Hope #2

Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms:
* Cognitive effects: mental confusion, hypomania, agitation, headache, coma.
* Autonomic effects: shivering, sweating, fever, hypertension, tachycardia, nausea, diarrhea.
* Somatic effects: myoclonus/clonus (muscle twitching), hyperreflexia, tremor.

After losing consciousness on three occasions, almost having a stroke, days in the hospital, two additional ER visits, lost work, and months of being deathly ill, no doctor believed that my symptoms were medication-related. I had all the symptoms above minus the coma.

However, per the walgreens.com drug-interaction tool and my pharmacist, it is not advisable to have a patient on multiple serotonin-related medications. It took a layperson to point this out and, interestingly enough, I have not fallen to the floor since titrating off these poisons.

These events of the past ten months started with a bout of insomnia. It was an unusually-long bout so medication was recommended. Unfortunately and asininely, health insurance only covers a limited amount of insomnia medication within a certain amount of time (14 pills every 28 days -- never mind, that anyone can get practically UNLIMITED amounts of Valium or Xanax with NO problem.) Regardless, I needed more than 2 weeks of sleep so the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant and increased the serotonin syndrome symptoms.

I have 37.5 more milligrams of Effexor to go before I am off the stuff. I tried stopping at this dose once but it was a train wreck. I have been coming off the toxin for the past three months and I don't think the worst is yet here. Google "Effexor withdrawal" and you will see. Actually you can try these samples:

http://depression.about.com/cs/venlafaxine/a/brainshivers.htm
http://www.join-the-fun.com/effexorwithdrawal.html
http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/effexor.pl?read=501

The bottom line is that no matter HOW depressed I ever get or if I have to be mildly depressed and anxious for the REST of my life I will NEVER take an anti-depressant again to cope with something that I should be coping with in a more constructive manner. For myself only, I consider it substandard to live life hiding behind a pill and I refuse to give in to it anytime soon. I HOPE that I never do.

I'm not claiming that psychotropics are not useful in many situations; however, for all neurotic-type issues they need to be a last resort and then used as a supplemental tool to some type of psychotherapy. They are too-often quickly prescribed as a pop-culture solution. This does not work and is dangerous.