Hi everyone,
I am new to the website. I have been taking anti-depressants for approx. 7 years and up until this past February, my medication has worked great! I was taking Effexor XR...75mg once a day for 6 years and then one day in early February depression hit me like a brick wall! Nothing was going on in my life to cause such an episode. A day later I went to my family doctor and she told me to take 150mg instead of the 75 I was taking. It took approx. 5 days to kick in and I was feeling better. After about 2 weeks, I realized that the 150mg was actually too strong for me. I was very tired and even somewhat dizzy. Driving was very difficult! It feels almost like motion sickness when I drive or even push a shopping cart!! Very odd! I told my family doctor and she recommended I see a psychiatrist. She also told me that if I felt comfortable doing so, I could try going back to the 75mg dose, once a day. I tried it and after a couple days I was very depressed. So, I went back to 150mg. I made an appt with a psychiatrist (of course, I had to wait forever for one!). I finally got in to see one the beginning of May. After only seeing me for half an hour, he diagnosed me as being Bi-polar (which I do not agree with) and recommended I try going off the Effexor XR 150mg because it was obviously too strong for me. He then suggested taking only half the dose (75mg) and I told him I tried it once and it didn't work. So, he recommended adding Lexapro 10mg once a day. I gave it a try and after 2 days I was very depressed. I called the psychiatrist and told him. I told him that my husband took off work to be with me because when I get like this he is my "safe person". He's a big help to me when I'm depressed. I also told him (the doctor) I was NOT suicidal. He recommended I go to the hospital and get checked in to the psych. ward since I was obviously sensitive to medicine. I got all packed and my husband took me in. I'll admit, I was a bit confused about why he seemed to want me to do it, but I trusted his opinion. After I got to the hospital and talked to the Crisis Intervention person, I realized that he misunderstood me and he did in fact think I was suicidal!!!! UGH! So, he recommended I go back to my 150mg (but split the dose and take 1-75mg twice a day) with the Lexapro and he wanted me to attend an Intensive Outpatient Program for 2 weeks. I had to stop taking the Lexapro because it was causing terrible bloating and awful sinus headaches! Needless to say, my body is all screwed up! Even though I was taking the Effexor, I was suffering from anxiety attacks. Today, I am feeling better...but sometimes depression hits me a little bit. The anxiety has at least let up! I did not attend the IOP because when I got to the place where I was to go, much to my surprise, it was in a terrible neighborhood and when I walked in the waiting room, the people in there looked like they just walked out of a taping of the show "Cops"!!!! I waited in line for about 2 minutes (feeling very uncomfortable) and did an about face and left! Later I found out it's also a drug and alcohol rehabilitation place...but nobody ever warned me! Needless to say, I am seeing a new psychiatrist this coming week. I hope I didn't jump to conclusions. People say you should always go with your first instinct and I was worried that these people were going to be in the group with me which meets 3 days a week for 3 1/2 hours per day! I knew if they were, I would never be able to handle it! Did I make the right decision?
Missy