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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SassyMom33 on May 23, 2002, at 0:48:27
Hi, I was recently diagnosed as suffering from PTSD by, first, a psycologist and then by my family doctor. This comes from being involved in a wreck caused by a drunk driver.
I am 25 years old. A single mom. This wreck took place a year ago. Today, I was put on Paxil CR, 12.5mg/day.
Is anyone else here on Paxil CR? Can you tell me how it has helped, or hindered you? Any personal side effects you have experienced, seen, or heard of. This is my last resort, and I am somewhat aprehensive because I know it is a huge and serious step. This comes after failed attempts with herbal alternative mood enhancers. I am just scared, and nervous. There is this stigma of people on medications like these...
Any encouragement and/or information would be much appreciated.
Posted by IsoM on May 23, 2002, at 2:10:46
In reply to New Here, posted by SassyMom33 on May 23, 2002, at 0:48:27
Sass, I have taken Paxil in the past & it has been wonderfully effective, brightening my mood & helping to quell anxiety. In fact, I would say it was one of the best ADs around for me.
I didn't have much problems with side-effects but I'm one of the few people who rarely suffer side-effects from meds. Paxil only served to increase my yawning & made me feel warmer, sometimes too warm & sweaty in sunmmer weather. The few meds that do affect me adversely were severe enough to discontinue & when one was effective, any side-effects were easily tolerated.
I no longer take Paxil due to one problem with it that I'd like to bring to your attention. The half-lives of drugs vary. (If you're not certain what a half-life is, ask further but I'll give you a quick definition of one.)
The half-life of a medication is the time it takes for that med to be metabolised (or broken down into chemicals that can be flushed from the body in urine & feces). So if a med has a half-life of 10 hours, after 10 hours have gone by, you'll have half the original amount still in your system. After another 10 hours half of that amount will be left (or 1/4 the original amount). Another 10 hours & half that amount (or 1/8 the original), etc.
If a medication has a long half-life, it doesn't need to be taken as often. A short half-life of a couple of hours would mean taking your dose maybe three times a day.
Of the SSRIs (like Paxil), those with short half-lives can cause problems if you're late for your daily dose. If you take it every morning & then forget & take it late in the day instead, you can start to feel 'sick' from being late or even missing one day's dose.
SSRIs with long half-lives don't cause you to feel awful if you're late with your dose or forget a day.
Paxil has a short half-life. If I was late or forgot till near the end of the day, I'd always know as I'd start feeling quite ill. The SSRI I take now has a long half-life & I no longer have that problem.
SSRIs with short half-lives are also difficult to discontinue due to this sick feeling from stopping them. Tapering off your dose makes it better, but it still can be very hard & one can feel horrible.
Just a precaution. I'm not trying to scare you. There are many people who experience none of this & have no difficulty stopping whatsoever. There should be no stigma taking meds when needed. There's no stigma attached to someone with a broken leg that needs a cast & crutches. The same should be true of needed meds.
Posted by SassyMom33 on May 23, 2002, at 12:48:14
In reply to Info on Paxil (rather long) » SassyMom33, posted by IsoM on May 23, 2002, at 2:10:46
Thank-you so much for the info. The whole 'half life' thing really confuses me. Because I have the controlled release version of Paxil. I thought that was the whole reason for controlled release---so you get the right dose throughout the day. And, the chances of missing a dose are highly unlikely as I take a daily dose of vitamins & give my son his every morning. So, it is just another to ad to my list. :) Luckily I live somewhere that it doesn't ever get all that warm. So, maybe it will be a luxury those winter months. HA!HA!
But, it is still hard. Then I read threads and posts by others here, and feel so silly. And, honestly very lucky. Am I just being a baby? I took my first dose this morning. My MD said it would be a couple of weeks before I noticed a significant change. Is this true? What time frame was it before you noticed things getting 'better?'
People do look at others on meds for stuff as not as competant. I have seen it. There is a lawsuit pending from this wreck, and people see me in public as holding myself together, but when I get home I fall apart. Sometimes the not whole me will surface at work (as I am in a management role) So, I am hoping that this Paxil CR(even at a seemingly low dose)will just help me to even out. Does that make sense?
Okay...more questions...will I need to be on this forever??? I might get the answers soon, but my doctor wanted me to try this dose, and type for a month. And, then come back to see how it is going. I guess then he will tell me what he thinks. But, I am hoping once this horrible situation is behind me I will be able to have my old life back. Is that possible? Or will Paxil become a part of me?
Thanks for reading...Sassy
Posted by JonW on May 23, 2002, at 13:54:18
In reply to Re: Info on Paxil (rather long), posted by SassyMom33 on May 23, 2002, at 12:48:14
> People do look at others on meds for stuff as not as competant. I have seen it. There is a lawsuit pending from this wreck, and people see me in public as holding myself together, but when I get home I fall apart. Sometimes the not whole me will surface at work (as I am in a management role) So, I am hoping that this Paxil CR(even at a seemingly low dose)will just help me to even out. Does that make sense?
Hi Sassy,
Welcome to the neighborhood! It's true, there still is a stigma with mental illness, but the more educated you become about mental health the less it bothers you because you realize how stupid it is! I'll give you two analogies to think about. If someone fell down a flight of stairs and broke a leg, would you look down on this person for breaking their leg and consider them less competent for using crutches during the healing process? And the second example would be someone with lupus, would you blame this person for having lupus?! I hope not.
How long will you have to take this drug for? No one can say for sure. Paxil may just be your "crutch" until everything heals as it should. Or your mental illness could be more biological, and in that case you may need to be on medication long-term. But just as there is no shame in having lupus, there is no shame in having a mental illness!
All of these things that are bothering you now may not be such a big deal once the Paxil kicks in. Who knows, it might surprise you and make life better than ever before. It's a great drug, and many people have had success with it.
Good Luck,
Jon
Posted by IsoM on May 23, 2002, at 22:58:56
In reply to Re: Info on Paxil (rather long), posted by SassyMom33 on May 23, 2002, at 12:48:14
Jon's reply was sensible & accurate. It's not possible to guess whether you'll need to be on it long-term, or for just a short while. As long as you feel better from it, that's what matters. If your problems developed after the accident, it's quite likely that as you adjust to the situation & the medication, you won't need it in a year from now.
With most SSRIs (like Paxil), it'll take from 2-3 weeks before you notice an improvement. Full benefits are generally reached in 2-3 months time. I'm not familiar with Paxil - controlled release. It does sound like it may solve the problem with its short half-life. Post back later to let us know how things are going &, of course, if you have any other questions. Good luck!
This is the end of the thread.
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