a new doctor and this is just their preferential drug of choice, might be worth a conversation that it isn't worth interrupting your treatment, risking side effects during the change or going on a drug that doesn't work as well for you, etc. Let us know what is going on!
I've never taken Effexor -- I started out as primarily an anxiety sufferer and Effexor is a stimulating antidepressant so no psychiatrist has ever suggested this class of drugs for me -- but I don't understand anything about your post. Effexor is now generic and very inexpensive, so I'm not sure how this affects insurance any -- insurance companies don't much care for brand name drugs but they love generics so I'm very confused by this. Zoloft is also an old drug with a generic, but it works differently than Effexor -- in fact, all these drugs work differently. Given the experience with Effexor -- along with Paxil it's the most difficult to stop taking -- and given it's working well for you, why would you stop taking it? Even without insurance it doesn't cost very much. You also say you saw a doctor, you don't say psychiatrist. Regular docs do not respect these meds because they don't work with them on a regular basis the way psychiatrists do. This is way too short a withdrawal schedule from Effexor if you want to minimize the chances of withdrawal. Your doctor apparently believes the Zoloft will somehow make withdrawal off Effexor go away, and it might, but it also might not. It would be safer to taper off the Effexor as slowly as you needed to so you avoid more problems than you already have. When you've done that, you can try the Zoloft. But if I were on a medication and it was working and I had no intention to stop taking medication and try something else. I'd stay on what I know works. Again, this makes no sense to me. More details?