![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Annie Freeman on February 14, 2000, at 11:04:07
I have had life-long problems with depression and panic-anxiety disorders. I've been the full range of seritonin family of drugs. Paxil saved my life five years ago and I have been on it every since. The dosage has ranged from 20 to 60 mg., depending on what I needed to control the anxiety. I find I get migraine headaches at higher dosages, so I stay there any longer than necessary. I have finally felt so well, I have tapered off over the past four months until I got down to 10 mg. per day. I finally quit altogether about five days ago. I've been off of it before, and I expected the flu-like symtoms and the dizziness. This time, however, it is so bad I cannot even look at my computer screen change without feeling like I will pass out. I have tingling in my hands and sort of a generalized anxiety. This anxiety is different than what I was being treated for. It's not really frightening, I just feel really jittery and like my skin is crawling. The worst part, though, has been the last three nights. I have terrible nightmares and yell out in my sleep. I have never experienced this before. How long will it last? Am I just losing it or is this a result of being on it for five years without a break? I felt really good on 10 mg and now I feel like I'm falling apart. Can just 10 mg. per day make that much difference? I'd would talk to my physician, but unless the drug company prints the side effects in the brochure, they don't seem to believe the exist.
Posted by Bob (stepping onto his anti-Paxil soapbox...) on February 16, 2000, at 18:14:07
In reply to Paxil Withdrawal, posted by Annie Freeman on February 14, 2000, at 11:04:07
Hi Annie,
I went on and off Paxil before I found Psycho-Babble, but all the other news I could find on the net about it were horror stories about Paxil withdrawal (then again, I guess we never hear much from the success stories -- other than right here, where things are usually pretty balanced. Now, my turn to tip the balance...).
It may have been Noa who tagged me with the Henny-Penny syndrome -- I'd have panic attacks at any given moment, including a rather severe one walking down Central Park South feeling like the sky was going to come crashing down on my head, bringing all those fancy skyscraper hotels with it. It was absolutely unbearable.
What worked for me was wellbutrin. Maybe its why the stuff (labelled as Zyban and sold at four times the price) is good for ending cigarette addiction. I'd wake in the morning and if I forgot to take my wellbutrin (the paxil-wellbutrin combo made me a bit spacey), I'd be curling up in a ball by 10AM. In fact, that's how I knew I was finally over the withdrawal ... I forgot my morning meds and after several anxious hours (I hadn't yet thought about carrying an "emergency supply" of meds in my briefcase ... DOH!), lunch came and went without any panic. That was about one month into taking the wellbutrin.
My two cents. That's the second best thing any psychotropic I've taken has ever done for me -- getting me through Paxil withdrawal. I wish I had more good words about wellbutrin (don't get me started ... well, not here on Annie's thread ;^)
bob
Posted by Vesper on February 17, 2000, at 0:38:08
In reply to Re: Paxil Withdrawal, posted by Bob (stepping onto his anti-Paxil soapbox...) on February 16, 2000, at 18:14:07
> Hi Annie,
>
> I went on and off Paxil before I found Psycho-Babble, but all the other news I could find on the net about it were horror stories about Paxil withdrawal (then again, I guess we never hear much from the success stories -- other than right here, where things are usually pretty balanced. Now, my turn to tip the balance...).
>
> It may have been Noa who tagged me with the Henny-Penny syndrome -- I'd have panic attacks at any given moment, including a rather severe one walking down Central Park South feeling like the sky was going to come crashing down on my head, bringing all those fancy skyscraper hotels with it. It was absolutely unbearable.
>
> What worked for me was wellbutrin. Maybe its why the stuff (labelled as Zyban and sold at four times the price) is good for ending cigarette addiction. I'd wake in the morning and if I forgot to take my wellbutrin (the paxil-wellbutrin combo made me a bit spacey), I'd be curling up in a ball by 10AM. In fact, that's how I knew I was finally over the withdrawal ... I forgot my morning meds and after several anxious hours (I hadn't yet thought about carrying an "emergency supply" of meds in my briefcase ... DOH!), lunch came and went without any panic. That was about one month into taking the wellbutrin.
>
> My two cents. That's the second best thing any psychotropic I've taken has ever done for me -- getting me through Paxil withdrawal. I wish I had more good words about wellbutrin (don't get me started ... well, not here on Annie's thread ;^)
>
> bobWhen I was in hospital after going off paxil, they refused to help me with the horrible withdrawal symptoms, after looking in a book and telling me there is no withdrawal syndrome for paxil. Mental health professionals tend to discount anything you say as part of your illness. I have seen this happen a lot. It was excruciating and they basically told me I was making it up. Someone I know almost died in the hospital because they thought he was making up things, until he had to be rushed to the er after coding.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.