Posted by utopizen on September 17, 2003, at 22:10:56
In reply to HEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPP!, posted by tornado on September 17, 2003, at 21:27:30
> I have taken Paxil for 8 yrs. I tried weening off slowly. I got dizzy, and it didn't go away. I went back on, and I am still dizzy. The doctor thinks it "discontinuation syndrome". However, I read that when you go back to your original dose the dizziness and nauseau go away. What's happening? I feel like CRAP. Help.
>Your brain's confused. Not much is understood about Paxil withdrawl, just like not much was understood about benzo withdrawl (took many years before it even became recgonized as an area to study, really).
In fact, just in the last couple of years, new findings have come out about benzo withdrawl (how to properly withdraw). Dose titiration is just one possibility. Adding various meds also helps in benzo withdrawl (including phenobarbital, which has been used for some time).
My psychologist last year showed me a massive book that was recently published by a colleague of hers that's a psychopharmacologist at Mass Gen. Hosp. It was entirely devoted to ways to help lessen the symptoms of benzo withdrawl. (Today, Klonopin is the preferred, and fastest-selling benzo, because docs have realized that only a relatively small proportion of the population ever has withdrawl of any kind from it. Xanax is helpful to people with panic who haven't responded well to Klonopin or Tranxene).
Basically, the long and short of my point is: docs don't know much more than that withdrawl exists in some patients. We are lay people, and we typically know less about these things than docs (at least those who have thought about it a lot and reviewed the lastest work).
Ask your doc if there's any meds you can try out that may ease your symptoms. Is it really only dizziness, or is it more than that? Vertigo? Nausea? There's drugs for nausea, dizziness, I don't know about, but I hope they are, it's a common side effect with many drugs.
poster:utopizen
thread:261175
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030917/msgs/261196.html