Posted by dancingstar on November 26, 2004, at 17:57:10
In reply to Re: King and Queen( Wow I'm Blessed!), posted by pianomama on November 23, 2004, at 12:34:10
If your bp is up and your weight is up for no other reason, then it is likely that it is because of the Effexor. The sooner you quit taking it, the easier it will be for you to stop is about all I can say. I just wish that they told us that there were side effects.
Over dinner yesterday one of the things that came up is how silly I felt but how common it was that we actually managed to take this drug -- and others -- without being fully aware of the possible side effects. Suggestions? Well, first speak with your doctor; but don't expect him or her to know tons about this as I don't think that our experience has made its way into their literature...and I don't know why. I would like to find that out.
I want to write to the press, maybe Oprah. Why didn't we know what we were in for before we took this drug? Why was it prescribed for fatigue or hot flashes or various other things having nothing to do with depression? Why were we so vulnerable? How many other drugs are treated in a similar fashion?
Treating the paying public like lab rats is unconscienable. All I can say to you is that I don't believe that anyone besides you will take good care of your health; so you might as well try to find a way out of this as quickly as possible. Some like to do it slowly, and that kind of makes sense because of the way that brain chemicals work. They say that Prozac (sp?) helps to make withdrawal from Effexor easier; so you might want to try that. Others say it doesn't help at all. It seems like it's kind of dependent on your body's own chemistry, but I would give it a try because anything you can do to make this easier is worth trying. Some people do not have any trouble at all when they stop taking Effexor; they just stop and that's it. If you are lucky enough to be one of those people, don't look back. Don't do it a second time because you may not be that lucky twice...know what I mean? I'm afraid something in the brain chemistry changes.
Anyway, be glad you became aware of any changes in your body now and not later.
Blessings!!
poster:dancingstar
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041123/msgs/420607.html