Posted by yxibow on June 10, 2006, at 14:35:39
In reply to Re: Can an annoying side effect that you had once. » yxibow, posted by honeybee on June 10, 2006, at 10:43:32
> Jay, this is useful.
>
> I'm 32, so not exactly a spring chicken, and my resting pulse is generally always 80-84 (although one perfect summer day last year, it was 74). When I went on effexor, my heart felt like it was racing all the time, and I went to the pdoc and, sitting there in a chair, he took my pulse about half way in the session and it was about 120. I don't know if that's the kind of effect that I want to retry, or not. I am rather (hyper?)sensitive about these things. The more I learn about the ADs and their effects the more I'm squeamish about taking them. Without a medical degree, it's tough for me to do a sensible risk-benefit analysis of the meds. Without being on the outside, I have a tough time explaining to myself that it's not likely that the effexor caused my mitral valve prolapse, or that the excess serotonin in my system is somehow going to wreck my heart. Trying to think over the issue of the best course of action is a bit like trying to find myself out of a very sophisticated all of mirrors.
>
> Have you had any cardiac response to your meds? How do you do the risk-benefit analysis of what meds you'll take?It is conceivable that my heart rate has been slightly heightened by Cymbalta, but my blood pressure has been lowered by Seroquel. So it is a mixed bag.
You are right, it is a risk-benefit thing -- if you're in the 120 range though -- and mind you, there is always the "doctor syndrome" of taking blood pressure and pulse which can raise the count a bit unless the patient is at absolute calm rest and sort of "oblivious" to the measurement -- that is starting to get into tachycardia I would say.
(I'm 30, so there's nothing out of the blue about a pulse of 80, I've had normal EKGs.) Have you tried Cymbalta, because for me, it is a "kinder, gentler" version of Effexor by far for those who react like I did to Effexor?
I can understand reading up on medications, and I do the same -- just don't fall into the pitfalls of "medical student syndrome" where you imagine that you will get every single side effect including sprouting extra limbs (humor) and whatever else the PI or PDR mentions.
But for you, perhaps Effexor is not the right medication. You may need a more sedating one like Cymbalta, or perhaps a sedating SSRI like Luvox -- I don't know what you are taking it for, depression, or an anxiety complex, but I'm just grasping at straws.-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:654927
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060610/msgs/655274.html