New Anti-depressant & Allergies
last week, Brian was able to get me an earlier appointment to the pdoc because of the anxiety attacks i was having and stuff. now i’m being taken off of Effexor and put on Cymbalta. i complained of constipation because according to the chiro, that’s why my back hurts and it’s a side effect of Wellbutrin. maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. anyway, the pdoc didn’t want to take me off Wellbutrin so he cut my Effexor dosage in half and started me on the Cymbalta at the same time. it’s only been a few days, but after a week i’m supposed to stop taking the Effexor altogether.
so far, i haven’t felt much difference. my anxiety is about high as it usually is, though not so bad that i have to take Ativan. maybe because the weather has cooled off so we haven’t had to turn the a/c on. i’ve been going to the bathroom every day, i think, but i haven’t exactly kept track. i had no idea that you’re supposed to go every day. as far as i can remember i’ve only gone every three or four days, so i thought that was normal for me.
anyway, my main concern was the withdrawal from Effexor. a few years ago the pdoc tried to wean me off of it, and it was awful. i felt sick to my stomach all of the time, feverish, had the hots/colds, threw up–terrible. i’ve felt ok, but all day today i’ve felt awful because of my allergies. i feel like my entire face is swollen, even though it isn’t. i know it’s bad right now because Brian’s allergies have been bothering him, too. so much for being in “late-phase” allergy symptoms. i really need to see the allergist again, but i’m afraid to.
when my pdoc weaned me off of effexor, he added prozac which completely stopped all scary effexor withdrawal symptoms. it was beautiful. good luck.
September 19, 2005 11:17 am
You must have some seriously bad allergies and stuff. Hmph. I could understand why you are so sad, to top it off… hell, you have so many ailments!! ((sigh))
September 19, 2005 3:45 pm
megs: did he then take you off the Prozac? so far everything’s been ok except for the fact that i haven’t slept in 24 hours, but that could be unrelated.
April: i know–i sound sicker than i really am, i think. i’m actually quite healthy, but after years of not taking care of myself (read: avoiding doctors), things start catching up.
September 20, 2005 1:49 am
why are you on anti-depressants if you are bipolar? everything my pdoc has told me that is a big NO-NO. [The Dook]
September 20, 2005 1:49 pm
Dook: anti-depressants can trigger a manic state in bipolars. i tend to cycle rapidly between being manic and depressed (though in the last year i don’t think i’ve been manic at all), which is why i’ve always been on anti-depressants.
i’m also taking Tegretol, which stabilizes my mood so that the antidepressants don’t work too well, if you know what i mean. it acts as the balancing factor. i can take anti-depressants, but i have to take a mood stabilizer, as well.
September 20, 2005 4:32 pm
[...] he’s convinced that the problem is organic, that my body is incredibly toxic because of all the medications i’ve been on, which he’s been telling me all along. and because i’m constipated (again, due to the meds, he said), i’m not getting rid of all the waste that you’re supposed to get rid of. once again, he advocated drinking those damn nasty-tasting protein shakes. now, he wants me to drink them twice a day! [...]
December 12, 2005 3:55 pm