Effexor XR

[goodhealth100]

I've been taking Effexor for about 2 years and am weaning off the medication right now. Actually I should just say I am stoping the medication cold turkey, since I am just not taking any pills at all each day. Yes, there are side effects. Are the side effects so severe that a person cannot tolerate them? Absolutely not. You need to tough it out, get this drug out of your system, and start exercising 5 times a week, especially cardiovascular exercise. Don't listen to all these doctors who tell you Effexor is the answer to your problems. It absolutely is not the answer. Regular cardio exercise 4-5 times a week is a better way of healing yourself than taking these ******** medications for the rest of your life. And Effexor will raise your blood pressure. You need to ask yourself do you want to take these medications forever, or do you want to live a happy lifestyle without using these overrated antidepressants. Just do the best you can when you get off this drug. Each week that passes will get better and better without this medication in your system. Definitely exercise while you are going through the withdrawal. You can handle it. Do not think these doctors know it all. They absolutely do not. They don't even take the medications themselves but write out prescriptions like they are some sort of expert in feeling the effects of them. In my opinion I would just stay away from antidepressants and stay close to healthy eating and exercise, especially running. Take multi-vitamins, drink lots of water, eat fruits, vegetables and exercise at least 4 times a week with at least 30 minutes of cardio, 3 times a week. You do not need Effexor in your life.

[Jaquta]

Hi Amph

I personally feel a little affronted by your comments.
I didn't see any terms and conditions (other than a disclaimer) when I logged onto this forum.  Nobody said I couldn't participate in a conversation with another member here.  Especially as we were discussing issues affecting mental health.

Your comments remind me of an internet dbt class where the boundaries were very arbitrary.

I personally do not wish to pursue this conversation and I certainly have no intention of discussing issues raised on this forum in another.

I feel frustrated by the resultant conversation on medication, nutrition, hydration and exercise.
I concur that medication is best used discretely and in conjunction with therapy.  I also agree that nutrition and exercise are factors which affect our mental health.

J

[goodhealth100]

That glass of a wine a day thing is a big myth. Wine makes your heart better? LOL. Get real. Alcohol is very toxic and perhaps one of the most toxic drugs you can put into your system.

You cannot compare drinking a glass of wine a day to running a few miles in terms of improving your heart health and cardiovascular system. The best beverage you can put into your body is water. And that's it for now. I can't give you anymore free advice. I'd have to charge you money for it.

Peace out.


>>>>Okay this can go on forever and clog up Dr. Goulds forums. People smoke, people drink alcogol, people use therapy, people take psychotropics and people gydrate theselves as tehy feel is appropraite for their bodies.

But this isn't a forum we should be lecturing one another on the exact amounts of water one needs and the evils of smoking and having a glass of wine(which is actually healthy for you by the way).

Either this thread needs to be moved so we can continue to discuss this or we should start a new thread in another forum because were totally going around and around on the experts forum.

No disrespect twords anyone on this thread..I just don't want to keep going in circles on Dr.Goulds forum. So why don't we start a thread in another forum?
Is that okay with everyone.

How about you start it goodhealth and let us know where it is..?

[Amphitrite]

Okay this can go on forever and clog up Dr. Goulds forums. People smoke, people drink alcogol, people use therapy, people take psychotropics and people gydrate theselves as tehy feel is appropraite for their bodies.

But this isn't a forum we should be lecturing one another on the exact amounts of water one needs and the evils of smoking and having a glass of wine(which is actually healthy for you by the way).

Either this thread needs to be moved so we can continue to discuss this or we should start a new thread in another forum because were totally going around and around on the experts forum.

No disrespect twords anyone on this thread..I just don't want to keep going in circles on Dr.Goulds forum. So why don't we start a thread in another forum?
Is that okay with everyone.

How about you start it goodhealth and let us know where it is..?

[goodhealth100]

Well with your response to the correct amount of water you obviously are with the more than 99 percent of people who have no idea what they are talking about. And yes, you absolutely must be drinking a half ounce of water per pound of bodyweight, every single day. Your body is mostly made up of water and if not given the correct amount it does not act properly, nor feel as it should.

Did you ever try drinking a half ounce of water per your pound of bodyweight, every single day? If you have never done it that you cannot make an accurate assessment of the effects of it.

I've taken Buspar also a long time ago. It's not as strong as Xanax but it did help me when I needed it.

Let's get on to cigarettes and alcohol. Those are about the worst drugs that anyone can take. And it's funny how you can walk into any store and buy as much as you want of it and destroy your body as much as you want without anyone caring at all.

Why do the people in Okinawa, Japan live the longest compared to anyone else in the world? Their diets consist of mostly vegetables and fish. They have the highest rate of people living over 100 years old in the entire world. Research the life expectancy charts online and you'll see the different countries and on average how long those people live.

If you hadn't noticed already we live in a society where people flock to fast food and then act clueless as to why they are obese and feel lethargic when they go out to bars and get drunk and do not integrate any cardio activity into their lifestyles.

You really need to research the water requirement though. It's more important than you can imagine. What is very funny to me is that out of all the various therapists I've spoken to throughout my life, not 1, NOT 1, ever mentioned that. Most just sat back with a piece of paper and pen, jotted down notes of my answers to their questions and advised medications that they said would make me feel better. They are intelligent people obviously, going through medical school and obtaining those respectable degrees by comleting those rigorous programs, but when it comes to proper diet and exercise most are clueless in that subject because it is not their area of expertise.

They do help people out though, and that is something you must respect.  


>>>>>>>Thank you for the advice.

I don't think there is a 'correct' amount of water to drink.  I think as with all things there is a balance.

I personally don't use supplements.  I believe most nutrients can be obtained through a healthy, balanced diet.  This can be affected by where you live though.  For example, in our area we're deficient in selenium.

Even healthy food isn't always healthy.  Some fish has been found to have extremely high levels of mercury, etc.  Chickens can be fed growth hormones and antibiotics, etc.

Typically if you stick to the fresh, non-processed stuff you're doing OK.

I stopped taking buspirone because I felt it was affecting my energy levels and although I was still running it made it an effort and it ceased to be even remotely enjoyable.

I think people always have choices.  (Even when there are limits).

I still believe therapy can be helpful and should be an integral part of recovery.

Thanks again for all your advice.

J <<<<<<<<

[Amphitrite]

LOL, you just made me shuckle by saying maybe I feel normal because my normal is being medicated:):) That's cute I'm ure I can come up with some cute little pumpersticker saying to go with it..Like my favorite...."I'm trying to be the person my psychiatrists medicates me to be"

I just think those sayings are cute.
Anyway...if I'd always been on meds like these I'd say maybe your right. But U had never taken a xanax or atican until a few months ago. I used to take klonopin but was so afraid of it I'd cut it up into tiney tiny pieces which weren't even close to therapustic doses.
I'm honestly think I'm some freak of nature/science I guess would be a better term. The only meds that have eber had an immediate effect om ne are IV pain meds and Vesed before surgery(that one they should bottle and make everyone in teh world take it at the same time...wars would end...Us and Chins would love one another). But I've actually fought through anestesia to tell the doctors my head hurt and no others meds seem to sedate me or give me a "high". It's not as if they don't work. The xanax called my racing heart which gave me time to calm down after a flashback(same with the klonoon though on klonopin I don't have panic attacks at all since it's a 12 hour med plus I was suing it the wrong way because of a mistake on teh bottle..ooops).
So they work...I just don't feel any immediate effects as most people describe. And that's good for me because my pill phobia has to do with side effects and feeling out of control of my body, like when I've had to have IV pain meds I avoid it at all costs because I fell I'm not in control of my own body or thoughts. So I suppose if my oral pain meds and antu-anxiety meds had that effects on me I would refuse totake them.
I'm just strangely unable to be sedated. Even ambien/Lunesta. They don't sedate me. They for some reason take away my nightmares(I guess because they plug into the bezo receptors) but who knows because ambien isn't known to even be active past 3 hours and I never go right to sleep because it doesn't make me tired.

I've always thought, maybe I have some biological(neurological) problem that keeps me from being sedated. Even when I was very young my parents would tell me I would barely sleep. I was an insomniac at 5.

But def the meds are working, just not in a punch me out powerful immediate way. But I'm requesting to be tapered off klonopin as I'm not a fan of bezos even with my flashbacks and panic attacks. I tried to convince my doc not to give me xanax but she refused and got upset when I was only taken half her prescription. I've always refused bezos. I just don't like them for some reason. Maybe it's a psychological reason..but nonetheless I'd rather deal with my panic on my own as I always have and if I'm in crisis then use one or two. But daily...it's just not for me. Plus with my pain pills...it would be wasy for me to be a zombie if I took all my meds at the same time so I don't like knowing that either.

But I agree with you J. Actaully studies have shown that the amount of water a person needs is equal to their activity level and teh climate they live in, not body mass. So me for instance. With pain some days I'm bed bound in a cool house which means to stay hydrated my body needs less water than someone who's running around or in the heat swearting. That 8 glasses a day is a myth also.

It is possible to maintain a healthy body without having a picture perfect diet. I'm not allowed many many foods including all fruits and some veggies and I rarely take suppliments because if I feel my body is lacking something I break my diet and eat a bannanna for my muscles or have a sweet potatoe for vitamin C. There are a TON od nutriants in foods and since my body is "llergic" to some of them, I have to go without and I'm still as healthy as can be with a chronic disease which is what limits my food choices.

I'll say for me..I drink just enough water to stay hydrated and no more(I have a bladder ddisease) I can't exersize as I used to and I eat all natural organic foods, the ones I can and have been very healthy (knowcking on wood). I do take psychotropics and do attend psychoanalysis both of which I find very beneficial. And although there is a huge, mind, bdy and soul connection and I believe everything intertwines together, whatever steps someone feels they should take for themselves to maintain the best quality of life they can have is okay.
And that goes for your prefrences goodhealth, J's preferences. mine and the Dr's for his patients as doctors have prefrences also when it comes to treating clients/patients (I know my psycoanalysis sure does!

[Jaquta]

Hi Amph
I don't know if I had symptoms relating to my teeth.  I had a sore jaw but I put that down to a consequence of having had my wisdom teeth out earlier in the year.
I'm stunned by the fact you feel you've never had an immediate side-effect from medication.
I'm extremely sensitive about my body so perhaps I'm more aware of changes??  I think some changes are physiological but some are also psychological.  In my case I would go as far as saying they are probably the opposite of placebo, nocebo (I'm not sure about the spelling.  I think it had an s in it).  I typically only attribute negative characteristics/ side-effects to medications.

Maybe you feel normal because normal for you has become medicated.
If you don't feel change though, why take it?

I don't think it is related to need.  Well maybe some, but not all.
I think it would sound strange if I told the doctor I didn't need an anti-depressant because I had side-effects from it.  I can still be depressed and have a reaction to the medication.
I think it is more about how our bodies metabolize drugs, etc.  And other factors.

I don't think this is a coagulated mess.
I think people have the option of reading, or not.  It is a decision they make.
I like that people can interact.  To be honest I think it's a bit sterile when there's only one response to a post.  I like that people can feel safe and secure in sharing.

J

To goodhealth100

Thank you for the advice.

I don't think there is a 'correct' amount of water to drink.  I think as with all things there is a balance.

I personally don't use supplements.  I believe most nutrients can be obtained through a healthy, balanced diet.  This can be affected by where you live though.  For example, in our area we're deficient in selenium.

Even healthy food isn't always healthy.  Some fish has been found to have extremely high levels of mercury, etc.  Chickens can be fed growth hormones and antibiotics, etc.

Typically if you stick to the fresh, non-processed stuff you're doing OK.

I stopped taking buspirone because I felt it was affecting my energy levels and although I was still running it made it an effort and it ceased to be even remotely enjoyable.

I think people always have choices.  (Even when there are limits).

I still believe therapy can be helpful and should be an integral part of recovery.

Thanks again for all your advice.

J