Variations symptoms and conditions

Hey there! I have been on Venlafaxine/Effexor for 5 months now and have steadily had my dosage increased (I now take 150mg in the morning and 75mg at night) and I can say that out of all the other antidepressants that I've taken (Prozac, citalopram, sertraline) this is the one for me. Yes I did have some side effects such as slight nausea in the beginning but the one that gets me is sweating, and I mean I sweat a lot! But for me it is worth it so I am not an irritable, bed ridden depressive and I actually want to go out and enjoy life with my son. Effexor is the best medication I have come across for relieving the crushing anxiety that I felt in my chest and has really helped with OCD symptoms.

It has taken me 3 years to come across this medication after numerous fails with the other meds, which in turn (on each occasion) made me doubt pharmaceuticals and my doctor, but if you are suffering on this drug then change it, there are so many slight variations to anti-depressants the one for you is out there, don't suffer in silence, just be brave and keep trying because when you find the one your quality of life will be unbelievably better.

Much love and strength to you all

For those with side effects taking "the generic" - be aware there are several companies that make a generic form of the medication. Each company's product may have some variations in where they obtain the active and inactive ingredients or may have slightly different inactive ingredients. So, perhaps a generic from a different company would work for you. Wellbutrin and a generic - both okay for me. Good luck all.

Hi ! I'm French and bipolar 2 rapid cylcing (every 2/3 months for about 3 weeks each taking anafrani)l. I'm 50 years old and I had lithium for many years. Since July I have lamictal. It's very recent in France and my doctor doesn't know if my problem to sleep I get since I have lamictal will go away or not and if lamictal is responsible.
I describe the problem : I have difficulty to get asleep, I wake up during the night and I wake up very early in the morning even if i go to bed late. So I'm obliged to go to bed before 10 pm. It's very hard but since I take lamictal I had no down since September (6 months it's wonderful for me)
I only had some variations during the day at the beginning but it seems to be better. I feel really better than with lithium. But there is this problem of sleeping. In France nobody could answer to me and my doctor told me to go on internet with USA of Canada where you use for long time lamictal. Do you know something about that and do you know if it can be better after a few month more ?
Could you please answer me here or on my email : ******
Thanks a lot in advance and sorry for my bad English. I hope you will understand me.
Kind regards
N.

It took 3 years for me to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism and for a year I tried levethyroxine. This was a total waste of time. I was so exhausted the kids kept missing school, I kept walking into things, couldn't remember anything so I asked my doctor to let me try armour thyroid. This has apparently T4 T3 T2 and T1 and the T2 is the one that helps your metabolism (weight).
The change is nothing short of miraculous...I know it may not work for everyone but it is worth trying. I also had very extreme mood swings and the doctors were considering manic depression, but the latest thinking with that is to take your TSH levels higher before considering drugs such as lithium. I have just moved to Reading and my new doctor thought my T3 levels too high so reduced my armour dosage by half .....BIG mistake. Ended up in bed for days, couldn't remember which day it was, and the mood swings
!!!!!!! screaming, tearing my hair in frustration, punching my boyfriend. I staggered, literally, in tears back to the doctor who reinstated my original dosage of 2 grains one day 3 the next etc. For me my TSH has to be 0.1,
T4 around 14 and T3 around 8 to 9; basically on the high side but my blood pressure stays low as does my body temp and I feel alive again. It is worth trying different variations synthetic T4 AND T3, and don't rule out armour thyroid if nothing else is working after 6 months of use.

I just saw this post and it makes me feel ashamed of our medical system which includes everybody.

about 12 hours ago on Apr 14, 2008 by jerseymomma, #7220
My boss has been in contact with all of the top law firms in the NJ & PA area. We want to make sure that we give you info thats actually going to help and not send you to some bloodsucker. When you file an injury suit, there is no money out of pocket. The lawyers only get paid if you win your trial or the case settles (so if you loose-- u dont loose anything either). And as a heads up, if this is something that can be proven to a jury, the suits take fooorrrrever. I think that is the worst part for the families that I personally have dealt with regarding liability suits-- u want closure and you want answers but it takes so long to get them!

Let talks about the "everybody knows category" of the pharmaceutical industry.

1. Everybody knows that: There are many compounds that never go to market for various reasons. Even back then, no pharmaceutical company wanted to spend money on a drug that was not as chemically "reliable" (I chose that word to encompass many things) as possible in all of the known interactions that could be expected in clinical use. The categories are also "everybody knows."
2. Everybody knows that: Merck did a lot of testing for "reliability" on Singulair. But Merck also did a lot of testing on Vioxx. No conclusions can be drawn from this per se.
3. Everybody knows that: Even back then, important decisions were being made as to whether to market a drug that related to how body enzymes metabolized that drug (meaning utilize the drug and then break it down so that the body could eliminate the waste products.) Genetics differences between different people were a factor that were also put into the decision making process.
4. Everybody knows that: clinical variations in efficacy and side effects can be a result of different factors. Some might include 1. genetic differences 2. drug-drug interactions 3. improper use 4. diet - take the grapefruit juice example. Those are just some.

What we don't seem to do in this country is adequately monitor post marketing complaints? Why did it take five years to find out about Vioxx? If we did monitor more carefully, could we identify some thing that was overlooked or the technology has changed so that it is easier to identify what is wrong?

When there is a problem, there is no way that we should go back to the same company for an explanation of the problem. Everybody knows that many companies work on the same category of drugs. Sometimes those companies encountered some road blocks and they abandoned the drug category. The FDA ought to require everything from everybody to get to the bottom of the problem. And also hire independent evaluators.

The next part of what I have to say is just a hypothetical - a FICTION like a WHAT IF. This is just to make a point. What if another group got different results for the metabolism studies? What if another group decided that the drug was not reliable because a hydrogen bond at a certain location could be influenced by too many different factors to be able to accurately predict what would happen?

So why do people have to hire lawyers, when the FDA should be doing it's job? There are many specialities of law just like the doctors. Does getting to the bottom of this problem require the lawyer-chemists? Why is it their job?

In order to counter some of the very negative postings regarding side effects of NuvaRing, I'd like to share my experience.

I had at, at one time or another, tried many different birth control options, all of which gave me terrible side effects. All variations of The Pill left me depressed, with heavy cramps and acne. The Depo-Provera shot made me gain a lot of weight and suffer through continuous spotting and cramping. The patch made me consistently nauseated.

NuvaRing has been the only method of birth control that has given absolutely no negative side effects! I have used it for over 2 years and I love it. My acne has cleared, my periods are shorter and lighter. I have not felt an ounce of depression or decreased sexual appetite, and my boyfriend doesn't feel it at all.

I post this only as a reminder that BIRTH CONTROL AFFECTS EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY. I would hate for anyone to read these postings and be frightened away from trying a medication that could be as helpful to them as it has been to me.

Many of those who experienced severe depression on this message board also mentioned having been depressed and treated for depression before using NuvaRing, which to me indicates a clear connection between having an already existing mental condition and the increased occurrence of depression with the medication.

Again, I have been using NuvaRing for over 2 years and have not experienced any of the side effects listed here. The only way to know for sure how you will benefit or not from a medication is to try it for yourself.

One more thing....are any females on Lisinopril experiencing any variations in their menstrual cycles? Since I have been on this medication, I have also experienced this problem

My six year old son has been on Singulair since he was two. We have had problems with aggression, mood variations, and severe defiance to even the simplest requests. It came to my attention via a website on explosive kids that perhaps Singulair may be to blame. As I said I have no real prior behavior (he was only two) to compare this behavior to, however if it was the Singulair that causes my lovable son to act the way he does, I'm not sure if I should just feel relief that we can take him off or complete rage that this drug has caused us four years of hell.

Can anyone tell me how long it might take for me to notice a difference. He has been off for about a week, I think things seem different but perhaps it's only wishful thinking.