Update on Meds..

[Paxil1982]

Hello all!! Well, As I stated before, my pdoc put me on Zyprexa. I took it for a few weeks and nothing. If anything, I felt worse. More anxious, more depressed, still couldn't sleep. So I saw her a few days ago and she took me off Zyprexa and started me on Depakote ER, 250mg for 4 nights, then 500mg a night. And Effexor XR, 37.5mg every morning for a week, then 75mg each morning. I am 3 days into the meds and haven't felt anything yet. Will keep everyone updated!

[LCrawford67]

Effexor is a horrible drug, it makes Paxil look like a walk in the park. Adding that with Depakote isn't good at all.

No one can tell you what to do, but you're asking for a world of hurt later on. I hate to see this happening to someone so young.

[TryingtoGetWell]

I'm concerned for you. I looked back at your previous posts to refresh my memory, and if I understand correctly you had what seems like an adverse reaction to paxil soon after you were put on it for social anxiety. You wrote:

Something happened at work today and upset me and I got scared because I felt like I was about to have a panic attack and I've never had one.

I find it significant that you never had a panic attack before you were on paxil, but felt like you were going to have one once you were ON paxil. Think about it!

SSRIs help some people, at least for a while, but they cause very frightening reactions in other people. And effexor is another SSRI, very similar to paxil.

It really seems like you don't tolerate these medications well, and you had worse problems on paxil than you did before you took it. If so, it's extremely likely that you will have at least as many problems on other SSRIs as you did on paxil, and very possibly with other psychotropic medications also, and they're all addictive and can cause bad withdrawal.

Social anxiety is so common in young people. I never knew the name for it (we just called it "shy" then), but I realize now I probably had quite a case for it. It's very common, but not worth getting your life messed up with these medications for. It's something you can work on with therapy, and some nutritional supplements might help you too. My social anxiety went away on its own. But although I was prescribed medications for other reasons, I'm having a hellish time dealing with the long-term effects and withdrawals of having taken them. Please consider trying other things for social anxiety, because that's something you can get over without drugs!

[Songbird]

[QUOTE =TryingtoGetWell;387993]Social anxiety is so common in young people. I never knew the name for it (we just called it "shy" then), but I realize now I probably had quite a case for it. It's very common, but not worth getting your life messed up with these medications for. [/quote]

Me too! I read a leaflet on Social Anxiety Disorder in my psychiatrists waiting room, and I think I had every symptom! I was shocked, all my life I thought I was just shy and it turned out I had a medical disorder! Then after thinking about it for a while, I became suspicious that the drug companies had just created a new disease so they could sell more drugs...

I thought Depakote was for bipolar disorder not social anxiety. To me all these drugs seem like such a sledgehammer approach for something like social anxiety.

[Paxil1982]

Originally Posted by Songbird

[QUOTE =TryingtoGetWell;387993]Social anxiety is so common in young people. I never knew the name for it (we just called it "shy" then), but I realize now I probably had quite a case for it. It's very common, but not worth getting your life messed up with these medications for.

Me too! I read a leaflet on Social Anxiety Disorder in my psychiatrists waiting room, and I think I had every symptom! I was shocked, all my life I thought I was just shy and it turned out I had a medical disorder! Then after thinking about it for a while, I became suspicious that the drug companies had just created a new disease so they could sell more drugs...

I thought Depakote was for bipolar disorder not social anxiety. To me all these drugs seem like such a sledgehammer approach for something like social anxiety. [/quote]

Depakote is for Bipolar. My psychiatrist diagnosed me as having Bipolar, GAD, and SAD. My head's a mess. :-(

[rdjanis]

Originally Posted by Paxil1982

Depakote is for Bipolar. My psychiatrist diagnosed me as having Bipolar, GAD, and SAD. My head's a mess. :-(

These medications you are taking is what causes ones head to be a mess.

Do some research, effexor is a horrible drug, even if you feel it is helping you presently, in the long term impossible to get off of, and if one does it effects the gut and the person becomes seriously unwell.

If you get the chance, go to the journals and read 'Elisa' journal.

Take care!

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Paxil1982

Me too! I read a leaflet on Social Anxiety Disorder in my psychiatrists waiting room, and I think I had every symptom! I was shocked, all my life I thought I was just shy and it turned out I had a medical disorder! Then after thinking about it for a while, I became suspicious that the drug companies had just created a new disease so they could sell more drugs...


Depakote is for Bipolar. My psychiatrist diagnosed me as having Bipolar, GAD, and SAD. My head's a mess.

First, social anxiety was a "diagnosis" created by Pharma. It used to be called shy and it has NO basis is medicine. Second, you have now entered the drug merry go round. The panic was due to the paxil, the bipolar was due to the side effects of Paxil. The effexor and depakote are being used to cover the side effects of the Paxil and the Zyprexa.
I wish you well, but you are in very dangerous territory with the cocktail of drugs that you are taking.
It's not a disease to be shy.

Seroquel will be the next drug that they prescribe, due to the mania that Effexor will cause.

[rdjanis]

Exactly, seroquel is what they used for my daughter. Now drug free, she has come to grips with her shyness or 'social phobia'. The meds didn't do anything besides cause illness and whole lot of mental health labels.

[scotia21]

Your doctor sounds a lot like my mother's doctor - always trying a new drug. As others have said - we cant tell you what to do but we can advise you to do some research and possibly look for another doctor. You probably have so many drugs running through your veins that it would be impossible to determine which one is actually causing you side effects.

[LCrawford67]

Originally Posted by Paxil1982

Me too! I read a leaflet on Social Anxiety Disorder in my psychiatrists waiting room, and I think I had every symptom! I was shocked, all my life I thought I was just shy and it turned out I had a medical disorder! Then after thinking about it for a while, I became suspicious that the drug companies had just created a new disease so they could sell more drugs...

I thought Depakote was for bipolar disorder not social anxiety. To me all these drugs seem like such a sledgehammer approach for something like social anxiety.

Depakote is for Bipolar. My psychiatrist diagnosed me as having Bipolar, GAD, and SAD. My head's a mess. :-([/quote]

Oh come on! Being shy is NOT a disorder! Don't fall into that trap! If you have issues with social situations, go to a threrapist, not a psychiatrist, and learn how to cope with them.

Do you think these pills are going to "cure" your "disorder?" All they're doing is masking the problem and I can assure you, the hell you'll go through trying to get off of them, will make you pray for a "disorder."

[scotty]

Let me throw this out there. What would you do if these drugs were not available?

[Songbird]

I think our quotes have ended up getting all mixed up here!

[Paxil1982]

Originally Posted by scotty

Let me throw this out there. What would you do if these drugs were not available?

Good question. It's hard for me. A struggle. I know these drugs can be bad, but at the same time, my depression/anxiety/mood swings are interfering with me having a normal life, having friends, and doing well at work. I guess I am just desperate to be me again :-(

[LCrawford67]

Then get the therapy. These drugs are going to make you someone else entirely, you're not going to be "you" on drugs.

To get back to "you," you need to see a therapist and get to the root of your fears and anxities and learn how to cope with them.

[Paxil1982]

What will these drugs do to my brain and mind? I have never really sat down and read how these drugs work.

[LCrawford67]

Well, you need to do that. You need to educate yourself before you swallow any pill. Period.

Read what you can on this site, go to www.crazymeds.org Or, even look them up on wikipedia....whatever. Just know exactly what you're getting into.

There's a whole list of side effects you could face, let alone the withdrawal, should you decide to get off of them. Or, the fact that after a few years, they won't work anymore anyway and you'll face the possibility of "poop out."

You're way too young to do this to yourself, when it's something that can easily be worked through with therapy.

Trust me, I was put on Paxil for irritable bowel syndrome. I'll take IBS over the hell I've been through trying to get off this crap, any day of the week!

I experienced things, while in horrible w/d last year, that I NEVER imagined possible.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Paxil1982

What will these drugs do to my brain and mind? I have never really sat down and read how these drugs work.

I can tell you my son's experience on paxil. Sure he didn't have anxiety for the first three months on Paxil. We thought it was wonderful. Over the next 11 months his personality completely changed. He went from a sensitive, loving teen to an angry, aggressive, death obsessed person that I didn't even recognize. He went from an A student to failing everything. That was on Paxil. In withdrawal he attempted suicide twice, went through hellacious depression, anxiety, panic, and this lasted for a year. He lost his high school education due to withdrawal, and this formally A student ended up having to withdraw from school and get his GED.
Today, 3 years later, he still deals with the neurological problems that Paxil caused. Twitches, pseudoparkinsons episodes, and episodes of hypotension if he stands up quickly. He is now 19 years old and cannot move on with his life as we hope some of the neurological problems subside.

It was NOT worth the hell that it caused.
You are now taking a drug that has worse side effects and withdrawal than paxil. Is this really what you want? My husband has been on Effexor for years and cannot wean by even the smallest amount or he becomes agitated and suicidal. So we cross our fingers that it doesn't poop out on him. Others have had their gastrointesinal tract shut down after Effexor use. If you don't believe us, then google effexor withdrawal. It will be eye opening.

As for how these drugs work...they don't know. The "mechanism of action is unknown". They do alter brain chemistry, but they have no idea how or if altered brain chemistry is the cause.

[Paxil1982]

Hey guys! Another update. Just got back from Dr. She upped my dosage of Depakote to 750 and Effexor to 112.5 and added 50mg of Seroquel to be taken each night. Ugg....

[TryingtoGetWell]

Originally Posted by Paxil1982

Hey guys! Another update. Just got back from Dr. She upped my dosage of Depakote to 750 and Effexor to 112.5 and added 50mg of Seroquel to be taken each night. Ugg....

I don't understand why your doctor increased your effexor so quickly. If I understand correctly, you've only been on it three weeks, and SSRIs can take at least four weeks to take effect.

I share the concerns others have raised about effexor, based on what I've read of people's experiences on it, but it's your right to try it if you want. But these things take time to take effect, and I can't help but wonder why your dose is being raised so soon. (I'm not mentioning the other meds because I'm just not familiar with them.)

What are your symptoms that all these meds are being prescribed for?

[LCrawford67]

Wow....I'm not even sure what to say to that.

However, I think it's very irresponsible of your doctor to 1. have prescribed you so many meds. 2. to have upped them so quickly 3. Sorry to say this, but I'd think long and hard before doing this.

[CELESTEP]

Can you find another doctor who is not medication happy. Ask around. This really is alot of medication. In reading medications online (like crazymeds) you will see that many of these drugs should not be mixed. So check this for yourself.

When we go off medicines and the side effects kick in alot of physicians think, and why I don't know......that these symptoms are an indication of serious anxiety and depression. They aren't. They are w/d symptoms. Not the real you.

I don't now how to tell you to get off or wean which is why I am suggesting finding another doctor who will recognize being overmedicated.

Please don't let anyone here frighten you. You have options. Explore them online, gather information, talk to people and then make a decision of what you feel would be your best course of treament. Hugs

[Paxil1982]

Originally Posted by TryingtoGetWell

I don't understand why your doctor increased your effexor so quickly. If I understand correctly, you've only been on it three weeks, and SSRIs can take at least four weeks to take effect.

I share the concerns others have raised about effexor, based on what I've read of people's experiences on it, but it's your right to try it if you want. But these things take time to take effect, and I can't help but wonder why your dose is being raised so soon. (I'm not mentioning the other meds because I'm just not familiar with them.)

What are your symptoms that all these meds are being prescribed for?

Bipolar, SAD, GAD, and general crazy I guess. She said she was upping my dosages slowly so I won't get any of the nasty side effects. The seroquel is to help me sleep and to calm my racing thoughts. I haven't slept a full night in I don't know how long. I hope it helps.

[LCrawford67]

Our aim isn't to frighten anyone. But, we do tell the truth based on actual experiences. Fact is, this person is being prescribed an anti psychotic, a very well known horrid SNRI, plus the Depakote....all for SAD and GAD????

He/she should be frightened! They're being way over medicated!

[scotty]

Originally Posted by CELESTEP

Please don't let anyone here frighten you. You have options. Explore them online, gather information, talk to people and then make a decision of what you feel would be your best course of treament. Hugs

No one is here to frighten. We are here to give firsthand reports from members and to inform new members of documented adverse reactions and side effects that have been experienced. Two of the drugs that 1982 is on are all liver toxic. He needs to be aware of that, especially when combining drugs. 1982, are you having blood drawn for depakote levels???

ugg..

You can say no!

[mapleleafgirl25]

when i read this the ALARM BELLS STARTED TO SOUND OFF REALLY LOUD..YIKES!!!..that is a dangerous coctail your doctor has you on....you really need to read up and educate yourself on these drugs...Please think hard about this before you take them anymore..what you are experiencing as SYMPTOMS are just the drugs talking..they are causing you to have something..that needs to be taken care of by something else and so on...ect...Please take care of yourself!!

hugs,

michele