re: #651 publicityStunted

Effexor (an SSRI) worked for a while, but then had a kind of “deadening” effect on me. I did something dumb and quit it cold turkey, which resulted in nasty, nasty withdrawal symptoms (the most vivid being “brain shivers” - hard to explain what this is like, but you kind of hear a sound like rushing water, get extremely dizzy, and your brain feels as if it’s pulsating inside your head. I got them several times an hour, then several times a day, then a few times per week, until they finally dwindled down to nothing).

I also tried Lamictal, and though it worked better than Effexor, it started to cause hair loss (lucky for me I had really thick hair to start out with, otherwise I could have wound up with bald spots. After I quit - tapering off this time, instead of cold turkey - the hair loss stopped, and it all grew back).

Which med were you considering?

My doc gave me effexor to try. First time I’ve ever taken a any of these types of pills. I don’t like pills and have done everything possible to try to avoid that route but it was failing to work. Unfortunately it looks like I have the family curse too…Grandparents, parents and siblings who have all had problems to a certain extent. Though the doc thinks mine is more realted to a Seasonal Affective Disorder because it happens mostly in the winter and every winter I seem to be hit with it worse. All the non- pill routes don’t see to work though…frustrating because intellectually I know what’s going on (seen it with my family) but am unable to stop it. Finally gave in a said okay I’ll try a pill because it’s getting ridiculous.