Oooogle

Sarah McLellan Says:

How do you do that? Squeeze my thoughts for the past six months into a paragraph? And make it look so easy? I want to know!

Fallingleaf Says:

I hope you continue to have a good experience with Effexor. My experience with it was not so good; but then I wasn’t diagnosed bipolar at the time, was thus taking it without mood stabilizers, and was titrated off the stuff more quickly than usual when I told my doctor I was starting to hear voices.

Like I said, I hope you continue to do well with it.

Sherry Says:

Prevention really is the name of the game for many of us. Keep wielding your vorpal blade, Liz.
S.

John Fugett Says:

Well said. I just got out of a meeting with my boss, where I disclosed to her that last fall I was sure she was ready to fire me. So sure, in fact, that I resigned my management position. She was gracious enough to let me withdraw my resignation several months later when I felt better. She assured me she never thought I was doing a poor job. Gotta’ love this illness.

Jackie Dolphy Says:

You’ve doubled the Effexor? Just out of curiosity, is that 75 to 150 mgs or 150 mgs to 300?

When I first went on Effexor, a few weeks ago, I was taking Olanzapine, at a low dose: 2.5 mg per night. Now that the Effexor is working (and most antidepressants do nothing for me except give me side-effects) I’ve started coming off the Olanzapine – I had no idea that atypical anti-psychotics, in whatever capacity they’re used, have such awful withdrawals! I knew Effexor has a bad reputation for “discontinuation effects”, and I’ll tackle that when the time comes to reduce it.

corinna Says:

yeah. it can go downhill so quickly.

Stan Cavers Says:

Dearest Liz:

Sorry to hear about the latest down turn! {Supportive Hugs coming your way, without trying to catch feel LOL}. Hope the Meds help lift you out of this quagmire. I know all to well how your cruising along just fine with the warm wind blowing through your hair while speeding down the HWY with the top down in your shiny red imagined 57′ Corvette; and then out of no where you get blind sided by a Bipolar Mac truck. Definately time to a treat yourself well, and have an indulgent ice cream moment Liz. I know I’ve been going up, down , and around on the rollercoaster ride lately myself. Trying to keep the job I have, and at the same time interviewing for a new one. Throw in some 10 hours non-stop drives each way, and I’m in Bipolar heaven ( or was heaven supposed to be this damned HOT? Who would have Thunk!)
Anywise, just wanted to pop in an wish you well. You have inspired me to start my own blog! I won’t put the link here of course, since that would be shameless and egotistical. But It does shine some light on how you are able to inspire others! Which is a wonderful gift you throw out there all wrapped in cute adult diaper bows {laughing}.( if you would like to look at the site and give me any advice/feeback, you can slip me over an email with your ok to send you link). By the way, I loved your doggy picture! I thought for two seconds you did the hair make over I suggested {laugh and snort).
Yours Truly
Stan

rebecca Says:

i have depression, not bi-polar, and have been on effexor (300 mg) for a few years. it’s still working for me after 3 years, which is exciting (i’m always waiting for whatever drug i’m on to quit working, which seems to happen eventually).

something i recently experienced for the 1st time with effexor was the withdrawal. i accidentally left my meds in a hotel room and didn’t realize it till i flew home to philly. due to various reasons, i didn’t get more effexor for 4 days – so i went from 300 mg a day to 0 mg a day overnight. by day 3, i was feeling totally spacey and out of it, called my doctor twice in one day (for me this is a lot) to make sure he sent the new prescription in. and i was thinking that i was feeling out of it and, well, crazy, due to not having meds – that must be how i am if i’m not on meds. it didn’t occur to me until later that no, i was feeling that way because i was going through withdrawal! but for the several hours that i thought “wow, without meds, i AM nuts,” i was completely freaked out.

within only a few hours of getting my prescription filled (after breaking down and crying at the pharmacy when they at first said my insurance company wouldn’t approve filling the script because it was too soon after the last one was filled – they had to get “special approval” from the ins. company and only did that after i started crying and telling them i’d have to go to the emergency room if i didn’t get the meds – this was truly how i felt), i felt “normal” again.

during those 3-4 days i definitely felt it all falling apart around me, and thank god, the effexor fixed that. i don’t like relying on a medication so much, but this stuff works for me and makes me feel/function much better than without it, and this makes it completely worth the fear of being so reliant.

good luck – i hope it keeps working for you…

Megan Says:

I have been on 75 mg of Effexor XR since last September and I have never felt more stable in my life. The anxiety, the foreboding thoughts, feelings of impending doom–all the fun attributes of the depression/anxiety mental cocktail–have essentially disappeared, and I haven’t taken a Xanax in months. And the side effects have been minimal. I started the med expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually suited me the best.

So if it’s working for you, stick with it!

BPD in OKC Says:

that photo is super cute!

ttq Says:

Some asshole keeps telling me 98% of the things that people worry about never happen, so why worry?

Obviously this person has never dwelled in a mind like mine for any amount of time.

Oh and the other saying “Feelings Aren’t Fact”. That really get sme because they sure as hell feel like a fact when I get bad feelings.

Scotty Says:

I like the puppy. Looks just like my Rottweiler when he was a puppy.