Anyone stuck on an anti depressant?

I have noticed here that some members take anti-depressants like Effexor, Prozac, Zoloft, etc.. I started taking Effexor after I first got diagnosed because I was having all sorts of sad feelings and having a difficut time with some personal stuff also. My Dr. Said it would help me feel better but it would take some time for it to be fully working. I'd say after about 2 months I felt much better for sure so I stayed on it for quite a while.

  Now it's been 3 years and I'm feeling like I have gotten things in my life back together and want to try and go off Effexor. I have tried to taper off 3 times.. The side effects are HORRID, HORRID, HORRID!!.. Brain Zaps, dizzyness, nausea, major irritability...  I think the brain zaps are the worst, you can't even move your head or turn your eyes to look at something without this zinging feeling that overwhelms you and almost knocks you off your feet! It's almost like a motion sickness feeling as far as the nausea part and man, I wish I never started taking this stuff.. Has anyone else here had the same trouble and if so which drug were you on??

  I also worry that going through the withdrawls might somehow cause my U/C to flare back up.. I am hoping that I'm not alone going through this.. although I'm not trying to taper right now because I chickend out after the last time I tried. Does anyone else feel Stuck on Andidepressants like I do??

 

 

Ok Q, I'm there!!

From what I understand Effexor and Paxil are the hardest to get off of because they have the shortest half-life. Prozac is easier because it has a really long half life. Often doctors will rx prozac to help a person get off of effexor for this reason. crazymeds.org is a great place for info. on weaning of anti-depressants.

I have been on Paxil before and it was a tough drug to get off of, but I actually kind of thought the brain zaps were fun, lol!

I've been trying to taper off of Effexor XR. I had the 75mg capsules and started emptying out portions of the little beads. When I saw the doc a few days ago I asked for the 37.5mg capsules. (BTW - he's a new to me doc - and said that he doesn't like to prescribe Effexor because it is so hard to get off of!) So now I'm going to try the 37.5mg capsules for a couple of weeks - 'cause I've had some astonomical headaches the past two days - and then I'll start emptying out the capsules again.

BTW - the headache could be my neck muscles - they're so tight! It's been 10 days since my last massage and that's about all I can take right now :(