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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by calaway on September 13, 2002, at 0:36:29
I stopped at the pharmacy to get my new prescription of effexor. The pharmacist asked how I was feeling. I mentioned all the numerous side effects I was experiencing, sweats, heart pounding, nausea, nightmares, ups and downs, ect. She asked if I was weaning of my paxil. I said no I just stopped on an started the other the next day. She said no wonder I was feeling so awful. Between starting the effexor and it's side effect, I was going through major withdrawl of the paxil. She told me to reduce my paxil by half (15mg) and take it every other day for 2 weeks and continue to reduce it until I was able to handle the final withdrawl easily. Well I ran home as fast as I could and took the paxil and now two hours later, I have not only come back to earth, but I'm also not so aggitated that my husband can actually sleep tonight with both eyes close with no fear of me attacking him in a paranoid state. The past 3 days have been a real experiance that I hope no one else has to go through. I just wish my doctor had also thought of the withdrawl effects and suggested the same procedure. I'll speak to her next week.
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 13, 2002, at 5:36:33
In reply to new to effexor follow-up / thank you pharmacist, posted by calaway on September 13, 2002, at 0:36:29
PAXIL is a (in my opinion) stupid British drug that causes nothing but trouble and is the worst thing in the world to wean off.
The only thing to be said in its favour is that it does seem to work in some drug resistant cases, so it has its uses. Otherwise don't touch it, is my advice.
Posted by utopizen on September 13, 2002, at 7:05:59
In reply to Stupid British drug, posted by Arthur Gibson on September 13, 2002, at 5:36:33
What kind of pharmacists do you go to? More important, what decade are you in when you go these pharmacists? (j/k) : )
Good ol' CVS, "do you have any questions, that'll be $5.00 co-pay, please slide your card"
That's all I've ever heard out of my pharmacists.
: )
Posted by oracle on September 13, 2002, at 11:17:34
In reply to Re: Stupid British drug, posted by utopizen on September 13, 2002, at 7:05:59
> What kind of pharmacists do you go to? More important, what decade are you in when you go these pharmacists? (j/k) : )
> That's all I've ever heard out of my pharmacists.
> : )You are a consumer, so find a better place to consume ! I knew I found the right place when the
pharmacists knew my name and what I took after 1 refill.
Posted by utopizen on September 13, 2002, at 14:26:27
In reply to Re: Stupid British drug, posted by oracle on September 13, 2002, at 11:17:34
Yeah, but how else are you suppose to feel like a junkie without the pharmacist authoratively emphasizing the fact that "It's a CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE!" when you ask why you can't get 10 .5 mg of Klonopin with a new script after getting 15 . 5 mg of it 25 days ago?
Besides, the mom-and-pop place that's next door had a sign on it a few months ago that it forwarded all med files to CVS... thanks to consumers like me, I guess.
Posted by Babak on September 13, 2002, at 14:35:12
In reply to new to effexor follow-up / thank you pharmacist, posted by calaway on September 13, 2002, at 0:36:29
> I stopped at the pharmacy to get my new prescription of effexor. The pharmacist asked how I was feeling. I mentioned all the numerous side effects I was experiencing, sweats, heart pounding, nausea, nightmares, ups and downs, ect. She asked if I was weaning of my paxil. I said no I just stopped on an started the other the next day. She said no wonder I was feeling so awful. Between starting the effexor and it's side effect, I was going through major withdrawl of the paxil. She told me to reduce my paxil by half (15mg) and take it every other day for 2 weeks and continue to reduce it until I was able to handle the final withdrawl easily. Well I ran home as fast as I could and took the paxil and now two hours later, I have not only come back to earth, but I'm also not so aggitated that my husband can actually sleep tonight with both eyes close with no fear of me attacking him in a paranoid state. The past 3 days have been a real experiance that I hope no one else has to go through. I just wish my doctor had also thought of the withdrawl effects and suggested the same procedure. I'll speak to her next week.
I don't know how to tell you this, but what you have had to put up with in coming off Paxil is nothing to what you are going to go through if and when you decided to come of Effexor.
I have been on the damn thing for six years and must have tried to come off at least ten times and every time I didn't last for more than 36 hours, no matter how gradually I tried to taper off.
Apart from anxiety, nausea, headaches you might also have what has become famous as brain zapping. It is like an electric shock across your brain. But even that is not the worst of it for me. The worst symptom and the one that every time has forced me to go back is the unbearable over sensitivity and irritability I develop. My eyes become blood shot from the light even though I never take off my sunglasses. The sound of next-door’s neighbours washing machine, which otherwise I hardly notice drives me mad and there is no way I can stand the smallest misunderstanding or disagreement from other people.
The good news is that it all goes away within twenty minutes of taking 37.5 Effexor again.
Good luck
"Check out Effexor withdrawal on the web"
Posted by calaway on September 13, 2002, at 17:33:27
In reply to Re: new to effexor follow-up / thank you pharmacist, posted by Babak on September 13, 2002, at 14:35:12
Thank you Baback, I guess me and my doc will need a serious talk next week. My only concern is that I know I need sone sort of med to help me keep going. I've been off meds a couple of times before even for over a year, however my body just no longer produces the "chemical" that I need to stay "normal". I'm okay with that, and I would have stayed on the Paxil if I wasn't continuing to gain weight. hopefully I am ok on the effexor and will just continue on it.
This is the end of the thread.
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