I am on Effexor?!
Question: I am on 75mg Venlafaxine now because the prozac didn't do much last time. It didn't feel like it is doing much either but I when I got my prescription last time I couldn't afford to get it so went about five days without taking it. My depression immediately got a hell of a worse, so I now know it is making a difference. What the hell can I do about this? I don't want to be dependent on happy pills. Has anyone taken it and then got better?
Answers: I am on 75mg Venlafaxine now because the prozac didn't do much last time. It didn't feel like it is doing much either but I when I got my prescription last time I couldn't afford to get it so went about five days without taking it. My depression immediately got a hell of a worse, so I now know it is making a difference. What the hell can I do about this? I don't want to be dependent on happy pills. Has anyone taken it and then got better?
Unfortunately, no. If you have the type of chemical imbalance that should be corrected with antidepressants, then you have it for life.
HOWEVER, don't listen to the people who call them happy pills. That is a misnomer if I've ever heard one.
Picture this. You have a certain amount of the neurotransmitters Serotonin and Norepinephrine going back and forth between your sending and receiving cells in your brain. Your receptor cells need an extra second to pick up the neurotransmitter because you, like tens of millions of others have a small amount of delay in these receptor cells. Is this caused by eating what we all eat these days, cigarette smoke, the shampoo you are using, toenail polish? Who knows. The fact is that our brain's receptor cells need an extra second.
Between each set of sender and receiver cell, there is a little vacuum that takes up the extra, unused neurotransmitters to recycle them. An SSRI works to hold off the little (reuptake) vacuum so that your receptor cells have an extra second. That's all it is.
Effexor is double actioned. It inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and reuptake of norepinephrine both. Therefore SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor), and SNRI (Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor).
Not a happy pill - just helping your neurotransmitters get where they're going.
Good luck!
eat alot of chocolate lol do things that make you happy
I used to be on pills because I had some issues. After I got off htem I was even more depressed then before I was even on them but it went away after... well.. I guess I didn't fully go away but I am happier now off of pills and living life. btw that stuff can make you gain weight! Initially a lot of anti depressants will make you lose weight then over time you gain weight. I am not sure exactly how it works. Wellbutrin is the only one you probably wont gain weight on. Most people lose weight on that one!
I have taken Effexxor for 3 years. It has helped me alot, but I do intend on getting off them when I can. Ask you Dr for samples
If you stop taking meds abruptly then you can suffer problems so it may have not been your depression getting worse. You do not have to be dependent just find an alternative or the cause ie: It may be possible to change the way you think about stuff or how you let it affect you ; what do you think makes you depressed and can you avoid or minimise them. You are on a low dosage so if you look at your life situation and make small changes then you could come off it - sorry that this comes over as being crass but i don't mean it to.
In a way you have answered your last question with your comment "I now know it is making a difference" so you have got a bit better.
Drugs affect people in different ways and don't label them as happy pills and if they suit you and ultimately help you then so what if you take them everyday - think of how you might be without them. It's your life so you do what helps!