Terrible reaction to antidepressant

aramina · 30-03-2014, 03:40 AM

I started taking effexor XR on Wednesday. I took it with food in the morning just as I was supposed to. By evening when I went to work I was feeling dizzy and my head, chest, and stomach were burning. I got sent home from work after two hours and spent my night/following morning vomiting about ten times. I still felt weak and my stomach was a little upset even by Friday. Honestly I had chalked it up to a bad coincidence and assumed I had just gotten a stomach bug, but I waited to resume taking the effexor since I could barely eat and it had to be taken with food.
However, I took it again today. Around the same time in the evening, I started feeling the same way I did a few hours before I started getting sick Wednesday. Since I was home I was able to just sit down and it seems to have passed, but I'm still really hesitant to take it tomorrow.
I talked to a pharmacist and they said that a lot of times these symptoms pass after a few days to a week of being on the drug. I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has ever had a similar experience with an antidepressant (whether it's effexor or something else). If so did your symptoms pass and how long did it take?

Morpheus · 30-03-2014, 04:59 AM

Yes when i was on cymbalta i had the same reaction. I was on it for more than a month and it never stopped. I had to eventually come of it cause i wasnt able ro function. It made my life worse and all the vomiting damaged my teeth. My psych didnt show must understanding and told me to take it before sleep so i wouldnt feel it. It resulted in me not sleeping and puking all night instead.

Laura2.0 · 30-03-2014, 09:39 PM

could you talk to the person who prescribed you the med?
Sometimes it takes a few weeks for the side effects to lessen/go away, but if it is really impacting on your life then another medication might suit you better.

aramina · 31-03-2014, 04:22 AM

Thankfully, I didn't end up sick again last night, however I still decided against taking it again. Even the way I felt today I couldn't have really functioned enough to go to work or school. I nearly had to pull over on the way to my boyfriend's house because I got so woozy. I took me nearly an hour after getting there to feel okay again.
I'm going to call my doctor tomorrow and see if she recommends me try a different medication. Honestly I'm really scared to try more though. D= Is it possible for someone to react badly to antidepressants as a whole? Or is it unlikely that I would react so negatively to a different one?

Snow White. · 31-03-2014, 10:16 AM

I understand how frightening this can be and you've done great to try taking it a second time. I had this happen to me after one time with just one medication and stopped it because I couldn't face the chance that it would happen again. So I understand that you haven't taken them again and calling the doctor is a great idea.

I'd never reacted to another medication before but like you I am wary now also, but prior to this I've tried about 4 with no side effects. So I don't know, I guess it's just about trying again if you think you can. Sorry I can't answer your question.

Wishing you all the best x

Laura2.0 · 31-03-2014, 12:45 PM

The first AD they tried with me had really bad side effects and I refused to take it after 2 weeks.
But the second AD didn't have any side effects for me, there wasn't an effect at all so now working for me either.
They tried a few more but I don't recall all of them. Anyway... usually they find something that works for you.

aramina · 01-04-2014, 04:09 AM

Thanks for the feedback and support. I called the doctor today, but I had to leave a message for her, so hopefully she'll call me back tomorrow.