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Avatar universal

Giving up on AD meds...

For some reason, I can't seem to tolerate AD meds.

I've tried Paxil, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Celexa and others, but always seem to suffer with some pretty bad side effects on all of them.

With the Paxil, I had insomnia, really bad night sweats and GI problems.

With the Effexor, I had really bad insomnia, heart palpitations and anxiety.

With the Wellbutrin, I actually got more depressed and even had a "road rage" incident while on it.

And the Celexa reacted badly with my blood pressure meds causing on-going PVC attacks and bouts of a-fib.

So, I've pretty much given up on them at this point.

The doctor also gave me Xanax (PRN), but I have been taking one (1) tablet on a daily basis, and it seems to be helping more than the previously mentioned meds without the side effects (other than some really weird dreams).

The only issue is that my doctor calls Xanax a "high", and doesn't believe it should be taken daily.

However, it has been working for me, so when I go to him this Friday for a follow up on the Paxil, I am going to tell him that I want to be put on Xanax as a daily dose and that I really don't want to be put on the AD meds anymore.
Best Answer
480448 tn?1426948538
No doubt the initial side effects can be a real b*tch!  Like Bubulous has said,,the sleep WILL indeed come.

Please be careful with the Xanax, as it is habit forming.  The best way to take Xanax is either only "as needed" (here and there, not daily) when anxiety is at its worst, or for short term periods of time, a few weeks to a month or less if possible.  The longer you take it every day, you will have to deal with tolerance (where you will need a higher dose to maintain the same level of efficacy), and dependency, where you would experience w/ds if stopped abruptly.

Benzodiazepines are great meds for anxiety, but there are some considerations.  Definitely ask your doc the best way to proceed.  Worst case scenario, if you end uop needing the Xanax until you get used to the Effexor (which is probably a good idea), you'll just have to be slowly tapered off.

Is your doctor a psychiatrist?

Let us know how it's going!
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1110049 tn?1409402144
I take a yoghurt drink with all the good bacteria daily and also a yoghurt with same daily.  Do you think this might help your stomach problems?

How are you doing now.  Keep us updated.
Helpful - 0
1110049 tn?1409402144
Oh I am so sorry you have been so poorly, and had to go to hospital.  Also, as a cat lover, I am so very sorry about your dear pet.  

I am glad however that now you are off the meds you are feeling better.  That is very good news.

Let us know how you get on with the GI doctor.

Take care
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Aw, so sorry about your cat!   That's just awful, to lose a pet!  They become like our children!

Definitely follow up with your GI doc, and perhaps try one of the remedies Paxiled mentioned.  I hope you can find something to help ease the GI issues.
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Avatar universal
Was still having issues on Thursday night/Friday morning. I would try to go to sleep, but wake up with excruciating pain in my abdomen (felt like someone was pouring acid on my intestines). The pain was so bad that I was almost doubled over and couldn't stand long. I had the shakes, cold sweats and a multitude of other things.

Antacids weren't working, water wasn't working, nothing was working to calm things down, so I went to the ER.

After several blood tests and a CAT scan (just to check the liver and gallbladder and make sure there was no blockage), the only thing they could come back with is something in the medications were causing my intestines to flare up pretty badly (Enteritis). They give me Protonix via IV, IV fluids (had some dehydration) and a few other drugs administered by IV. This helped clear things up, but I was still feeling pretty sick.

Because they couldn't find anything life threatening or anything like that, they sent me home but with a bunch of pretty powerful meds.

The thing of it is is that I have researched every medication that I had been taking month prior, but can't find a link between them. There's some ingredient, or possibly combination of ingredients, in these medications that are causing the flare-ups.

I am going to see a GI doc in the near future and see if I can nail down what it is/was and see if I can finally get my GI issues under control.

On a side note, I have been off the meds since then and have been feeling pretty good both mentally and physically. Well, that was until I had to put my cat down last night. :(
Helpful - 0
4862508 tn?1360796307
      I would say you have dodged a bullet.  Once you start antidepressants and want to quit, the withdrawal symptoms are worse than the depression you had before you started.  You might want to explore natural supplements.   Omega 3, 1000-1500mg/day is known to relieve depression symptoms plus it is really beneficial for cardiac issues such as HBP.  Magnesium also helps relieve both depression and HBP.  Also the B vitamins support both brain and cardiac health.
      You mentioned you also have GI issues.  Serotonin plays a roll in both GI and brain health.  Many who suffer from depression also have GI issues. It is kinda the chicken and the egg... if your gut is malfunctioning it effects your ability to properly absorb nutrients which in turn effects your brain health. And stress plays havoc with the GI tract.
       Consider yourself fortunate that your body has rejected Antidepressant pharmaceuticals.  I think you are wize to stick to your guns and follow your intuition as to what substance(s) are right for you.  You might want to consult a Dr who embraces supporting your health with medicine that 'does no harm'

    here's to better health,
             mojave
Helpful - 0
1110049 tn?1409402144
So sorry that the meds affect you so badly.  We all react differently.  If you cannot tolerate them, there is no point in putting your body through all the trauma.

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Avatar universal
I tried. I really have. But I can't deal with the side effects.

I tried taking my meds again yesterday (brand name) and was up all night again. Finally got to sleep about 6 AM this morning, woke up two hours later with severe nausea and had to run to the bathroom where I had severe diarrhea.

I'm still nauseated, haven't eaten anything today except for saltine crackers, and have been sipping on Powerade to keep my fluids up. The very few crackers I ate gave me heartburn.

I can't stand loud noises right now. Haven't slept but probably a total of six hours since Monday, and yet I don't feel tired or like I want to go to sleep. I've missed three days of work this week, and probably will not be going in tomorrow either.

I think I would rather deal with the depression than have to go through this for any AD med.

I have, for now, stopped taking all of my meds except for my HBP med. I am even avoiding any heartburn meds.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the input, Paxiled. Very informative. I'll have to check out some of the natural remedies you have suggested. I would LOVE to find a remedy for my chronic heartburn that works.

On a side note, I have taken Effexor in the past (the name brand version), and did not have any problems with it, other than the brain zaps when I weened myself off the medication (although they lasted for several months). So, I am guessing the issues with the generic is that something else in it is affecting me.

As I have now found out through research, generics are definitely NOT the same as their name-brand counterparts even though the FDA says they are.

From this point forward, I am going to thoroughly research any generic medication I am given and, if possible, request the name brand version. I really don't trust generics anymore.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just one more comment -- the mainstream is where you go to drown.  Everything mainstream generally is proven to be untrue a few years later when someone out of the mainstream turned out to be right.  Respect the unknown.
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Avatar universal
Since I've been mentioned here, I'll add a couple of cents.  I don't think digestive problems are an area doctors are very good at.  With most people, the problem is very individual, whereas doctors learn by statistics that may apply to some artificial general person but not to anyone real.  The other problem is that what doctors and psychiatrists know about medication is paid for and provided by pharmaceutical companies -- it's very difficult to find independent research.  Another problem is that all the drug studies on humans are short term, and they weed out all those who might be difficult to treat, so these studies aren't all that applicable to the general population.  All of the medications mentioned here turned out to have effects and side effects the companies knew about but didn't report to the FDA when they applied for approval, and all have been successfully sued many times.  So it's important to tolerate different viewpoints, and it's important to have a psychiatrist who is willing to listen.  So there's that.  As to digestive problems, medication of all types can cause these problems, as they are all liver toxic and the liver is involved with digestion.  Some are more toxic than others, and some people will have no problems and others will have many because their immune systems are more active.  Anti-depressants that affect serotonin are very likely to cause some digestive problems because most of the serotonin in the body is in the digestive system, not in the brain.  As these meds cause the body to operate in an artificial way, that can make it difficult to stop taking them and can cause certain people to have strange reactions, whereas others just slide by.  We just can't generalize.  If it were me, I'd try to get a handle on the digestive part of this by seeing a naturopath or holistic nutritionist, or just trying some simple things and see if they work.  For example, aloe vera juice and DGL and simple chamomile are just three remedies that can help with stomach acid so that it becomes balanced again, and there are many other remedies as well, Changing the diet is essential.  Some very common foods are not well tolerated by humans, including dairy and wheat, and can lead to a lot of digestive trouble that is easily solved.  Medication for these things, such as antacids and repressants, will lead to a rebound effect where the stomach is forced to keep producing still more acid because it must in order to digest protein.  Now, anxiety and depression are tougher nuts to crack, but as Nursegirl said, you seem to be being directed to some of the most difficult meds out there, such as Paxil and Effexor.  If you think these are hard to take, just wait until you decide you don't want to take them anymore!  Not fun.  As for imipramine, a tricyclic, yes, it makes people tired and headachy and constipated.  But for others it doesn't, and I believe data shows that it works as well as ssris.  For me, the dry mouth was pretty dreary, and it stopped working.  Paxil worked better, but quitting, well, let's not get into that.  So not all meds are created equal.  But if, as the poster says, the side effects are that extreme, any doctor worth his diploma will take him off that med and not hope it works some undetermined time down the road -- many people are sensitive to meds.  And while some side effects get better with time, others get worse -- and one that gets worse are digestive problems.  Another thing -- some of these meds you're taking are very stimulating, such as Effexor and its class and wellbutrin, so if you're sensitive to stimulation those aren't your meds.  There are natural remedies that also deal with these problems if you're having problems with meds, and they have fewer side effects, the body doesn't reject them, and they're easy to quit.  There's a book called Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA, that might give some alternative ideas here.  Keep in mind, everyone, that most medications are derived from natural remedies but are much stronger in action and removed from the plant form the body knows how to digest.  We should all take people's word for their problems -- it's all we have to go by.  Hope this dissertation helps the poster have some hope there's something out there that might work.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yeah, anxiety *****, especially when you can't control it, and its even worse when it happens for no particular reason, especially in public.

On top of that, when you become anxious, you become more anxious, and more anxious. It's like an endless loop.

I think I'm going to "detox" a little bit from all of the different AD meds I have been taking then talk to the doctor about going on Effexor...the REAL Effexor, not the generic stuff.

P.S. Stay away from any meds made by Teva Pharmaceuticals.
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Avatar universal
No need for you to apologize for getting angry or frustrated on this thread, especially since it is your own thread and you are seeking answers. I don't think you said anything offensive toward me anyway.
I have contributed all I can to it, so leave it up to others to continue working with you. From the CNN article it is evident anxiety is not always predictable for anyone, so anyone suffering from it can feel very out of sorts.
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480448 tn?1426948538
Just a comment on one of your posts, birdie:

" I don't think on Med Help you will find any information from people that goes against the medical profession. For anxiety the only things that MH people think work are finding a way to relax, therapy or if the anxiety is severe, meds. "

Actually, that's not true.  We have a lot of regular, long-time posters who strongly believe in a different, non-med, non-pharma approach to treating anxiety.  

Paxiled is just one of those people.  He has a fantastic knowledge base of treatments that are more alternative.  We also have an alternative therapies forum, where people can also find ideas geared away from more traditional medical models.  I would refer anyone to Paxiled as a resource person in cases where people are looking for a less traditional approach.

I personally have next to zero experience with that kind of thing, so I'm no help in that dept, as my own personal (and professional) experience lies more with the traditional medical appraoch...but there definitely is info here for people who would prefer to take that route.  

There are all kinds of ways to treat anxiety...I'm all for any of them...as long as they are helping.  If standing on your head while singing a song gets rid of anxiety...by all means...sing away!  :0)  It's about whatever works for each individual person...there is certainly no "one size fits all".  I'ver learned that over the years.  What applies to one (or most ) may not apply to others.


Bbaggins....There's no question some people are extremely sensitive to these kinds of meds and have difficulty tolerating them.  You may be one of them.

As for the other stuff, a thorough medical work up, including bloodwork should have been the VERY first intervention.  It's always smart to rule out a physical/medical problem that could be causing the symptoms (at least some of them).

If you feel your doctor isn't listening to you, and has not tried at all to rule out a medical issue, I would recommend finding a new doctor.  If indeed you're dealing with anxiety (which, from what you've posted sounds likely)...then perhaps it would be best to try a non-medication route to treat it.  That would involve some aggressive therapy (not just once a month), and some hard work on your part.  Plenty of people successfully manage their anxiety without medications....so for now, I think that's just going to have to be your mindset...to give this a go without them...unless you can find a new doctor who has some different appraoches in mind.

Keep on your doctor about looking into your symptoms from a medical standpoint too, that's important.  The other thing you can do, that may help, is rather than treating the symptoms with an AD...you could ask your doc to treat you symptomatically.  So, if you are having heartburn, you treat that....if you are having palpitations, treat that.  Sometimes, just the sensations of the symptoms are enough to cause major anxiety...so to minimnize or eliminate the symptoms, may, in turn help the anxiety.

Keep in touch...let us know how it's going!  I know it's frustrating.  We're pulling for you, you know that!
Helpful - 0
1110049 tn?1409402144
I have just read on another site about how Teva is so unlike brand Effexor.  I was on a generic form of Effexor XR, not Teva, but my body kn ew it was different.

I went to my doctor and insisted I was put back on Brand Effexor XR.  Many people find the generics differ from the brand names.

I must admit I get heartburn but never associated with the antidepressant.  I just take antacid pills to ease it.
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Avatar universal
Apparently Teva has had complaints about their other drugs as well...

http://www.drug-injury.com/druginjurycom/2008/09/tevas-budeprion-xl-will-get-another-safety-and-efficacy-review-by-fda.html

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/TEVA-bad-generics/show/342708

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Pain-Management/Generic-oxcontin-teva/show/454191

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/Just-started-Teva/show/1361385

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Depression/Is-there-any-difference-between-viepax-and-teva-venlafaxine/show/1142615

The list goes on...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
More complaints about the generic version of Effexor:
http://depression.about.com/b/2010/07/01/generic-effexor-xr-receives-fda-approval.htm

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Avatar universal
Yes, I have heartburn, but I've never had such intense heartburn before in my life, accompanied with high blood pressure and abdominal pain. The only thing I can surmise is that it was cased by the Effexor. Nothing else was different for me that day. And this isn't the first time I've had the same problem with the Effexor either. Furthermore, when I stopped taking it, the issues went away.

When I tried it a while back, I had the same problems. The only thing I can think that's different is when I originally took Effexor several years ago and it worked for me is that I took the name brand version (mfg. by Wyeth) and not the generic (mfg. by Teva). Not really sure what the differences are, but that could be the issue, who knows.

From what I have been reading, though, people do say there is a difference between the two. I've read posts where people have taken the generic form and have gotten headaches and end up throwing up for days. Quoting one person, he had "a very severe case of what seems to be acid reflux and nausea. I've never in my life had this chest burning, stomach irritation before now." Sound familiar? :P

Check out this thread (251 responses)...
http://www.topix.com/forum/business/biotech/TE1Q1V03KVRA3CGB5

Apparently I'm not the only one having the issues with the generic version. Going to talk to the doctor about going on the brand name version, starting with the 37.5, NOT the 75's he has been starting me with (which I think is part of the problem as well).

P.S. Sorry for getting  angry with you. All of this has just left me stressed out. And, yes, I understand it takes time for the AD meds to work. :)
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Avatar universal
I will point out a few inconsistencies in your attitude toward meds.

4 posts ago you said "I still have heartburn and slight abdominal pain,..." - All this from one pill.
However I doubt Effexor did that to you since you have a problem with heartburn already.

On Feb 7 you said "I believe a few weeks is enough time to see if side effects will subside."
That is just your theory, and you never took any meds for a few weeks anyway, just a few days to 1 week, so that is why I posted as I did earlier today.

Meds for anti-anxiety gradually build in your system and take up to 8 weeks to get the full effect. Possibly that point hasn't been made on this thread. I don't think on Med Help you will find any information from people that goes against the medical profession. For anxiety the only things that MH people think work are finding a way to relax, therapy or if the anxiety is severe, meds.
I will not post to this thread anymore but wish you good luck because anxiety is  awful. Here is one guy's story on CNN this week.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/health/anxiety-first-person-irpt/index.html?hpt=hp_bn13
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I never claimed that I have a theory that it only takes a few days. I've tried them, and they are OBVIOUSLY making me sick. What, am I supposed to do, "deal" without sleeping for days, live with very high blood pressure, intense heartburn, severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, horrid night sweats and other problems for several weeks just to see if they subside?? I'm sorry, but I'd rater be depressed than go through that for a week or more. I would, literally, go nuts if I had to deal with all of that for more than a few days. I've been missing work because I am sick, because these drugs are making me sick, and - luckily - they haven't fired me yet.

And about them throwing pills at me, I am TIRED of pills. Like I said, they've never tested me for anything, not even blood tests. They aren't listening to what I am telling them, all they are doing is saying "Here, try this pill" and if that doesn't work, it's another pill, then another, then another. No matter what my problem is...reflux/heartburn, depression, pain, whatever, they never order tests, they just talk to me for five minutes, make an assumption based on what I tell them, then tell me to take a pill.

You would think by this point the doctor would be saying "Hmmm...I wonder why these pills are making you sick?". But, no. He just throws another pill at me.

And you know what else? When I talked to the doctor to get a referral for the Gastroenterologist, do you know what he said "Oh, all he's going to do is tell you to take pro-biotics and fiber pills". Gee. More pills.

I don't want pills. I want to find out why I have GI problems. I want to find out why every AD pill I take makes me sick. I want to find out why everything I eat or drink gives me acid reflux. I want to find out why certain foods affect me so much. I want to find out if I am allergic to certain foods. I want to find out if it's what I'm eating, how I'm eating, when I'm eating.  But no one ever orders tests, they just say "Here, take these pills!".

Pills don't fix the problem, they only mask the symptoms.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You keep going into the same loop, saying pills bother you and you have tried lots and doctors don't have anything to offer and have failed you, but as Bubulous and mursegirl pointed out, you really haven't tried any - just kind of a sniff of them here and a sniff there.
None of the meds you did could possibly help you after the day or 2 you tried each one, but you claim you have a special theory that it only takes a day or so for a med to work and for side effects to disappear. Meds have gone through blinded trials with many participants whereas the guy you quote has probably just hypothesized something that was never tested.

There are probably 9,999 unsuccessful drugs that didn't make it through trials for every one that succeeds, because 9,999 theories (from researchers who spent years working out the details) didn't stand up when tried on humans in a trial - so even experts theories are just maybes until proven.
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Avatar universal
At this point, the doctors aren't doing much better unfortunately. All they seemingly want to do is throw pills at me. I have yet to have any sort of test,  MRI, X-ray or anything like that, other than a colonoscopy about six years ago when I was finding large amounts of blood in my toilet after going to the bathroom.

Heck, I can't even remember the last time I had a blood test (although they did take my blood at the ER a few weeks ago, but neither I nor my doctor got the results of the tests).
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Avatar universal
I have no idea who this guy is, so can't comment. If he is not a doctor but just a theorist, beware, because he may be incorrect.

All my comments on that other thread I supplied about how to do a bland diet to deal with gastritis including the sipping water to dilute stomach acid is mainstream medicine, and you can find them on the internet.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Ran across this page which is quite insightful.

Apparently I'm not drinking enough water as I should be which could be the cause of both my HBP and my reflux issues.

http://watercure2.org/mankind.htm

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes stomach problems are painful and can make you feel sick and anxious. Read this thread.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Anxiety/Help-Please-Stress-and-acid-reflux/show/1894147?personal_page_id=890501
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