What happened???? I took one pill at 37.5 mg and I woke up in the middle of the night and my pupils were DILATED. I also felt very strange, like I was high on mushrooms, though without hallucinations or euphoria. It might all be in my head right??? Am I just making up the feelings? I remember the 'trip' vividly and sometimes I feel that way still, like Im still a little high. So whats going on??? My pupils are still dilating though not as bad, I don't think.....

I thought I had anxiety?!?!?:confused:

Needless to say I won't take that drug again. It seems like I had some adverse reaction to the serotonin, after all effexor is a serotonergic. But only one pill? Is that even possible? I went to emergency and the doc thought I was fine, and both my Dad and my Dad's friends wife said it couldn't possibly be the drug. Well whatever. I did some research and dilated pupils ARE an uncommon side effect. I know what I felt and I didn't feel it before the drug.

How long does effexor take to leave your body? Is there a chance this could do permanent damage? Will the effects subside after the drug clears out?

I was on effexor once and it was awful...I had one trippy experience only but the rest of the time I felt hyper and angry and had awful dreams.

What was your trippy experience like?

I doubt any permanent damage would occur.

All of the SSRI,s and SNRI type antidepressant do dialate your pupils in the first 2-3 week initial stage of starting them. Its very common, especially when first starting the antidepressant, but wants the side effects go away, the dialated pupils will calm down as well. A similar thing happened to me with Paxil as it did to you with Effexor. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling strange and my pupils just hugily dialated.

I don't think you had a bad reaction to the drug unless you started to panic and hyperventilate. The problem with the stronger SSRI's and SNRI's are the INITIAL side effects can be quite overwhelming for some people, even including me. This is why I am wondering if I should give Effexor a shot or not.

With Paxil, the same similar thing happened with me, but after about 1-2 weeks these side effects leveled off and then the drug began to take effect very gradually.

It's quite common for SSRI and SNRI antidepressant type drugs to make you feel worse at first before yourself feeling better. See if your doc can you give a benzo to go a long with the antidepressant at first for the initial side effects. Then after that, wean off the benzo and stay on the AD and see if that works.

Good luck.

I'm just not sure about this at all. I don't want to feel like Im stoned. I want to feel like myself!

I'm not sure if that is even the problem. Im sure its just anxiety, but I really do have difficulty controlling my thoughts and feelings. Until I know for sure what it is, I think I will try not to upset my seemingly delicate brain chemistry.

I felt like I was stoned...and I don't want to feel that way ever again.

I would rather be anxious than feel that way, I think.

I totally agree about the dialted pupils....I tried Effexor a long time ago, and let me just say, it was one of the worst drugs I ever took. I too felt like I was floating and feeling even worse. but after explaining this to my doctors he said it wasn't for me. You think???? many might say this is a wonder drug for them, but we are not all the same, and I wouldn't take it for anything in this world. let us know what they switch it with and good luck, it's all trial and error.

I have taken effexor before and I have honestly had the least amount of problems with this one. I have taken celexa also and it made me put on a ton of weight, with effexor i had no side effects at all, it actually worked well for me. I guess everyone is different, you should contact your doctor.

I also had a very bad experience with Effexor. Several hours after taking it I felt like I was going to die. Palpitations, shivers, sweats, shaking.... I didn't take it again, it was the worst I have ever felt in my life.

I'd ask your doctor to prescribe something else for you, I ended up taking Citalopram, which also had some nasty side effects to start with, but I got through it with the help of a little valium.

Good luck!