This is How It Works
ANOTHER JOURNAL ENTRY??? HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!
THis one's a little more personal, but I'm making it public anyways because there are a few people that aren't on Livejournal that I know want to follow this.
Anyways, some people know, some don't, that I've been on Effexor for the past couple of years. But it's come time to do away with crutches, including mentally stabilizing ones!
Release.... the secwet.... WEAPON!!!!!
(Bonus Love points if you can tell me what movie that's from!!!)
What the patient information handouts offer is the following:
Indications for EFFEXOR XR
EFFEXOR XR (venlafaxine HCl) Extended-Release Capsules are indicated for the treatment of Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and Panic Disorder (PD) with or without agoraphobia in adults.
Important Safety Information for EFFEXOR XR
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs
Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, teens, and young adults. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. EFFEXOR XR® (venlafaxine HCl) is not approved for use in children and teens.
What they don't tell you is details on discontinuing the drug. The withdrawal symptoms are actually much more common than is sometimes presented.
This website details some of the symptoms.
Or, I can sum it up here. Because that is my current state.
The short term for it all?
Fucked up.
SImple, yes? I only wish!
Try this, instead.
You feel nauseous, without the feeling like you need to puke. You feel light headed like you haven't eaten anything for three days, but not hungry, and even when you DO feel like you can eat something, you become preoccupied and forget what you were doing because you turn your head and get a jolt of electricity run through your head, and you're not sure if it's a feeling of "COOL SHIT BATFINK LET'S DO IT AGAIN" or "HOLY CRAP MY HEAD EXPLODED" so you go to put your head down for a few minutes, but then remember that you were going to eat first, but then look at the time and realize you have to run out the door because the last five minutes suddenly turned into 20 and you have to go back to work, but when you go out the door you forget your keys somewhere and go back to grab them, and your fingers feel numb, thick and tingly and suddenly you can't remember the code for the house lock. Or, rather, you can remember it, but it doesn't quite make sense anymore. And you realize you're going through withdrawal and just want the wonky wooziness and out-of-body experience to stop, and wonder if it's all in your head when you look around and start seeing shadows and flashing lights in the corner of your eyes because they stopped focusing properly. Then someone says something to you, either with mild irritation or none at all, and you want to lash out at them and rip out their eyes for being so god-damned irresponsibly idiotic and you wonder how they survived this long without someone stabbing them in the eye with a spoon. Is that actually a side effect? Hm, makes me wonder, now. And when you actually want to try to smooth over a situation, what you meant as a pleasant debate comes out as serious psycho-traumatic alien intoxication on a computer screen, and to the rest of the world you seem like you are about to go postal, when in your head all along are thoughts of happy, singing daisies and hugging puppies. And then a coworker sneezes and start to scream "GRAB A FUCKING KLEENEX AND DON'T SPRAY IN MY FACE YOU RETARD!!!" which comes out surprisingly as the most pleasant "Bless you" that's ever been heard throughout mankind, and just when you think your mind can't get any more messed up, there's that not-so-pleasant cranial orgasm searing through your brain again, and the feeling that your stomach is going to start heaving but all you want is a cheesburger.
Yep. That's been my day.
So, on that note, it's lunch time. I'm going home to take half of my usual dose and appease the demon whacking off in my brain. Might explain the buzzing pressure behind my eyes.
What, exactly, is a buzzing pressure, you might ask?
Good question. But that's what it feels like.
(Other people might define above feelings as: nausea, anxiety, general anaesthesia, insomnia, tremor, dizziness, confusion, vertigo, irritability, overactivity, slowed thinking, confusion and concentration difficulties.)
THis one's a little more personal, but I'm making it public anyways because there are a few people that aren't on Livejournal that I know want to follow this.
Anyways, some people know, some don't, that I've been on Effexor for the past couple of years. But it's come time to do away with crutches, including mentally stabilizing ones!
Release.... the secwet.... WEAPON!!!!!
(Bonus Love points if you can tell me what movie that's from!!!)
What the patient information handouts offer is the following:
Indications for EFFEXOR XR
EFFEXOR XR (venlafaxine HCl) Extended-Release Capsules are indicated for the treatment of Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), and Panic Disorder (PD) with or without agoraphobia in adults.
Important Safety Information for EFFEXOR XR
Suicidality and Antidepressant Drugs
Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, teens, and young adults. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior. EFFEXOR XR® (venlafaxine HCl) is not approved for use in children and teens.
- People taking MAOIs should not take EFFEXOR XR.
- All patients taking antidepressants should be watched closely for signs that their condition is getting worse or that they are becoming suicidal, especially when they first start therapy, or when their dose is increased or decreased. Patients should also be watched for becoming agitated, irritable, hostile, aggressive, impulsive, or restless. Such symptoms should be reported to the patient's doctor right away.
- Before starting EFFEXOR XR, tell your doctor if you're taking or plan to take any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, including migraine headache medication, herbal preparations, and nutritional supplements, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition.
- EFFEXOR XR may raise blood pressure in some patients. Your blood pressure should be controlled before starting treatment and should be monitored regularly.
- Taking EFFEXOR XR with aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, warfarin, or other drugs that affect coagulation may increase the risk of bleeding events.
- Mydriasis (prolonged dilation of the pupil of the eye) has been reported with EFFEXOR XR. You should notify your physician if you have a history of glaucoma or increased eye pressure.
- When people suddenly stop using or quickly lower their daily dose of EFFEXOR XR, discontinuation symptoms may occur. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of EFFEXOR XR.
- Pregnant or nursing women shouldn't take any antidepressant without consulting their doctor.
- Until you see how EFFEXOR XR affects you, be careful doing such activities as driving a car or operating machinery. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking EFFEXOR XR.
- In clinical studies, the most common side effects with EFFEXOR XR (reported in at least 10% of patients and at least twice as often as with placebo) were constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, nervousness, sexual side effects, sleepiness, sweating, and weakness.
What they don't tell you is details on discontinuing the drug. The withdrawal symptoms are actually much more common than is sometimes presented.
This website details some of the symptoms.
Or, I can sum it up here. Because that is my current state.
The short term for it all?
Fucked up.
SImple, yes? I only wish!
Try this, instead.
You feel nauseous, without the feeling like you need to puke. You feel light headed like you haven't eaten anything for three days, but not hungry, and even when you DO feel like you can eat something, you become preoccupied and forget what you were doing because you turn your head and get a jolt of electricity run through your head, and you're not sure if it's a feeling of "COOL SHIT BATFINK LET'S DO IT AGAIN" or "HOLY CRAP MY HEAD EXPLODED" so you go to put your head down for a few minutes, but then remember that you were going to eat first, but then look at the time and realize you have to run out the door because the last five minutes suddenly turned into 20 and you have to go back to work, but when you go out the door you forget your keys somewhere and go back to grab them, and your fingers feel numb, thick and tingly and suddenly you can't remember the code for the house lock. Or, rather, you can remember it, but it doesn't quite make sense anymore. And you realize you're going through withdrawal and just want the wonky wooziness and out-of-body experience to stop, and wonder if it's all in your head when you look around and start seeing shadows and flashing lights in the corner of your eyes because they stopped focusing properly. Then someone says something to you, either with mild irritation or none at all, and you want to lash out at them and rip out their eyes for being so god-damned irresponsibly idiotic and you wonder how they survived this long without someone stabbing them in the eye with a spoon. Is that actually a side effect? Hm, makes me wonder, now. And when you actually want to try to smooth over a situation, what you meant as a pleasant debate comes out as serious psycho-traumatic alien intoxication on a computer screen, and to the rest of the world you seem like you are about to go postal, when in your head all along are thoughts of happy, singing daisies and hugging puppies. And then a coworker sneezes and start to scream "GRAB A FUCKING KLEENEX AND DON'T SPRAY IN MY FACE YOU RETARD!!!" which comes out surprisingly as the most pleasant "Bless you" that's ever been heard throughout mankind, and just when you think your mind can't get any more messed up, there's that not-so-pleasant cranial orgasm searing through your brain again, and the feeling that your stomach is going to start heaving but all you want is a cheesburger.
Yep. That's been my day.
So, on that note, it's lunch time. I'm going home to take half of my usual dose and appease the demon whacking off in my brain. Might explain the buzzing pressure behind my eyes.
What, exactly, is a buzzing pressure, you might ask?
Good question. But that's what it feels like.
(Other people might define above feelings as: nausea, anxiety, general anaesthesia, insomnia, tremor, dizziness, confusion, vertigo, irritability, overactivity, slowed thinking, confusion and concentration difficulties.)