Laeti88: Taking Venlafaxine for anxiety gave me depression that I never had in my life before. And I am stuck in it right now. Effexor is the culprit, 90% sure.

[Laeti88]

Hi everyone,

I hope you all are doing the best possible!

I have a huge problem and would like to know if anyone ever experienced this.

I am a 34yo woman. Until being 31, I was a happy and motivated person. I only had bad anxiety. GAD, OCD and Panic attacks. I saw many therapists (didn’t really get along with most of them), and all insisted to put me on an antidepressant. I always refused as antidepressants scared me, for some reason, more than benzos that I could take only as needed. But in 2020 I gave up and accepted to take Effexor (Venlafaxine.) Went up to 300mg at the highest.

I cannot lie: Effexor worked for some stuff: my panic attacks went from 100 to 10 maybe. I have a bit less of general anxiety (even after stopping it.) I stopped it though, because everyone told me I was like a robot on this med, no emotions, plus everything linked to sex was dead to me. I also gained 24kg despite eating good. So I stopped very slowly, slower than the guidelines even. The tapering wasn't was bad as I expected.

Still got a bad withdrawal, I was prepared for it so I pulled through. No brain zaps, but for the first time in my life I felt what depression was, and let me tell you I gained tremendous respect for people living with depression. This is awful. Being bedridden. Not enjoying anything. Taking a shower being like climbing Everest, etc.

Anyway, the withdrawal slowly passed and the depression too. My sex drive and orgasms gradually came back (even though less intense than before), so did my emotions (also less intense than before.) but yeah I was pretty much almost my old self.

Suddenly, months and months later, I got hit by some little depressive episodes here and there. Not that long so it was not enough to worry me. And suddenly WHAM since one month as the time of writing this, I got it with a huge, and I mean really huge, depression blow. I enjoy nothing. Cannot leave my bed. Cannot lose some weight even with dieting. I feel hopeless, I lost my self confidence. Every shower is a victory.

My psych wanted me to try Bupoprion, started 2 days ago 175XR a day, and ooooh the horror. I am writing this on maybe 12mg Xanax to function. The bupoprion didn’t make me anxious, but it made my depression x2 or x4. To the point I began to want to die right now (I won’t do it though as I respect my mom and husband too much so no worries.) So no more Bupoprion, I know we should hang in there for weeks before results but this is way too intense, a few more days like this and I could be dead.

But back to my main point and question: yes I have an anxious terrain, but before taking Effexor I can promise I never, never had depression! Sure I had some sad moments, got lovesick etc… but not this awfulness that is destroying my brain now. I cannot help thinking the Effexor is at fault for it. It changed my brain enough for me to have no more panic attacks, so maybe it changed it enough too for me to now be a new MDD client?

Has anyone experienced anything like this? I am very curious and would like maybe some hope. I don’t understand what happened to my brain since Effexor. I am not my cheerful, confident me anymore (except after the withdrawal during which I seemed to be back to my fine self for months). It’s been around one year I stopped it now. What has it done to me?!

Thank you for any insights or just kind words. I couldn’t be typing here without the Xanax. I cannot get up from my bed. What happen to my pre-Effexor me? I’ve read a study made on monkeys showing giving SSRI to monkeys with no pre-existing depression terrain has adverse effects and actually touched their brain areas linked to depression. However, this study is fairly new and unique. So I guess we’ll have more answers in 10 or so years.

Thank you for everyone who did read me.

PS: Forgot to add that I have to take Tramadol for pain. Learnt that Tramadol is a kind of mini-Effexor, also an SNRI. Maybe it could also have participated to all this mayhem.

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Laeti88

 

On 7/20/2023 at 10:57 AM, Laeti88 said:

Still got a bad withdrawal, I was prepared for it so I pulled through. No brain zaps, but for the first time in my life I felt what depression was, and let me tell you I gained tremendous respect for people living with depression. This is awful. Being bedridden. Not enjoying anything. Taking a shower being like climbing Everest, etc.

Anyway, the withdrawal slowly passed and the depression too. My sex drive and orgasms gradually came back (even though less intense than before), so did my emotions (also less intense than before.) but yeah I was pretty much almost my old self.

 

Yes, you had withdrawal syndrome. Do you recall how long it was before you felt "almost my old self"? Approximately what date was that?

 

You say "months and months later, I got hit by some little depressive episodes here and there". When was that?

 

How long have you been taking Xanax and tramadol? To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.