Downer symptoms and conditions

Reading over some of these posts and wanted to share my experience w/Lamictal. Been on it over 2 year, 400mg/day. Sever bipolar with mixed & rapid cycling episodes. Oh YEA...I have side effects too: blurred vision that comes and goes, super klutziness, confusion, hard to complete sentences sometimes (just can't find the words sometimes for the simplest sentence!), dizziness, prone to broken blood vessels under the skin when bump into something or carry loaded grocery bag over my arm, jittery, short term memory loss, feeling really stupid like my brain isn't working sometimes. BUT...I will stay on this med because it rally works for me and the above effects are and bad, just frustrating. It took me a good 5-6 months for the meds to work as they should. Be aware that it won't make things perfect, mood swings and even moderate episodes can be expected. I am pretty much in a constant state of mild/moderate mania (2 hr sleep/night, hi energy, talk to fast, mind racing,etc), which is fine for me, as it really curbed the depression (maybe only 1 day every 2 months now and its NOT a BAD downer) I have found the drug is a good "stabilizer" keeping me mostly in a normal to moderate swing...never any severe swing. If the side effects are not unbearable, stick with the med, just be patient. It sure works for me. Learn to laugh at the klutziness and stupid moments and understand its the med and you. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

I've been on Nuvaring for about two and a half weeks. I was previously on the patch and had done pretty well with, but I thought it was worth trying something new with a new doctor that I trusted. Or so I thought. I worry a lot about my health and I always feel like I may be imagining things, but I have noticed in the past two weeks a scary pain in my chest below my left breast that has been getting worse. It has been hard to sit certain ways, sleep on my side, and even breathing is sometimes uncomfortable. I am so glad I read this blog! I had a feeling the change had to do with the Nuvaring, but I have several other medical conditions that I didn't want to rule out either. I think this was it, I only hope it goes away. I also am breaking out like I did when I was sixteen overnight and I'm losing some hair in pretty much one spot directly in the front of my head. I have been extremely lethargic and very hungry. Also extra anxious and I don't want to go anywhere and do anything, even necessary things like going to the grocery store or the pharmacy or gas station. I can't function and I have to!! This thing is ruining me. I also can tell you all that I feel Nuvaring is damaging b/c I have been on anxiety medicine for years and have been fairly happy with it, but in the past two weeks I feel more nervous, shaky and uncomfortable in public, I also tend to cry easily and have been in just a pretty bad mood. It has been hard to just be happy, even when the situation is light hearted. I feel like Debbie Downer or something. I have also had gastric bypass surgery and cannot eat much and do not easily gain weight, but since the ring I have felt more appetite and feel like I may have gained a pound or two, which is rare for me. This ring is bad news, beware!

Sometimes with the adderall, I get super anxious and I tend to eat A LOT from sheer nervousness. It's almost an OCD feeling. I do have ADD and it does help a lot, especially at work, but the eating thing is so weird. When I temper the Adderall with a Klonopin, I feel much better. It just seems weird to me to be mixing an upper with a downer, but my doc tells me they work in different ways in the brain. I also get really hot with the adderall. Anyone else experience that. I'm always freezing cold, but not anymore. And, ladies, beware, it will mess with your periods somewhat. It can delay them before you get a gusher. Sorry to be so graphic, but that's been my experience.

Monthly wicked migraines, right before period starts. Sometimes lasting on and off for 2 1/2 days. I had one so bad I had to go to the ER. I've never had problems with migraines before in my whole life. A few were very bad and makes me not want to do anything all day. I went to the neurologist just to get a pain medication for this.

Also was diagnosed with allergies last summer because I had 2 bad sinus infections.

Recently I have started to have acid reflux every night and now sometimes in the mornings. This sucks!! I am getting this removed.

I did several internet searches over the past several months and all these symptoms are caused by progestin (levonogestrol). This is not worth it.

I've had this thing in for over a year now, but all these symptoms appeared after getting this thing in.

Ive also been very moody around the time of the month, super irritable and bitchy.

My gyne suggested to take another drug to counteract, (basically prozac with another name) but that's like taking speed to counteract a downer. No thanks!!!!!!!!!!

I got this thing put in because of heavy periods, but it is totally NOT WORTH IT!! My health has suffered because of this.

I do not know who you people are, but I feel like I have stumbled onto some help. Please tell me this is not a joke....I am on Doxycline for three days now to treat a sub-clinical suspected infection. I started to feel noticeably flat yesterday, (day two) almost like I was missing a range of emotion. I feel as if someone drugged me wtih some kind of downer. I woke up feeling ok this AM, but have felt worse and worse as the day has gone on. I am in good shape, I am generally an upbeat person, but I feel so profoundly sad, listless, confused, and tired. It as if I am living in a fog, and that every thing requires serious effort. The good news is that I am only on this medication for ten days, I cannot imagine having to take it for longer. Had a little heartburn last evening, but nothing serious. Good luck to all,

Marc Astoria, NY

When I first started taking Adderall, it seemed amazing. I had no problems with it at first, except for coming home after school and falling asleep, but it didn't bother me much. After I had taken it for a few months I started to get severe crashes in the late afternoon. It was like, when I was on Adderall I was awake, happy, confident and outgoing, then I would come down from it and be the exact opposite. I would experience things like feeling very depressed and abandoned randomly and I was often the downer of the whole group, putting everyone in a bad mood. I started getting upset with my best friend for the littlest things and feeling like she had suddenly turned her back on her good friends.
Looking back now, I realize how rediculous and off-base my fears and insecurities were. After a while, I was just pushing my friends away by feeling unloved. That's the thing, Adderall takes away your ability to feel natural love, success, happiness, energy, and motivation. It puts up a block in your mind from the real world. Nothing you feel is real anymore.
I stopped taking it completely one day. I realized how much it had destroyed my life. Stopping was hard, but worth it. I remember the first time after stopping that I actually felt happy and tired at the same time. When I did Adderall, the feeling of being tired was tied to coming down from the drug, so I lost the ability to be tired and happy, because tired meant unhappiness was coming.
Unfortunately, I had to recently start taking it again, for it was the only thing I could think of to help me with school. With about four weeks of school left I'm currently facing four failing grades out of six classes. So far it has been extremely hard, and I still despise this drug. This will be the most challenging next couple of weeks I will have ever experienced, but I have to.
I can tell you that I can't wait for summer vacation when I can rid this of my life forever. Even though the high still makes me feel unbreakably energetic and happy, I know that this happiness is not nearly as good as real life happiness. I'm just lucky I have some amazing friends to stick by me this time, so that when I come out of this in four weeks, I wont come back to a life abandoned by the people I pushed away unknowingly. I can't wait for the day that I can actually live and feel my own life, and my own happiness.

hey lisa,

yes your definitley right! i stopped yasmin in july and let me tell you that august and september were a complete nightmare.... october was better but i really felt the improvement in december... i began to feel like i could cope again....
you do have times where you feel sick for like days at a time but then it'll be all good for a week or so... its up and down but each time ur on a downer its not as bad as the last one...

eventually we will all be free of this crap...
i cant wait for that day..
and im always here ok
luv chrissy xox

I TOO HAVE BEEN TAKING EFFEXOR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS FOR DEPRESSION.TWICE I HAVE TRIED TO COME OFF THEM,AND TWICE IT ALMOST KILLED ME.THE WITHDRAWAL EFFECTS ARE AS BAD,IF NOT WORSE THAN THE ILLNESS ITSELF.I SO WANT TO BE EFFEXOR FREE,BUT I AM SO SCARED TO STOP TAKING THEM AGAIN,I REALLY DONT THINK I HAVE THE STRENGHT OR WILLPOWER TO GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.
AT THE MOMENT,IM ON A REAL DOWNER,SO TO ME IT MEANS THE PILLS ARE NO LONGER WORKING FOR ME,CAN ANYONE PLEASE OFFER ME SOME ADVICE,ON HOW TO GET OFF THESE AWFULL PILLS,WITH MIMIMAL SIDE AFFECTS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE DONE IT,I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO YOU.FOR THOSE OF YOU LIKE ME,CANT GET OFF THEM,GOD GIVE US INNER STRENGHT TO FEEL LIKE OURSELVES AGAIN.

I have been taking Dexedrine (same as Adderall) for 15 years and it causes severe anxiety for me which causes nexk pain and muscles to knot up. What relieves the anxiety and tightening of muscles and spasms is Valium or Attivan. Some doctors don't understand why you would need a downer with an upper. I can't be in perfect harmony without the two together unless you like tweaking

it's amazing how many people experience pretty much the same side affects from this medicine that is supposed to help us... i too have experienced most of the symptoms everyone else has.. i hate taking medicine for congestion. it's either a stimulant or a downer. so i guess living with congestion and pressure in my ears is the answer.. have been living with it for about 15 years..

I've been suffering from insomnia for 4 years on and off (the off when I used cannabis/alcohol). I took ecstasy every weekend for about 19-20 months, that ended two and a half years ago. And since then i've also suffered depression. Anyway I've been pescribed effexor XL 75mg, the first night I took it I'd been to the local pub (or bar for the Americans) I had a couple of pints of larger and went home. About 2:00am I still wasnt asleep and I felt like I had taken ecstacy. I kept thinking that someone had spiked my drink with XTC, got about 1 hours sleep. My pupils were very dialated and I looked like I was on drugs (the illegal ones). But it turns out it was the Effexor. I'm on my second day with it and feel like i'm on a downer and my head kills, my teeth hurt, my stomach kills, and my eyes look very starnge. Is this normal should I stop or just grit my teeth and bare it (pun intended). There is alot of bad comments about this drug but there is good ones aswell. I start college in less than a week this will be my 4th attempt I only hope I can sleep properley by then.
Stu (Beverley nr Hull, England)

I have been diagnosed w Bipolar disorder, I am currently in a manic down state. I have always noticed that my body functions opposite. When I take a mild downer I feel hyper and when I take a stimulant I become lathargic. I read alot of complaints on lathargy. I have been on Zy for 5 days now. The first morning after taking the Zy my face was grosely sollen, I ould barely open my eyes. It hs goten better but still swollen everyday. I feel so hyper to the point of confusion. Ihear screams. I feel hungry all the time. I nearly passed out today, I got so suddenly light headed. I have slept 5-6 hrs per night since I been taking it and I dont feel tired at all