Effexor with weed... is it safe?

So after having all those crappy panick attacks, my doctor's got me on effexor. so I have 2 questions comes to mind, hoping you guys might know:

1. My friend is coming down to visit me tonight with his gf, and he's bringing me a 1/2 oz. we're all planning on smoking up together and having a good time, but is it still safe with the effexor in my system? and by safe not just "will it kill me", but would an anti-depressant/anxioty increase the effects of the drug or anything?

2. also, when I first started taking paxil in the first few days, I was wired as hell. I'd wake up really early in the morning like "HELLO WORLD!" *insert big smilie face* and could only sleep like 5 hours a night. well, I just woke up after only 6 hours sleep in the same way (I usually sleep 9-10), feeling wired and cheerfull as hell, but I've only been taking it for ONE DAY. is it really possible to get such a buzz from it after only one days dosage, or am I just feeling exceptionally weired today?

i cant believe you have been suckered into thinking some govt. drug is gonna cure a fake illness.panic attacks are a joke.unless you are trying to kill yourself or others i would suggest looking into yourself at what the problem is.more drugs create more problems.

ummm, i'm not gonna comment there, amsterdam....all i can say is tom cruise meets some dumb brit rock band....psychology isn't real! goverment sucks!

anyways, effexor should be safe with weed, i had a friend that took effexor for an extended peroid of time, and she's NEVER quit smoking weed for anything...

what i will say is NOT safe is smoking weed if you're having panic attacks, unless you have xanax on hand...your heart will beat faster and you'll get paranoid...weed can trigger panic attacks in people who have real anxiety

lol.i wonder how humans survived for so long without therapy and man made drugs like xanax(a terrible addictive drug that does more harm than good).

its called the pussifacation of america.waste your money if you want.no chance im gonna PAY some person to tell me my problems.might as well get the word sucker tatooed on your forehead.

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Originally Posted by jadeius

ummm, i'm not gonna comment there, amsterdam....all i can say is tom cruise meets some dumb brit rock band....psychology isn't real! goverment sucks!

anyways, effexor should be safe with weed, i had a friend that took effexor for an extended peroid of time, and she's NEVER quit smoking weed for anything...

what i will say is NOT safe is smoking weed if you're having panic attacks, unless you have xanax on hand...your heart will beat faster and you'll get paranoid...weed can trigger panic attacks in people who have real anxiety

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no worries there, I was taking weed in the first place to treat the anxiety.

And amsterdam, quit being a know-it-all dumbass. you obviously don't know what a panick attack is. it's not "oh I'm feeling so bad I'm having a mental breakdown", there's no tears involved, there's no being upset at a particular trigger. it's simply a chemical build up from prolonged stress so finally at work last monday I just couldn't breath all of a sudden and collapsed. crazy as this may sound, the body and mind do have limits.

of course we can't all be as infinitely cool as you are.

take up running and working out for gods sake.

in the 90's it was attention deficit disorder,now its bi-polar and panic attacks.just another soup-of-the-day.like i said,get a sharpie and write sucker on your forehead.

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Originally Posted by amsterdam

take up running and working out for gods sake.

in the 90's it was attention deficit disorder,now its bi-polar and panic attacks.just another soup-of-the-day.like i said,get a sharpie and write sucker on your forehead.

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I've already been working out and excercising the past year.

I just don't understand what's so inconcievable about having a chemical inbalance in the brain that triggers anxiety. after all, chemicals are responsible for pretty much everything in the brain. plus, I've yet then to explain how after prolonged stress I collapsed on the floor and started suffocating. that wasn't dramatics or getting into the mood, that was serious shit that I was desperately trying to stop. not to mention when it first happened to me the paramedics knew it was a panick attack. Just because a large amount of people are misdiagnosed doesn't mean all are.


(btw, I do agree about ADD being bullshit though).

mrd,

You will be fine. I took Effexor XR for about a year and smoked, no ill effects here. Take care dude. :)

Knock it off, amsterdam. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. Panic attacks are absolutely real and very unpleasant. Yes, people survive them and, in fact, no one is known to have died as a result of one. But, why should they have to put up with them when there are effective medications available to alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life of sufferers? Also, the government does not manufacture, distribute or recommend medications - they only regulate these things in an administrative capacity.

So, you're healthy and don't need medications; bully for you. Not everyone is so fortunate. I hope for your sake that if you ever do suffer a panic attack that the people close to you are more understanding than you've been here.

http://my.webmd.com/hw/anxiety_panic...rs/hw53798.asp

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Originally Posted by amsterdam

i cant believe you have been suckered into thinking some govt. drug is gonna cure a fake illness.panic attacks are a joke.unless you are trying to kill yourself or others i would suggest looking into yourself at what the problem is.more drugs create more problems.

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Ummm! Have you ever had a panic attack? They are terrible and yes it is brought on by ones self HOWEVER they can cripple you with fear and phisical problems. I have suffered theses attacks and doc meds were not for me.

I just think before you judge someone you should as you said look into yourself. This can be a very serious disorder, as a matter of fact one of my biggest, nastiest biker friends has prpblems with panic attacks.

As for mixing the pot....I know people who do, but I myself ask my doctor everything. Tell him/her you smoke pot and see what side effects can be brought on by mixing.

Good luck and I hope your panic attacks go away! Sometimes they leave as fast as they come. Hang in there!

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Originally Posted by amsterdam

i cant believe you have been suckered into thinking some govt. drug is gonna cure a fake illness.panic attacks are a joke.unless you are trying to kill yourself or others i would suggest looking into yourself at what the problem is.more drugs create more problems.

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The inexperienced are always the most ignorant. Prescription drugs are not for everyone, but they help a lot of people. Without them my dads hands, knees, and feet would be in constant pain from arthritis. My mom wouldn't be here today in 100% health if it wasn't for effexor and other anti-depressants. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for anti-depressants. I would have blown my head off long ago if it wasn't for my anti-anxiety meds. If anyone here has had a bad panic attack, imagine it constant, your heart racing a 100miles an hour, your head spinning out of control, and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I don't want to offend you, but in this case it is needed. You obviously don't know shit, if you've never had a panic attack, or been depressed, then you shouldn't say shit about it. You know NOTHING of them, you have never had these feelings, so you don't know what it's like. To be down and out everyday of your life, barely able to keep your head up. Having panic attacks that just won't stop. All your doing is heading and following into the propanganda of prescription meds. You probably don't have the first clue why these drugs should be illegal. So shut your fuckin mouth unless you have something to back it up with.

I'm on 150mg of effexor, I smoke(medicate) everyday while on this drug and I have had no ill side effects. My doctor knows about my cannabis use and if there was a danger, he'd tell me. Hell, he encourages cannabis use if it helps. Just be careful drinking booze, it will hit you a little harder than normal. Keep smokin...not you amsterdam, not everyone is like you, everyone is different, you're just a jackass.

Mixing is fine, I've done it. The bad thing is whrn you decide you want to stop taking effexor, I've never had withdrawl symptoms from anything as badly as the effoxor. Why are you switching from paxil? (also hard to quit). These are drugs that build in your system tobalance chemicals, but I always felt great the first few days.

For those that are less informed, medication is to be used WITH therapy, the drugs help with immeddiate and physical sypmtoms while allowing you to find out and work on the real problem.

amsterdam is right panick attacks are all in ur head.all u have to do is control ur mind

Hey blue, how long were you on the effexor before you switched?

I'm only asking b/c I never really had any withdrawl effects when I stopped...I tapered off over a week or so but I felt ok. I have read that it can cause pretty bad withdrawl though. It's weird how the same drug can have such different side effects from person to person.

Folks, just try ignore the holier-than-thou bullshit that some people spew. They've never been there and just can't understand. Peace guys, take care. :)

I took effexor steadily for about 6 months. It took 1 month to quit, and finally the doctor said to just stop, so I dealt with serious withdrawl symptoms for about a week and I was clean. The best way to describe the withdrawl was what I would immagine a small seizure to feel like, just electric shocks in my head and throughout my body. I had worked myself up to a pretty high dose though. I just got sick of days when I would forget to take it and have to deal with the withdrawls.
It was weird because I'd never had symptoms like that before. I took 5-6 percocet a day for about 4 months and just stopped no prob.

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Originally Posted by nakedgunner

amsterdam is right panick attacks are all in ur head.all u have to do is control ur mind

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then you don't know what it is because a panick attack isn't an actual mental "panick". there's often no emotional attack, no trigger, no "OMG I'm so upset!!!111". it's a physical reaction that sends your body into shock from prolonged stress on the body and mind from anxiety. many people mistake them for heart attacks (including my sister).

well if u smoke weed wont it make ur panic condition worse

In some people it can. Hell, I've had a few paranoid highs before, it's not abnormal. But overall it works as a relaxant (for me anyways, I can't speak for others).

Damn blue, I bet that was a helluva week. :( Glad you got off of it ok.

mrd, don't waste your breath hon. Some people just have no empathy.

Mr D you be ok with time,had a friend that smoked & took it with no ill effects.
How dare you asshole's say that someone elses pain is not real!Who made you lords of the universe,quick guys if you hurry I think you may be able to get that Nobel peace prize for knowing everthing!

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Originally Posted by nakedgunner

well if u smoke weed wont it make ur panic condition worse

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What some people need to understand is that everyone is different, everyone reacts different to prescription drugs, everyone reacts different to marijuana, cocaine, herion, valium, speed, ex, etc. We are all different, so the feeling that we get from smoking, is very different from one person to the next.

Some people feel panicky when they smoke, like paranioa. Some people feel mellow, some get voilent, some get horny. Just because a person has a chemical imbalance(anxiety, depression) doesn't mean they are going to have a panic attack when they smoke. Do you understand now?

Some people have a chemical imbalance and no amount of exercise, fighting with your brain and body is going to help. The only thing that does help is a medication to free those trapped natural chemicals in the brain so a person can feel normal again. If you've ever had a true anxiety attack, or depression, you know that you can't be just like, "oh why be like this or this, I'll just exercise or fight my mind"...it doesn't work like that, you can't help it.

If you've ever had your foot or arm faall asleep, and you try everything in your power to move the limb but you can't because it's asleep and numb...that's what it's like. A continuous cucle or worry and sadness that does not stop easily.

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Originally Posted by nakedgunner

amsterdam is right panick attacks are all in ur head.all u have to do is control ur mind

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You didn't read my link, did you? To summarize: panic attacks are essentually a runaway "fight or flight" reflex - a natural defense against perceived danger. Since it is a reflex, there is zero concious control over it. You can no more hold back a panic attack than you can stop your knee from jerking when the doc taps it with that little rubber hammer, which is a test for another reflex. It has a definite physiochemical effect and the elevated adrenaline levels in the blood as a result of the attack are measurable. To answer your other question, yes, in people prone to panic attacks, marijuana can exacerbate the symptoms or trigger an attack.

Panic attacks are brutal. It is not all in your head. There is definitely a physical response. amsterdam, you don't know the history of psychiatry, I do...

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Originally Posted by LilRedDevil

Ummm! Have you ever had a panic attack? They are terrible and yes it is brought on by ones self HOWEVER they can cripple you with fear and phisical problems. I have suffered theses attacks and doc meds were not for me.

I just think before you judge someone you should as you said look into yourself. This can be a very serious disorder, as a matter of fact one of my biggest, nastiest biker friends has prpblems with panic attacks.

As for mixing the pot....I know people who do, but I myself ask my doctor everything. Tell him/her you smoke pot and see what side effects can be brought on by mixing.

Good luck and I hope your panic attacks go away! Sometimes they leave as fast as they come. Hang in there!

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NEVER tell your doctor about smoking weed or anything like that....one day, when the effexor stops working, and you get to the point where you have to have xanax or a similar drug, the doctor won't give it to you because he'll assume there's potential for you to abuse it...this came straight from the mouth of one of my doctor's assistants...they won't prescribe you the good stuff when you need it, they'll use "safer alternatives" as they are doing now, probably because of age, but hell I don't yet know your age so who knows...but personally i'll never tell a doctor about any drug "abuse" as they would call it ever again...sure your doctor will probably give you some sort of advice with the pot and all, some doctors used to tell cancer and AIDS patients to smoke pot when Marinol wasn't so conventional...but as soon as you tell your doctor you're smoking pot, he's gonna be taking notes

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Originally Posted by OPM

...you don't know the history of psychiatry, I do...

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HAHAHAHAHAHA, that's exactly what tom cruise said to some dude all up on tv...don't know if that was a coincidence or not, but that shit cracked me up!

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Originally Posted by TasteTheRainbow

Folks, just try ignore the holier-than-thou bullshit that some people spew. They've never been there and just can't understand. Peace guys, take care. :)

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forgive them, for they know not what they do

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Originally Posted by Beeblebrox.420

You didn't read my link, did you? To summarize: panic attacks are essentually a runaway "fight or flight" reflex - a natural defense against perceived danger. Since it is a reflex, there is zero concious control over it. You can no more hold back a panic attack than you can stop your knee from jerking when the doc taps it with that little rubber hammer, which is a test for another reflex. It has a definite physiochemical effect and the elevated adrenaline levels in the blood as a result of the attack are measurable. To answer your other question, yes, in people prone to panic attacks, marijuana can exacerbate the symptoms or trigger an attack.

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i believe doctors could actually induce a panic attack in patients with the right chemicals (adrenaline, etc.)...that's not to say they should, it's just to further support the "chemical trigger" argument