Welcome Mrs. B!!!

[MrsB]

Hello-
I have been on Paxil for about 12 years now for depression. I have wanted to get off of it for many years, but just didn't want to deal with the withdrawal. I would feel so strange after missing just one day of medication. So, now I am pregnant, somewhere around 2-3 months. It was not planned but is such a blessing!!! I had wanted to quit smoking cigarettes and get off Paxil before I ever got pregnant. So, I have quit smoking- that was a piece of cake compared to quitting Paxil. I am very freaked out about the new FDA reports and classification of Paxil as a D (which I think means it has been proven to cause birth defects). I decided that I would wean myself off of it ASAP! I do not want my child to have heart problems or withdrawal symptoms because of a stupid pill that I have been afraid to get off of. So, I have been on 20mg for a few years now, and decided on my own that I should reduce it to 10mg. It was the next logical step in my mind. I am on my 3rd day of 10mg. I do not want to go back up, but after reading all these forums, I'm afraid I cut down too much. What do I do? I have my first ob-gyn appt. tomorrow so I will talk to her. I have not gone to a psychiatrist in 10+ years and have gotten my prescription through my GP, who doesn't seem to know much about antidepressants. What do I do? I'm very afraid of what this drug might be doing to my precious unborn child.

[paxilgirl]

I think there should be a seperate board for pregnant women and paxil as this is a whole new issue that needs addressing and they need support of other pregnant women who have been given the difficult choice of weaning off this stuff....

[angels]

From everything I have read on this forum for about three years or so, wean very, very slowly. That will be the safest for both you and your baby. As Laurie said, if possible, find a doctor who is knowledgeable about withdrawal. In truth, that may be hard since few are. You could find a doctor who is willing to be educated.

You didn't get to this place knowingly so please don't feel guilty. Just stay close to this forum as you wean. Wean very, very slowly. Your brain (and your baby's) WILL readjust, but the brain adjusts slowly. It's not like quitting some other drugs. The brain has adjusted to being on the drug and it takes time to shift the way the brain functions. From what I have read on this forum, it is more injurious to the brain to wean faster than the brain can re-adjust.

Slower is better. Scott has printed a list of sites to educate doctors before. Perhaps someone else can find it. One is on his signature.

[MrsB]

Originally Posted by paxilgirl

I think there should be a seperate board for pregnant women and paxil as this is a whole new issue that needs addressing and they need support of other pregnant women who have been given the difficult choice of weaning off this stuff....

I am here looking for help and support like everyone else. I thought I was in the right place. This is a major issue in the 'world of Paxil', and another major reason for it to be outlawed. If I am not in the right place then I will look somewhere else for support.

[MrsB]

Thank you 'angels' for the advice and support! My body and mind are in a whirlwind of chaotic emotions right now and I just don't know what to do. Between the pregnancy hormones, quitting smoking, and now trying to quickly wean myself off paxil- I am a wreck. I will talk to my doctor tomorrow and try to do this the best way I can. Thank you again. I knew there were kind, sympathetic people on this board.

[scotty]

No, NO you misunderstood whatpaxilgirl said. What she means is that we need a forum(thread) here to group the questions that you have in one place so that all the others with the same questions can have one specific area to look at. This IS the place for the information you're looking for.

At 3 months into your pregnancy being off paxil by delivery should be your goal. I'll be blunt here... any damage in the way of cardiac birth defects are already done. The good news is that these are not common. If you're down to 10mg stay there for at least 3 weeks. Then wean 2.5mg every 3-4 weeks after you stablize at 10mg. This will have you off paxil well before delivery, but still be manageable for you and safer for the baby.

I'll reiterate... this is a situation that pharma got you into. You had no knowledge and are doing the best you can right now for your child. We're here to help.

[feelin'_wiggy]

Welcome, MrsB, you are in the right place to get support. The subject of paxil and pregnancy hasn't come up often since I've been around, but trust me, it won't be long before members will be posting information and links for more information. If enough pregnant moms come around asking for help, maybe we will see a forum here devoted to the topic.

[Katesmom]

I sympathize with you so much. You are in a terrible position. I'm not sure what to tell you to do. A 10mg drop is pretty big, but it will be a heck of a lot easier to go "big" on your first drop or two than later. I would probably have done the exact same thing in your position. Many withdrawal symptoms will mimic those of early pregnancy, and most people will be far more sympathetic to health issues right now. I will say that if you are already 6+ weeks, it is unlikely you will be off of Paxil for any of your first trimester.

Basically, this is what I would do. Stick with the 10mg dose for now. If withdrawal becomes untenable go back up to 15 for a couple of weeks and then try 10 mg again. I would not drop any faster than 2.5mg after 10mg, and not any faster than every 2 weeks. Then, I would tell my ob that I wanted to be treated as a "high risk" pregnancy because of the fetal exposure to a Class D drug. I had major testing done on my baby every week after 32 weeks that included a sonogram (had nothing to do with Paxil exposure, I was just high risk for other reasons). You might not get that much special attention, but I would insist on extra monitoring, esp. of the development of the heart.

If it gives you any peace of mind, many women have had babies who are completely healthy while on Paxil. No, it's not a risk any mom wants to take, but don't beat yourself up about it. You will do everything you can now.

[angels]

Originally Posted by MrsB

I am here looking for help and support like everyone else. I thought I was in the right place. This is a major issue in the 'world of Paxil', and another major reason for it to be outlawed. If I am not in the right place then I will look somewhere else for support.

Hey, I think you took paxilgirl's post not the way she meant it. She (I think I can speak for her) meant that your issue is soooo important and soooo complex that it deserves to be highlighted. I see this issue discussed in tiny pockets on other boards and it rarely gets the attention and knowledge it needs. Paxilgirl is indeed one of those very supportive people on this board as you will find and if you read her back posts, you will see that she's been through the mill too.

It's very easy to misunderstand words when we are not facing the person. Don't worry; it happens all the time.

As far as "doing the best you can" , honestly doctors don't know very much about this stuff. The folks on this board are some of the best educated on this subject in the Western hemisphere. Stick around. It will all work out, but you will benefit from the support of people here.

[Charlie]

MrsB
The reduction was pretty drastic but since it's already done I would ask the doc about the fish oil and magnesium suppiements and get on them ASAP. you might get lucky.

[MrsB]

Thank you all again for your words of encouragement and support! I am freaking out for so many different reasons right now. Mostly I'm just scared- scared about any potential damage I may have already unknowingly caused my baby. My sister has had 5 miscarriages and I'm just terrified that I may have one, too, or that something will be seriously wrong with my child because of something I may have done before I knew I was pregnant.
I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions; I just felt attacked by that first response to my first post on this board. I know I'm in the right place for advice, other's experience and wisdom, and support.
Thank you all again. I know I'm new to this board and do not want to offend anyone else. Paxilgirl, I'm sorry, I just misunderstood. Cool pic of Gwen by the way, you know she's pregnant now, too.

[MrsB]

Hello,
I am in the right place. Thanks for the warm welcome! I feel like I've stumbled into a world of sympathetic souls who have been dealing with the hell of Paxil for so long like I have. I wish I had quit this poison years ago.
Better yet I wish I had never started. Oh well, I can only move forward from here right. I have my first sonogram in the morning- please send positive thoughts and prayers that everything will be alright!

[scotty]

Prayers headed your way. Keep us posted... we tend to get real possessive with our "family"!

[feelin'_wiggy]

You can count on prayers coming from down here, as well, MrsB. Please let us know how things go tomorrow.

[bon13]

Praying for you, too, Mrs. B. The people around here will be with you through this.

[Delynbetter]

Welcome to the board, Mrs.B! Do not over-worry yourself over potential damage to your baby. There are a few women on here who have been on Paxil during their entire pregnancies and have perfect children. (Katesmom comes to mind first.) Putting yourself through extra stress will not do you or your baby any good. Concentrate on staying healthy and stable during this time. Everything else can be worked through.

I also seem to remember someone who had fewer withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. There's something about all of those hormones rushing through that keeps your body and mind as healthy as they can be. The withdrawal may not be so bad for you. No matter what, these next 6 or 7 months are completely about good health and lots of rest for you, which is needed during withdrawal - pregnant or no. Don't go too fast as it could put your brain and body in too much turmoil.

Deep breath, there is nothing to be accomplished by extra worry. Do everything you would normally do during a pregnancy for the health of you and your baby. Take the weaning slow so you are able to handle all of the hormones and weaning.

You can do this successfully and there is only a small chance of damage already. Also keep in mind that if there is damage, if it is caught soon enough it is very possible that it can be corrected. You have the prayers and wishes of hundreds on this board alone. Take comfort in that and take each step as it comes. Big hugs to you and your little one!!

[rdjanis]

Welcome Mrs. B! The above post says it all. Worrying won't accomplish anything, take care of yourself!!

[MrsB]

Hallelujah! Well, I had my first prenatal doctor appointment and ultrasound today. I was not expecting it to be so amazing to see my little one on the big screen wiggling and jiggling and to see and hear its tiny heart beating so strong!!! Wow! My husband and I just stared at the screen speechless.
The tech seemed very pleased with the size and activeness of the little one.

My doctor said everything looks and seems to be great; we talked at length about the Paxil issue. She was also very concerned and wants me to get off of it ASAP. However, she's also concerned about me just quitting antidepressants totally right now, and suggested I switch- and gave me an option- Prozac or Zoloft. I've read about a lot of people taking Prozac to get off Paxil, so I went with a low dose of that. She said I should just finish out my course of Paxil and start on 10mg of Prozac. No more tapering, just switch from one to another. Is this the best thing to do? Any advice?

Anyway, I could go on and on... I just wanted to share my happy news. I'm so relieved , and it's so much more real now that I've seen Baby B!
Thank you all for listening and for your kind words and prayers.
Wish me luck as I transition to Prozac.

[feelin'_wiggy]

Mrs. B, I'm so happy that the sonogram was good. I know how excited you are. But, please, do not attempt to just quit paxil and start taking prozac. My doctor had me try that a few years ago with lexapro, and it was a disaster! I won't go into the gory details. Just suffice to know that it was a mistake.

When I started my last taper in May, my doctor prescribed prozac as a "safety net". He didn't suggest that I just quit paxil this time. I still did a gradual taper, but took prozac in addition to paxil. Withdrawal was still hard. Prozac didn't make it any easier.

Please, please talk with your doctor again before you quit cold turkey. I don't mean to frighten you. Just want you to avoid making a terrible mistake.

[scotty]

Another thing to keep in mind.. paxil is the only ssri that got "caught" with this fetal adverse effect. It doesn't mean that it doesn't apply across the board to ssri's. Just not proven... yet.

Some do fine switching to Prozac, but that's not what we've seen here. Take comfort in the ultrasound and wean off paxil slowly. Like I've said before it's the first trimester that the fetal abnormalities are tracked to.

[Lilly]

Welcome MrsB,

Congratulations to you to looking towards having a healthy baby. That is what is important right now. I am very sorry you have to deal with w/d at the same time as your pregnancy. That sucks big time, this should be a joyous time for you and I am hoping it still will be.

Listen to Laurie and others, the know what they are saying.

Welcome to our board.
Lilly

[Corduroy]

I just wanted to also offer you some kind words. I began withdrawing from Paxil 40 mgs on Dec. 12/05. I am not at 10 mgs and have been here since Jan. 1/06. Well, it has been a real trip. My worst days were last Wed and Thur. It has improved though greatly. I had severe anxiety, self doubt, obsessions, physical symptoms, felt I was going crazy, and constant crying on Sat. But, you know what I got through it. The other thing I mentioned here before and don't know if it played a role, but I have been on folic acid because we will be trying for a baby soon. I have tried to withdraw before and have never been able to. Besides some improved thinking, folic acid is really the only difference this time around. Don't know if it worked, but the w/d was much more manageable this time.

Hang in there. When it is really bad, just come on here or get yourself really busy. Good luck to you.

[Katesmom]

Mrs.B-

I'm thrilled the ultrasound went well. It is the most amazing thing, isn't it? We have some pictures of Kate from the "inside" that are so "her" it still amazes me. Her profile and the way she still puts her fist to her cheek when she sleeps. I get all choked up thinking about it.

I want to restate for emphasis what Laurie said: an SSRI is an SSRI, Paxil just got caught. Prozac will have withdrawal issues just like Paxil, though not as bad because of the longer half-life. Do you really want your baby addicted to anything at birth? Obviously, you have to make the decision that is right for you. I just wouldn't want you to be under any misconception that Paxil is evil and Prozac will be a saving grace. Additionally, as some others have said, switching ADs is a very tricky proposition. We've heard on here about a lot of very bad experiences. You will still have to taper off of Paxil. Poke around on the boards and see if you can find old threads on the subject. I'm sure they will offer wisdom.

[rdjanis]

Mrs. B... I can still remember my first ultra sound.... amazing isn't it!!

You know, many times switching from paxil to another ssri doesn't work for people, didn't for my daughter as well. Pretty much sends a person into cold turkey withdrawal. Ultimately this decision is yours, if it were me, I would taper off the paxil and leave another ssri out of the mix.

Take care.

[scotty]

Hmm, I never had an ultrasound. Yup, a skeptic way back then!!!!