Question:

Hello everybody,     I have just been prescribed a corticosteroid inhaler (Flovent) for mild asthma.  The pharmacist told me about thrush, and that I should be sure to rinse my mouth after I take my dose.  I later called the pharmacist back and asked if I got it, could I give it to someone else (through kissing) and the answer was yes.  So my question is, how common is it if you rinse, and how much of an inconvenience is it if you get it?  Has anyone ever given it to a boyfriend/girlfriend?  Is it easy to control with a fungal mouthwash?  I’m afraid to kiss my boyfriend before I find out more (I couldn’t find much on the web beyond the basic description, and the fact that you can get it even if you rinse well).  Of course I am going to put a call into my allergist, but he only has a clinic once a week or maybe less, so I don’t know when I will get a response.  PLEASE e-mail me about this if anyone has any input on the subject! Thanks!     Mary

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everybody,     I have just been prescribed a corticosteroid inhaler (Flovent) for mild asthma.  The pharmacist told me about thrush, and that I should be sure to rinse my mouth after I take my dose.  I later called the pharmacist back and asked if I got it, could I give it to someone else (through kissing) and the answer was yes.  So my question is, how common is it if you rinse, and how much of an inconvenience is it if you get it?  Has anyone ever given it to a boyfriend/girlfriend?  Is it easy to control with a fungal mouthwash?  I’m afraid to kiss my boyfriend before I find out more (I couldn’t find much on the web beyond the basic description, and the fact that you can get it even if you rinse well).  Of course I am going to put a call into my allergist, but he only has a clinic once a week or maybe less, so I don’t know when I will get a response.  PLEASE e-mail me about this if anyone has any input on the subject! Thanks!     Mary

Mary, the germs that cause thrush are found in the normal flora of the mouth.  This means your bf already has them.  The reason that the inhalers can cause this problem is that they change the pH of the mouth.  If you rinse well [drink an entire 16 oz glass of water, and swish it around], you shouldn’t have a problem.  I have been using inhaled steroids for more than a decade, and have never gotten thrush. Chris Owens

Response:

Mary, I currently have Oral Thrush and have to fight it continuously.  I gargle very carefully and rinse after every use of Flovent, but still am prone to it.  I think it is very similar to women that are sensitive to vaginal yeast infections also.  One of the things I have found to really help is to eat yogurt everyday.  I also have a prescription for Mycelex lozenges that I can have filled whenever I need it, although I have found that if I rinse well and eat the yogurt I can usually keep the Thrush at bay without having to overuse the Mycelex. Chrystal – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Mary, the germs that cause thrush are found in the normal flora of the mouth.  This means your bf already has them.  The reason that the inhalers can cause this problem is that they change the pH of the mouth.  If you rinse well [drink an entire 16 oz glass of water, and swish it around], you shouldn’t have a problem.  I have been using inhaled steroids for more than a decade, and have never gotten thrush. Chris Owens

Response:

You may also want to try a spacer if you are not currently using one.  It is difficult to time inhalation of the drug with depressing or actuating the inhaler.  If you find you are hitting the back of your throat or tasting the medication when you use your inhaler you need to work on your technique.  A spacer helps you to get more of the medication to your airway instead of your mouth or throat. Don’t forget to shake the canister really well between each dose and wait 30sec to a minute between each puff. Hope this helps. Shane J. Varnum – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mary, I currently have Oral Thrush and have to fight it continuously.  I gargle very carefully and rinse after every use of Flovent, but still am prone to it.  I think it is very similar to women that are sensitive to vaginal yeast infections also.  One of the things I have found to really help is to eat yogurt everyday

Response:

Mary:  regarding Flovent and thrush.  Generally speaking, thrush from Flovent and other inhaled corticosteriods is kind of hard to get.  Simple mouth care is all that is really necessary.  For example, if you take Flovent 2x/day, take it first thing in the a.m., eat breakfast, brush teeth … take it before bedtime and brush teeth before sleeping.  If you’re on the road, drink a few sips of water, soda, breath mints, etc.  Yes, thrush is transmittable, avoid kissing and wash eating utensils thoroughly afterwards.  To get thrush in the first place, you must be immunocompromised, or not eating/drinking for days (say an unconscious patient in ICU).  I take Azmacort (another corticosteroid) and honestly the aftertaste is so bad,  it’s not hard to remember to use mouthwash/drink/eat/brush teeth!! An asthmatic health professional

Response:

I take Flovent and the only problems I have with it is it makes your throat sore if I dont rinse well. As far as passing thrush on to a boyfriend, I have never heard of that..

Response:

The use of a spacer, can reduce the risk of getting thrush.  It is also a good idea to use a spacer, so the meds get in your lungs, not on on your tongue, roof of your mouth etc…

Response:

rinsing your mouth out, with just water, after each inhaler treatment, will greatly reduce the odds of getting thrush. btw, white oak bark tea works great on killing thrush.  i am not usually a proponent of alternative styles of medicine, but it worked for me.

Response:

You should always rinse out your mouth after using an inhaler.  Especially if you are using any type of steroid inhalers.

The use of a spacer, can reduce the risk of getting thrush.  It is also a good idea to use a spacer, so the meds get in your lungs, not on on your tongue, roof of your mouth etc…

Response:

Question:

I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. ….. in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract……

That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine. This isn’t the first time something that is practically benign in the "real" world was 86′d by our gov. Except this time it has caused me to either put up with attacks or go back to the horrible prescription drugs and/or inhalers I thought I was free from. I’m quite sure  that Haysma–there’s probably other comparable products, but this is the only one ever sold around here; because it was supposed to be harmless–is not banned anywhere else. The company, also called Haysma Inc, is still going strong according to the stock market reports. So if anyone out there in non-Mormon land knows where or how I can find it, I’d greatly appreciate an e-mail. Thanks, Mike S.W.

Response:

That sounds like me except I’ve kept a pretty serious regimen of vitamins and exercise without the same auspicious results. I was able to quit taking prescription drugs and inhalers due to a certain non-prescription medication called Haysma. That is until it suddenly dissapeared completely from the shelves of every store (it was sold in most regular grocery stores as well as drug stores) in Salt Lake City. From what I’ve been unofficially informed, it was banned in S.L. & maybe all of Utah because somebody in our LDS-influenced legislature thought it contained harmful substances, esp. caffeine.

According to a quick search I did haysma is listed as containing ephedrine.  The drug ephedrine has been associated with so many serious and fatal reactions that the FDA proposed strict limits on its usage.  These limits would have effectively banned many OTC and ‘alternative’ remedies. (These limits were dropped by the FDA after Congressional pressure.) Due to the presence of known dangers and the ability of lobbyists to prevent federal safety standards, many states have adopted the proposed FDA safety standards on their own. BTW, mixing ephedrine and caffeine is a very, very bad idea.  If haysma does in fact contain both then it is a good thing it was removed from the shelves. "Usenet is like a herd of performing elephants with diarrhea — massive, diffucult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining, and a source of mind boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect it." Gene Spafford 1992

Response:

Another option for manufacturers is to petition FDA, asking the agency to establish the conditions under which the new dietary ingredient would reasonably be expected to be safe. To date, FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has received no such petitions. Under DSHEA, once a dietary supplement is marketed, FDA has the responsibility for showing that a dietary supplement is unsafe before it can take action to restrict the product’s use. This was the case when, in June 1997, FDA proposed, among other things, to limit the amount of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements (marketed as ephedra, Ma huang, Chinese ephedra, and epitonin, for example) and provide warnings to consumers about hazards associated with use of dietary supplements containing the ingredients. The hazards ranged from nervousness, dizziness, and changes in blood pressure and heart rate to chest pain, heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, seizures, psychosis, and death. The proposal stemmed from FDA’s review of adverse event reports it had received, scientific literature, and public comments. FDA has received many comments on the 1997 proposal and was reviewing them at press time. Besides FDA, individual states can take steps to restrict or stop the sale of potentially harmful dietary supplements within their jurisdictions. For example, Florida has banned some ephedra-containing products, and other states have said they are considering similar action. Also, the industry strives to regulate itself, the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s Cordaro says. He cites the GMPs that his trade group and others developed for their member companies. FDA is reviewing these GMPs as it considers whether to pursue mandatory industry-wide GMPs. Another example of self-regulation, Cordaro says, is the voluntary use of a warning about ephedra products that his organization drafted. He says that about 90 percent of U.S. manufacturers of products containing ephedra alkaloids now use this warning label. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/598_guid.html Ephedra As you know, on June 4, 1997, FDA published in the Federal Register a proposed rule on Dietary Supplements Containing Ephedrine Alkaloids (62 FR 30678). There are a variety of opinions about the proposed rule and the direction the Agency should take. One cannot dispute, however, the shear volume of the reports of illness and injuries that FDA received reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements suspected to contain ephedrine alkaloids. Between 1993 and mid-1996, FDA received about 1,600 AER’s reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplement products in general. Of these, over half of the AER’s were reported to be associated with the use of dietary supplements that contained, or were suspected to contain, ephedrine alkaloids. These adverse events tended to involve cardiovascular system effects and nervous system effects. FDA evaluated these reports and found that the single most common element was that the products contained, or were thought to contain, a source of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30679). FDA used the information available in the approximately 600 AER’s that were in the Agency’s possession as of June 7, 1996, to describe patterns associated with these reports. A review of the demographic information showed that in over half of the reported adverse events, the injured party was under 40 years of age. Almost 75 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur in females, often using products promoted for weight loss (62 FR 30683). About 59 percent of the adverse events were reported to occur within 4 weeks of starting to use the product. About 14 percent of the reported adverse events occurred on the first day of using the dietary supplement and, in a few cases, on the initial use (62 FR 30684). Overall, the reported signs and symptoms associated with these AER’s included those in which clinically serious events occurred, including heart attack, stroke, psychoses, seizure, and in a few cases, death, as well as those with less clinical significance, including rapid and irregular heart rhythms, increased blood pressure, anxiety, nervousness, tremor, hyperactivity, and insomnia (62 FR 30683). The Agency recognized that these reports could be indicative of early warnings of serious cardiovascular or nervous system risks if product use were to continue. Notably, the information from these adverse events revealed consistent patterns of signs and symptoms in both healthy individuals and in those with underlying diseases or conditions. Many of these reported signs and symptoms occurred in young adults who generally would not have been expected to be at high risk for such conditions (e.g., heart attack and stroke). Included were the deaths of two young adult males in which the medical examiners attributed the cause of death to ephedrine toxicity (ARMS Nos. 10862 and 11134 at 62 FR 30720 and 30722, respectively). In some cases, particular events appeared to reflect individual sensitivities related to dose levels, frequency, or duration of use of ephedrine alkaloids (62 FR 30684). As depicted in Chart C, the ephedra AER’s generated an important "signal", but were just one small component (the "tip of the iceberg") of FDA’s overall analysis of the potential public health risk associated with this product. To better understand the nature and types of products associated with these AER’s, FDA conducted a review of the marketplace (62 FR 30679). Over a two-year period, FDA collected and analyzed over 25 dietary supplement products labeled as containing a known source of ephedrine alkaloids. FDA also searched the scientific literature for relevant clinical studies, case reports, and the expected physiologic and pharmacologic effects. In addition, FDA also convened an ad hoc working group of its Food Advisory Committee (Working Group) and its Food Advisory Committee to consider the public health problems associated with the use of ephedrine alkaloid-containing dietary supplements (62 FR 30680). In the proposed rule, FDA requested comments containing data, particularly clinical data, on the safety of the use of ephedrine alkaloids in dietary supplements. (62 FR 30694). As noted above, while the AER’s served as the warning signal of potential hazard associated with the use of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids, the Agency’s evaluation of those hazards was comprised of multiple sources of scientific information. This evaluation included the AER’s, a search of the scientific literature, published case reports, controlled clinical studies, and published reports of adverse events associated with traditional uses of ephedrine alkaloids. All of these sources of scientific information revealed a consistent pattern of cardiovascular and nervous system effects associated with ephedrine alkaloids. That view was affirmed by FDA’s Food Advisory Committee. http://www.fda.gov/ola/aems599.html

Response:

I have had asthma since birth, and it was primarily caused by seasonal allergies. It did however flare up at any time, often linked to strenuous exertion, temperature changes and stress. I have been on Tedral, Beclovent, Salbutamol, Ventolin and Flovent. I am now 40, and in the past year have virtually eliminated my asthma and use of all prescription drugs by using some mega-quality supplements, followed by huge doses of vitamin C and anti-oxidants and grape seed extract. The daily vitamin C doses for me (that my body can tolerate without any effects) are around 5000 milligrams. That can vary from person to person. I also made some minor diet changes in cutting back on dairy products and red meat. Hope this information helps. Eric

Response:

Question:

Does anyone else find doctor visits nerve wracking and depressing, especially when you have to go because you’re feeling worse?

Oh YES! I think it comes after years of having hope built up and then shattered. I also worry that the doctors are as frustrated with me as *I* am. I worry they will send me to psychiatry. ((((((Elahn One))))))) Debbie <<

Response:

Does anyone else find doctor visits nerve wracking and depressing, especially when you have to go because you’re feeling worse?

Response:

Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh

Response:

Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh

Some of you may know my long saga with my HMO and the hospital I work with. I won’t repeat it here, but my primary care doc, who also happens to be the first person to treat my asthma years ago has really turned on me.  I tried a few other primary docs within the group I have to choose from and had such horrid experiences, that I finally went back to my old doc.  He knows I changed around on him and he has been a real pill this last few months even when calling for routine refills on prescriptions. A few months ago, I called to schedule an appointment to discuss taking up scuba diving.  He would not even see me. He just had his nurse call back and say "Absolutely NOT!  No one with asthma should scuba dive."  I have since found out this is an old school of thought and I "might" be able to take it up. Then, I called for a refill on Serevent and Flovent – my asthma meds and just asked if I could try Singulair instead as I had heard it was better for migraine patients.  He said "You heard wrong."  No explanations.   Now I would really like to go in and discuss a trial of Topamax instead of waiting for my insurance change to take effect later this year which will allow me to go to a doctor that I choose.  My migraines are escalating once again and I am absolutely terrified of talking to this guy.  He is the gatekeeper for any referrals I might get.  The only neuro he is allowed to refer me to is a buddy of his that put me on Depakote and kept upping the dose in spite of my saying the tremors were getting bad.  He never once mentioned checking liver function tests.  Finally during a scheduled appointment that he was called away on, another neuro in the group caught the Depakote problem  and took me off it – naturally, she has since left the group and moved out of state – due to difference of opinion. I hate this feeling of knowing my doctor thinks I am a total waste of his time.  He sighs and shakes his head and the last time I was in his office was when he told me I was just depressed and he could not help me.  I have since been told differently by a psychiatrist and counselor I went to because of this doctor visit.  I feel so helpless and I hate it. Red

Response:

Red: I really feel for you.  So sorry you’re having to go through all this. Doctors can be such jerks at times. A necessary evil.  I think they get insecure when we know more than they do. I will say a special prayer for you tonight. Take Care. Love, Caroline.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes, and also add to that extremely frustrating when you feel that they are saying to themseles, I wish this person would just go away, we are running out of options… Kristen Leigh Some of you may know my long saga with my HMO and the hospital I work with. I won’t repeat it here, but my primary care doc, who also happens to be the first person to treat my asthma years ago has really turned on me.  I tried a few other primary docs within the group I have to choose from and had such horrid experiences, that I finally went back to my old doc.  He knows I changed around on him and he has been a real pill this last few months even when calling for routine refills on prescriptions. A few months ago, I called to schedule an appointment to discuss taking up scuba diving.  He would not even see me. He just had his nurse call back and say "Absolutely NOT!  No one with asthma should scuba dive."  I have since found out this is an old school of thought and I "might" be able to take it up. Then, I called for a refill on Serevent and Flovent – my asthma meds and just asked if I could try Singulair instead as I had heard it was better for migraine patients.  He said "You heard wrong."  No explanations. Now I would really like to go in and discuss a trial of Topamax instead of waiting for my insurance change to take effect later this year which will allow me to go to a doctor that I choose.  My migraines are escalating once again and I am absolutely terrified of talking to this guy.  He is the gatekeeper for any referrals I might get.  The only neuro he is allowed to refer me to is a buddy of his that put me on Depakote and kept upping the dose in spite of my saying the tremors were getting bad.  He never once mentioned checking liver function tests.  Finally during a scheduled appointment that he was called away on, another neuro in the group caught the Depakote problem  and took me off it – naturally, she has since left the group and moved out of state – due to difference of opinion. I hate this feeling of knowing my doctor thinks I am a total waste of his time.  He sighs and shakes his head and the last time I was in his office was when he told me I was just depressed and he could not help me.  I have since been told differently by a psychiatrist and counselor I went to because of this doctor visit.  I feel so helpless and I hate it. Red

Response:

Many a patient is better informed and actually smarter than their doctor(s). They’re probably afraid of being manipulated on some level.

Response:

One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."

Response:

Why do they think it’s a good time to go in?  I always feel like my dr is vexed with me because I can’t focus on the question and I give fuzzy answers, and then I can’t remember most of the visit anyway.  Seems like a waste of both of our times.  Oh and there is the lovely "shining of the pen light in your eyes thingy!"  I’m with you Raven. Dawn – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."

Response:

I went to the ER once for a migraine cause it was the worst one I’ve ever had.  They gave me my first Imitrex injection.  I couldn’t take anything else because of the vomiting.  It was horrible.  Riding in the car, motion sickness added to the nausea.  Then when I got to the brightly lit hospital, there were babies crying…loud.  I was filling out paperwork FIRST before I could see the doc and I had to leave in the middle of the paperwork to go puke for the 3rd time!  Then I had to go back and finish the paperwork and I finally saw a doctor.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Why do they think it’s a good time to go in?  I always feel like my dr is vexed with me because I can’t focus on the question and I give fuzzy answers, and then I can’t remember most of the visit anyway. Seems like a waste of both of our times.  Oh and there is the lovely "shining of the pen light in your eyes thingy!"  I’m with you Raven. Dawn One of the things that vexes me the most about doctor visits is the lectures they give me when I have to cancel an appt due to a raging (10+) migraine….they always tell me that that’s the best time to come in. They don’t seem to understand that when the pain reaches that level, the thought of being jostled about in a car for 20 minutes, only to wait for over 2 hours in a loud brightly lit room, to see the doc for 15 minutes can exacerbate the pain to the point where I want to cry or scream or collapse and puke my guts out. And considering how stressful and infuriorating doc visits can be, that’s the last thing I need at such a point. Raven "Don’t think of it as dying, think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush."

Response:

Question:

Is this pretty much normal for coming off Paxil? I took a look at the website you recommended and there seem to be a lot of side effects. I’m asking on behalf of my 10 year old nephew. Today his doctor changed his medication from Paxil to something else (can’t remember – began with an R). He was on 20mg a day and he’s cutting the dose in half for the next three days, then having him take the half dose every other day. His mom is already at the end of her rope and if there are going to be side effects from this, she’s totally unprepared for them.

If you are changing from one antidepressant to another, I don’t think you will have side effects (or they won’t be as bad). NK

Response:

"jake" <inva…@invalid.com

wrote in message

news:kn66bv4osdbnirrfvv944s2q3p5hv98d6g@4ax.com…

On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off

of

it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad

I’d

have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go

through

my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the

http://www.quitpaxil.org/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a

period

of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the

medication

without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too

but

not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor

depression

but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution .

I have mixed feelings about the TV advertising. On one level, I’m glad people can see there are options to help them. Educating the public is not a bad thing but I totaly agree that medications (for depression and ADHD) are being doled out more often than they should. I ‘m not a nurse but I’ve worked in the medical field for the past 27 years and I’m always seeing MD’s prescribe psych meds that have no business doing so (i.e regular GPs and gynecologists).  I can’t tell you all the ADHD kids I see coming in for pre-medication work ups that could probably benefit from other options rather than medication but that’s the easiest avenue. I had a friend who was a little down and she went to her GYN doc and asked for an antidepressant and he prescribed Effexor! Despite this, I’m still a firm believer in medication under the right circumstances. I was in bad shape at one time and I probably would be dead or severely incapacitated without it. Thank goodness I went to a competant psychiatrist and he was willing to work with me when the time came to come off the Paxil. Some of them out there do not believe in the discontinuation symptoms and make their patients go cold turkey. Brutal! Patients also need to take a little responsibility for their own health by asking questions and reading up on their medications (maybe this is not such a good idea if you have OCD like me). IMO, it all boils down to: how badly is your life being affected by your disorder? I was bad enough that a few side effects were a better option than what I was dealing with. NK

Response:

On Sat, 03 May 2003 15:00:01 GMT, "No kidding!" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net

wrote: "jake" <inva…@invalid.com wrote in message news:kn66bv4osdbnirrfvv944s2q3p5hv98d6g@4ax.com… On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution . I have mixed feelings about the TV advertising. On one level, I’m glad people can see there are options to help them. Educating the public is not a bad thing but I totaly agree that medications (for depression and ADHD) are being doled out more often than they should.

Education of the consumer is critical to any kind of informed consent worth the name. The Sales Departments of multinational drug companies are hardly a suitable institution to undertake this task though.

I ‘m not a nurse but I’ve worked in the medical field for the past 27 years and I’m always seeing MD’s prescribe psych meds that have no business doing so (i.e regular GPs and gynecologists).  I can’t tell you all the ADHD kids I see coming in for pre-medication work ups that could probably benefit from other options rather than medication but that’s the easiest avenue. I had a friend who was a little down and she went to her GYN doc and asked for an antidepressant and he prescribed Effexor!

how totally irresponsible .It is probably his standard practice,scribbling a script takes little effort.

Despite this, I’m still a firm believer in medication under the right circumstances. I was in bad shape at one time and I probably would be dead or severely incapacitated without it.

One can never know , of course , but in critical situations of genuine need it has been a boon to many. The problem arise withthe commercial pressures to define more and more circumstances as the "right " ones.

Thank goodness I went to a competant psychiatrist and he was willing to work with me when the time came to come off the Paxil.

Indeed  Some of them out there do not believe in the discontinuation

symptoms and make their patients go cold turkey. Brutal!

Completely irresponsible and verging on criminal negligence.. They should be forced to educate themselves before being allowed to prescribe them.

Patients also need to take a little responsibility for their own health by asking questions and reading up on their medications (maybe this is not such a good idea if you have OCD like me).

:

)

Yes it can be so easy to be constantly scanning for signs of dire consequences.. They key perhaps lies with a compentant doctor who actually takes th truble to monitor his patients halth , rather than feeling the problem is soved if the patient goes away with a bottle of pills in their hand and doesn’t return.

IMO, it all boils down to: how badly is your life being affected by your disorder?

of course..

I was bad enough that a few side effects were a better option than what I was dealing with.

The fact that you managed to get off the Paxil will be an inspiration to many who despair of ever being able to. As you know if you are familiar with the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ support site there are those whose experiences with the drug are far more horrific than any complaint they may have been prescribed it for. __ Sorrow is knowledge, those that know the most must mourn the deepest, the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life. -Lord Byron http://www.schizoaffective.org/

Response:

which one do you use Great? "Great" <k…@xyz.com

wrote in message

news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA

Response:

Which one do you use Great that doesn’t cause it? "Great" <k…@xyz.com

wrote in message

news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA

Response:

After eight months without any problem it’s a pretty safe bet. Any impotence I experience is going to be for other reasons. "jake" <inva…@invalid.com

wrote in message

news:drf7bvopnvu46a3gc613v15l6jr2pu1is5@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Sat, 03 May 2003 10:27:24 GMT, "Roger" <roge…@hotmail.com wrote: There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it. well dont tempt fate ..It has not as yet

Response:

Bupropion doesn’t cause it. Ritalin doesn’t cause it. Deprynl also doesn’t cause it. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

news:ZsVsa.715511$3D1.395315@sccrnsc01… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Which one do you use Great that doesn’t cause it? > "Great" <k…@xyz.com

wrote in message

> news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… > > There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

> > news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Response:

On Sat, 03 May 2003 10:27:24 GMT, "Roger" <roge…@hotmail.com

wrote: There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it.

well dont tempt fate ..It has not as yet In response to the original posters query,there is no doubt whatsoever that impotence is a commonly observed adverse reaction, and it is misleading to suggest otherwise Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions: http://www.effexor-xr-side-effects-withdrawal.com/adverse-effects-eff… The most commonly observed adverse events associated with the use of venlafaxine (incidence of 5% or greater) and not seen at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients (i.e., incidence for venlafaxine at least twice that for placebo), derived from the 1% incidence Table III, were asthenia, sweating, nausea, constipation, anorexia, vomiting, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness nervousness, anxiety, tremor, blurred vision, and abnormal ejaculation/orgasm and impotence in men. __ The long term effects could be far more drastic http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/treatment/antidepr… But perhaps the most troubling problem with the newer drugs is that no one is sure just what their long-term effects might be. There are some new, troubling reports that Effexor may cause tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that may be permanent, involving writhing, wormlike movements of the body, lips, and tongue. But many chronically depressed people say they don’t care. They’re willing to pay the price of future uncertainty to buy freedom from depression today.

"Great" <k…@xyz.com wrote in message news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com wrote in message news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a  pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the  harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/  Thomas.J.Moore

Response:

There is doubt. It doesn’t cause it in me. It can cause it. "Great" <k…@xyz.com

wrote in message

news:b90428$e7ruh$1@ID-189619.news.dfncis.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA

Response:

There is no doubt about this fact. It causes impotense. "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this

true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Response:

On Fri, 02 May 2003 23:03:52 GMT, "No kidding!" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -<nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net

wrote: I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot.

sure..with the emphasis on IF you are sick enough with genuine profound depression..and with informed consent. Where the profit motive and a drive to expand markets are the motivation, history shows it takes legal action to compel pharmaceutical companies to provide the information needed for any kind of informed consent worth its name. And as for highpowered TV advertising to entice people to badger an uninformed GP to prescribe for the variety of ailments they claim it suitable for…….criminal prosecution . Of course in most advanced countries other than the USA , such activities are in fact  illegal.. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

"jake" <inva…@invalid.com wrote in message news:2qe4bvsohuqflnkqf52m7o7743v1knghcv@4ax.com… On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com wrote: "kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this?  I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch.  I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either.  This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you.  You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS!  it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent. "When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a  pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the  harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/  Thomas.J.Moore

"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a  pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the  harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/  Thomas.J.Moore

Response:

On Fri, 02 May 2003 18:39:12 GMT, pet…@chariot.net.au (Peter Hodges) wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

X-No-Archive: Yes On Fri, 02 May 2003 10:41:44 +0100, jake <inva…@invalid.com wrote: <snip Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS!   I had terrible sides from Effexor XR; after only 6 weeks I’d lost 9kg – a lot for someone of my build. Some 5% of people develop anorexia – not something you normally associate with 47 y.o. males, but I got it. I had no energy, no stamina, could barely get out of bed and lost *all* interest in food.  If I hadn’t realised what was going on – and a mate hadn’t visited a few times and said I was looking *really* sick & gaunt I may have ended up in hospital or dead.  I put a post on the newsgroup and got quite a few emails from people who’ve had terrible side’s from Effexor XR.  There is an excellent page run by a woman called Belynda with stories about bad times from Effexor & Effexor XR; the URL is: <http://members.tripod.com/~BWarner/effexor.html.  The page is called "Effexor Withdrawal" and gives a brief description of her own Effexor history, as well as comments by people who have had trouble with it – believe it or not, these pages of people’s troubles run for 480-odd pages: quite a few problems.

Oh well it seems to have gone, unfortunately.. I am not too suprised there were so many complaints it is the No 2 drug for withdrawal problems __ Sorrow is knowledge, those that know the most must mourn the deepest, the tree of knowledge is not the tree of life. -Lord Byron http://www.schizoaffective.org/

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"No kidding!" wrote:

I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. NK

Is this pretty much normal for coming off Paxil? I took a look at the website you recommended and there seem to be a lot of side effects. I’m asking on behalf of my 10 year old nephew. Today his doctor changed his medication from Paxil to something else (can’t remember – began with an R). He was on 20mg a day and he’s cutting the dose in half for the next three days, then having him take the half dose every other day. His mom is already at the end of her rope and if there are going to be side effects from this, she’s totally unprepared for them.

Response:

I took Paxil for many years and the first few times I tried to come off of it, I had really *bad* discontinuation symptoms myself- dizziness so bad I’d have to go and lie down, "electric shock" sensations that would go through my body. Even when going down to the minimum dose of 5 mg I would suffer side effects when stopping. I finally went to the http://www.quitpaxil.org/ website and it gave me lots of good advice for weaning from it. I was able to get liquid Paxil and taper off 1 mg at a time (over a period of weeks) and this was the only way I could wean myself off the medication without side effects. If I remember, Effexor gave me side effects, too but not as bad as the Paxil. Antidepressants aren’t candy so I don’t recommend them for minor depression but if you’re sick enough, I still think they’re worth it. They helped me out a lot. NK "jake" <inva…@invalid.com

wrote in message

news:2qe4bvsohuqflnkqf52m7o7743v1knghcv@4ax.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com wrote: "kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this?  I thought I’ve seen many posts about how

effexor

xr makes people a uniuch.  I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and

while

it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual

feelings/thoughts

either.  This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you.  You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS!  it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent. "When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to

embrace a

 pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to

the

 harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/  Thomas.J.Moore

Response:

"kevin" wrote in message …

Are you sure about this?  I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch.  I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either.  This scared me.

Try it and see how it affects you.  You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects, it’s not like the loss of libido is permanent.

Response:

On Fri, 2 May 2003 00:22:01 -0500, "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com

wrote:

"kevin" wrote in message … Are you sure about this?  I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch.  I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either.  This scared me. Try it and see how it affects you.  You can always stop taking it if you don’t like the side-effects,

Sadly this is not always the case Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this. http://www.pandamedicine.com/rt_health/160-41.html I have been on effexor for years. I haven\’t had any weight gain, on the contrary, it kills my appetite, but I cannot wean myself off it. I get a racing heart, and feel like I am having a heart atack, heart palpatations, pounding heart,pounding in my ears,and hearing loss. I also experience body tremors and convulsion-like body jerks. I also get the \"brain shivers\" but entire BODY SHIVERS as well. These symptoms dissappear when I re-take my dose, but then I am back on the nightmare cycle. No one told me about this, and I don\’t believe the drug company put out a disclaimer regarding withdrawl symptoms(anyone know about that?). I am interested in filing a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer. Anyone who is interested, please contact me @ ceciliari…@aol.com. This is SERIOUS!    it’s not like the loss of libido

is permanent.

"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a  pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the  harm that may result". http://www.schizoaffective.org/  Thomas.J.Moore

Response:

Prozac didn’t affect my sex drive at all but everyone is different. Taking antidepressants is like a crap shootas far as side effects are concerned. Don’t refuse to take it on the possibility you *might* have a certain side effect because maybe it won’t happen. I’ve tried several, several antidepressants before I found one I was able to stay on for 13 years. I recently weaned off of them but if I need to take them again, I will. I’ve learned to try them out for a few weeks and see what happens before I pass judgement. If the side effects are intolerable, then I try something else. NK "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com

wrote in message

news:2OqdnWf1R7E-5SyjXTWcow@bravo.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this

true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect.  I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it.  My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened.  Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely.  You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.

Response:

Has definitely not caused me any sexual side effects. "No kidding!" <nokidd…@NOSPAMria.net

wrote in message

news:fAZra.49107$4P1.4594324@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> It definitely caused me sexual side effects > NK > "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

> news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… > > I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is > this > > true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? > > TIA

Response:

kevin wrote:

I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Many antidepressant, Effexor among them, can cause all sorts of sexual dysfunction. There are some ways around it. http://panicdisorder.about.com/cs/medsdysfunction Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response:

"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03

… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees?

Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect.  I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it.  My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened.  Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely.  You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.

Response:

Are you sure about this?  I thought I’ve seen many posts about how effexor xr makes people a uniuch.  I took a 37.5 mg capulse the other day and while it made me feel more motivated, I didn’t have any sexual feelings/thoughts either.  This scared me. "Poop Dogg" <nos…@nospam.com

wrote in message

news:2OqdnWf1R7E-5SyjXTWcow@bravo.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

"kevin" wrote in message <5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this

true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? Effexor is supposed to be very good in this respect.  I take Effexor XR, first 150mg, then 225mg, now 75mg, and I have never had any sexual side effects from it.  My doctor said I might notice a delay in orgasm but it never happened.  Other anti-depressants, the SSRIs like Prozac, etc. are notorious for the sexual side-effects, users claim they kill the sex drive completely.  You should give the Effexor a chance, if it causes sexual problems then switch to Wellbutrin, another antidepressant with few sexual side-effects.

Response:

I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Response:

Don’t know much about Effexor, but isn’t that an SNRI, like Strattera?  I’m not sure.  I can tell you that I’m currently taking Celexa (which is an SSRI), and that has had some pretty negative sexual side effects.  Like taking an hour to masturbate (delayed ejaculation is a side effect). Sheesh.  I’m also taking Strattera (again, an SNRI), which I started a few weeks after the Celexa, and I can’t say that it has made the sexual side effects any better or worse. The only anti-depressent that I’m aware of that doesn’t seem to have any negative sexual side effects is Wellbutrin.  But it can make you feel jittery, which can make any anxiety problems worse. Mike "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this

true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Response:

"kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is this true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Most ADs including Effexor frequently cause sexual dysfunction. However it’s very individualistic — some men aren’t affected by some drugs, or only at higher dosages. But as a general statement, yes most ADs affect many men this way. The exceptions are Mirtazapine (Remeron), and Bupropion (Wellbutrin). — Joe D.

Response:

It definitely caused me sexual side effects NK "kevin" <sharkfan1…@NOSPAMaol.com

wrote in message

news:5HXra.439786$Zo.101653@sccrnsc03… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

I heard that Effexor XR causes guys to be impotent as a side effect, is

this

true?  Is there anyone here that agrees or disagrees? TIA

Response:

Question:

Does anyone have experience with taking Celexa vs. Prozac?  Thanks so much.

Response:

Does anyone have experience with taking Celexa vs. Prozac?  Thanks so much.

I tried Prozac once a long time ago, but I had to stop after a few days. Prozac made me extremely anxious. Celexa is the best SSRI I have taken. I just switched from Zoloft to Celexa, and Celexa is equally or more effective as an anti-depressant with fewer and milder side effects than Zoloft, which is already a lot better than Prozac.

Response:

Question:

I have tappered down my Effexor dose (with Doctor supervision, over ~ 2 months, from 75 mg XR, once daily) to the lowest I can get, which is 37.5 mg, which I take in the morning.  Suprisinlgy with it’s short half life, I seem to feel no withdrawl effects by the end of the day. However, now my dose is zero, and I think, after 24 hours, I began to feel some withdrawl effects.  It’s best described (by others) as a brain zap (a bit like vertigo).  It seems not an uncommon effect.  I have s light headache, some fatigue, but certianly not incapacitating.  But it does freak me out and I am battling not to take a tablet to make it go away.  I went on AD when I had some health issues.  Freaky things happening to my body don’t help me very much. I have only been Effexor free for 48 h, it does seem to be getting a little worse.  Can anyone suggest how long I need to stick it out  ? One week ?  One month ?  It seems to vary person to person, but a guide would be good. My Doc has no advice on this. Appreciated, RDJ

Response:

You did a good taper-down, but effexor is notoriously hell to wash-out. 10 days to 2 weeks is the norm. This is a stupid suggestion, but I was helped by using Thera-flu (or the generic versions)…you know, those hot lemon-flavored antihistamine thingies? Jim M.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have tappered down my Effexor dose (with Doctor supervision, over ~ 2 months, from 75 mg XR, once daily) to the lowest I can get, which is 37.5 mg, which I take in the morning.  Suprisinlgy with it’s short half life, I seem to feel no withdrawl effects by the end of the day. However, now my dose is zero, and I think, after 24 hours, I began to feel some withdrawl effects.  It’s best described (by others) as a brain zap (a bit like vertigo).  It seems not an uncommon effect.  I have s light headache, some fatigue, but certianly not incapacitating.  But it does freak me out and I am battling not to take a tablet to make it go away.  I went on AD when I had some health issues.  Freaky things happening to my body don’t help me very much. I have only been Effexor free for 48 h, it does seem to be getting a little worse.  Can anyone suggest how long I need to stick it out  ? One week ?  One month ?  It seems to vary person to person, but a guide would be good. My Doc has no advice on this. Appreciated, RDJ

Response:

Thanks for the reply.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t hack the withdrawl and took a tab.  Bad thing is, I felt better within an hour.  I was hoping waht I was feeling was unrelated to withdrawl, maybe juat a vrius or something.  I am now taking 37.5 mg every second day.  By the end of the second day, I start to feel the withdrawl.  I intend to do this for a week or so to get to know what thw withdrawl feels like, so I am less freaked out by it. In Australia, 37.5 mg seems to be the lowest dose available, according to my Doc.  I am not confident of tablet splitting. The lemon things are around.   Do you think it’s the anti-histamnine that does the job ? You did a good taper-down, but effexor is notoriously hell to wash-out. 10 days to 2 weeks is the norm. This is a stupid suggestion, but I was helped by using Thera-flu (or the generic versions)…you know, those hot lemon-flavored antihistamine thingies? Jim M.

[snip]

Response:

6 months or so ago my pdoc tried weaning me off effexor. From 150mg on down…when I hit 37.5 I started withrawal. Dizzy, headache, felt like I was walkin sidewys, brain zaps, nausea. I was put on Wellbuterin. I eventually got  totally off. AAAHHHH I called my pdoc crying just having a fit becase I vomited twice. The depression was awaful. I had forgotten how disgusting depression was. Waves of major depression. I did use some benedryl which did help some. So he put me back on Effexor. I am on lithium, lamictal, effexor, ativan and restoril. In my out of mind state I was crying, "with all the drugs I am on how can this happen??!" just crying a way. First he tried clinical terms….forget it, I barely knew where I was. So he put it to me like this, " You have a car, it has a body, wheels and an engine also a steering wheel. You can have all that but, if you do not have the  key you cannot start the car you aren’t going anywhere. Effexor is one of your keys. If you do not have it with your other meds you do not receive what your brain needs." Good luck with your effexor. When I was put back on I felt so much better. maridee

*

Response:

Question:

Studies show that people talking on car phones are every bit as dangerous as drunk drivers. What if they are drunk and on an AD?

Interesting one, that: I’d have thought that any AD that in particular increases noradrenaline activity would tend to sharpen the senses, and this sometimes seems to cancel out (hmm, not happy with that terminology but it’s been a long day, including having a fight with a train [I won, though am somewhat bruised] so it’ll have to do) some of the alcoholic effects. Chris.

Response:

Studies show that people talking on car phones are every bit as dangerous as drunk drivers. What if they are drunk and on an AD? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ANTI-DEPRESSANT ‘DRIVING HAZARD’ [BBC] Prescribed drugs can impair driving ability more than alcohol, say researchers. In a month-long project, researchers at Surrey University assessed the road handling skills of 16 volunteers who had been given some of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants. Given the usual standard of driving around here I think that’s the least of their worries.  If I had a choice between getting in a car being driven by a competent driver on antidepressants thought to impair response times or being driven by someone too lazy to even steer their car on the correct side of the road or bother with "give way" signs and so on, I know which my choice would be… Some of the scariest driving I’ve ever witnessed is in the car park of the local supermarket.  I’ve no idea what proportion of drivers are on ADs or not, but in many cases some form of antipsychotic may be useful… and the antics of those responsible for the school run at the local primary defies belief.  Unless they’re trying to kill their own kids, that is. Chris.

Response:

-snip- Jon_WebMD Online Community Moderator

I haven’t posted this in a long long time…. Sincerely Stewart The following "canned response" is simply my personal opinion and expression.  It is not posted as any sort of representation of what others here think.  Some here agree with me on one or more points, while many others disagree with me…….    You have posted a message to the usenet newsgroup alt.support.depression (ASD).  If you are new to this newsgroup, then "Welcome to the group that nobody (in their right mind) wants to join". In the spirit of "real life" support groups, this is often a small and intimate place on the Internet where people can gather together to share their personal experiences.  It is a place that many of us wish we did not feel compelled to frequent, but for which we are often quiet grateful. Everyone is welcome to read what others have written (to lurk as it is called).  Please post responses to others if you think you have something to say that might help them or yourself.  And, of course, we would love to hear a question, comment, rant, or story of your own.    This newsgroup is a completely open forum that is not "moderated" or "staffed" by anyone.  This means that you, me, and the person we BOTH hate, can post whatever they want here.  Although "professionals" of all sorts frequent this group, the opinions expressed here are made by people, not by God, so you might want to consider a second opinion.  Because this group is made up of real people, with all sorts of different opinions, it is often somewhat "volatile".  But you will also find a lot of caring people here that are seriously trying to get a grip on their depression. There are also a lot of people here that want to share their experiences with others.  Personally, it took me several years to realize that the deaths of my father and brother had sent me into a tailspin of depression.  I am happy to say that antidepressant medication and psychotherapy are helping.  I hope you find something here among the throng that helps you.    If you feel compelled to make a request of the group that goes beyond something that would be of benefit to you emotionally, then please reconsider your post.  If you want to request that readers of ASD help you with a project that is only vaguely or indirectly related to your own personal journey, please reconsider your request.  Most of us are working hard to keep our heads above water, or we are trying to help others swim to shore.  We could sure use your help right here.  If you think the people who read this group would benefit from what you know, then please consider providing that information here.  If you feel that you must advertise the experience or information that you posses because it cannot be provided here, then please consider whether or not this is really an appropriate place to advertise.  While this is certainly an appropriate place for ANY information related to depression, please remember that there are LOTS of people out there with equally worthy projects.  If they all post here, then this will soon be a place full of pointers to a lot of worthwhile information, but it will cease to be a place of much support. Often a good way to advertise is to respond to a personal post, and place your advertisement in your signature file.    I have sent this reply to you personally.  I have also posted it to the group so that anyone can read it if they want to.  Please keep an eye out for the depression/ASD FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), the User Guide to ASD, and the ASD Flame Retardant, which are all posted from time to time on this newsgroup.  You can also find these and other important tidbits of information about this newsgroup at the world wide web site http://www.lava.net/~dewilson/asd/resources.html Good luck Sincerely Stewart PS.  Remember that I am just another idiot with my own stupid personal opinions.  Other idiots here have their own stupid personal opinions. — The Metaphor Man  *and*  The Great Defender of the Self (remove the SPAMBLOCK) Please send me an e-mail copy of your posted response.

Response:

ANTI-DEPRESSANT ‘DRIVING HAZARD’ [BBC] Prescribed drugs can impair driving ability more than alcohol, say researchers. In a month-long project, researchers at Surrey University assessed the road handling skills of 16 volunteers who had been given some of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants.

Given the usual standard of driving around here I think that’s the least of their worries.  If I had a choice between getting in a car being driven by a competent driver on antidepressants thought to impair response times or being driven by someone too lazy to even steer their car on the correct side of the road or bother with "give way" signs and so on, I know which my choice would be… Some of the scariest driving I’ve ever witnessed is in the car park of the local supermarket.  I’ve no idea what proportion of drivers are on ADs or not, but in many cases some form of antipsychotic may be useful… and the antics of those responsible for the school run at the local primary defies belief.  Unless they’re trying to kill their own kids, that is. Chris.

Response:

WebMD Community Services Depression Community Update for the week of June 21, 1999 http://my.webmd.com YOU ARE NOT ALONE! THERE ARE NOW MORE 15,000 PEOPLE SUBSCRIBED TO THE DEPRESSION DISCUSSION GROUP. THE BIG NEWS THIS WEEK IS THAT WE NOW HAVE A MESSAGE BOARD EXPERT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT DEPRESSION!!! (see below for details) QUICK CHAT TIP: HAVING PROBLEMS? TRY ENTERING THE CHAT ROOMS WITH THE JAVA-LITE CLIENT. —  See http://my.webmd.com/calendar a complete         list of upcoming chats ** Upcoming Chat ** CHAT:           Functioning in the Workplace GUEST:          Beth Phoenix Kasten, R.N., Ph.D. of UCSF TIME:           3 p.m. Pacific (6 p.m. Eastern, 10 p.m. GMT) WHERE:          WebMD_Auditorium http://my.webmd.com/event/341508 WebMD is proud to welcome back Beth Phoenix Kasten, R.N., Ph.D. of UCSF on Tuesday, June 22 at 3 p.m. Pacific (6 p.m. Eastern, 10 p.m. GMT) when she discusses the topic, Functioning in the Workplace. As many of you know, Beth Phoenix Kasten, R.N., Ph.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF School of Nursing. She has chatted with us before on a variety of depression issues, and is available to answer your questions and point the way towards useful resources. This special event will take place in the WebMD_Auditorium. * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** This Week in Chat ** Last week, we welcomed WebMD welcomed author Sam Vaknin, on Monday, June 14 when he discussed Narcissistic Personality Disorder moderator       Why did you decided to title the book                 "Malignant Self Love?" Speaker         Narcissism is an exaggeration, a malignancy of                 a healthy phenomenon. Self Love helps survivals —                 It is a prerequisite. But when overdone and when                 derived exclusively from the outside, it is                 malignant, it kills, emotionally. moderator       …What do you mean, "derived exclusively from the                 outside?" speaker         A Narcissist (notice the capital N) has no sense of                 self. If not reflected by others, he feels annulled,                 dead, void… It is a harrowing experience                 (I went through it once).                 It is like being separated to molecules and                 suspended in mid air. READ THE REST — http://my.webmd.com/member/522878 ALSO AVAILABLE FROM WEBMD: The Emotional Challenges of Long-Term Caregiving Transcript —  http://my.webmd.com/member/522684 * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** New in Medical News ** ANTI-DEPRESSANT ‘DRIVING HAZARD’ [BBC] Prescribed drugs can impair driving ability more than alcohol, say researchers. In a month-long project, researchers at Surrey University assessed the road handling skills of 16 volunteers who had been given some of the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants. READ — http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_374000/374290.stm COMMENT — http://my.webmd.com/roundtable_message/229754 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY, THE VICE PRESIDENT, AND MRS. GORE AT WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON MENTAL HEALTH EXCERPT: MRS. GORE: Wow! Thank you so very much for that warm welcome. Good afternoon. We are all so very pleased to be hosting the first White House Conference on Mental Health. And I want to thank Michael Stevenson for producing the film that you just saw, with its extraordinary spirit showing the faces of mental illness. Thank you very much, Michael. READ — http://www.mentalhealth.gov/remarks.asp COMMENT — http://my.webmd.com/roundtable_message/229762 MENTAL HEALTH PARITY: ITS TIME HAS COME, ACCORDING TO APA American Psychological Association: No matter the form, discrimination is wrong. Yet, nearly 98% private health insurance plans discriminate against patients seeking treatment for mental illness by requiring higher copayments, allowing fewer doctor visits or days in the hospital, or higher deductibles than imposed on other medical illnesses. This discrimination results from outdated misconceptions and the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. If left to continue, the financial and human costs of untreated mental illness will far exceed the costs purported by opponents

Question:

Brenda, I have never taken Zoloft, but I am on Paxil and when I began taking it I too had increased anxiety for a few weeks.  I did not want to take my Xanax 3 times a day like the doc said.  I finally gave up and began taking it twice a day. Yes I was sleepy but not so anxious now I am on my eight week and take 10mg Paxil and Xanax only if I really need it like going on a long trip or anything out of the ordinary.  My Xanax prescription is .5 mg.  I began Paxil at 5mg, stayed there for a week and then took about 7mg (I had to break the tablets) for another two weeks and then the 10mg.  Your Zoloft dosage may be too high for the beginning.   25 of Xanax and now my heart is beating faster which – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -is causing me to worry. Is this normal, I took it 30 minutes ago. Or is the faster beating anxiety

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have a dilema. Yesterday was day 7 on the Zoloft and I went to the doctor and got a prescript for Xanax. Well I was panicky all day in fact I had the worst pa I had ever had.I took a Xanax and I helped a little. (The Xanax is .;25) The problem is last night I started to get the shakes real bad in the middle of the night so I took a alf of a Xanax. It seem to put me back to sleep. I woke up same condition. What is going on ?????? Even pre-med I never had anxiety like this. I know that they is a weaning on process and for two days I was ok but now doctor wants me to up the dosage to 25mg of Zoloft cuz he said 12.5 is not therepetic but he started me low cuz of my reaction. Is this normal. Im shaking like a leaf. I dont want to become so dependent on Xanax that I catn funtion between dosases. Anyone here experience this on day 8.day; Brenda0

Mine was better by day 8…However, I just upped my dose and am worse than ever…So it comes back each time you up the dose while your body gets used to it apparently…And don’t worry about taking the Xanax for this…I’ve noticed the worst of the side-effects lasted about 8 hours after taking it… .5 mg every 4 hours will kill most of this, and then you can take less or none later…And believe me 1-2 mg of Xanax is a small dose…The studies on dependency often say it takes either a large dose (4 mg + daily) or a long period of time (many months) to get a dependency…Even then it just means you have to ween off the stuff slowly…Hope this helps…Also, I am right there with you having upped my dose recently… Take Care, — Charles Phipps

Response:

Ps to my post I just took .25 of Xanax and now my heart is beating faster which is causing me to worry. Is this normal, I took it 30 minutes ago. Or is the faster beating anxiety. My husband is one his way home. The Xanax really drugged me yesterday when I took it. But that was on an empty stomach and this morning I ate a little something. Brenda

Brenda –   If the anxiety is high enough, .25 mg Xanax WILL NOT work…This is why I take .25 mg every 4-6 hours…Once the anxiety kicks in you have to take more often to get rid of it…Try another .25 if the first doesn’t work…This is also why I have to take so much xanax in the morning…The combo of morning obsessions (the day’s going to suck), having taken the Zoloft, and not having taken Xanax in 8 hours leads to a terrible time…Anyway, hang in there… — Charles Phipps

Response:

Charles thank you for your response. I hope we can stay in contact. We seem to have alot of the same stuff going on. Actually my doc want to up my dosage to 25mg. He says that 12.5 is not a thereputic dose. Of course Im afraid since I have a hard time for the last 2 days. Thank you about the info for the Xanax, cuz I just thought I was some kind a strange case that .25 Xanax wouldnt help. I was a #7-8 panic almost all day and then it came down a tad. Now I take my zoloft in the evening so I dont get that rush from the kick in. What do you guys think about this. Tonight is will take 18mg of Zoloft. Chicken aint I. This group has really helped with my fears which just add to the anxiety. Love you guys Brenda PS My chest has been hurting and my lungs I think from the hyperventilation. Anybody else have that???

Response:

I have a dilema. Yesterday was day 7 on the Zoloft and I went to the doctor and got a prescript for Xanax. Well I was panicky all day in fact I had the worst pa I had ever had.I took a Xanax and I helped a little. (The Xanax is .;25) The problem is last night I started to get the shakes real bad in the middle of the night so I took a alf of a Xanax. It seem to put me back to sleep. I woke up same condition. What is going on ?????? Even pre-med I never had anxiety like this. I know that they is a weaning on process and for two days I was ok but now doctor wants me to up the dosage to 25mg of Zoloft cuz he said 12.5 is not therepetic but he started me low cuz of my reaction. Is this normal. Im shaking like a leaf. I dont want to become so dependent on Xanax that I catn funtion between dosases. Anyone here experience this on day 8.day; Brenda0

My pdoc uses a "one month" rule. If side effects are still bad after a month, then it’s time to try something new. If nothing has really happened, even if the depression hasn’t really lifted, he say’s to stick it out until 2 months. Don’t worry about the Xanax right now…but..you made need something longer acting to help with your anxiety. You may want to make an emergency appointment with your doc about using Klonipin, which lasts fairly long in the body, and after a month, you can decide if you wish to stay on them. Believe me though..I took Xanax and Zoloft…and I had MAJOR rebounds when the Xanax wore off. If you really feel you can’t function, then maybe you should try another med. BUT, I ask you, you may want to try the Klonipin route first. Best of luck…and keep posting. We are here to support you.. James MacLachlan

Response:

I have a dilema. Yesterday was day 7 on the Zoloft and I went to the doctor and got a prescript for Xanax. Well I was panicky all day in fact I had the worst pa I had ever had.I took a Xanax and I helped a little. (The Xanax is .;25) The problem is last night I started to get the shakes real bad in the middle of the night so I took a alf of a Xanax. It seem to put me back to sleep. I woke up same condition. What is going on ?????? Even pre-med I never had anxiety like this. I know that they is a weaning on process and for two days I was ok but now doctor wants me to up the dosage to 25mg of Zoloft cuz he said 12.5 is not therepetic but he started me low cuz of my reaction. Is this normal. Im shaking like a leaf. I dont want to become so dependent on Xanax that I catn funtion between dosases. Anyone here experience this on day 8.day; Brenda0

Hi Brenda, You’re taking a *very* low dose of Xanax. On the other hand you’re on a nice low starting dose of Zoloft. In my unprofessional opinion it might be worth trying .5 mgs of Xanax (0.125 is too little), that is two tabs of .25 mg and see how that works before ending Zoloft maybe prematurely. If that doesn’t work either (and you should know within one day, so you won’t have the time to develop Xanax-dependence) I’d say Zoloft isn’t the med for you in which case the best thing to do often is to try another SSRI (Luvox has the lowest side effect profile rep) or maybe move on to a TCA. Philip

Response:

Ps to my post I just took .25 of Xanax and now my heart is beating faster which is causing me to worry. Is this normal, I took it 30 minutes ago. Or is the faster beating anxiety. My husband is one his way home. The Xanax really drugged me yesterday when I took it. But that was on an empty stomach and this morning I ate a little something. Brenda

Heart racing is not a benzo side effect, it is anxiety talking here. It’s harmless (but can feel quite alarming, doesn’t it?). Xanax will make you drowsy in the beginning, it’s a side effect which will disappear. Philip

Response:

Charles thank you for your response. I hope we can stay in contact. We seem to have alot of the same stuff going on. Actually my doc want to up my dosage to 25mg. He says that 12.5 is not a thereputic dose. Of course Im afraid since I have a hard time for the last 2 days. Thank you about the info for the Xanax, cuz I just thought I was some kind a strange case that .25 Xanax wouldnt help. I was a #7-8 panic almost all day and then it came down a tad. Now I take my zoloft in the evening so I dont get that rush from the kick in. What do you guys think about this. Tonight is will take 18mg of Zoloft. Chicken aint I. This group has really helped with my fears which just add to the anxiety. Love you guys Brenda PS My chest has been hurting and my lungs I think from the hyperventilation. Anybody else have that???

Yesssss, I don’t think it’s your lungs BTW but rather your chest (and possibly back) muscles. No reason to raise the Zoloft quicker than you feel you can. Of course 12,5 mg is not a therapeutic dose (although nothing surprises me anymore about this disorder and sometimes seemingly sub-therapeutic doses do actually help) but your doctor shouldn’t be in such a hurry, take your time! Philip

Response:

Philip Peters wrote to: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Charles thank you for your response. I hope we can stay in contact. We seem to have alot of the same stuff going on. Actually my doc want to up my dosage to 25mg. He says that 12.5 is not a thereputic dose. Of course Im afraid since I have a hard time for the last 2 days. Thank you about the info for the Xanax, cuz I just thought I was some kind a strange case that .25 Xanax wouldnt help. I was a #7-8 panic almost all day and then it came down a tad. Now I take my zoloft in the evening so I dont get that rush from the kick in. What do you guys think about this. Tonight is will take 18mg of Zoloft. Chicken aint I. This group has really helped with my fears which just add to the anxiety. Love you guys Brenda PS My chest has been hurting and my lungs I think from the hyperventilation. Anybody else have that??? Yesssss, I don’t think it’s your lungs BTW but rather your chest (and possibly back) muscles. No reason to raise the Zoloft quicker than you feel you can. Of course 12,5 mg is not a therapeutic dose (although nothing surprises me anymore about this disorder and sometimes seemingly sub-therapeutic doses do actually help) but your doctor shouldn’t be in such a hurry, take your time!

I just want to reinforce what Philip says here. The whole idea is to *work up to* a therapeutic dose. Not to scare you away from it. Please don’t let your pdoc bully you on this one. Doctor and patient must work *together* for optimal results. Be easy, Kathryn

Response:

I have a dilema. Yesterday was day 7 on the Zoloft and I went to the doctor and got a prescript for Xanax. Well I was panicky all day in fact I had the worst pa I had ever had.I took a Xanax and I helped a little. (The Xanax is .;25) The problem is last night I started to get the shakes real bad in the middle of the night so I took a alf of a Xanax. It seem to put me back to sleep. I woke up same condition. What is going on ?????? Even pre-med I never had anxiety like this. I know that they is a weaning on process and for two days I was ok but now doctor wants me to up the dosage to 25mg of Zoloft cuz he said 12.5 is not therepetic but he started me low cuz of my reaction. Is this normal. Im shaking like a leaf. I dont want to become so dependent on Xanax that I catn funtion between dosases. Anyone here experience this on day 8.day; Brenda0

Response:

Ps to my post I just took .25 of Xanax and now my heart is beating faster which is causing me to worry. Is this normal, I took it 30 minutes ago. Or is the faster beating anxiety. My husband is one his way home. The Xanax really drugged me yesterday when I took it. But that was on an empty stomach and this morning I ate a little something. Brenda

Response:

Question:

I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense.

It does make sense, and that happens for me at low doses as well. How much have you taken at a time? I am totally screwed up with sleep and energy due to the fact that I work full time night shift and then watch my highly hyperactive toddler all day until 4 or 5 when my eldest daughter comes home to help. So I am always tired and yet cannot fall asleep..frustrating!

You have my sympathies! I often have trouble falling asleep due to pain, and I have problems with waking up in the middle of the night. I’m convinced this has had a deleterious effect on my mental functioning. :-/ -elizabeth

Response:

I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense. It does make sense, and that happens for me at low doses as well. How much have you taken at a time?

  In the middle of an extreme panic attack I have once or twice taken 3 mgs at a time..and have taken 2 mgs at once for slightly less severe but still awful ones..Now though I never take more than 1mg at a time, I dont need to with the other meds, in fact dont take any sometimes cause I just plain old forget. May -elizabeth

– "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

Response:

Hi Diana,     If you have never seen a p-doc yet, who prescribed the meds? 25mg is a good starting dose for zoloft, this should keep the side affects bearable. Zoloft taken daily and xanax whenever needed has worked very well for me, but then again YMMV.  The p-doc you are going to see  should be very caring and understanding towards your feelings. One that could try to understand what it is like to feel the way we do. I know mine does. I wish you the best of luck and hope the zoloft works for you. Please keep us posted. steve

Response:

Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo? Thanks, Diana

Response:

The med combo is pretty standard, however that Zoloft dose is probably too low for any therapeutic benefit…although with all of the SSRI’s you must increase the dose gradually…and you can anticipate some increase in symptoms while you are going on any meds.  SSRI’s are more popular these days than TCA’s  because they effect fewer systems (less side effects) and are more site specific.  Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped.  In terms of your shrink… a good dr. should educate you about the disorder in addition to writing scripts for meds. Find out what percentage of her practice is anxiety patients.  Also, check out the Anxiety Disorder Assoc. web site for more ideas on getting a good shrink: www.adaa.org  GOOD LUCK!!  Keep us posted on the outcome.

Response:

Steve, thanks for responding my family doc got me started on the meds and referred me to the psych doc.

Response:

Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo?

Zoloft (SSRI-antidepresant) and Xanax (benzo) make a good combo although our reactions to meds are very personal. One of the things to find out is whether your pdoc is a *benzophobe* (one who doesn’t prescribe benzos because of the alleged *addcition* problem). If she is, she’s not the right one for you. Also you should feel at ease with her. You should be listened to and treated like a responsible adult. You should be able to work on treatment together rather than the doc just telling you what to do. She should explain what she prescribes and proposes and why and then you should *agree* on what’s the right course to take. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Thanks, Diana

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Hi Diana, The only words of advice I can give are not medicine -related. Don’t go into your appointment believing that your doctor can wave a magic wand, say all the right things and heal you. Yes, you can be healed but you will have to work hard. Also, do a lot of reading and decide what sort of therapy will work for you. (If I have to talk about my childhood one more time, I will scream!) Also, if you don’t feel comfortable with your doctor, say so Finally, if you trust your doctor, follow his/her advice. I know how big a step it is to go to a pdoc….good for you! You’re one step closer to feeling better.  Good luck. Let us know how it goes. Charley – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everyone haven’t posted lately but i am back, I finally made a appt with a psych doc today, my appointment if for next tuesday this is the first time for me, alittle nervous, can anyone give me any suggestions on what to look for with her to make sure she is the right one for me?  been having PA for 9 years now and finally being medicated for it .05mg of xanax and 25mg of zoloft is that a good combo? Thanks, Diana

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Hey Diana!!  I’m on Zoloft, 100 mgs., and Xanax .25 mgs. as needed.  Be careful with the Zoloft…I didn’t have many side effects but it definitely increased my panic attacks in the beginning.  Hang in there…Zoloft has worked great for me.  I still have a few "muted" PAs but I can handle them much better now.  And the fact that I can drive to and from work and even make it to stores (close to home) by myself is amazing!!  I’m going up to 125 mgs. of Zoloft starting tomorrow on the advice of my pdoc…good luck and keep us all posted. Melissa

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Hi, I take only zoloft 50 mgs. And it works well for me. Except around pms time when anxiety is high anyway. I feel some symtoms but they are very mild. It took 4 weeks to see the difference so give it awhile to work, the longer the better I feel.

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One of the things to find out is whether your pdoc is a *benzophobe* (one who doesn’t prescribe benzos because of the alleged *addcition* problem). If she is, she’s not the right one for you.

I second this…even if I didn’t take benzos, I’d avoid benzophobic doctors just on principle! As everybody has said, Zoloft and Xanax is a good combination for panic disorder. 25mg is a starting dose of Zoloft, not a therapeutic dose; around 50mg, many people start to get some benefit, 100 is often enough, 200 is the high end (though you *can* go higher, this is the "official" recommended maximum). Doses of benzos are pretty individualized – are you taking it "as needed," or on some schedule? When I was using it for panic attacks, I needed 2mg to stop them (I didn’t take it all the time, just when I felt an attack coming on), but that’s just me. I actually don’t know how much other people use for this purpose – anyone? -elizabeth

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Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped.

I’ve got a question about this: how many times a day were you taking it? I think that Xanax does not last equally long for everyone, so some people can get by taking twice a day but others need it four times a day. -elizabeth

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Xanax is a standard med to be used as needed., usually in combo with another med… however, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about a rebound effect … something I experience always, so I stopped. I’ve got a question about this: how many times a day were you taking it? I think that Xanax does not last equally long for everyone, so some people can get by taking twice a day but others need it four times a day. -elizabeth

 Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety ..I could literally think myself into a panic attack trying to figure out how to avoid them..enter agoraphobia..Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think. But I can’t imagine twice a day being a very good xanax dosing..I would think 3 times at least given its short action. I have had almost no…nada..zero PAs for 6 weeks or more *knock on wood*, and my anxiety level is low enough to live with..I am sorry I was talked out of Xanax for so long because its tailor made for me and allows me to live, like a ..well not normal..but like a person anyhow ;- May — "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

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Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety

I pretty much *exclusively* had OOTB panic attacks; I can only think of one instance in which there’s been an apparent trigger (it was a couple months ago – anxiety about school, actually). However, I experience an aura that predicts panic pretty consistently. I’ve never had one in my sleep, but then again, I don’t sleep much. :-} Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me.

Yowsers. It lasts a lot longer than that for me: if I take a large enough dose to be sedating, I can actually get a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours). Most people do need to take it at least 3 times a day, though. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think.

Every 4 hours? Wow. Do you wake up in the morning feeling cruddy? When I tried taking Buprenex by itself (without a regular antidepressant), I found that I would get nasty rebound depression if I missed a dose. I think that sort of thing (short-acting) is better if you have an antidepressant (or two to smooth things out. (Now I’m just using the Buprenex as a p.r.n.) -elizabeth

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Personally I had trouble taking it PRN because my pas were often OOB (as in while sleeping or nothing at all) although after enough of them I developed pretty much a state of constant anticipatory anxiety I pretty much *exclusively* had OOTB panic attacks; I can only think of one instance in which there’s been an apparent trigger (it was a couple months ago – anxiety about school, actually). However, I experience an aura that predicts panic pretty consistently. I’ve never had one in my sleep, but then again, I don’t sleep much. :-} Anyhow when I finally got Xanax I found if I had a PA it would generally take me 1.5-2 mgs to stop it..and I had little success with twice a day dosage,so I decided to stop the PRN route, as that is almost sure to leave anyone like myself with lots of hours of anxiety, as Xanax lasts 4 to 5 hrs at most for me. Yowsers. It lasts a lot longer than that for me: if I take a large enough dose to be sedating, I can actually get a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours).

 I have never experienced any sedation or gotten any "buzz" from Xanax, in fact it actually energizes me without making me "speedy", if that makes sense. I had awful drowsiness on Klonopin that never went any and I was not even on a full therapeutic dosage any of the three times I took it. I still do not sleep well and have Ambien that I take on occasion and find somewhat helpful, but If I take it more than two days in a row it seems to lose its effectiveness for me. I am totally screwed up with sleep and energy due to the fact that I work full time night shift and then watch my highly hyperactive toddler all day until 4 or 5 when my eldest daughter comes home to help. So I am always tired and yet cannot fall asleep..frustrating!  Most people do need to take it at least 3 times a day, though. I now take it regularly .05 mg to 1 mg every four hours while awake, and if I rememeber..I do skip doses lots of times without even noticing it since my other two meds are helping a good deal too I think. Every 4 hours? Wow. Do you wake up in the morning feeling cruddy?

I wake up feeling better than I ever have in my life; I no longer sleep through the alarm or take an hour to drag my butt out of it. As I said though (I think) I am also on Pamelor 50mgs and 20mgs of Prozac and I no longer necessarily take xanax every four hours..On days off at home I have forgotten to take any at all even, and then there are days where I know I am going to be better off to take it every 4 hours  before I *need* it after six…I have never had any aura at all for my OOB attacks and over the years I have accumulated a ton of triggers that I am now working on overcoming..the big one so far was not only to ride comfortably in a car but to drive myself..Now that the Pamelor/Prozac is kicking in, I am taking the xanax pretty much prn..I dont generally take more than 2 mgs total on any day now, and as I say I have never felt more competent or alive in my life =) When I tried taking Buprenex by itself (without a regular antidepressant), I found that I would get nasty rebound depression if I missed a dose. I think that sort of thing (short-acting) is better if you have an antidepressant (or two to smooth things out. (Now I’m just using the Buprenex as a p.r.n.) -elizabeth

May — "Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!"      -                Nietzsche

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WebfootVA schreef: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, though you said you take it at night.  Do you eat dinner late or do you take it with a snack?  If I started to eat my dinner at 9pm I would not only have bad indigestion, I’d probably weigh about 10 pounds more than I do now! Hi Iris, I do both.  I used to eat late dinners when I worked until 9pm so I could eat with my husband in the past.  For me, this was never a big deal.  I either eat a very light dinner at 5pm with my kids and a big snack later on, or I just have a late dinner, but I always eat before the meds. I also work out 5-6 times a week in the mornings at the gym as I’ve tended to gain weight with any of the meds in the past and I didn’t want to go that route again.  It also helps a lot with the everyday stress and gives me exposure to the rapid heart rate….rapid breathing symptoms, which I’m hoping will eventually help me prevent relapse once this goes into remission again. take care, Lene Well, I’ll probably have to take it in the morning then, or at least with my dinner around 7pm.  If I eat much later, I feel queasy when I go to bed. I need to start working out again.  I don’t have a weight problem but I am noticing a growing flab problem!  Exercise was my salvation when I had PA’s 10 years ago, but now I’ve developed a bit of a phobia–also, I suspect tied to the rapid heart rate, sweating, etc. BTW, the doc wants me to start out on 25 mg for a week then increase to 50mg where I’ll stay if the drug is successful.  Is 25 mg a low enough dose to start? Should I ask him for a lower dose?  I only weigh about 112, although I have a friend who doesn’t even tip the scales at 100 lbs and she started at 50 mg with no problem. Ever more questions. Iris —

  Iris, I feel your doctor knows about your fear of meds (which I recognize completely) and therefore starts your medication on a very low dose indeed. You should have no problems taking this at any time of the day. And: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Try it and do it asap because you’ve been torturing yourself for too long now. Just do it! You’ll survive. Just as I did, so many times now (and still fraking out over every new med but having learnt to take it. If I can do it, you certainly can! I wish you knew me better to discover how true this is… Philip Peters

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – WebfootVA schreef: BTW, though you said you take it at night.  Do you eat dinner late or do you take it with a snack?  If I started to eat my dinner at 9pm I would not only have bad indigestion, I’d probably weigh about 10 pounds more than I do now! Hi Iris, I do both.  I used to eat late dinners when I worked until 9pm so I could eat with my husband in the past.  For me, this was never a big deal.  I either eat a very light dinner at 5pm with my kids and a big snack later on, or I just have a late dinner, but I always eat before the meds. I also work out 5-6 times a week in the mornings at the gym as I’ve tended to gain weight with any of the meds in the past and I didn’t want to go that route again.  It also helps a lot with the everyday stress and gives me exposure to the rapid heart rate….rapid breathing symptoms, which I’m hoping will eventually help me prevent relapse once this goes into remission again. take care, Lene Well, I’ll probably have to take it in the morning then, or at least with my dinner around 7pm.  If I eat much later, I feel queasy when I go to bed. I need to start working out again.  I don’t have a weight problem but I am noticing a growing flab problem!  Exercise was my salvation when I had PA’s 10 years ago, but now I’ve developed a bit of a phobia–also, I suspect tied to the rapid heart rate, sweating, etc. BTW, the doc wants me to start out on 25 mg for a week then increase to 50mg where I’ll stay if the drug is successful.  Is 25 mg a low enough dose to start? Should I ask him for a lower dose?  I only weigh about 112, although I have a friend who doesn’t even tip the scales at 100 lbs and she started at 50 mg with no problem. Ever more questions. Iris —   Iris, I feel your doctor knows about your fear of meds (which I recognize completely) and therefore starts your medication on a very low dose indeed. You should have no problems taking this at any time of the day. And: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Try it and do it asap because you’ve been torturing yourself for too long now. Just do it! You’ll survive. Just as I did, so many times now (and still fraking out over every new med but having learnt to take it. If I can do it, you certainly can! I wish you knew me better to discover how true this is… Philip Peters

Philip: What a nice reply!  I’m going to print it out and tape it to the mirror, ’cause I’ve decided I’m going to start tonight! Iris (hoping to be successful…) —

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – BTW, though you said you take it at night.  Do you eat dinner late or do you take it with a snack?  If I started to eat my dinner at 9pm I would not only have bad indigestion, I’d probably weigh about 10 pounds more than I do now! Hi Iris, I do both.  I used to eat late dinners when I worked until 9pm so I could eat with my husband in the past.  For me, this was never a big deal.  I either eat a very light dinner at 5pm with my kids and a big snack later on, or I just have a late dinner, but I always eat before the meds. I also work out 5-6 times a week in the mornings at the gym as I’ve tended to gain weight with any of the meds in the past and I didn’t want to go that route again.  It also helps a lot with the everyday stress and gives me exposure to the rapid heart rate….rapid breathing symptoms, which I’m hoping will eventually help me prevent relapse once this goes into remission again. take care, Lene

Well, I’ll probably have to take it in the morning then, or at least with my dinner around 7pm.  If I eat much later, I feel queasy when I go to bed. I need to start working out again.  I don’t have a weight problem but I am noticing a growing flab problem!  Exercise was my salvation when I had PA’s 10 years ago, but now I’ve developed a bit of a phobia–also, I suspect tied to the rapid heart rate, sweating, etc. BTW, the doc wants me to start out on 25 mg for a week then increase to 50mg where I’ll stay if the drug is successful.  Is 25 mg a low enough dose to start? Should I ask him for a lower dose?  I only weigh about 112, although I have a friend who doesn’t even tip the scales at 100 lbs and she started at 50 mg with no problem. Ever more questions. Iris —

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BTW, though you said you take it at night.  Do you eat dinner late or do you take it with a snack?  If I started to eat my dinner at 9pm I would not only have bad indigestion, I’d probably weigh about 10 pounds more than I do now! Hi Iris,

I do both.  I used to eat late dinners when I worked until 9pm so I could eat with my husband in the past.  For me, this was never a big deal.  I either eat a very light dinner at 5pm with my kids and a big snack later on, or I just have a late dinner, but I always eat before the meds. I also work out 5-6 times a week in the mornings at the gym as I’ve tended to gain weight with any of the meds in the past and I didn’t want to go that route again.  It also helps a lot with the everyday stress and gives me exposure to the rapid heart rate….rapid breathing symptoms, which I’m hoping will eventually help me prevent relapse once this goes into remission again. take care, Lene – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Okay, after taking Zoloft for the first time last night, I felt so wired up today. How long are the side effects going to take? Why do some people have more side effects at first than others? PS make sure you eat with it.  I noticed a BIG difference in severity of side effects depending on whether I had a full stomache or not.

Good advice Lene.  I’m still working on starting my Zoloft (sigh…) and the reason I was leaning toward taking it at breakfast was to lessen the side effect possibility.  I’ve had this reaction with several other drugs. If I take them with food (if it’s an option), I always tolerate them better.  I’m not a scientist, but I think food slows the absorbtion rate, so your body can better adjust. BTW, though you said you take it at night.  Do you eat dinner late or do you take it with a snack?  If I started to eat my dinner at 9pm I would not only have bad indigestion, I’d probably weigh about 10 pounds more than I do now! Iris —

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Okay, after taking Zoloft for the first time last night, I felt so wired up today. How long are the side effects going to take?

<snipped for space I’m not a doctor but I do believe that, while there is a possibility that you are experiencing a reaction to Zoloft, it’s an infinitessimal one. Most likely you have hyped yourself up over it with anticipation. ISTM a little too early for any reaction at all, good or bad… Sad to say, we anxiety types do this all too easily — Gary Cooper

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Okay, after taking Zoloft for the first time last night, I felt so wired up today. How long are the side effects going to take? Why do some people have more side effects at first than others?

Side effects with zoloft at first are extremely common.  I’ve been on it for 10 weeks, My side effects lasted about four weeks.  However, my husband who is also on zoloft for chronic pain management had few side effects and none of the ones that I did.    I found that I had to work a bit with the time I took it, to manage the side effects better at first. Some people are just more sensitive to meds.  Myself included.  I usually have side effects to everything.  Try and keep in mind that that the side effects are a temporary situation and well worth getting through in order to give it a chance and see if this is the answer for you. PS make sure you eat with it.  I noticed a BIG difference in severity of side effects depending on whether I had a full stomache or not. take care Lene – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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Okay, after taking Zoloft for the first time last night, I felt so wired up today. How long are the side effects going to take? Why do some people have more side effects at first than others? Is it kind of a Riddlin effect.  Kids who take it and don’t need it tend to react to it differently and get hyped up.  and whereas kids who need the medication the most feel the effect immediately.    mmm.  in that case  is it true that if you’re feeling overanxious when initially using Zoloft   that you’re closer to healthy than you are sick?    just a hopeful thought

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