Posted by ZeeZee on February 7, 2003, at 9:39:24
I'll try to keep this brief. It'll be 3 wks Monday that I've been on Paxil, starting with 5 and now on 10 mgs. I was very anxious about this drug as SSRI's have caused me increased anxiety/panic (my dx) in the past. The fact that I've been on it this long is "a record". I've also developed pharmacophobia and just the thought of having something in my system that I just can't "get out" at will, makes me highly anxious. However, the transition so far has been fairly smooth. I've taken .5mgs of Xanax at bedtime (per pdoc) and once relaxed taken the Paxil and gone to sleep. I noticed some increased physical symptoms of anxiety when first starting and then when increased the dose, but nothing major or intolerable. I'm not yet at a therapeutic dose and am not sure how many mgs will be needed to reach that.
Last night, after 3 days on the 10mgs. I was completely comfortable, falling asleep on the couch and considering not taking any xanax at all.
But went ahead and then readied for bed. When I got to bed I noticed my legs didn't feel comfortable, like they're not relaxed or being supported by the bed. I've felt this for the last few days. Well, this kicked off a major spiral of "what iffing" about this leg thing and the whole fear thing of "I can't just stop this paxil, because of withdrawal and I'm trapped and I'll stay anxious like this for months at end and will end up going crazy, and since I swallowed the xanax instead of taking it sub-ling I now have to wait 45 minutes or more for it to work and I'm really going to spiral into big panic and bla, bla, bla..... " I had a few rushes of a hot icy feeling, kind of a blunted panic and talked to myself as best I could and eventually fell asleep.I know this fear and anxiety wasn't caused by the Paxil, because 10 minutes before I was fine, and was even thinking about increasing my dose again by 5 mgs! I'm an expert at self torture! It's this thinking that has me on it in the first place and if I could control it, wouldn't be here writing this.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I need some encouragement - I'm obviously sabotaging myself before the med has had a chance to work.
I'd like to hear from those of you who've been successful with Paxil for your anxiety and panic rather than those who haven't. Did it eventually quell all the "what if" thinking? or did you continue to have the "what if" thinking but it just didn't trigger panic? I need something that will get rid of BOTH! and what if I NEED to stop it! Am I trapped on this drug?Thanks and sorry for not being brief as intended.
poster:ZeeZee
thread:139957
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030204/msgs/139957.html