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From: rob pettitt
Date: 17/11/03
Time: 13:45:07
Remote Name: 212.137.57.25
Until June 2003 I had been on a steadily increasing dose of Efexor XR, reached 450 mg at some time in the spring. (Also 20mg buspirone) Early 2003, my depression/anxiety was no longer controlled and my GP would not sanction any higher dose. A trial of Lithium augmentation of a 300mg Efexor XR dose was unsuccessful. I managed to get off Efexor by 37.5mg weekly decrements covered by 20mg Prozac. I suffered paresthesiae, headaches, nausea etc. as previously experienced when trying to come off Efexor. I had got down from 375mg to 37.5mg without severe pain, however. The drop from 37.5mg to nothing left me with severe pain in my cervical thoracic and lumbar spine. This could partly be controlled with co-dydramol, but was still present many weeks later. Still suffering poorly controlled depression, this pain convinced me that I had a physical cause for my depression, such as a tumour. £1300 spent on an MRI scan and £300 on tests for carpal tunnel syndrome were probably wasted, but at least I could be satisfied that I was not at death's door. Fluoxetine now at 60mg/day - mood still low but not suicidal. Still taking buspirone 20mg/day. Still in neck pain - using physiotherapy and mild painkillers. I believe the spinal pains were masked by my high dose of venlafaxine (giving a good analgesic effect, even though not working effectively for depression). I cannot ignore the coincidence of my disabling spinal pain with cessation of Efexor. I believe my pain threshold was re-set by Efexor and has still not returned to "normal" five months after cessation of the drug.