Effexor

[MAYzar29]

Good morning,

I have recently been tested for celiac and was found negative. The only thing that I have a question about is that I see some docs use Effexor to treat celiac patients, does that help with the celiac or just the depression side? I have been on effexor for about 6 months and have had wonderful results for my depression as well as GI problems, joint pain and so on. Does anyone know if this medication would effect my celiac blood work? The only thing that does suck is I ran out (of effexor) for four days the other day and everything, I mean everything , came back ten fold...

Michelle

I have an appointment with GI soon but I am just curious

[PattyBoots]

You may be experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which apparently mimic many of those of celiac.

A couple years ago I was prescribed Effexor, rather cavalierly IMHO, by my endocrinologist, whom I was seeing for my thyroid. I've always been a little leery of antidepressants, so I researched it thoroughly on the Internet before taking it. After seeing all the side effects, the number of petitions attempting to get it banned, how difficult it was to get off of, and seeing that one of the treatments for getting off of it was liquid Prozac!!!! I promptly threw the samples he was so generous with in the trash and shredded the prescription.

If you Google "Effexor withdrawal" you'll come up with a ton of hits.

Sorry

[OptimisticMom42]

Wow, geez, oh my! I had no idea. About ten years ago when I had my first go round with celiacs, I dropped to under 100lbs and was a nervous wreck, they gave me effexor. It worked. I went from laying in bed with repetative thoughts to planning what color of flowers to plant in the flower bed overnight. It felt like it jump started my brain. I was only on it for a couple of months because I just didn't need it anymore after that.

I do agree with PattyBoots. These meds are dangerous. But at the time my family took me to the hospital because I was exhausted. I intended to go to bed......and that was it. Ever. I just couldn't think past that. I had no intention of hurting myself or anything like that. I had no intentions at all, to do anything.

Sometimes the good outweights the possible side effects.

Take Care RA

[Googles]

Hi,

I'm on Effexor with wonderful results for my depression. I have never heard it being used to treat celiac disease specifically. The one problem with it is that it has a very short half life so when you go off it it is processed out of your body very quickly. (this is what sounds like happened to you) This is what leads to the extreme withdrawl effects. I get the effect of it if I forget it once and then have the side effects by the next time I should be taking my meds (i take meds twice a day) No one mentioned it effecting my blood work when I was on it. The only thing you will want to check is with your pharmacy to make sure it it gluten free. A couple of years ago Effexor went generic and so now it can be made by any drug compnay. When I was diagnosed with celiac I call my pharmacy and they said they would have to check every time I ordered for a refill (this and my other meds) because the compnaies can change the inactive ingredients in their medications at any time without telling the pharmacy. Good luck with your medication.

[Jonbo]

I used to take Effexor when I was going through some pretty severe bouts of Depression a few years back. It made a night and day difference and if I forgot it (or ran out right before payday) I would go through pretty bad withdrawals (and "brain zaps" as I read it best online). While that med kept me one step away from killing myself, when I had to wean myself off of it, it was NOT fun because the withdrawals got worse and worse but after a few weeks, it all went away and I felt fine.

As for treating celiac, I've never heard it that way. Don't see how they could go hand in hand but who knows anymore what meds can do...

[MAYzar29]

Thanks for the help,

I have some other appointments set for figuring this out. I was able to get a hold of a pharmacist who stated that effexor is usually used to treat the depression side of celiac but due to the increase of serotonin it can help with the GI problems. He also said that the biopsy in August should still, if I have celiac, come back positive.

I have read all the sites about the Effexor and decided that my depression and PTSD were worse than the withdrawal from the effexor.

I definitely agree that I was going through withdrawal and it was not fun, but I really think that my worst part was the GI symptoms, and joint pain that immediately returned. I had some of the "brain zaps" when I was trying to sleep and then some crazy hallucinations/dreams; I got really scared as my husband was out of town and I had the kids.

All is well now and I can relax, that is until the 3rd of August for the biopsy and colonoscopy

Thanks for the responses they really help,

Michelle

[darlindeb25]

All meds have side effects, but not everyone taking them get the side effects, or they may suffer one or two of them. What these drug companies do not tell you is: only about 1% of the public actually suffer those side effects, and there are many side effects they never mention.

Taking an antidepressant is much needed by some people. When you are celiac/gluten intolerant, and not gluten free, the gluten does effect your brain, and causes the anxiety/panic/depression. Sometimes, you only need the med for a few months, a year, some need them for a long time. I have a friend who takes Celexa, and feels she will take it forever...I took it for several months, and decided it wasn't doing what I needed it to do. I now take Wellbutrin, more for muscle anxiety they say, trying to prevent my headaches. I am thinking the headaches may be caused by my low ferritin level, which I am working on raising. We will see.

True, the med should not effect any testing for celiac. Besides the fact, they will ask you what meds you are taking.

[PattyBoots]

I have no doubt that they're suitable for some people.

I just wasn't one of them. Of course I was depressed. My thyroid had crapped out and I'd spent 3 years trying to find a doctor who would run the damn test. I kept being told I ate too much, which is so far from the truth it's not funny. I had to go to a local health fair and pay $35.00 for a blood draw to get the results back that, yes, I was severely hypo. I was taking care of a dying father and a handicapped mother, I had what I now believe to be DH - even though every derm I went to said it was eczema and I was so tired that I cried every morning getting ready for work. Once I got on the Synthroid, I got much better for a long time.

I'm also very leery about side effects because at one point I was taking Bactrim (an antibiotic) and got the side effects - bad. They were interesting ones, too, and were listed in the little pamphlet. I had a taste in my mouth that was exactly what I would imagine sucking on a paper clip would taste like (that icky metallic taste you'll get if you hold one in your mouth while you sort papers type), but constantly. Also, I was farting like a bazooka. I had to leave work because every step I took going down the hall sounded like I had a pair of those jokey "Old Fart" slippers on.

I also don't believe in bringing out "the big guns" like Effexor immediately. Try some of the older, more well known drugs first. He just had some samples he was trying to palm off so the drug rep that was sitting in the waiting room would give him more. Needless to say, I don't see that endo any longer. He only tolerated thyroid people. All he wanted to do was treat diabetics since he's one.