I had been taking Effexor for more than three months when my psychiatrist told me to change to Serzone. The reason was a few side effects, which were minor compared to what I am suffering now. I started by reducing Effexor from 200 mg to 100 mg and then to 50 mg in a period of about 15 days. At the same time, I started taking Serzone from 50 mg to 100 and then to 200. I was supposed to take one 50 mg pill in the morning and one in the evening. I made a mistake by taking both pills for the day in the morning. I did this for a period of 10 days while I increased the dosage from 50 mg to 100 mg. On the eleventh day, I also took two of the 200 mg pills in the morning. After that, I realized that I should have taken one in the morning and one in the afternoon. However, I felt nothing unusual before that day. Starting from that day, I started feeling nausea, dizziness and weakness. I felt worse and worse and started to throw up often.

I tried desperately to contact my psychiatrist, but in vain. I went to my family doctor and other doctors in walk-in clinics and a hospital emergency room. They all found it difficult to tell if I was experiencing symptoms of withdrawing from Effexor or suffering from starting Serzone. One suggested that I decrease the dosage of serzone from 200 to 100 mg, which I did. Another told me to keep the same dosage while waiting for my next appointment with the psychiatrist. Finally, I got a phone message from the psychiatrist telling me to stop Serzone immediately. I was told that I would feel relief after 24 hours. This morning, after 24 hours, I felt no better than other days. I can hardly do anything for the last eight days. I keep taking Gravol to prevent vomiting and lying in bed all the time not even being able to read or watch TV. Anyone who can give me some information, either expert's advice or similar experience you had before will be appreciated. I don't know how much my psychiatrist could help me at this point. He is certainly not helpful and unconcerned for the last two weeks.

I was there until after noon hour Tuesday. They took my blood pressure about ten times, but did not say if it was high or low. I knew that something wasn't right. They would have given me a shot of Demerol for the pain, but could not risk another interaction. I was so dizzy I could hardly stand. They said I had taken too much Serzone and had not given the Wellbutrin enough time to get out of my system.

My doctor had told me the beauty of this medication(Wellbutrin) was that I did not need to wean off of it, but could start on the Serzone right away. Here I am on Thursday and I am still so dizzy it's not funny. I hadn't taken anything since that dosage on Monday night. I was told last night that I can't just stop taking anything at all or I would end up back in the hospital suffering from withdrawal as I have been on medication for years.

So, I started taking the Serzone in a smaller dose and I don't feel any better. I don't understand why this is happening. I took Serzone for three years after being on Paxil for three years. I switched to Wellbutrin because I didn't feel the Serzone was doing much for me. The Paxil had caused me to gain 65 pounds, no matter what I did. I found the same pattern recurring with the Wellbutrin...that is why I wanted to switch back. I never had any side effects the first time I started Serzone, so this seems a little strange, but my symptoms sound similar to you.

I haven't been able to work all week. I figure I will give it a few more days, and if this doesn't subside, I don't know what to do. Maybe if you have another account of the side effects, someone will do something for you. Good luck and I hope you feel better than I do. Like you say, this has been hell. I have never felt so awful in my life.

Sherrie

What makes me angry and frustrated is that the psychiatrists dispensing these terrible drugs never read these bulletin boards and self-help pages where people talk to each other and commiserate about what they are experiencing. The first time I told my shrink about these types of pages, he bluntly dismissed me as seeking information from very subjective and unreliable sources. Well, the fact is, he and his cronies in his HMO don't do much of anything except collect huge paychecks and stock options. They are not there to help you! That's the very first thing you are going to have to realize. They are there to MAKE MONEY! They are there to put you on a drug that will keep bringing you back, year after year. When Prozac first came out, the makers were offering some shrinks incentive vacation trips for doing a volume business prescribing it. They don't put you, the patient first. If you are in an HMO, you must realize that profits come first, last and always for these people.

But that's off topic. Here's what finally happened to me. After living with no sex life for years on Paxil, I switched to Serzone. The stuff made me so sick, I think it is the equivalent of trying to kick heroin. Also, like someone who wrote in here, most of the time, you can't even get a psychiatrist on the damn telephone on a weekend, or late at night when you may be going through hell with this stuff. Well, I finally reached him a few days ago in his office, after insisting that no, I was not going to leave a message, and no, I was not going to speak to his snotty nurse instead. I just flat refused. I said put me on hold and I want the doctor! Finally, I got him. He was so mad that I had been "rude" to his staff. He just said something like, "well, if you've got these symptoms, then just quit taking the medications!" Poof, just like that. "Wait a minute," I thought. Didn't he once tell me that serotonin re-uptake would be a lifetime problem? Didn't he tell me that to get off of the stuff would cause a reoccurrence of depression that would likely be worse each time and may lead to an even deeper and more aggravated case? Now, why all of a sudden is he reversing direction? Here he is, angry because I'M angry because he doesn't really give a damn. Now, there's professionalism for you!

But in any case, I quit. I quit taking the medications. Yes, my depression has returned. But I'm going to take a bold step now and seek a psychiatrist in a private practice -- one who is interested in my health, not my "Health Maintenance Program." I'm going to go back into group therapy for depression and I'm also not going to accept any further medication unless I have a doctor that actually cares enough to talk to me on the phone when I am in desperate need -- one who monitors closely any drug he gives a patient and is concerned as I am when I wake in the middle of the night with a bomber of a headache and my skin is itching and I'm so wired up that all I can do is stare at a TV on the couch all night!

My advice to everyone: Don't be a sheep! Fight back! If you are not getting the care you are paying for and that you deserve as a patient -- LEAVE! And be sure and tell them why. HMOs only listen to people when it looks like they are going to start losing money.

I thought Effexor was the best thing in the world (although I was in the 1% that got muscle twitches from Effexor), but for me, Serzone has worked even better. Believe me, I can appreciate where you're coming from. Of course I can only base things on how it worked for me, but I'm inclined to think that if you can make your way through the storm of the Effexor withdrawal, things will come around. It sure did for me. I hope this helps somewhat.

--Kurt

The reason that I am at this web site is because I have noticed a side effect that is bothering me tremendously. First, let me point out that I know that any antidepressant that I may take will have side effects. My side effect has probably been going on for 3 years. I just never put any merit into it. Now I have to. I have been having trouble staying focused (mentally) and am not able to retain information. I thought for a while that it was just the type of person that I was. But I cannot be given directions to a place up the street and remember it 3 minutes later. I am taking courses now to advance myself at my job, but nothing is soaking in. I am going to make an appointment with a doctor soon and speak with them about it, but I was hoping that someone might have some ideas. People living it are sometimes much better than the ones giving the meds. Hang in there and get to a doctor soon. Thanks