Should I change meds or up dosage?

[ChrystaR]

I've been on Effexor XR since 2010. For awhile I was on 375mg, which my doctor told me was the highest dose she could give.

One of my unsolved physical medical problems was twitching. My hands, legs, and arms would jerk and twitch all the time. I decided that I wanted to see if Effexor was causing it so I started taking one less 75mg pill. I stopped twitched almost completely, so I am pretty well convinced that the Effexor was causing it.

I have been taking 300mg for a few months now, and I can definitely feel that I am not doing as well as before. My anxiety/blushing is mostly the same, but I am feeling much more depressed. I'm more apt to cry and get wrapped up in being sad.

Oddly enough, I never really considered depression much of a problem for me, only the anxiety and of course the negative feelings associated with it. But I can definitely say 'depressed' is the right way to describe how I feel.

So my dilemma is whether I go back to 375mg and start twitching again (which drives me crazy) or try a new medication? I don't know what to do.

My mom was saying that she thinks the best thing for me is to continue taking a Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, but there really aren't many other choices in that area, especially ones that are generic that I can afford.

Are there any medications that I can add to Effexor to help me? I looked up Abilify because it's something you can add, but it's not FDA approved for anxiety and it's not generic.

So, thoughts and advice please? Thanks.

 

[ImNotMyIllness]

I also suffer from Depression----sometimes, I have deep depressive episodes that can last months followed by moderate depression for years. I noticed it runs in cycles and usually requires a "trigger".
My Depression is probably different from yours. It needs an outside event to get it going (i.e something happens to upset me) and then takes a life on its own. I was taking prozac 40mg for a few weeks with no effect. I decided to exercise and eat healthy which has been very effective. I stay away from snack foods (eat raw almonds instead), I eat yogurt, 3-4 servings of fruits, 3-4 servings of vegetables a day. That coupled with 30 minute brisk walks a day (I would run, but I have a recent knee injury) has really helped stabilize my mood swings, depression and anxiety.
That's only half of it. You also need to find something that you love. Something that you can get passionate about. Otherwise, you're kind of just drifting aimlessly along with the currents of life bobbing to and fro. I'm taking a class at a community college in a subject that I love. It's challenging and fun. I feel like I have direction and a sense of purpose.

Hope that helps. I'm not against medication but if you can avoid it by adopting a healthy life style and finding a sense of purpose that will go a long way. However, your depression may also need medication in addition to all that. Try other options first to raise your base line (mental health level) as high as possible and then add medication to it (if you have too).

 

[ChrystaR]

I appreciate your reply but medication is a must for me. If I even go off my pills for two days my blushing (my worst symptom) immediately starts coming back. I still blush on my medication given certain circumstances but without it it happens like it did when I was really bad before I told my mom I needed help - even when I am talking to my family about some regular non-embarrassing topic. Literally two days is all it takes to start regressing further than I am willing to go.

I consider myself a fairly happen person, as long as I don't think of my problems. Which basically has created a much needed and enjoyed yet enabling cycle of 'hiding'. When I am having a bad day I try to read, watch a movie, stop thinking about how horrible my life can be sometimes and the feeling will pass. But that is what I have noticed with taking a lower dose, is that it's harder for me to push away the sadness and think of something else.

As for passion, I have that. I love animals, so my pets are a big passion for me. Just seeing them makes me smile and makes me happy. I also love to read, I love photography and art which I spend a lot of time looking at online. I love music and movie as well.

 

[GraybeardGhost]

The twitching you describe sounds like myoclonus, which is a rare side effect of many antidepressants. It made every SSRI I ever tried nearly unbearable. Whenever I tried to relax or go to sleep, my arms and legs would jerk violently, accompanied by a very unpleasant quasi-electrical sensation. My quacktor at the time couldn't explain it. However, I finally discovered that a low dose of clonazepam (0.5 to 1.0 mg/day) virtually eradicated the problem. Perhaps you could ask your MD if that or something similar would be appropriate in your case.

 

[ChrystaR]

The shrink I was going to left to work at a different office, I went to a new one and didn't like her, found where my old one went to and made an appointment with her. I told her how I was feeling and she said she wants to get my records and look over everything and see if I still feel bad and discuss what to do at the next appointment.

I was thinking of maybe taking the extra 75mg pill every other day or every two days and maybe that could boost me enough without making me twitch.