Effexor symptoms and conditions

Who honestly thought Yaz would make me so emotionally unstable that the love of my life would soon bring me to the point of appearing in court fighting a restraining order?? wow i thought i was pretty much effed for life, i tried lexapro, effexor, ativan, adderall, xanex, wellbutrin and u know the usual bs. At the point of seeing a stranger in my reflection with no one left to tell i just stopped caring about even taking yaz and soon after i fell like i was slowly waking up. Please i am 22 years old i let yaz control 2 years of my precious youth dealing with over barring spilling emotions from hell STOP taking the legal pink pills that rapes you of your soul!!!! i would rather have 5 kids in 5 years then have to resort to that fucked up point of devastation ever ever again!!!

I have been taking a low dose for only 5 days and I am ready to quit. I am either in a rage of anger or crying non-stop. I am severely tired and more moody than I have ever been. I was doing SO much better before on Effexor. The doctor switched my meds due to the insomnia and anxiety that I still had on Effexor, but it was nothing compared to this.

I've been on and off singulair for several years. I had a horrible bout of bronchitis that then triggered bronchial reactive disease and I now have allergic reactions to certain chemicals (some spray deodorants, etc.) Singulair worked so much better for me than advair, I was thrilled to be able to talk and breathe. As a teacher I would sometimes have to stop the lecture to get my breath again and drink some water if I inhaled the slightest amount of chalk dust or something.

After reading the comments on this website I am going to discontinue taking singulair. I used to be this skinny person and never, ever worried about my weight. At the age of 37 I had a rip-snortin' major depressive episode with insomnia that had me miss 3 days of sleep (this is on no medication of any kind) and panic attacks and suicidal thoughts and impulses that I'd never had before. Imipramine was my first prescribed med (in 1991) and worked like magic. It cheered me up, calmed me down and made me sleep. I went from 135 pounds to 155 pounds in just several months. I finally got switched to effexor and trazodone, but there's really not been much weight loss. I'd hover around 150-160, but then with singulair added in the last several years I am 170 lbs. I can't believe I am a fat person now and do not over eat. I can't go off my psychiatric medication because it runs in our family and if I taper off I am...uh...crazy. My insomnia is tenacious when I am without medication and then that makes depression and anxiety worse. I never want to have a panic attack again.

I just ran out of my singulair prescription about a week or two ago. I am breathing and speaking fairly normally and my husband and I now have to pay for our own health insurance which is exorbitant and I just didn't feel like renewing the prescription in order to save money. I was pondering my weight gain today and just decided to google singulair and weight gain and I just can't believe it.

I have also experienced hair loss, but my hair is so thick it still looks basically the same. My husband and I have noticed over the last several years that I lose lots of hair after I wash it and there is a mass of hair in the shower stall.

My memory may have been adversely affected by taking singulair. I thought it's just getting older. I am 55. It's been the last several years that I have started to have problems remembering things. I have always had to work with my husband in helping him remember things (it's been life long with him: he is an absent minded professor. He has a genius IQ, is an M.I.T. grad, is an excellent engineer and can't remember his mother's birthday, what plans we have for the week-end, no matter how major, etc. to save his life.) I feel like I am becoming more like my husband in being hopeless and helpless about remembering what's happening from one day to the next. It could very possibly be the singulair. There has been a marked difference in my memory over the last several years. It is embarrassing. I sub for the school district and once showed up on the wrong day at a school and another time didn't show up and they had to call me up and get me out of bed to go to work. I also teach piano and never used to forget who was coming when. Again, I don't know if I can blame this on singulair causing memory loss, but there would be times when someone would knock on the door and I'd be surprised to find a piano student standing there. I feel like I am getting Alzheimer's. My grandmother had it for 17 years. My mom has always been afraid of getting it but she is 80 and is just now starting to show signs of real forgetfulness. I explained to her what my lapses in memory are like and she is shocked to hear that they are similar to hers. My mind just will completely go blank. I will have this thought, get distracted, and just a moment later will struggle to remember the previous thought and there is just a void, peace, blankness, white screen in my mind. Maybe it is getting older, but maybe it's the singulair. Since I'm just recently off it I'm going to pay attention and see if my memory improves or if it is just old age.

Also, my joint problems have been nearly ruining my life the last several years. I don't know if this is exacerbated by my singulair use or not. Bursitis in the hips runs in my family like crazy. We re-sided and painted our house several years ago and my bursitis started to flare up and has been bad since then, but it's also about the time I started taking singulair. I had to quit a sales job this summer because my bursitis has become so bad. Sometimes I can hardly walk. It is nearly unbearable. I get cortisone injections every 6 months, but need it every 2 months. I wonder if my discontinuation of singulair will ease my joint pain? I'm going to track that as well.

For me: weight gain, hair loss, joint pain, some dizziness are possible side effects from singulair.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this site. I am never taking singulair again.

Been on Topamax for almost a year. My dose was 150mg once a day for alternative treatment for chronic depression. I am also on Effexor and Lamictal. The tingling in the toes has lessened but not gone away. I have severe thirst all the time. My body seems to overheat easily. I lost 20 lbs but i was doing weight watchers and had just had a baby so its hard to give all the credit to Topamax. I definitely feel dumb. Words come and simply float away out of sight. My memory is extremely affected. I can fight with my husband and by the end have no idea what I had just said. Feel quite foolish. I am now titrating down and off by 50mg every 4 days. I am down to 50mg and have not had a good night's sleep since reducing my doses. My brain just turns on in the middle of the night. I am also pretty nauseated at this lowest titration. I just gained back 6 lbs but eating chocolate doesn't help either. I seemed to be able to keep my weight at 140 lbs no matter what i would eat. Not so anymore. Always trying to find the faster, easier way toward staying thin but it always comes back to that same bottom line. I have to discipline myself boooo.

hi, i've read through this several times, and it is now 3am and i find myself reading them again.

i was on both effexor and wellbutrin (generic versions of both) for quite some time, but didn't have full-on hair loss like I have now 'til about earlier this year when I was on wellbutrin only and was taking 150 mg twice a day. I got off of it because I have always had thin hair so I started to freak out when I noticed hair loss.

Unfortunately I became so depressed that I simply HAD to get back on it; and made the biggest mistake of my life by going up to the full 400mg dosage of the generic wellbutrin.

It killed me. I have very very very little hair especially on ONE side of my head, the left, and can no longer wear my bangs forward like I used to.

I went to the dermatologist (who I think was pretty bad, actually, because I went in for my HAIR and he didn't even do a strength test by pulling on it or anything!) and he said I had male pattern-ish baldness which is even more disconcerting because I can't hide the hair loss, I have a huge bald spot near the front of my head -- and I'm only a 21-year old female, people! This is beyond depressing, really. I'm beyond angry at my psychiatrist for always always downplaying the hair loss risk. I loathe him for it, in fact. But anyway.

I am going to start on biotin, and probably some prenatal vitamins, and maybe even tail Rx (******).

Thank you for posting your experiences, it has been a huge comfort to me (I wasn't lying when I said I read this thread many many times before and am reading it again now, at 3am!)

i have had depression almost my hole life but when i took biaxin my depression went away.
i do get side effects like a bad taste on my tongue, dreams,the runs
but i would gladly live with these side effects if my depression was gone.
i have been taking effexor xr generic brand as well as biaxin but i feel great.

Hi everyone! I just went to the doctor and had my Mirena removed.... My symptoms include NO sex drive, severe acne, sever bacne, terrible mood swings, hurts so bad during sex, gained a lot of weight that is impossible to get rid of, etc etc etc. Anyway, can some please tell me when to expect my period? I have been reading like two days after removal? And also, please let me know what to expect.... I guess it is an extremely long heavy period.... Im scared! Let me know! Thanks everyone!

I was taking Zyrtec for the past 8 years and I am also on Antidepressants ( Effexor) and on Singulair. I had to stop taking the zyrtec 72 hrs prior to being re-tested for my allergies. I had done this once before and knew that the withdrawals were pretty intense, with itching so bad it made me want to go to the hospital. This time I looked up Zyrtec withdrawals and was shocked at the information I discovered. I stopped cold turkey and I am miserable with the itchiness. I also discovered that I don't get so short of breath( I run ) during my exercise. never going back on that stuff again. I still have allergies and get shots every 3 weeks but haven't had any problems not taking the zyrtec in relation to my allergies.

I've had my Mirena in for a year now, and slowly over the past 6 months or so I've developed the same symptoms as everyone else on this site, except that my hair hasn't started falling out yet. My strings vanished last week which is why I started researching to see if it could "fall inside" me, since I'm positive it hasn't fallen out. Now that I see the list of symptoms, I'm ***SO*** grateful to all of you for sharing your stories, like everyone else I just thought I was slowly going crazy and turning into a whiny, hypochondriac b**ch! My husband is so relieved as well, to think that he might possibly get his wife back some day.

So the question I have is: how long does it take for all this craziness to end and for your body to get back to normal after you have it removed?

I expect I'll probably have to have surgery because it'd likely floating around in my uterus (or worse, but hopefully not) -- I have quite a bit of discomfort when I bend over or pick up my kids so I'm pretty sure it's still in there somewhere! My appointment is tomorrow, so I'm confident it'll get taken care of pretty quickly. And I'm thrilled to know that it will be out of me soon and I can start getting my hormones back in balance. But I'd love it if some of you can share your stories about recovery, just so I'll know what to expect.

Thanks, and good luck to all of us!

Im a male 48 yrs old and took generic wellbutrin (bupropion HCL XL) at 300mg a day for 3 months.

I had thin and receding hair before treatment but hair loss on the top of my head after taking this has been dramatic. My hair went from thin on the top to the point where I could see 3/4 of my scalp on top. I now notice running my hand through my hair will pull one or two strands per pass.

I went on a strict weight loss program and dropped 30 lbs and wondered if that was the cause. In any event I developed ringing in the ears tinnitus so I have just discontinued taking bupropion. Too bad as it had been a great help with depression and ADD.

I tapered from 300 mg to 150 mg a day for one week and am now off it completely for 2 days - worlds easier than going off Effexor (horrible withdrawal).

My doctor recommended 5mg Biotin (Vit. B) to help with the hair loss. Like the rest of you I am left wondering if my poor hair will come back. I have always looked young for my age but no longer. I have grown a beard to keep my face from taking over but I do miss the hair on the top of my head.

I felt it was extremely important that I make a post regarding my experience with Mirena so that it might help other women in a similar situation. I had Mirena inserted for the first time in the spring of 2007. The first few months I had some pretty intense periods, but this declined and then my periods disappeared completely. I was so happy with the Mirena, couldn't say enough good things about it, and was shocked by the numerous posts by women reporting nightmarish side effects. I had the Mirena removed just under two years later because my husband and I decided to try to get pregnant. That route didn't work for us so I had the Mirena replaced in the beginning of July 2009. The MOST IMPORTANT part of this post is that I had numerous nightmarish side effects the second time around with Mirena even though I had no adverse side effects the first time. I had morning sickness like symptoms complete with vomiting during my periods, migraines, hair loss, and severe mood swings - to the point of being suicidal or homicidal at times. I had to stop listening to the radio while driving for fear that a love song might come on and I might start to cry so hard that I wouldn't be able to see the road. I started to obsess about killing myself - triggered by the littlest of things or nothing at all. It took me what seemed like forever to make the connection to the Mirena - especially since I had no adverse reactions the first time. I called my doctor to make an appointment to have it removed only to be told it would be weeks before I could get in. I called my local urgent care who told me they couldn't help me - no one there could remove it for me. I was so desperate once I realized that the Mirena was the only aspect of my life that had changed during the time I decided I wanted to set fire to myself that I wanted it out immediately. I researched self-removal online and was substantially reassured by the results of that research that it was possible so I decided to remove it myself. I pulled gently, slowly and it came out without incident. I had no spotting afterward and only minor cramping. I woke up the morning after already feeling more optimistic. A string of things went wrong that morning and I never once thought of hanging myself from the attic rafters. There was a gigantic and immediate improvement. That was two days ago. I am still having horrible migraines and my breasts are still extremely sore, but I have not had a single suicidal impulse since. I even think my sex drive, which had disappeared completely is starting to return. Last weekend I told my husband that I wanted a divorce and needed to move out of the house immediately. This weekend we are going out on a date and I can't stop trying to cuddle with him:) I'm almost certain that making the decision to remove the Mirena saved my marriage and quite likely, my life. Bottom line, EVERY woman will react differently to Mirena and EVIDENTLY each time you have Mirena placed the side effects can vary - greatly. I hope this helps someone.

I am so happy to have found that many others are experiencing the same things...I have gone CRAZY!!!! I almost started anti-depressants and was scheduled to see a psychiatrist next week because I have totally changed emotionally and sexually. I had a great sex drive and was always happy go lucky....after some thought I starting researching this Mirena...and I think this may be the root of my unhappiness. Plus all these other side effects!....

~Tired all the time
~ Depression
~ Hungry all the time
~ leg cramps
~ hair loss
~ oily skin and bad breakouts
~ No period ..ever
~ Mood swings (huge...yelling fits at my husband and the kids)
~ light stomach & back cramps for weeks at a time

Best of Luck to all of you~I am getting this thing taken out ASAP!

PLEASE READ BEFORE GETTING MIRENA.....I recently had my second child (which was unplanned) so i was all for it when my doctor told me about Mirena. She talked this big game telling me how great it was and it was perfect for a person like me, so i had it put in at my 6 week check up. To start, it kinda fells like mild to moderate labor pains when they put it in. Not even 2 days later i started experiencing swelling all over my body most of it was in my feet and legs, kinda like when your pregnant except i never had that with either of my children. I have constant pain in my back, hips, and feet. Weird fleshy discharge. I feel like you should when your on your monthly cycle with the bleeding, tired, crampy and hungry except its not just once a month, its been this whole time. I've gained 10-12 lbs in 2 months. I HATE it!.. To top it off it took me THREE requests to finally get them to agree to take it out and it comes out next week...They like to tell you they hardly ever have anybody get it removed but thats because you have to fight with them tooth and nail. It might actually be wonderful for some people but NOT for me!.....So warning to all other women out there BE WARE because i know i'm not the only one...

This is to serve as a personal warning to ANYONE taking
Effexor XR or thinking about taking it.

After my husband and I experienced HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms within a week from coming off of our medication, and has continued for 4 months now. I feet compelled to inform people about the risks that this drug carries with it.

This drug helped my husband and I immensely while we were on it, but I just wish that I had been more knowledgeable about the risks of going off this medication so abruptly.

I understand that the medical professional that is prescribing you the drug is supposed to inform you that you are not to stop taking the medication abruptly (which is exactly what I was told). IN NO WAY was I told the consequences of NOT taking the medication.

So here are some of the symptoms that I experienced within the first two days (there are many more symptoms that other Effexor XR patients have experienced, but I feel that it is only right to list mine):

• Akathisia - a syndrome characterized by unpleasant sensations of "inner" restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless.
• Ataxia – Loss of the ability to move the body with coordination.
• "Brain Zaps", "Brain Shocks," "Brain Shivers" or "Head Shocks" Descriptions include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, and vertigo.
• Cold Sweat – The skin is clammy and moist and you feel chilled. This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear and nervousness.
• Colitis – A condition where the large intestine becomes irritated from the use of the drug.
• Dehydration – An extreme loss of water from the body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.
• Depersonalization - A feeling of watching oneself act, while having no control over a situation. (A sufferer feels that he or she has changed and the world has become less real, vague, dreamlike, or lacking in significance.)
• Diplopia – A condition where a person is looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he sees two. This is also call double vision.
• Disequilibrium - Dizziness, light-headedness and vertigo with a sense of losing balance.
• Dysarthria – The inability to control the mouth muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.
• Gastric Irritation – An inflamed and sore stomach.
• Hyperhidrosis – The triggering of an excess of sweat being produced on the soles of the feet and/or the palms.
• Hypoesthesia – A partial loss of sensation or general loss of awareness.
• Influenza-like - Fatigue, lethargy, chills, sweating, headache, weakness and palpitations.
• Insomnia – Not able to fall asleep or sleeping for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and feeling un-refreshed. As a result, a person can become irritable, have difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A painful condition where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not responding normally. This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea followed by constipation, back and forth.
• Mania – Unusually irrational, excessive and/or exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety, impulsiveness and irritability to violence.
• Mood Swings – An emotional shifting as from a state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.
• Night Sweats – With night sweats you become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to sleep.
• Nightmare – Dreams that make you afraid or leave feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.
• Abnormal Orgasm – Unable to have an orgasm with normal sexual stimulation.
• Pain in Extremity – A painful feeling in the legs, arms, hands, and/or feet.
• Paresthesia - A sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person’s skin with no apparent long-term physical effect.
• Photopsia – A condition where a person sees lights, sparks, or colors in front of their eyes.
• Pressure of Speech – A condition where the individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there being not enough time to say it.
• Pyrexia – Fever or the increase in body temperature that is usually a sign of infection.

Now some of you may be thinking that I might be overreacting, but I assure you that I am not. Quite the opposite actually, I feel that there are probably more symptoms that I am leaving out.
When I went online to research the symptoms that we had been experiencing, there was little information that I could find. I went onto the website for Wyeth (the company that produces Effexor XR) and the only thing that I could find was, and I quote,

“When people suddenly stop using or quickly lower their daily dose of EFFEXOR XR, discontinuation symptoms may occur. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of EFFEXOR XR.”

Wyeth also states that Effexor XR is, and I quote AGAIN,

“ Effexor XR Is Not Addictive. Effexor XR and other antidepressants are not addictive. You cannot become addicted to an antidepressant even if you take it for long-term maintenance therapy. An antidepressant is not a controlled substance like a narcotic or a stimulant.”

I am very sorry Wyeth, but I disagree.

I am 22 years old and I have never had any children. I do not understand what made the doctor think that this horrible device would fit in my uterus. When I had the Simply Mirena inserted in March 2008, I almost passed out, (since he inserted it wrong once, he had to pull it out right after and do it again). I think of myself as a pretty strong person, but I literally cried out, and I almost fainted while paying my co-pay at the receptionist's desk. My husband had to come pick me up from the doctor's office because I couldn't even walk to my car, but I wish that was the worst of it.

Within one month, I started feeling VERY depressed so my doctor put me on Effexor XR (which started a whole bunch of other problems), but now that I have been off of the Efffexor for a while and I am noticing problems that I had been blaming on the Effexor.

Here are some of my symptoms...

- Weight Gain
- Feeling tired, weak, and depressed.
(To the point that I will sleep for 18 hours if givin the opportunity.)
- Chronicly Dry skin
- Constipation and Diarrhea
(I haven't had a normal BM since I had it inserted.)
- Memory problems
- Cannot concentrate
- ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE!
(And when I do have it, It hurts for days afterwards.)
- Lower back pain
- Stabbing pains in the uterus
- No menstrual cycle
(I would spot for the first few months, but now it is completely gone.)
- Massive mood swings
- Nausea

Well of course my doctor thought for sure that this was my thyroid, so (without medical insurance), I went and got all my blood work done thinking that I would finally have an answer to my health issues... NOPE!
I received the results today and found out that my thyroid was perfectly fine, no anemia, good blood counts... Nothing.
Now not to say that I am not happy that my thyroid is okay, but I just wanted an explanation for all of this. SO my doctor sends me to see my NEW Ob-Gyn, to have this "Thing" aka Simply Mirena, taken out of my body. After reading all of the problems that the other women have been having, I am CERTAIN that this is the cause of all of these problems.

I would like to thank all of you for opening my eyes to something that was so obvious. I have an appointment to have mine removed next Friday (I'm not as brave as some of you ladies to take it out myself). I will keep you all posted on my progress.

So I've been reading all of your posts here and finally decided to share my experience. When I got the mirena put in about 7 weeks after my son was born back in the beginning of September the procedure went easy. It just felt like a little cramp then it was over. Before it was inserted tho, they gave me 2 Advil. The Dr. also had me quickly read the pamphlet about the mirena. All that I read sounded like it would be all good so I said ok to having it inserted. After the insertion I went home about an hour or 2 later I started cramping and bleeding. I figured it was ok until it only got worse. I cramped really bad like I was in labor again for about a week. I wanted to call, but stubborn me wanted to stick it out. Well after that calmed down a bit I had irregular bleeding for months after that. Each time I bled or had my period it hurt really bad. Each period also lasted for 10 days about. I finally made an appt. with my regular Dr. and she just gave me Tylenol 3's. This was at about the 6 month mark of having it in. Also by then I started suffering severe anxiety and depression. I had terrible mood swings and crying spells. Well about a month after that I went back because I needed something for all that stuff and the pain had gotten worse. My whole body hurt. So she gave me percocets, valium and effexor xr 150 mgs. I also noticed when they took my vitals this time and the last my temp was 99.4 and my blood pressure was in the 130's one time and the 140's another time. My pulse was also 111 once and 118 another time. Well about two weeks after that second appt. I developed a urinary infection and after I went in for the 3rd time and my urine was tested it came back severe infection. My vitals were 99.6 and 156 for pressure and 109 for pulse. Mind you each time my vitals were never mentioned or even a concern to the docs. Just I noticed it seemed. Well after I took the 10 day antibiotics the urinary pain went away but not my fever and I had really bad body aches. I went back to the Dr. and was given vicodin and was ordered blood tests. My vitals were all high again. I did the blood tests, made an appt. for 2 weeks later to get results and went home and suffered still. When I went back for my results the only finding was my B12 level was low. I wasn't told how low or what to do. So I got all my meds refilled and went home. I went and bought B12 vit.s. I decided to look up B12 online. Then I made an appt. to go back and get more details of it. She told me the level was 168 and she decided to get me a shot that lasts for a month and refilled my vicodin. A week later I felt a little better, but still had symptoms going on. That's when I thought about the mirena being the problem and stumbled on this site and other sites about mirena neg. side affects. I have severe acne, a low grade fever for 4 months, high pulse rate, high blood pressure, mood swings, depression, anxiety, bloating that looks like I'm pregnant and have been asked 3 times when is my baby due. I am 5ft 3in and weigh 129 so I am not fat all over just my stomach is so bloated and fat that it makes me look pregnant. I bleed for 10 days, I have NO libido, I feel strange sensations in my stomach like a baby moving, but I am not pregnant, Iove had nausea, loss of appetite, yet I can,t lose any weight, I am tired a lot, body aces, joint pain, nerve pain, tension in my neck and shoulders, headaches and low B12 levels which don't normally happen to anyone until they are over 50. Well 2 days ago after reading on this, I decided I have had it and couldn't take it anymore and took the damn thing out myself. It didn't hurt at all, in fact I couldn't even feel it coming out. It came out so easy. I don't recommend anyone doing this themselves, I am simply telling my story. I started what seems to be a period this morning. It's very normal so far. I plan on going to my new Dr. I'm getting soon and getting a check up and a pap since I'm due for one. I feel pretty good so far. No problems and I'm relieved that piece of plastic is out of me and look forward to getting my life back. Good luck to all of you!!

I am taking the generic Bupropion at 300mg per day. I went up in dosage to 300 last month, I'm about 1 week in to my 2nd refill on the 300mg. I am having TERRIBLE side affects right now. At this moment I'm at work trying to concentrate on even saying the right words on the phone - I have no sick time left so I can't go home - my hearing is jacked up. Things fade out and then come back so loud. I feel as if I'm drifting off to sleep and things get quiet and then WHAM someone will say something to me and it's so loud like someone woke me up from a nap. My vision is a little blurry, and I can't remember things. Fortunately I can get away with this for another day at my job, I started feeling like this yesterday, just today started thinking it was my med. I'm not on any other meds. I'm dizzy too. The worst part is I can't remember conversations. At the time of, I know what I'm saying though slower, but if I'm having a lengthy conversation I will probably forget what you said at the beginning. The confusion is what makes me the most upset. Things that I know, little things like someones phone extension, I can't remember and have to look up. The weird thing is all these symptoms come in waves. I'll have a moment of 'normalness' and then right back into the symptoms. I'm even having trouble typing right now. - I'm not hungry and after reading this site I now know why I'm itching all over.

I got on this website looking for a 'quick fix' like eating a big meal, but see I'm going to have to rough it out another day here in la la land. Wellbutrin was working for me in the beginning, 150 mg for 2 months, increased energy, good attitude etc, then wore off a little so we uped it to 300mg. I'm going to go dwn in dosage, try taking the 150mg tomorrow and see how I feel. I hope this wears off!! I am curious to know if you can cut the dosage of 300mg pill Buproprion to 150 by cutting it in half? I just got that refill so I was wondering. Today is going to be so rough! I went straight to bed yesterday after work and guess I will be doing the same tonight. Oh great, my coworker just asked if I was "ok" because I'm being so quiet. Yikes. I've read this email about 5 times to make sure I don't repeat myself since I can't remember!

I'm on week 3 of 150 mg of Wellbutrin.I switched to it from Effexor, which caused me to gain 40 pounds.The first week on Wellb I noticed increased energy, trouble staying asleep at night, mood improvement. Now in week 3, the sleep has improved, I've managed to quit smoking (works great for this), and I lost 5 pounds. On the downside, frequent urination, some stomach issues, mild headachey feeling, sensitivity to light, feeling overheated sometimes, and some return of depressive symptoms after initial burst of energy and motivation. What scares me the most though is reading about all the reports of hair loss on here. I have fine hair to begin with ad there is no way I can endure this side effect. So far I haven't noticed that effect, but I'm considering ditching this drug if that is a serous risk. From reading all the reports I'm wondering if there are more reports of hair loss from people on 300 mg or more than from people on 150 mg??

was on seroquel for a few days, after trying several other antidepressants which all had led to, weight gain, no sex drive (zoloft) heart "vibrations" and other side effects more harmful than helpful. but, the seroquel put me in a comotose, translike state. could not move off the couch, could not eat nor talk, a total zombie. stopped immediately, it took about a week for it to get out of my system. I am on zoloft again 50 mg. still no sex drive whatsoever, slight weight gain. but having no sex drive is the ultimate worst, yet I don't miss it at all when it was once the highlight of my marriage. sad to say marriage iss on the rocks, due to this minor problem. would love to go off it,, but i am too stressed. have tried so many drugs i can't keep track. do not want to gain weight or have no sex life, any suggestions on an antidepressant with no side effects? I am also going through my changes, ai am 50, which does not help.

Ugh, this has to be the worst medicine I have EVER been on. I was having anxiety attacks that occurred every evening and lasted for hours. Hot flash, nauseousness, inability to concentrate, thought I was going crazy.........
they started after my mom went in for open heart surgery in Nov of 2008. They put me on Xanax for attacks, and Clonazepam (double ugh), and I didn't take Effexor for a while, but my aunt convinced me to do it as I wasn't doing much better.

The thing is I'd been having issues with fatigue, heart palpitations, facial hair, etc. for several months to years and the doctors ran blood work and said everything was fine........

With the clonazepam and effexor I didn't have mood swings so much, but it was because I spent 16-20 hours a day in bed. When I first started the effexor I was told that the side effects go away after your body adjusts, and as it was the fourth or fifth anti-depressant I tried I figured I would suffer through. I lost 40 pounds (as I was/am overweight it was a good side effect in some ways) in a matter of 6 weeks, lost my appetite to the point that when I realized that I needed to do something about it I had to force myself to eat 1/2 piece of toast a day, slowing eating more...........I went several weeks only able to eat an average of 500 calories a day. I was so nauseous all the time. I was pretty much having a break down. I would only be "functioning" for 2-6 hours a day.

After going to the ER because my muscles began shaking while standing or trying to climb stairs (I'm only 28), having racing heart beats which they just prescribed more medication for, absolutely no energy, my hair falling out by the handfuls, I would wake up with it on my pillow............could not concentrate for the life of me, falling behind in school work (back to school mom), unable to do papers because I couldn't think.............

They finally tested my thyroid (runs in the family, have been telling them it sounded like my thyroid from the beginning........) my levels were finally off the charts, my TSH wasn't even registering. I was diagnosed with Graves disease........which can cause the panic attacks that they put me on the medication for in the first place.

As I figured it was probably the Graves, I tried weaning off my meds, only to feel as though I was going nuts and going to die............... I cut my clonazepam and effexor dosages in half, and within 2 days I could concentrate, and within a couple weeks I could go up and down the stairs again.............

Even now it is hard to say how much of my issues were caused by the Graves and how much was due to the Effexor combined with the Clonazepam. I was able to wean of the Clonazepam within 6 weeks by cutting my dosage in quarters every two weeks, but NOT the Effexor. I tried cut it and started having panic attacks, couldn't think, major migraines, and bed ridden........so I had to reduce it even slower.

Once I got down to half a dose, all of my symptoms went away except the fatigue. That is why I associate a lot of it with Effexor and NOT the Graves, because the symptoms did not go away until I reduced the drugs. I am now finally free of Effexor for about a month, and it was a hard road. It took me six months. I still have some issues with concentration and the occasional panic attack, but they are very minimal. I have read that this could be due to either both or one of the drugs I was on as it can take a year or more for your body to adjust.

Anyhoo, I wonder if the medication didn't trigger the Graves, or what.............but I would NEVER EVER suggest this medication to anyone.

I have gained most of the weight I lost back........but that is to be expected since my metabolism probably hit rock bottom not eating anything but toast for weeks.......

Anyhoo, I really wish that Doctors would tell you what could happen before giving you a drug. At least then when you start having these symptoms you know where and why...........rather then going in, and them having no idea?!?!?!? Funny, as if you search online you see lists that match exactly what you are going through.

I am now VERY leery about taking any meds at all, including Tylenol.

I have a seizure disorder (Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) that started in 2000. I was on Valporic Acid till 2005 at which time I gradually switched over to Lamotrigine (Lamictal). My reason for switching to Lamictal is because it is a lot safer for an unborn baby than Valporic Acid and I got married in 2005 so just wanted to be safe just in case. Valporic Acid controlled both my myoclonic jerks and my grand mal seizures. I was on 1500mg a day (6 x 250mg). With the Lamictal I started at 100mg/day and now am on 125mg/day (5 x 25mg). I take 3 in the morning and 2 in the evening, exactly 12 hours apart. If I take my doses longer than 12 hours apart, I start feeling the withdrawal. My body just starts feeling strange. At first I thought this way I felt meant I was going to start having myoclonus jerks or a seizure but I now realize that it is withdrawal I am feeling. I hate how my body, my life, is controlled by the Lamictal. I hate the withdrawal feeling I feel almost every evening, and it goes away once I take my evening dose. Other than that I don't really know of any side effects I have. I know I am on a really low dose compared to a lot of people. My neurologist and family doctor want me to go up on my dosage to control my myoclonus jerks better but I keep refusing because I HATE HATE HATE being on any psychiatric medication. I have been on antidepressants in the past (Paxil, Effexor, Remeron, Cipralex at different times over 4 years) and I have been through withdrawal from them. I am so glad to be free from those drugs but I tell you the withdrawal is HELL. But if it wasn't for my seizure disorder, I would GLADLY go through hell again to be off of Lamictal. Recently I tried lowering my Lamictal dosage in hopes I could be on a lower dose. I cut one of my 5 pills in half which took me from 125mg to 112.5 mg. The first 7 weeks were fine - some minor hardly noticeable side effects. But then the withdrawal hit hard - panic attacks and extreme nausea being the worst, but also very weak/no strength, anxiety, trembling, etc. After 4 days of that I went back up to 125mg and after about 3 weeks was back to normal. The only reason I did not stick it out was because my myoclonus jerks were increasing and I did not want to seizure. I have stuck out half a year of antidepressant withdrawal torture and I would've stuck out the Lamictal withdrawal if it wasn't for my seizure disorder. Great book that really helped me if you want to go off Lamictal is Your Drug May Be Your Problem - How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications by Peter R. Breggin MD and David Cohen MD. This book really helped me during my antidepressant withdrawal. Dr. Breggin also has a website which is ****** I do have some mild problems with anxiety and I have become a little OCD but I think that is left over from my years of antidepressant use as they both seem to gradually get better over time (I have been free from the death grip of antidepressants for 2 years now). If you decide to withdraw from Lamictal please do it SAFELY. Have strong support. Do it very gradually. Know the risks. I for one may have to be on this for life which is discouraging. After I am done having kids (I'm a 26 year old female, been married for 4 years, hoping to start a family soon) maybe I will switch back over to Valproic Acid.....it would control my jerks better but who knows if it would bring on a whole 'nother set of problems, right?

I am 32 yr old male who has battled mild depression off and on, that at it's worse causes me to basically not be able to function or focus, and spend the day in bed. I have taken Zoloft in the past, off and on, but then it seemed that it no longer has the same affect it first did (maybe because it got switched to generic since the first time) and so after stopping it in December '08, and after a recent very bad spell of depression recently, my doctor and I decided I should try something new. He prescribed Effexor, but before I could begin taking it, my insurance company got in the way and balked at it. So he was now forced to change that prescription to BUPROPION SR, the generic form of Wellbutrin at 150mg. (which btw, is still pretty expensive for me)

After reading these complaints of side-affects, I'm not sure I should be starting this medication at all. Effexor seemed to have very few side affects, and now it is my insurance company that is telling my doctor that he cannot prescribe it. Instead, it looks like I'm going to be forced to take a pill that's going to make me bald and itchy. I had no side-affects with Zoloft so I don't want to start risking my health, even if it means being in this cloud of depression every once in a while.

For anyone who is against universal (government run) health care because they're worried about a "bureaucracy" getting between them and their doctor, don't worry, because there's already a big greedy one there as it is now.

Is there anyone out there with a positive story about taking Wellbutrin, specifically the generic BUPROPION SR tablet?

I had my mirena put in about 3 months ago. About a month later I started noticing hair loss; not to mention lower back pain, acne (mostly on my back, nose), abdominal pain, feeling tired, headaches, & depression. I have been dieting and exercising (extensively) for about 4 months now and have not lost a pound. The hair loss has really gotten out of control so I decided to check with a pharmacist and she suggested that I take Biotin 1000 and Womens One a Day every day. That same night I started googleing "Hair Loss", "Hair Loss Vitamins" and then I thought why not google "Mirena-Hair Loss". I am so happy that I was directed to this website. I was shocked to see how many woman are having the same symptoms I have. What I find most upsetting is that none of these side effects are mentioned on their website nor by the doctor. I already made an appointment to get this "horrible" thing out. Does anyone know if it hurts when it's removed?

I'm 15 years old and i've been taking prednisone for a few months, and from what i've read i'm on a really high dose. i was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and another autoimmune disorder concerning my muscles at the same time. my doctor told me prednisone was my only choice; it was either that or i would lose the ability to walk. he told me there'd be side effects, but i had no idea it'd turn out like this or i would have fought harder for another course of action. i started out on 30mg twice a day, and since then was weaned down to 20mg twice a day and now i'm down to 30mg once a day. i've been looking up a bunch of information trying to figure out if there's a way to lessen the side effects or any hope at all that they will get better. apparently there isn't much. after reading a bunch of these stories i gotta say i'm not feeling great about this. i totally understand everything everyone is going through. i'm sure you can imagine what it's like being smack in the middle of high school with a huge puffy face, acne so bad on my face, chest, back, neck, and shoulders that wearing a bra could put me in tears, and mood swings so bad i've lost friends over it. everyone knows how brutal high school can be, where appearance and attitude are everything. and i try to tell my doctor about it and he literally looks at me like i'm a whiny teenager and says "you're just going to have to deal with it." and people like my mom and my closest friends don't get it either. nobody understands how beyond frustrating it is. i'll get into the worst moods and not have a reason for it, but i'll stay angry for hours or burst into tears over someone looking at me the wrong way. it'll get to the point where i have to isolate myself from other people because the abrubt mood changes get so bad. as bad as i hate to admit it, the pain from the arthritis is gone now and supposedly my muscles are doing better too. developing arthritis caused me to have to quit cheerleading, something i've loved doing for 6 years, because the pain got to the point where i couldn't get my arms above my head or bend my knees. however, i'd almost rather deal with the horrible joint pain than deal with the side effects of prednisone. if your doctor gives you and alternative method, take it. i've always been confident in the way i look and really outgoing and happy and now i sometimes catch myself thinking about suicide. that's shocking to me because i've got so much going for me, but this medicine makes me miserable. and when i complain about it, anyone i'm talking to just looks at me like i'm being a cry baby. my mom does too, she'll say things like "you just have to do this. i know it's not what you want but to be honest i'm sick of hearing you bitch about it."
i feel a little better knowing other people feel the same way - like nobody gets whats going on with them. the prednisone does give me days of really great euphoria and days when i feel like i could run a marathon, but waking up in the morning to the acne and huge face puts me to tears every day. i have to pee all the time, usually getting up at 2 or 3 am. i don't sleep well anymore and i do sweat all the time. which also sucks being a teenage girl. i'm always hungry, and when i eat i never feel full so i don't know when to stop. my neck and face have put on so much weight that when people see me in the halls or out and about they ask me what happened. mind you these are people i don't talk to, just ones i know from classes or whatever. and it's pretty bad when teenage boys i've never really talked to ask what happened to your face. kind of a blow to the ego, or whatever is left of it at this point.
i'd like to know if, as my dosage gets lowered, the side effects will diminish and when i'm off the prednisone completely if they will disappear altogether. any help there?
or if there is any way to help the acne or puffy face

my doctor just put me on something called methotrexate or something like that to help wean me off the prednisone, and does anyone know what those side effects will do? or if they'll affect the prednisone side effects?
i'm constantly obsessing over gaining weight and what my skin looks like and what i eat and how heavy my face feels and the occasional pressure in my eyes to the point where i just want to be put out of my misery.
and after reading other people's stories i really don't understand why this drug is still given out as freely as it is. but maybe all doctors are like mine, they just don't get it.
best of luck to anyone who's on prednisone, my heart goes out to you; i'm right there with you
sorry this became like a book it wasn't meant to be this long

I had a mirena put in 5 years ago and had some weight gain and problems with ovarian cysts. My Dr. never told me the cysts might be related. They are extremely painful when they rupture - like having appendicitis. I had that one removed and then a new one put in three weeks ago. I have never been so sick in my life. I was unable to hold down food for 12 days and unable to get out of bed for 8. After that I started having severe ovarian cysts on both ovaries with one rupturing last Friday. I now have a metallic taste in my mouth that has basically destroyed my ability to eat. My breasts are very tender and I have had faintng spells. I am not sure if they changed the medication in the last 5 years but this is ridiculous. I think I am going to have this thing taken out at the 6 week check up. I am finished with kids and it is not worth it.