Horace
Journeyman
Reged: 11/22/03
Posts: 79
Loc: Earth
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Hello:
I've been on Effexor XR (150MG per day) and have noticed over the last two years (since I began taking it for "depression" and "General Anxiety Disorder") a lack of motivation. I am nowhere near as productive as I used to be.
Has anyone else noticed this symptom? I haven't heard it mentioned as possible side-effect. I seem to have none of the typical side-effects that can accompany this drug.
I used to be very creative and hard-working and now I seem to just be getting by. Eventually I see this as hurting my long term prospects for growth -- not to mention the fact that I'd like to work more for self-satisfaction, money, etc. I used to read 300-400 pages a day, do a lot of writing, thinking, and whatnot, but I can't seem to do this since taking the drug.
And the above workload wasn't due to any sort of manic bit, either.
Thanks for your replies
Horace.
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2muchpain
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 274
Loc: USA
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Hello Horace,
I was on celexa for the same diagnoses for several years. I felt the same way. I just quit caring about things. My home was a mess; I used to be meticulous. My bills were late. Even though I had money in my account to pay them, I just didn't care. I didn't care about relationships - didn't care that much about anything. It was nice not to be depressed or anxious, although I can't say I was happy. I was just middle of the road - didn't feel good, didn't feel bad.
Several months ago I got up the nerve to quit taking the celexa. I felt like Rip Van Winkle waking up after his long sleep. I looked around my home and stack of late bills and I was shocked! It was only then that I realized what the celexa was doing. I started caring and working on damage control. I am still playing catch up. It's very frustrating because as soon as Thanksgiving rolled around my holiday depression kicked in. Now I am on a low dose of Paxil. Again, I don't know if it's working. I guess I feel better.
It seems that these drugs do ease the depression but the downside is we become robotic or maybe numb. It is so subtle.
Can anyone else out there offer some insight?
Pain and depression free holidays to all,
2much
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singlesu
Member
Reged: 06/07/03
Posts: 143
Loc: kentucky
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I don't know if I can add any help here, but I have suffered from depression for a good part of my life and have been on every anti-dpressant on the market. I recently started taking Effexor, and the side effects of that drug were the worst of all the that I have every tried. It raised my blood pressure and heart rate to a dangerously high level, which is one of the side effects that is hardly ever mentioned.
With my years of experience on taking these different meds, they all pretty much left me feeling "numb", not caring about anything including responsibilities, relationships, etc. and I just recently decided to try a different approach to my depression after reading many threads here at DB, and have been off all SSRI's for almost 2 months and I am doing much better.
The approach I am now taking is a bit radical, but along with the new med I am taking, plus plenty of exercise every day, I now feel that my life is in more control than it ever has been in years, and I am very grateful to some of the members here at DB who have seen me thru some of these problems, and offered some very good adivce.
BTW, I have also heard to tapering off Effexor is very difficult, as it was for me. It took me almost 2 weeks to wean myself off of this med, but still felt the effects for another 2 to 3 weeks after discontinuing the drug. If I can help, please feel free to pm me at anytime
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"I know I'm crazy cause I've got papers to prove it"
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junebug101
Journeyman
Reged: 03/27/03
Posts: 69
Loc: NY
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Tapering from Effexor is the pits; worse than hydrocodone. My psych maxed my dosage at 150 mgs; I do notice I did better at a lower dosage (112.5) rather than the higher one. 150 makes me a little lacksidaisical (sp?). Maybe if your doc lowers the dosage you'll feel better? The other thing (blush, blush) is high dosage effexor can reduce your sex drive (present company included).
I shouldn't blush; we all talk freely about our constipation, sex talk should be a walk in the park!
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Kid Free and Loving It!
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bunnymom1
Stranger
Reged: 12/04/03
Posts: 6
Loc: New Jersey
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I'm sorry the effexor xr hasn't been effective for you. Personally, I've had the best of luck with the effexor. I've been on it for about 5 years, give or take, with dosages ranging from 50 mg to 450 mg. This is the only anti-depressant that's worked for me.
A couple thoughts on your lack of motivation. First, your dosage may be too high. There's a fine line between not feeling depressed and not feeling ANYTHING. Maybe you could lower it to 75 mg.
Is it possible that you're still depressed? I know that sounds like a stupid question, but sometimes we don't realize it until someone points it out to us.
Also, sometimes other drugs need to be added into the mix to get optimum relief. For a while, I lacked energy and motivation to the point where I couldn't get out of bed. My doc added provigil (a stimulant) to the mix. Only stayed on it for a short time, but it was enought to jump-start me and get me moving again.
Finally, effexor just may not be the drug for you. What works for one person can be horrible in another. There are pleny of others out there that will hopefully make you feel yourself again. Best of luck in the search.
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The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. -George Bernard Shaw
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bakzero
Journeyman
Reged: 11/18/03
Posts: 54
Loc: PA
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I suffer from DDD and the pain is a 24 hr thing. From that came depression, so I went to my dr. I was effexor for about 3 months a did not notice a thing. I then went on to some benzo's and other meds and did not do anything.
I just started this high dose of B complex vitamins and Sam-E (bought it at BJ's or Costco's) and the depression seems to slowly disappear.
I'm not one with other types of herbal stuff but the depression seems to be going away.
The pain from DDD is still here and I still suffer from insomnia. But no depression.
The depression came to a point that I quit my job, started selling all belongings and went to a funeral director to pre-need my funeral. I would walk in the middle of traffic and hope a truck or car would come by and FU*K$G End it ALL.
To get to one the end of my town you have to cross a bridge.
I though of several million times of jumping off of that bridge. Then I would think of the poor who would have to scoop parts of me up and the embarrassment it would bring to my family. I never had the to do it. The Best if kept off the board I would do, it was un-believable. I almost lost my wife, she wanted to leave me!
Then one day, my pastor who takes his walks as he always does in the morning bumped into me and asked what was wrong.
I opened up to him and told him everything. I felt like a TON WAS OFF OF MY CHEST!
We then walked together and he told me that he knew a person who suffered from depression too and everything that he tried nothing helped (Shrink,meds,group therapy and Light Therapy.)
That is when He advised me of the vitamins and the SAM-E.
I then bought some and tried it too. I not trying to push/sell anything on to anyone. Everyone's chemistry is different, moods change by the hour; people get depression when the winter/summer comes.
I'm just telling you what I went though, what I experienced and the results that I had. I have been taking the High Potent B-Complex and Sam-E and I feel like a new person who is not mental zombie.
We all go through some type of depression in our time of life.
The pain is another story...which I am now trying to get under control. Hopefully the neurosurgeon will give me some relief.
Sorry for babbling hope this helps.
GOOD LUCK 
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Horace
Journeyman
Reged: 11/22/03
Posts: 79
Loc: Earth
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Dear Bakzero:
thanks for your post. I actually think it a good one. I do put a certain amount of store in vitamins et al. Whether people are malnurished, not eating right, etc., supplements seem to be able to help -- though the medical community is divided on this.
I had a very complicated leg surgery about 7 years ago. I took about 1500MG glucosamine 3 x a day immediately after surgery for two months. I had read all the articles on medline which were mainly of tests done on horses and dogs and some human focus groups in Germany and Switzerland. ANyway -- the surgeon (one of the best and most expensive in LA) and some very good PT's as well as other ortho MD's thought my recovery remarkable.
ANyway, although they couldn't say with certainty that it was the GS which sped up and helped my remarkable recovery (decreased pain, almost full motion of limb after surgery) they did take the claims of those who advocate Glucosamine seriously. I took 3x the recommend dosage at each period.
Now these group of docs have their interns study this -- collect all new reports -- and they've put several patients on GS to help with arthiritis ailment.
My point is that supplements and vitamins may help -- I think many can overdo it but they are now less expensive that before and cannot really hurt (in most cases). Even Linus Polling (sp?) the Nobel Laureate was mega-dosing at 25 GRAMS of vit. C a day to prevent/ward-off flu.
I've taken supplements my whole life and have had few colds or flu bugs - despite extensive world wide travel and a bad cigarette habit (for which I take some vit. a and c.)
Horance
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buffalo124
Stranger
Reged: 09/18/02
Posts: 21
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I don't post much, as I prefer to read. That said, I have gained so much from this community that I feel I should respond to this thread.
I have had depression/social anxiety for over 15 yrs now and recently suffered from lack of motivation. The depression has been treated with just about anything you can name.
I have been prescibed many SSRIs (paxil, prozac, zoloft). They sometimes help with the depression/anxiety BUT I have found that they decrease motivation and suck any joy/excitement out of life. They also seem to cause me to feel mentally and emotionally blunted. In my opinion, the SSRIs can be a god-send if you are one of the lucky few that respond to this class of drug. If you do not respond to one of the first two that you are prescribed...forget them. There is not as much difference between the drugs in this class as they would like you to belive.
My depression comes in cycles, this means I function for a year or two and then...I fall into a VOID.
In the last year I was working and studying for a major exam and then my sleeping dread awoke again. I was put back on SSRIs and I very quickly found that I could no longer study for my exam in the way that I could only weeks before. I was in a BAD state, I felt that the only way out was a full tilt run down an icy highway during a snowstorm on summer tires.
It may sound funny, but I had my clothes picked out, burned a CD to listen to on my last voyage and even obtained some Warfarin to take with aspirin (ensuring that I would bleed out after I crashed).
So...what happened? (after all, I am writing this aren't I?)
A family doc asked me if I would consider a low dose of a stimulant normally used in children for ADHD. I had nothing to lose so why not? I had to wait a couple of weeks for the weather anyway.
Things changed on the day that I filled that script. Within 2 hours I was hitting the books like I used to. After a week fighting the effects of the SSRIs, I stopped taking them, against the advice of 2 shrinks and my family.
I had to postpone my exam because of a death in the family but this turned out to be a good thing as it gave my system time to get rid of the SSRI (they linger for a while).
I took the test and scored higher than I would have ever dreamed...shocking everyone and giving me the idea that SSRIs and shrinks were not the answer.
I have since done some research on the topic of depression and would be happy to share this with anyone who would like references on the subject. This has led me to consider the following tactics with regard to depression:
1) Low dose stimulants are effective when SSRIs fail
2) Anti-oxidants are very helpful in mental disorders
3) Omega-3 fatty acids are also of great use in depression and other mental disfunction
4) An aerobic exercise regime can be helpful
Finally, I should wrap this up: If you are lucky enough to have someone to talk to/confide in you this can be stronger than any of the above.
Thanks for listening...forgive others if you can...trust yourself-you are the only one you have.
I would be honored to respond to any comments on this post, it may take me a while (shared computer) but I will answer.
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bakzero
Journeyman
Reged: 11/18/03
Posts: 54
Loc: PA
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Another Great response "buffalo124"
On MSNBC a while back it have something with depression and
pain. The constent up's and down's that people like you and
I voyage everyday. The meds we take,the ZOMBIE HAZE THAT WE ARE ALL IN; the DR's who think of HMO/insurance kick backs and how fast I can get you out of my office for the next fool.
I timed the last time I was in the DR's office. From the Signing in to walking out the door......20 minutes....
We need more people in this world to take another look at this depression.
Another topic is chronic pain.
We are not JUNKIES!!! I would give my half of my body parts to take away the pain that I suffer everyday.
As my last response stated "I would love to take a chainsaw amd cut from the lumbar spine down (keeping the Frank and beans lol....) to take the pain away.
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buffalo124
Stranger
Reged: 09/18/02
Posts: 21
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Bakzero (sp?)
I am not worthy. In fact it was your stirring addition to this thread earlier that provoked me to add my insane  ramblings to this thread.
Shrinks and most docs are only interested in getting you out of their office as quickly as possible and if you let them/ your insurance covers it they will write you a script for whatever expensive poison that the medical journals are discussing and the drug reps will give them a nice vacation/new office furniture for writing.
When my last shrink found out that I had extensive drug coverage he decided to change me from prozac(generic) to Remeron and Zyprexa ( both are on patent and expensive). Neither of these drugs are indicated for my problems but they would cost about $400 a month and he (probably) would get perks from the drug rep the next time he dropped by.
When I asked him for a trial of low dose benzos (ativan or klonopin) he said he didn't feel comfortable dispensing them even though they are INDICATED for anxiety.
As for pain meds, if you are not an actor or talk show host you can forget about them. This is insane as people in PAIN can be cured with the right dose of opiate related meds and this class of med is harmless. They do not raise blood pressure, cause blood cell count abnormalities or liver damage.
Unfortunately the WORLD has gone MAD.
All the best.
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buffalo124
Stranger
Reged: 09/18/02
Posts: 21
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Dear bakzero,
I am making a few guesses here so if I am off please forgive me. I have tried to read some of your other posts but I can't seem to make it work for me maybe becuase I am considered a "stranger" and dyslexia (confusion of letters and numbers) make it hard for me to trace posts and read quickly and my spelling is a little suspect.
1) The first guess is that your handle "bakzero" refers to some type of spinal injury. This injury has caused depression?
2) DDD. Now I am confused. I thought this refered to a mental DSM-IV Dual diagnosis Depression or Double depression?
In any case (don't worry about explaining it if you feel that I have overstepped my bounds-this is the net and etiquite is not the same as in real life) these are my thoughts on your specific topics.
If you have suffered some type of nerve damage and this causes you pain/depression, the anti-depressant that seems to help although it would not be my first choice for pain would be Elavil (this is the trade name-there is a generic) in some people with nerve damage it can help. I can send you studies on this. For chronic pain my first choice would be an opiate derivitave and there are net sources and other alternatives (msg me or e-mail me if you care to).
If the depression is Double depression (DSM-IV) then the SAM-e and B vit complex are good ideas. Off the top of my head you may wish to check out "The life Extension Foundation" www.lef.org regarding SAM-e and there is a "Hoffman"-orthomolecular nutrition (try Google or get back to me and I will find him-on shared comp don't have files with me).
Finally, there is Dr. Barry Sears (sp?) of the Zone books/diet, he has written a book "Omega Zone" or something close to that title (sorry my dyslexia doesn't help here). Anyway, I read the book and it discusses fish oil and plant based (Omega-3 fatty acids) oils and their relation to joint pain, inflammation and mental disorders. I do not think very highly of his diet books (they would be very difficult to implement by the typical North American), I do respect his thinking on omega-3 supplementation and his references on this subject are above reproach (New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet etc). Many Libraries will carry this book or go to A "Chapters" ( I know... I know:)and check it out. Don't worry that he only reccomends his capsules...the Dale Alexander (Twinlab) oil would be just as good (if you were interested).
I had better wrap this up...thanks for listening and if I am way off or have made you feel weird this was not my intent. Sometimes I ramble and write stuff to clear things up in my head and if this hasn't helped/ isn't relevant than thanks for letting me rant.
D-
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