Date:  Wed Mar 28, 2001 2:07am

Hello, my name is Jenny, I am 25, and I have suffered from Manic Depression/ 
Anxiety/ Obsessive Compulsive disorder since childhood. Growing up I never 
took any anti-depressants for fear of side effects.  But in April 2000, my 
new MD decided to try Buspar, and a few others, which didn't help at all.   
Then she decided to try the Effexor.  The only night I took the Effexor, I 
had the most horrible side effects.  My whole body was trembling, I had what 
felt like a neverending panic attack that night, strange chest sensations, 
extreme anxiety, it was so scary!  Anyway, the next morning the bad side 
effects started to subside, with the exception of the strange chest 
sensations, which till this day, almost a year later has never gone away.  It 
feels somewhat like a trembling, or a spasm in my upper chest, but then 
followed by extreme anxiety, I think because of the fear I feel from not 
knowing what it is.  Sometimes it subsides, but never has it gone away.  Some 
days feel like the night I took the Effexor, as strong as ever.  My dr. is 
trying to put it off as just some new stress thing I am getting, but I know 
otherwise.  It started that night, and hasn't gone away since.  I am so 
scared, I don't know what to do.  If anyone has experienced this and has any 
helpful advise please email me.  I appreciate any support or advice someone 
can give me.  I am hoping someday someone who experienced this same side 
effect, has gotten a proper diagnosis, so I can then learn what I need to do, 
to correct whatever this drug did to me.  I STRONGLY do not recommend this 
drug to anyone.

Jenny 

I took effexor only one time, last April to be exact, and am still to this day
suffering with these strange chest sensations, which are followed by high 
anxiety, as I explained in an earlier post I sent to the list. I think it 
definitely caused some kind of neurological damage, but of course the dr. 
cannot find anything wrong, they are trying to put it off as stress. But I 
still believe it is way too coincidental that the one time I took the drug, 
and had horribly bad side effects, that these chest things have been there ever
since that night. It is so scary because I feel like it will never go away,
and it is even more discouraging that my dr. cannot find out why these things
won't go away. If anyone has had similar chest convulsions, please email me. 
Or if anyone has been properly diagnosed with this, and has found something to 
counteract what the Effexor caused, please let me know. I don't want to have to
live the rest of my life like this. I am now on Xanex for when these chest 
sensations kick in really bad, because it makes me so terrified and anxiety 
ridden, that I get all freaked out. At least I know now that I am not the only 
one to experience a weird side effect from a drug I only took one time!!

Jenny

Date:  Wed Mar 28, 2001 5:26am

Response1:
Jenny, yes one pill can do this to you, I have heard
of it several times.  I only took an SSRI for 15
days, and 9 months later I am still having problems,
although I am sooooooooooooooo much better, but I know
what you mean about the never ending panic attack. I
had that for so long, and the chest thing, I had that
too,  just give yourself time,  time does heal it I
believe, 1 year for some and 5 years for others. 
Don't fall into the SSRI trap by going and taking
another pill from the doctor. YOU KNOW WHAT DID THIS TO
YOU,  dont let the dr. tell you different.

Stick around here, and we can validate your feelings, 
we have been through it and are still going through
it.

Cynthia

Date:  Tue Mar 27, 2001 10:59pm

Response2: 
Jenny your not crazy it was the medication. These meds can cause 
all sorts of problem that take years to heal. 

Patrick
 
Date:  Fri Mar 30, 2001 6:32am

Response3: 
In a message Jenny writes:
 << with the exception of the strange chest sensations, which till this day, 
   almost a year later has never gone away. It feels somewhat like a trembling, 
   or a spasm in my upper chest, but then  followed by extreme anxiety, I think 
   because of the fear I feel from not knowing what it is. 
   Sometimes it subsides, but never has it gone away. >>

I had this intermittently for three years, and last November it kicked into 
high gear. For me, it always felt like an extremem adrenalin rush, but I 
always had this flutter in my upper chest.  Made me think I was having a 
heart attack.  Xanax, Valerian, Kava didn't do anything for this problem.  
Then I started taking Inositol -- 2000 mgs a day and it went away in about a 
week.  That was in late January. I still take the Inositol, but even on days 
when I forget to take it, I do not have this sensation anymore.  I believe 
it's related to some overactive glandular thing, possibly adrenals, but I'm 
not a doctor so I'm only guessing about this, but that is what is seems to 
be.  Soemtimes it would manifest itself as palpitation in my chest, like I 
was about to have a panic attack, but it never came.  It was very strange, 
but it's gone now (hopefully for good).    

Trisha