Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

new gambling caused from effexor?

I have been taking effexor 37.5 for 6 weeks now,and besides the funny feeling i had the first week I'm feeling much better. My anxiety and stress have subsided and i feel calm. I am very concerned with my recent gambling habits and asked my doctor if it was a side effect of the medication. She told me i am just making poor decisions and it is not due to the meds. I took her word for it and said to myself that it is a decision and decided i would no longer gamble. But I'm scared because i keep doing it. My entire paycheck and now using my line of credit! This has been going on for 3 Weeks. In the past i would view a visit to the casino as pure entertainment and might go once or twice a year. I never spent more than 50 or 60 at a time. But recently i have been leaving work on my lunch break and blowing through 400 or more a day. This has to stop! I've never had a problem with gambling before. I know i can't afford this and it's going to ruin me, my rational mind says stop, but it keeps happening and i can't get a handle on it.
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
This is all nonsense!!! If you're taking this horrible med, STOP NOW!!!There are other anti-depressants out there. Tell your dr. you are in charge of  your health care decisions. I've been down this road with this ruinous drug all the way to bankruptcy! Slots. watching those wheels turn with utter and complete fascination, never asking myself why I suddenly developed this intense compulsion. I have a BS in Psychology. I've worked in mental health for 15
yrs. Addicts, Criminals, Predators, Damaged for life children. ADDICTIONS ARE NOT MORAL FODDER FOR DISCUSSION AND CENSURE BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE. I'm not certain what nursing girls background is. I will assume she has no connections with BIG PHARMA. By the way, I'm blessed to be married to a psychchiatric nurse
still lworking in the field after 51 yrs. BOTTOM LINE: if you develop a compulsive gambling disorder after taking EFFEXOR, then STOP IMMEDIATELY. I take Lexapro. There's a casino 20 miles up the road. I
don't go there because I' m neither COMPELLED  nor interested. BY the way, I have never had counseling or therapy for gambling. The compulsion was gone when the Effexor was gone. End of story!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I agree with nursegirl.  The Effexor may have made you feel better so that now gambling is appealing to you, but Effexor is not the total reason for it. There are no side effects listed for Effexor which include mania or anything like that.  But withdrawal symptoms to Effexor do include hypomania, emotional lability, anxiety, confusion, etc.  But that's only if you go off of it too quickly. Several of my friends and I have gone off of Effexor with no problems, but we went off very gradually.  Most of the people having severe problems from going off of Effexor are e.g. stopping Effexor cold turkey after being on 75 mg.  Or decreasing it 25 mg every few days.

So consult your doctor first before going off of it. You may need an entirely different medication.  

Nursegirl brings up some very good points about the gambling itself.   And I hope that you will take nativeco's advice to take the $400 and get help.  Gambling is a problem for many people, on medications or not. So don't let your life get ruined.  Get help.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
   Check out the discussion on how terrible the withdrawal symptoms are for Effexor. That may sway you to try something else anyway-there are other options. Personally I'd avoid Effexor after withdrawal myself. Some doctors (even psychiatrists) are not that knowledgable about these very powerful drugs.
    Also-it COULD be the Effexor for these reasons: as 'nursegirl' said: mania can make a person feel great and do things like you are experiencing; everyone responds differently. Antidepressants should not always be used in cases of people who may have some form of bipolar disorder. (See article: at PsychEducation.org and "Stopping Antidepressants in Bipolar Disorder.") A person with depression/anxiety/etc. can be MISDIAGNOSED with UNIpolar depression. Many people are not diagnosed properly for 10 years! There are terms now being used called 'Bipolar Spectrum' and 'Soft Bipolar.' New studies suggest there is a range of severity within the Bipolar diagnosis. A person could be 'just a little' bipolar and not know it until an experience like yours. Also-a person can be genetically predisposed to bipolar but not have signs of it until under stress etc. Some people become bipolar before age 25; some not until much later in life. Bipolar is a very complicated disease that looks WAY different in different people. Go to the National Institute of Mental Health website and read about 'Bipolar Disorder.' It really takes a doctor who is almost a specialist in bipolar to be REALLY good at diagnosing and treating it because there are so many forms. Your doctor may not be, no disrespect intended.
     I was diagnosed with major depression and also have Attention Deficit Disorder. I use ritalin when I need to focus and complete difficult jobs for me-like doing paperwork. UGH! I took ritalin (a stimulant for ADD) daily for awhile and DID go manic. I did all kinds of things I wouldn't normally do including spending large amounts of money on impulse. Having an affair! Etc. You could get another doctors opinion (ask around or check reviews of psychiatrist out on websites where they are rated in your city; or just ask to go off now and try something different or no antidepressant at all.
     Your problem is too great to mess around with "MAYBE." I'd try whatever, no matter if the doctor says. Drugs, alcohol and prescription drugs obviously affect our brain chemistry or there would be no purpose to them.  Antidepressants affect different people in different ways. Some people become MORE SUICIDAL on a certain antidepressant and they need to stop (with Dr.) that drug ASAP. ANY drug can alter our thinking process. Maybe you are inclined to gambling anyway and this is just pushing you more into that choice. That isn't taking your responsibility away from you. It's just saying "How much of it is my addiction and how much of this new additional urge could be contributed to the wrong drug for me?" Read that article!
    You may not believe this. Our counselor even said this was a 'miracle' of sorts. My ex-boyfriend was bi-polar. When I first met him, he was into shoplifting and lying about it which I didn't know. Yes-gambling when he got a chance to and had a meth and alcohol addiction in the past. His shoplifting was the most worrisome thing to him, but he went to doctors at my urging to stabilize his moods. He was put on (and this would be different for everyone) the antidepressant Cymbalta because he also had diabetic pain and it helps depression and pain and anxiety. (He is also OCD) Neurontin for a mood stabilizer, and Klonopin at night for sleep and it helps with anxiety/PTSD. We went through 2 years of other medication changes and he is still not free of depression. He is ok with mania unless he starts drinking, doing cocaine, excess stimulants and so forth. (I LEFT HIM REMEMBER) BUT the amazing thing is that with the first 3 drugs he lost his urge to steal. On occasion he made the DECISION to steal something and regretted it later because he did have a conscious. But he did not have the URGE or even desire to shoplift anymore. He had also had a severe brain injury as a teen. So who knows what part of his brain contributed to that particular urge-although up until then he'd done it most of his life. But, with the right medications for him, it was like that part was 'de-activated.' He STILL had to avoid the temptation by avoiding places and things he used to be inclined towards. He had to stay accountable to me or someone. But he COULD control it.  He didn't have the urge enough to go to a 12-step group, but he did for alcohol and drugs. That can be a good form of accountability. As well as therapy!
    Best wishes. I hope this encourages you to take no chances!! As you know already-it can ruin your life in ways that may never recover. You are worth it. Take that $400 and find another doctor and go to therapy!
Helpful - 0
480448 tn?1426948538
Well, sure the medication could be making you FEEL more impulsive, but you're still in control of your decisions and compulsions.  Have you ever been diagnosed with manic-depression, or Bi-polar disorder?  If not, it sounds as though perhaps the Effexor may be making you a little manic.  Do you feel very "up"?  

The sad thing here is that the medication IS working to decrease the initial symptoms you started taking it for.  Even if the Effexor IS contributing to this impulsive behavior, I don't think the answer is to stop taking it.  You still have to address the behabior anyway at this point.

You need to address the gambling, like yesterday.  Gambling is an addiction like any other, and must be handled as such. It's usually progressive in nature, with people starting out slowly, gradually going more and more...you've blown right through all those steps to a full blown addiction.  You're making decisions that are affecting you negatively.  Since you don't seem to be able to control yourself in that regard, I would recommend seeking help for it.  This is a good place to start:

http://www.ncpgambling.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

The sooner you do this, the better.  A gambling addiction can ruin lives, and FAST.  Look at how much you've already spent, and the debt you're racking up.  You are blowing through this gambling problem, and getting worse in lightning speed.  That's NOT good.  

If you're married, or there is a close family member you can confide in...UNTIL you get  handle on this, you need to give up your access to money...credit cards, everything.  It's the only way to minimize the damage at this point.

Have you EVER had any issues/problems with ANY kind of addiction in the past?  Drugs?  Alcohol?

Seriously...just like with any addiction, you're looking for somewhere to point your finger...you've decided that the Effexor is where you're going to point it.  BOTTOM line, though, even if it IS affecting your impulsivity, these are still YOUR decisions, and you MUST be accuontable for your choices.

I can tell you factually, that you will never "get rich" or hit it big at a casino.  NEVER.  The % of people that actually win BIG enough that their life changes is so tiny, it's not even "countable".  You are just throwing your money away.

I hope you get some help, and soon.  Don't mess with this for another minute, this has become a dire situation for you.  Best of luck, please update us!
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Depression Community

Top Mood Disorders Answerers
Avatar universal
Arlington, VA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
15 signs that it’s more than just the blues
Discover the common symptoms of and treatment options for depression.
We've got five strategies to foster happiness in your everyday life.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.