Posted by mckmc on May 22, 2002, at 19:15:51
In reply to how long until you felt better?, posted by sly on May 21, 2002, at 10:38:23
Sly,
I'm a Psychology student and I have learned quite a bit recently about anti-depressants that I did not learn from my doc. For example, sometimes the first thing many patients who start taking anti-depressants want to do is to kill themselves. The reason I was given was that the anti-depressant meds will give you some energy and maybe a bit more direction; sort or how you might have felt prior to feeling depressed. Anyhow, my point is that feeling like you want to make plans for anything is a good sign. The problem is that your plans will have a very negative effect. You should really try to see your doc. or get some sort of support network around you. Tell people how you are feeling, don't keep it just for this site. Anti-depressants can make you feel energetic enough to want to follow-through with your thoughts and plans. Get some more help, be as patient as possible and don't be upset that you were crying at work, be glad that you noticed that this was not normal for you. You are obviously noticing behaviour about yourself that is changing, keep a diary or journal of your emotional changes. It takes a lot of time and energy to feel better. I've been there 2 times already, I have a feeling I undertand where you are coming from.
> I'm new to Effexor XR, been on it for about a month, 2 weeks at 37.5mg and now 2 weeks at 75mg. I'm not having any troubling side effects, but I don't really feel any better.
>
> My Dr. said I should be starting to feel better after 4 weeks, less sad, less crying, but all I really feel is numb, spaced out, distant, isolated, almost invisible... my mind is foggy, I can't concentrate, I hardly do any work anymore. A few days ago I started to cry at my desk, I've never done that before, but lately it seems like everything upsets me, before I used to wish I was dead, couldn't really bear living, couldn't see a way for life to get better so why draw it out, every day is so painful - now that I'm on Effexor I've started planning to kill myself, where, how, when... I thought I was supposed to get better, how long until this medication starts to work?
>
> Did anyone else feel like this?
poster:mckmc
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020517/msgs/107337.html