"My Effexor Diary"

[spongebob]

Day Eight

Well I had a little anxiety yesterday and this morning but I think this is related to one incident. As part of the occ health work are doing they have their own CBT people now, so instead of going back to the lady I had before I have to go and see them.

The lady I saw before was in Canterbury about 15 minutes from my house, but works new people are based in Southwark in London. I said that it's a 2h30m trip each way for me to get there, but they seem to be very ignorant to what that means to someone with this condition. They also want 8 sessions to begin with which would be hell (8 x 5 hour train trips to London and the cost!).

I don't want to go and would rather see my old therapist but they seem very unempathetic to what I'm going through which doesn't make me very confident about their counselling skills.

Supposed to be going tomorrow but going to email them today to say it's just too much and too far. But all in all it's made me very stressed and anxious.

[hamster]

Sorry to hear about your news! It seems very unrealistic of your work to expect you to travel over 2hours to an appointment, anyone you could discuss it with at work HR department so could come to some sort of compromise situation? Was the other CBT person thro' NHS? Though I can totally understand the thought of phoning people/ e-mailing etc is totally anxiety provoking I usually have to pace the floor for at least 30mins & write about 20 drafts of same e-mail. Let us know how it goes once you've contacted them & take care.

[Yvonne]

Bob,

Good to do a diary on here.

Regarding the effexor, you are doing well I reckon. The first two weeks on the med my anx was pretty bad and I was shaking a lot.

You have stressors at the moment and they are not helping at all so I do sympathise. The med hasn't even kicked in properly yet I can assure y ou of that.

Well done for doing so well. Take care.

Oh by the way I've been on 150 for about two months now and I find it a pretty good med (I've had loads). Side effect wise - they have been little in comparison to some other meds. I get a bit drowsy a couple of hours after taking it but in general have a lot more energy than on other meds. My appetite is good but I do still have some anx and I am having a few lows but many more good days than bad.

Wish you well. Take carex

[spongebob]

Thanks for the replies, it's been a stressful couple of days due to work related administration, requests for meetings I need to go to etc.

Day Nine

Felt pretty anxious yesterday because of the external stuff going on, and it's good to hear that the meds might not have properly kicked in yet as I wouldn't like to think that this is the best I'm going to feel.

I felt really drowsy in the evening after eating, I only managed until 10pm and had to go to sleep. I slept almost 12 hours last night and felt pretty groggy this morning, but feeling a bit better now.

Got a lot of work stuff going on, but not feeling anxious so much as a strange spaced out feeling - I guess it's still anxiety but displaying in a different way.

[spongebob]

Day Ten

Felt very anxious yesterday because I found out I have to go into work in just over a week to discuss my future at the company after my latest report from the occ health doctor. It's with the director of HR and my department, so I'm anxious about actually going in and meeting them.

Woke up this morning feeling better, and had a GP appointment to get another sick note. Felt okay in the surgery and been to the supermarket afterwards which is normally a trigger place. Felt a bit of anxiety but managed to overcome it, I think the meds helped but feel like they aren't running 100% yet.

Have my first (with the new doctor, have had sessions before) CBT session arranged for 2 weeks time also.

[spongebob]

Day Eleven

Felt quite anxious last night, but I think it may have been because I had been drinking a lot of Coke which always makes me jittery. Almost gave in and had a couple of beers while watching a film at home but my willpower held out and I feel better for it this morning.

[jo61]

If you're not up to going to discuss your future, don't do it. If you're signed off then you don't have to. It can be done by correspondence, usually with the intervention of the doctor. I'm out of HR a few years but it might be worth your while contacting your CAB office to see what your rights are. I can understand why going to see work makes you anxious, being the queen of anticipatory anxiety myself!!

[spongebob]

Day Twelve

Strange day yesterday - went to a shopping mall which is the worst of all places to trigger my anxiety and I did get it pretty bad, having to fight to stay calm all the time - so that got me pretty depressed - the anxiety lasted bad for about an hour after we left there.

Then in the evening went to the cinema, again somewhere that can trigger anxiety - but I felt so relaxed it was untrue, sitting in the big comfy leather seats I felt like I was in my own lounge I was so relaxed.

Day of contrasts that's for sure!

[spongebob]

14 days in now and still not working 100% as far as I can tell, one strange thing I have noticed is that I have sprained 3 muscles in the last few days, something I virtually never did before - I wonder if taking this med affects muscles at all?

[MyNameIsntRich]

Thanks for the diary, I hope you will update it soon as you have not posted in a while. Ill be following. I hope to start my own diary also soon, however mine will be for coming off the effexor.