Wow! Is there something about people who post on the web that makes them prone to depression (or Bipolar disorder)? I guess statistically 1/3 of us would be.
I was off Effexor for just the weekend because I got to the pharmacy late one day, and when I came the next day, they had some mixup which took another day to clear up.
During that time I had really bad headaches, vertigo, and rather disturbing dreams (not nightmarish in content, but I thought I would never wake-up).
Anyone else have dreams where they seem to be caught in a loop of waking-up? -- to the point you don't remember what was real and what was stuff you dreamt (the dreams consisted of pretty normal occurences)?
I think I "woke-up" 30-40 times before actually waking up (I hope I did anyway) when my parents called.
I was on Effexor for a while. It only lasted a week or so, but I was forced off of it. A side effect for Effexor, I believe, was loss of appetite, and yet it required me to eat when taking it. The thing was that I was rather chunky at that time, and the Effexor made me lose weight. I remember my parents nagging me to eat something, and I became unusually snappy...but at least I was assertive. My snappiness intensified because before the medication, my parents nagged me to stop eating and lose weight, and when they got their wish, it became a contradiction.
The first med I'd ever been prescribed was Zoloft, and then I got switched to Ritalin for a while, and then, I think Prozac. And now, Paxil, which I continue to be on, and it is limiting my creative potential. It doesn't make me less anxious, as far as I'm concerned, it just makes me even less motivated. And unfortunately, I can't get off of it without getting splitting headaches.
I rarely ever remember my dreams, but I'd much rather have nightmares to remember than no dreams at all. I think a lack of dreams at night is what has caused my lack of motivation for so long. When I don't feel empty, I'm usually spiteful and angry, and so I guess erectile dysfunction and constipation slipped into me somehow.
I wish I could get off the Paxil because I want my imagination back!