Effexor XR 'Poop-Out' after success; What Should I try Now? please help

[ShawnJC1]

I had gone through 16 months of feeling dazed and confused before finally being put on Zoloft.  The Zoloft helped lift this feeling but I thought I could feel even better and switched to Prozac.  The Prozac worked about the same- it helped for some of the symptoms but not all.  Finally I switched to Effexor last May (150mg) and it seemed to help up until a month ago.  Then I started getting all my symptoms back:

anxiety, feeling of being disassociated with my surroundings (scary feeling), panic attacks, bad eyesight from my left eye and staring from that eye, leaking feeling in left ear, and something new, a wave of feeling down and depressed...

I feel worse now than when I did before I originally took the Zoloft almost two years ago.  I went to see my psych. who said I might have had a relapse.  He said 150mg of Effexor wasn't that high and told me to up it to 300 and then max at 375mg.  He also added 1mg of Risperdal, saying it could help with the "disassociated" feeling I have.  So far I've been on this combo. for 4 days and I've seen no improvement whatsoever, in fact, the "disassociation" feels worse.  I don't feel comfortable at work, home, etc.

When I go back in a week for my follow-up, what should I ask as far as meds. go?  Could the Effexor just all of a sudden stop working like it seemed to do on me?  Has this happened to anyone b4?  

I've been thinking of asking the psych. about slowly getting off Effexor XR while starting paxil or perhaps prozac again.  If the Effexor stopped working, should I assume that these other seratonin drugs wouldn't work once again either?  Finally, doesn't Risperdal slow down the Seratonin process while Effexor speeds it up?  This seems odd....any suggestions would be MUCH appreciated.  I want to live my life to the fullest but I can't with how my head is feeling right now.  Thanks

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

A lot of questions. Here are a few answers...the most important is that you cannot rely exclusively on medications for your anxiety and depression..you need to talk to someone in psychotherapy.  You can start online at my site www.masteringstress.com and then switch to face to face therapy.

Another ssri might work, and other antidepressant medications might also work. Oftentimes lower doses should do the job, and if they don't then switch to another one.

risperdal will make you feel more dissociated.

the drug interactions are too complicated for you to figure out on a chemical basis...you have to be in the hands of an expert.

[chrismary]

I think Risperdal is for your neurotransmitters. I was advised to take it to crashing off prozac. I think it is because the drugs might make you think things over and over and you might be just having thought confusion? I am not sure. That is what I was told. Of course my depression lifted real fast on prozac...boom! I tried to stay on it and then I started to see things in 3 D and I think I might have been a bit allergic. I might try risperdal too. Not sure..I never too Effexor. I had a structural problem and not real bad depression. More anxiety than depression. I also think the Risperdal is for sleep but I 'm not sure. I'm looking for relief too.
Chrismary

[Baadsie]

The whole theory about chemical imbalance is just that a theory.
Next time you see the Doc, ask him to check for a chemical imbalance. He won't because he can't. If the theory about low serotonin was correct and you were causing a drug induced increase in serotonin, what happens when you have too much?
Too much serotonin causes hallucinations, amnesia, insomnia, depersonalization. Too little serotonin for you might be just right for me. These drugs are simply a stimulant. That is why you feel up. That is what causes the insomnia. Find for yourself on the web, those foods and activities that naturally increase and regulate the hormones. Your body has two types of serotonin and unfortunately the one that these drugs are supposed to increase is actually decreased and visa versa. www.antidepressantsfacts.com and also www.drugawareness.org are the best I have found to help.