treatment for depression making worse

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
treatment for depression making worse
6
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 12:34am

hey,

I was diagnosed with depression in my second year of university. Up to that point i was a stellar student, but i snapped in a class test and decided i needed help (i had been dealing with depressive symptoms on my own for years, but this was a breaking point) and since i started getting treatment my achievement in school has plummetted. I went from being an A student to a C student. I'm in grad school now by the tips of my finger nails. THings that used to come so easily to me, i'm finding incredibly hard. It's so frustrating. Most of my depressive symptoms are gone, but so is my intelligence it seems!

Has anyone experienced anything like this? my creative writing ability seems to have gone too.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2004
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 7:54am

Hi

peace and love,

just_a_big_kid

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 9:42am
I'm on 225mg of Effexor XR. I think I have brought it up with my Dr. But, well, the drugs do treat my symptoms really well. I don't know what to do.
Avatar for jukie33
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 9:59am

I'm on Effexor XR 300 mg. My writing ability is gone too. I thought it was the Geodon that I take but since your having it with just Effexor maybe that's the culprit. I was in college for a

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2004
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 10:32am
I seem to remember women on the Bipolar Support Board complaining of similar symptoms on Effexor, but I could be wrong. You may want to post the question over there.

peace and love,


just_a_big_kid


Sue

peace and love,

just_a_big_kid

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2003
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 11:29am

I think that I also have sexual side effects with effexor. THing is that I've been taking it far longer than i've been sexually active, so I have no idea what normal is supposed to be like (I just know that I have a lot of trouble getting anywhere). It has also controlled my eating which has been a godsend.

But I'm doing my masters, and these cognitive problems that I'm having are really causing me distress. Plus i feel that i wasted my undergrad, since i was underperforming.

thanks for your response.

Avatar for jukie33
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 11-23-2004 - 5:50pm

Talk to your Pdoc about these issues. There may be a medicine that has lower side effects in the cognitive realm. You are really doing great to be able to hang in there and working on your masters. Stop for a moment and know that with all you're dealing with you are still achieving great things. Good luck.


Julie