Just wondering if anyone has or is taking a depression medication called effexor.....?
I have been taking this drug for about 6 months now and it is working wonders, but I don't want to take it forever and I am scared if I quit taking it then I will go back the the way I was. Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.
I am looking for an inpatient rehab program and have some questions?
Answer:
Congratulations. None of the antidepressants worked for me. What did work was a book that taught me a whole new way to think that changed the way I felt about everything. If you want to get off the drugs, (you probably already know you can't quit cold turkey), you have to learn cognitive therapy concurrent with a healthy diet and exercise program. Then, as you get the neurotransmitters working on their own without the Effexor, you can begin to taper off (per doctor's instructions, of course). Here's my "Antidepressant That Works" summary:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/anti...
You shouldn't quit any medication without consulting with your doctor first! Talk to your doctor and see what options you have. Just quitting taking your medication can not only cause you to go back the way you were but actually make things worse. Please talk to your doctor.
Has anyone tried therapy for OCD?
Consult your doctor on the fors and againsts of quitting this medication at this point in time , only he can truely tell you when youre ready to stop it :-) ( whatever you do , donot stop it without consulting him/her)
Have a great day!
Someone is precribing it for you...so keep on taking it.
When the depression lifts, you'll know and be able to taper off without any problems.
Just don't worry and try to get better.
Unless you have very chronic depressive episodes or are bipolar, medication need not be a life long thing. If this was an isolated incident of depression, (from what I've read) 6-9 months of anti-depressants can do the trick. The longer you are stable on them before discontinuing, the better.
With Effexor in particular, you want to be weaned off of it very slowly. Not only will this help you to avoid some rather nasty withdrawal effects, but it will reduce your risk of relapsing. You can further reduce the risk by taking good care of yourself; eating and sleeping right, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding mood altering substances, perhaps (continue?) seeing a therapist, and finding/maintaining a good support system. This is not a complete list, just some of the main points to staying well.
And if you do relapse, at least you know that there is a medication out there that really worked well for you. It takes some people a lot of hit or miss before they find the right meds.