I need help getting my girlfriend to stop taking her "meds"

[1984]

I wasn't sure which forum to post this on.

I'll spare the backstory (you can search it out if you want), but her interest in sex has been fluctuating like mad ever since she started taking these antidepressants. Effexor XR. We started off as friends-turned-roommates, and after I moved in there was always this sexual tension that never seemed to be resolved. After we finally did it, her interest still went up and down. One week she'd jump me as soon as I walked through the door every day, and the next thing I knew she'd not be in the mood for two weeks.

Things did eventually get better, and when she stopped taking her pills for a few weeks things got amazing. We were ****ing like animals, and she was having an orgasm everytime. That never happened when she was taking her pills. The only problem was that she became *****ier than usual, so she went back on the meds, at double her previous dosage. She started taking birth control pills at the same time.

Now we rarely have sex, and when we do it's usually pretty bad. We've had maybe one good **** in the last month. The rest of the time it's seemed forced, she has a hard time getting into it, she can't stay wet, and she can't have an orgasm. It's put a strain on things, and it always felt like she was shaming me for wanting to **** the hell out of her. After all, what's wrong with "cuddling" or "just spending time" with her?

I looked up some things on the pills she's on, and wasn't pleased with the results. I saw reviews of Effexor on askapatient.com, and almost half of the people on there mentioned decreased sex drive, inability to orgasm, delayed orgasm, ED in men, ect, along with leg twitching at night (which has become really ****ing annoying when I'm trying to sleep), weight gain, sleep problems, increased sweating (she's been complaining about that too) and a general lack of caring about the consequences these things cause. The birth control didn't impress me either.

So I told her I wanted her to stop taking all of this ****. She's already off the birth control, but she seems hesitant to give up the antidepressants. She's afraid of being *****y again, to which I replied that she was always *****y anyway, so a little more didn't matter.

She's not sure if she should quit cold turkey or something else, and she keeps mentioning something about how she wanted to stop to save money, but her insurance is switching and might cover more of the cost. I don't know if that means she intends to continue using this bull**** pill or what. She claims she'd rather tackle her problems head on rather than take meds, but I'm not convinced.

 

[GuanYu]

If she doesn't mind smoking marijuana get her on that instead. No, I'm not joking. Marijuana makes people horny, happy or hardly able to talk(if it's the really good stuff) but they'll still be horny.

 

[1984]

She's already a big pothead.

 

[KontrollerX]

GuanYu has pretty much given you your solution.

If she doesn't want to do that you should have her see if she can get switched to a different anti depressant without the weight gain and anti sex drive side effects.

 

[brian123]

I was in your exact shoes man. How long have you been with her?

Not to hijack this thread, but my ex was on antidepressants and had a low drive, just like you are describing. She must have been on the wrong dosage because over the course of 3-4 days she totally lost it. 90 days before our wedding, she basically decided that "God" and her dead grandfather told her that we both needed to move across the country immediately. IE within 3 days. Ultimately, she told me she needed help (obvious) but I was so great/she loved me/was scared to not be with me, but needed help.

I haven't really heard from her in 4 months.

Moral: Be VERY weary of anyone on meds. Ask yourself, is it worth it?

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

There's no way that she's going to stop taking those pills without having something else available to stop her depression. Until she wants to go to a psychologist who will help her manage what's causing her depression, there's nothing worth her giving up her medication.

Here's a question for you, who put her on the medication? Was it a psychiatrist or an internist? If it was an internist you may have some leverage in having a reason for her to see a psychologist instead.

 

[DonGorgon]

MENTAL MEDS ARE BAD NEWS but many people on them would be worse without them.

Depression is a very common state for most people living under capitalism and meds only fuel the problem by making other people rich...

 

[DJVladdy]

Gordon you are like a parrot - saying obsessive crap over and over, that makes you look like a crazy guy. Verbal diarrhea nothing else.

 

[1984]

We haven't been together in the sense of being together as a couple for very long. Just a few months. But I've known her for 9 years.

I don't think she's crazy or anything. She doesn't like taking antidepressants, but she's afraid of the withdrawl, which apparently is hell at the dosage she's currently at. Some people compared it to feeling like a junky. She handled it pretty well when she tried before, besides occasionally yelling at people she barely knows over nothing, but the physical symptoms get worse as the dosage increases.

At least she hasn't been back on them for very long. Her bottle should run out in a week, should she decide to finish it off. I told her last night she should save that money and buy more pot.

 

[1984]

Here's a question for you, who put her on the medication? Was it a psychiatrist or an internist? If it was an internist you may have some leverage in having a reason for her to see a psychologist instead.

As far as I know, she's never even been to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. I think her gyno put her on the drugs.

 

[DJDamage]

So I told her I wanted her to stop taking all of this ****. She's already off the birth control, but she seems hesitant to give up the antidepressants. She's afraid of being *****y again, to which I replied that she was always *****y anyway, so a little more didn't matter.

I am glad you are looking after her well being, as long as you bust a nut in her who cares if the b1tch gets more clinically depressed and ends up hanging herself right?!

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

As far as I know, she's never even been to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. I think her gyno put her on the drugs.

That's an issue. Someone who's background is focused on internal medicine prescribing medication to deal with emotional states. Leave it to a gynecologist... Sorry, bad joke.

I suggest having her look into visiting a psychologist to help her identify her issues with depression and her lack of sexual interest. The doctor will be able to help her manage the issues and determine if it would be necessary for her to visit a psychiatrist to determine the best medication to temporarily help her with her issues until she can manage her issues with little or no medication which affect her adversely.

 

[brian123]

If you just care about getting some, then just focus on you and get her off the meds. If you care about her, she needs to see a psyc + stay on the meds.

 

[darkme_legendary]

There's no way that she's going to stop taking those pills without having something else available to stop her depression.

If you want lasting change you need to replace these meds with something else. This something else can be medical, psychological or anything else.

One way: to help her with psychological techniques to get over her depression and to be happy. You do this by destroying negative emotions and limiting beliefs about herself. I little harder if you don't know exactly how.

 

[1984]

I am glad you are looking after her well being, as long as you bust a nut in her who cares if the b1tch gets more clinically depressed and ends up hanging herself right?!

1. I don't think her gyno should be the one declaring her clinically depressed, and even if she is, I think helping her work on whatever problems she has would be better for her ultimate well being than drugging her the **** up and ignoring the root problem. Long term resolutions should have been taken, or at least attempted, before resorting to drugs, and especially before prescribing something as horrible as the one she's on.

Her ****ing quack of a doctor put her on this **** straight away. From what I've read about, it should only be used as a last resort.

"Due to the pronounced side effects and suspicions that venlafaxine (aka: effexor) may significantly increase the risk of suicide, it is not recommended as a first line treatment of depression."

2. She decided to stop on her own, or at least the intention is there. I only told her I wanted her off birth control at first, but after she said she intended to stop both, and I read up on her particular med, I told her I wanted her off those as well.

3. She already tried stopping before.

 

[I.A.F.Y.B.]

Marijuana can help some of her problems but, can actually make them worse. Example; People, who are paranoid alot or have anxiety think pot will help. It can but, studies shown it can also make it worse. Depending on the person.

I'm not against smoking the green cause I do it quite abit myself.

Anyways, maybe you should give her a print out of the side effects of these pills. She may realize it and want to stop taking them.

 

[Alphamale1821]

your gf won't stop taking meds unless she has something to replace it with. My solution try herbal treatment. Just a little prelude to herbal treatment, I recently have been reading the book published by Kevin Trudeau Called the NATURAL CURES "they" don't want you to know about and let me tell you it has opened my minds to something so many Don't people know about.

It pretty much talks about how the politicians and government,(FDA) the Free Trade commission and the pharmaceutical industry are all working together to hide cheap harmless herbs for the American public so that they can make billions of dollars on prescription drugs. The reason they can do this is because the FDA has the power to say that "only" a drug can cure, treat, or prevent a disease. That is simply a lie and it's their way of making money and since only a drug can cure things that is how they have insured them selves indefinite amounts of profits.

But let me tell you my friend thier is power is Herbal treatment and the great thing about this is thier aren't any side effects unlike prescription drugs. Also isn't it ironic that you take a "prescrption drug" to treat one problem but then that drug creats 6 several other problems.

Decreased sex drive, weight gain, ED, lack of orgasm and leg spasm. If your GF stays on these meds some of these side effects can worsen thus resulting in the need to go to the doctor and get prescribed more drugs. This is the evil of our government and it is why i have stopped taking prescription drugs and have been looking into herbal treatment.

So if you want to get your girlfriend some safe harmless herbal treatment type "herbs for depression" or antidepressant herbs in google or some search engine. Another term for the use of certain herbs to treat condition is called Aromatherapy. I have a herbal book in hand and some herbs you can use are Daimiana ginseng and mugwort.

Now just so you know more then likely you won't find these in a regular drug store(for reason stated earlie)r so i suggest, you do a search on the internet or your phone book, For either a "whole food store" or a store called "sprouts" they are both Organic natural stores and they will definitely have these herbs in stock.

You can simply buy the whole leaves of these herbs or buy the oils and prepare a cup of boiling water and infuse the leafs or a few drops of oil in the water and create a herbal tea that shecan take 2-3 times a day. I kid you not when i tell you the power of herbal treatment.

In closing the Government doesn't care about the consumer or those who are sick(just look at the salmonalia outbreak in the mainstream media). The absolute only thing they care about is how often you visit the doctor for a initial condition you have in which they prescribe you a drug that will never cure your aliment. Only provide crappy short time relief but at the same time create a mountain of other side effects that they clearly know about. If you tired of being a brainwashed American and you care about your girlfriends current and future health please take heed to my advice.

Your girlfriend will NEVER get better if she keeps taking prescription drug, maybe taking another prescription drug won't have side effects of decreased sex drive but sure enough the new drug will have new side effects "mark my words".We were given life by a god and i believe that their is a herbal treatment for nearly every disease out thier including cancer.

It's just simply a matter of finding those answer. GOD made weed and Man made beer, GOD made natural herbs with no side effects and MAN made DRUGS with severe side effects that they know about(to grantee more doc visits, drugs=profits) who do you trust?.....

Also good dieting can help her too that means good fats like Omega 3( you can get this in soy milk, tuna, and Flax oil) a good degree of carbs for energy and protein to keep a balance. I've been focusing on become a avid weight lifter to build myself up so i know what i'm talking about. Also i recommend you get her a multi vitamins that has basic minerals in in like Vita, A, c iron, niancin etc. A simple multivitamin from walgreens or most grocery stores will have that for her.

 

[DJVladdy]

Try St.Johns wort, im taking it every night and omegaIII capsule in the morning - that might help her. For me i dont know, at least its a good placebo - and these things cant be bad for you.