Still off opium, back on effexor...wondering if this is a bad move

[jstb0b]

Quick bit of background. I was on effexor for 3 years and on opium by means of poppy tea (thebaine, morphine, codeine, etc.) for a little over a year. A month and half ago I took Ibogaine. Before taking it, I had to wean myself off of my antidepressant to prevent possible complications.

Does anyone know of the efficacy of ibogaine in eliminating snri withdrawals? After my huge journey, I was no longer in narcotic withdrawals. HOWEVER, I still felt like crap...continuously. I've been wondering that maybe I didn't wait long enough after discontinuing the effexor before I took the ibogaine.

Or...and this is probably a symptom driven assumption...perhaps, that damn effexor has permanently altered my brain's ability to normally release serotonin and norepinephrine. So in response to the lack of venlafaxine, maybe my brain is trying to compensate and the results are my rls, agitation, depression, anxiety, etc. To put it simply, my emotions have been crazy.

That is until today. I took about 20-30mg of effexor xr about two hours ago and I feel fantastic.

Like I said, it's been about a month and a half and the symptoms ALMOST drove me back to dosing opium. Is venlafaxine really the lesser of the two evils? It's hard to say, but at least I feel stable for a change.

Wyeth's web...I'm forever entangled.

 

[bpayne]

if I'm not mistaken I believe Effexor has nearly identical snri properties as tramadol of course without the opiod effect though

 

[jstb0b]

I mean to say, if ibogaine can cease withdrawals from the likes of methadone, cocaine, benzos, alcohol, amphetamines, nicotine, etc. why would it fail when it comes to venlafaxine?

Maybe it concerns the drugs mechanism of action...it doesn't differ that greatly does it? At least not enough to single snri's out?

EDIT: I just found this bit of information which seems to explain it:
Ibogaine's actions are reported to reduce dopamine concentrations in the body. This is proven by the presence of dopamine metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in increased amounts after ibogaine administration. This action of ibogaine is what is thought to reverse the affects of certain abusive and highly addictive drugs and highly addictive drugs, namely/specifically: cocaine, morphine, amphetamines and nicotine. All of these drugs act upon dopaminergic systems and they will stimulate dopamine production in the body. Ibogaine is thought to reverse this process by antagonizing dopaminergic systems. Ibogaine is also thought to reduce addiction because it can inhibit naloxone which will precipitate the blockade of NMDA channels. Ibogaine can readily affect serotonergic transmission in the brain, as this has been observed in clinical studies. But once again the mechanisms of action on the many serotonergic receptors are complex and not completely understood. We can see that the actions in the body are not completely understood.


sooo...maybe activity at the norepinephrine sites was not altered. It would make sense...ibogaine can't fix everything (though it does come closer than anything i know of at present).

Interesting stuff...










* I would have put this in the big and dandy ibogaine thread, but I haven't had any luck getting replies there