• Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’ve been on SNRI’s for a decade +. Venlafaxine, the worst of the bunch. They “work” in that I can feel barely able to live as opposed to definitely wanting to off myself daily. But they disabled my dick and flatten any kind of peak-ey emotions as well, including riding a rollercoaster. If I forget even a single dose - BANG, brain zaps for 12 hours. Good luck falling asleep.

    I don’t know whether to be thankful they exist or to be sorry I got on them and have to live life like some sort of half-human in the meantime.

    • aubertlone@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Thank you for sharing your honest experience.

      There was a time I was really considering SSRI’s. Mostly for anxiety related issues. But I heard about problems with those kinds of meds similar to what you described.

      I’ve been able to find my own methods to deal with anxiety. Glad I never got on SSRI’s as I’m not sure I would have been able to get off them.

    • Maestro@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      I have been on Venlafaxine for almost a decade as well. I’m now on a low dose (37.5mg daily) and I function well on it. I don’t feel flattened. But oh, fuck those brainzaps. I want to quit but I’m a bit anxious to.

      • grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org
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        10 months ago

        I’m on 37.5mg Venlafaxine for the second time–tried Zoloft for a bit in between. What’s wicked weird is that the first time I was on Venlafaxine I got brain zaps from missing a dose. This time I don’t and I kind of miss the built-in kick in the pants to take my meds.

        When I got off Venlafaxine XR the first time, I weaned myself off very slowly. At first, I counted down the tiny pellets in the capsules, then I got a medication scale. I was able to avoid brain zaps.

        • PolarisFx@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 months ago

          What do the brain zaps feel like it, I was on it for years at max dose (for Canada anyway) and I don’t think I ever felt anything like a brain zap. Sleep problems yes, but I also stopped cold turkey one day and had no negative effects

          • Maestro@kbin.social
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            10 months ago

            It’s like tiny electric shocks in your head. I mostly feel it in my gums and eyes. It’s not painful but very irritating, and it gets my anxiety up.

          • grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org
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            10 months ago

            I always describe the brain zaps like this:

            You know how it feels to take a rubber balloon and rub it against your hair? That staticy feeling? It’s like that, except inside your skull.

            Edit: For me, it wasn’t painful. Just very wrong and bad and a sensory nope-nope-nope. It went away within maybe 15 minutes of taking my meds.

            • grimdeter@lemmy.ml
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              10 months ago

              Wait, after reading this thread, I feel like I got a lot of brain zaps, but for me they are not unpleasant. For me they are actually somewhat good feeling of relaxation. But maybe its just me. Also as a sidenote, did venlafaxine really helped you? I got it for 1 month, then my doctor cancelled it, saying that it was not having intended effect on me

              • grysbok@lemmy.sdf.org
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                10 months ago

                Venlafaxine did help. The first time I was on it, I remember walking down the sidewalk and just doing of double-take of “oh, this feeling. I think I’m happy. This is what ‘happy’ feels like. Weird.”

                I haven’t had anything so flagrant this time (and the flavor of stress I’m under is different), but I think it helps with my anxiety.

  • Fallenwout@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    If you think you can wean off it because you feel ok. It means it is working.

  • SuzyQ@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    I was on 150mg of Zoloft. Ended up running out before I could get a new prescription. The withdrawal symptoms were horrible. Now I’m on 20mg of Prozac and 30mg of Buspirone Hcl. All I can say for sure is I’m actually getting some sleep now.

  • Laser@feddit.de
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    10 months ago

    I mean great you found something that works well for your case. A friend of mine is on SSRIs for his depression since years and still has to take neuroleptics from time to time for his panic attacks.

    I guess he’d also like to cut down the SSRIs due to the side effects (mostly loss of libido bothers him I think) but I don’t think that’s an actual option given his condition.

    Anyhow, from a quick glance, 50mg/day seems to be the standard dose here, which you seem to surpass

    • JokeDeity@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      This fear has kept me depressed and anxious my whole entire life. 😀 But I’m pretty much at the end of my rope now, so hopefully I can force myself to see a doctor and get some of these addictive pills.

      • SharkEatingBreakfast@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        “Oh no, I’m addicted to being able to function!”

        Remember that you should never feel guilty about using meds as they are intended to be used. Dependence ≠ addiction.

        Guilt about that kept me from getting medicated for my own issues, but when I finally found what worked for me, I genuinely wept. “Is this what ‘normal’ people feel like? Able to function? Quiet thoughts? Not overwhelmed by pure, constant anxiety?”

        Does it kinda suck to think that I may have to take it indefinitely? Yeah. Sure. But it’s much better than being stuck in my own head and paralyzed by my own stupid brain.

        Love yourself and do what’s best for you, meds or not.

        • rynzcycle@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          My diabetic friend is totally addicted to his insulin injections. We’re thinking of staging an intervention.

      • Blapoo@lemmy.ml
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        10 months ago

        One thing at a time. I hope you can find some peace. Know that you’re not alone in this wild ride.

      • voxl@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        You do you. I just kicked an 8yr addiction and feel better than ever, because I worked on myself and got my brain to make the happy chems. Being addicted is the worst nightmare I’ve ever been through. It starts with “omg this actually works, I can live again!” And ends with EVERYTHING on pause. I was not a human anymore, just a robot/slave to the drug and society. A perfect little worker. Happy to be free and be a real biological creature again. If I feel bad now, there’s a reason and I go change it, it was a whole lot of work to internalize that realisation.

        But hey, everyone’s different, and using drugs might help you! It just didn’t for me. More power to you.

        • JokeDeity@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          Man I wanted to say this after your first comment, but I’m confident to say it now: FUCK YOU

        • rynzcycle@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          Most studies show that SSRIs do work best in conjunction with therapy, like CBT, so you’re not entirely wrong. But the comment “you do you” seems to dismiss that some people have very real biological differences that might make them a long term solution, even with effective lifestyle changes. So I’ll edit based on my experience and understanding.

          You do you what you need to in order to feel healthy and happy (appropriately happy, not all the time happy). Be sure to check in wirh yourself regularly, ask for help where you need it, and know that the peope that (should) matter to you are on your side and hold no judgement however you need to get healthy.

          • voxl@sh.itjust.works
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            10 months ago

            Yeah, thanks. I was too lazy and didn’t want to spend too much time. So thanks!

        • PolarisFx@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          10 months ago

          I was on Effexor max dose. And yea I feel the robot thing. But they eventually found out what was wrong with me and I’ve been depression free for a year which has been different…

          • voxl@sh.itjust.works
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            10 months ago

            Yeah I guess for me it was just a BAD idea to go on drugs. Might be different for other people. Just sharing my experience.

            • PolarisFx@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              10 months ago

              We all crave normalcy or something like that, I tried multiple pills in order to feel normal. Zoloft > Wellbutrin > Effexor. I stopped Effexor cold turkey which is apparently very dangerous but had zero effect on me. But I stopped because I had zero feelings, I just existed, it honestly scared me (in my mind because I didn’t feel shit).

              5 years later they realized I was XXY, and my body doesn’t produce testosterone. Turns out hormones are important. Once I started Testosterone, the constant downward pressure I had endured for decades disappeared overnight. Now I have phantom depression, depression is my normal so I have a hard time dealing with the fact that I’m not depressed. But my body will try to make it feel like I’m depressed. It is weird and I don’t have the words to describe it, I thought being depression free would mean happy but instead it’s this weirdness…

        • DessertStorms@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          got my brain to make the happy chems

          That’s not how neurology or mental illness work, but you do you I guess…

          • voxl@sh.itjust.works
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            10 months ago

            Just my personal experience. Everyone’s different. But for me, drugs were a bad idea, and I’m kinda mad that it was so easy to get on them.

    • quindraco@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      Bad withdrawal from stepping the dose down slightly sounds unlikely.

      • Iusedtobeanadventurer@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        I tapered escitalopram down following my dr’s instructions, in part 3 of my “no more meds” push a couple of years ago. Worst taper of the three, and one of the other two was lorazepam.

        Had to stretch the taper schedule out to six months and take tiny steps down and still dealt with terrible brain zaps and intermittent panic attacks throughout the six months and for a month or so after.

        I’m “better now” and much more present in my day to day life but without the meds there’s no safety net so I work out often, practice mindful meditation and breathing exercises, and have a “moderate” drinking problem.

        🤷‍♂️

        • quindraco@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          Is cannabis legal where you live? It might be a good substitute for the “moderate” alcohol.

          • Iusedtobeanadventurer@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            It’s legal, I just don’t react to it well. I’ve tried for several years. Different strains, different potencies. So, I moderate. It’s not a perfect solution, but what is?

        • Fallenwout@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          Yes, paxil took me 6 months in flue like symptoms with daily vomiting. Doctors and manuals say 2 weeks, users experience is very different.