Forced Off Paxil

[Rylan]

My doctor told me that Paxil had been discontinued recently.

Paxil CR made me a whole person, and my new medication just isn't cutting it. I suffer from a High-functioning form of Autism called Asperger's Syndrome, and it has only gotten worse since i got off it and swiched over to a new anti-depressant. I struggle to even bother to do my homework. Without Paxil, I would never have even been able to try going to college or using coping techniques. And now I feel it beginning to slip away.

Please, no one post any "OMG U SUK PAXIL IS THE DEVAL!" type responses, because I am..was living proof you are either talking from purely subjective experiences or a victim of the anti-psychiatry movement (a registered trademark of the church of Lie-ntology©.) For me, Paxil was a wonder drug. It allowed me to function and feel like an actual human being, which no other drug did. I searched for an answer for nearly my whole life and Paxil was the only one that really worked. I apologize if this statement offended any of you, but I myself am rather pissed off at my current situation.

Please tell me if the Generic equivalent is still avalible in CR form...

[Katesmom]

Paxil CR has not at all been taken off of the market. Regular paxil, which is chemically identical to CR, but without the coating that delays the release (it is not a true controlled release drug), is also widely available. I can't imagine why your doc would have said that. I do know some insurance companies are taking it off of their 'preferred' drug list (Aetna), but that would only make it a bit more expensive. It is definitely NOT discontinued.

[Rylan]

Ok I will make sure to discuss this with my doctor at the soonest oppurtunity. From what I have gathered so far, the majority of this forum is Anti-Paxil. Perhaps some of you might want to see it banned altogether. I would ask you all to remember that there ARE people for whom going on Paxil has been a major, positive change (Like Myself) and if someone you know has been lost due to Paxil not working for them, i am sorry, but remember there are other people for whom it was a life saver. And if you're on some personal crusade just because you had a ****ty experience with Paxil, I ask you to put aside your desire for revenge for the sake of those who the drug helps.

[Katesmom]

Rylan--

There are many people here who have experienced 'poop out' on paxil. They took the drug and benefitted from its affects for years, and then it stopped working for them. They slowly upped the dose until they achieved (or sometimes even surpassed) the highest recommended dose for the med, yet they remained in withdrawal even as they were taking their daily dose. SSRIs do not work forever. They were tested in 12 week studies, so we here in the real world are the long-term study. Initially, the drug was marketed for short term use. Clearly that has changed. Some people get as many as 12 years on the drug, others as little as three.

Most of us just want all adults who take the med to know all of the facts about side effects, possible poop out or tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms before they take the first pill. And we do not want children or pregnant women taking the drug period. Most of us have found better ways to deal with our issues than a pill. It's just a mask, not a solution.

Good luck to you.

[mouse]

A sfar as I am aware Paxil has not been discontinued from the market..
And i doubt if it will be ...Just like heroin ...It makes too much money for the druglords.....

[Rylan]

Mine has worked just fine for three solid years.

Or did you ever consider that Autism-induced anxiety/depression isn't something you can just 'deal with?' That "wearing a mask" as you put it, is really the only option people like me have?

[mouse]

Hi Rylan..
Youre obviously very pro Paxil and believed it has helped you...
Can i ask you in what way do you think the Paxil has helped you...just curious

[scotty]

Rylan.. you are on a board where people have been harmed, in some cases permanently, from this drug. If you're looking for someone to tell you that it's a wonder drug for them.. not gonna happen. Everyones experience is their own, including yours. If Paxil is working for you, then continue to take it, BUT take it fully informed of the risks adverse effects, and withdrawal. Most here weren't given that information.

[Iksfreundin]

I would consder that autism-induced social anxiety may not be simply 'dealable' like anxiety or depression is. You must be aware that paxil is not a lifelong drug, and the withdrawal can be devestating. Mine worked great for quite some time, but once it stopped working, I lost everything and barely survived it. Hell, I am barely surviving it now. You should just be aware that paxil won't be forever - it WILL stop working eventually, and that yes, you can still get paxil with no problem. If you were taking 25 mgs CR, then you would take 20 mgs regular. I would be very worried about your doctor if they told you such an amazing lie in order to get you off this medicine. Step up to the plate here, and ask your doctor why they have put you at severe risk by stopping your medication under false pretenses.

One more thing - after stopping paxil, going back on may not be an option. It is in your best interest to quickly get back to it, if it worked so well for you. I suggest calling your doctor's office NOW. This can be seen as an emergency. Your doctor is an idiot.

[Rylan]

I Was. I just want you to realize that not everyone shares your experiences. In my case, It's like I finally found the answer to my problems and you people want to take it away due to your subjective personal experiences. I mean, Your ultimate goal is to shut down GSK and get Paxil banned, isn't it? Don't I have a responsibility to inform you of the people your quest for vengance might negatively impact? Or are you just so self righteous that you can't see it from any other viewpoint than your own, and don't understand that getting paxil removed from the market will make you into the very thing you claim to fight against?

[Iksfreundin]

Are you so self-rigteous that YOU can't see this from our point of view? I have lost a lot to this drug, and so have many of the members here. Please do not come here, looking for help, and then try to belittle us. Paxil is very bad for the liver, causes sexual disfunction, leads to birth defects, and can cause (yes, CAUSE) homicidal and suicidal tendencies. These are the reasons we are against it.
Getting paxil removed may, in fact, cause more people to look closely at the drugs they are taking. To do the research. It may empower people to deserve drugs that are thoroughly tested, instead of lied about to get them forced through to the public. And it could lead to drugs that don't devestate the people who take them. I see these things as positive, not negative.

[Rylan]

Originally Posted by mouse

Hi Rylan..
Youre obviously very pro Paxil and believed it has helped you...
Can i ask you in what way do you think the Paxil has helped you...just curious

Lets see. Before i started on Paxil, i was incapable of standing in a grocerery store line or taking a train ride to class or any number of situations involving crowds/social interaction without breaking into a cold sweat, shaking, growing more and more angry and upset, talking to myself (Still haven't totally fixed that yet.) But even if it turns out that I can do it without the Paxil, i'm grateful to GSK for giving me the tools I needed to even get there in the first place.

[scotty]

Rylan... no one is going to rise to the bait that you are throwing out. You love your paxil, after 3 years use, others have been harmed. It's having all the information that is our goal here. Don't worry, no one is going to take your paxil away... but be aware that it won't work forever.

[Delynbetter]

We're not the ones that forced you off of Paxil. A lot of us were forced off of Paxil and learned what withdrawal was. It ain't pretty and we're not going to sugarcoat any of our experiences because you're still in your honeymoon era. As Terra said, 20mg regular paroxetine is equivalent to 25mg CR Paxil. Paxil CR has not been discontinued. You doctor is very misinformed and passing along bad information.

[mouse]

First of all...
Dont freak out...
Paxil wont be removed from the market any time soon...
And secondly... If you are on Paxil 3 years then you are probably at the point where your body is just tolerating it.... I dont think there is anyone who has a body that can tolerate Paxil for life...All the long term users here have had horrific withdrawls and most of the long term users outside of here are hooked and cant quit because of wuthdrawal ...so I guess what im saying here is be careful when you choose a drug to be the answer to all your problems... No drug is the answer to everything ... period....

[Rylan]

Originally Posted by terrap420

Are you so self-rigteous that YOU can't see this from our point of view? I have lost a lot to this drug, and so have many of the members here. Please do not come here, looking for help, and then try to belittle us. Paxil is very bad for the liver, causes sexual disfunction, leads to birth defects, and can cause (yes, CAUSE) homicidal and suicidal tendencies. These are the reasons we are against it.
Getting paxil removed may, in fact, cause more people to look closely at the drugs they are taking. To do the research. It may empower people to deserve drugs that are thoroughly tested, instead of lied about to get them forced through to the public. And it could lead to drugs that don't devestate the people who take them. I see these things as positive, not negative.

I see things from your view. But I cannot agree with your demand that I return to the way I was before the medication. I have a chance for a somewhat promising future because of paxil. Before that, the only future i had was that of the 50 year old unemployed virgin who still lives in his mother's basement. And I would rather take the risks than go back to that ever again. Especially while i'm still in school, trying to learn a vocation.

[Delynbetter]

This question is something you need to be asking your pharmacist. End of story.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Rylan

I see things from your view. But I cannot agree with your demand that I return to the way I was before the medication. I have a chance for a somewhat promising future because of paxil. Before that, the only future i had was that of the 50 year old unemployed virgin who still lives in his mother's basement. And I would rather take the risks than go back to that ever again. Especially while i'm still in school, trying to learn a vocation.

Then you do what you feel you have to do. We didn't tell you to stop taking it!! We told you to be informed... plain and simple.

[Iksfreundin]

Listen, call your doctor now, tell his office that you have found out that paxil cr was NOT discontinued, and that you want a prescription called in immediately because you are experiencing withdrawal, and it works well for you. If he persists that it IS discontinued, then tell him what you've learned here - you can take 20 mgs regular paxil and it is equivalent. Don't wait.

And remember, when it poops out on you, we'll still be here, ready to help you work through it.

[mouse]

"A promising future because of Paxil..."
Hmmm...
somehow that statement makes my stomach knotty...

[akaenew]

Uh Rylan- I'm confused. Why are you so worried about the people on this board having Paxil removed from the market, when the doctor that you should have a therapeutic relationship with told you it was no longer available? Weird, if it is working so well for you. I am really wondering who is advocating for you if they told you this lie- because it is still available. The honest, ernest people here at PP are the least of your worries. akaenew

[Rylan]

Originally Posted by RedMed

seems like a troll

I came here seeking help with my own problems. Now I feel like I have to fight for those whom Paxil has helped improve themselves,for their right to take the help that works for them, the hope you would deny them.

Because despite the supposed inevitability of the withdrawal, without Paxil I would probably have killed myself already, seeing myself as a waste of other people's air, food, and the like.

Oh, and if I were a troll, your board would have been flooded with disturbing images and spammed obscenity, not an actual debate. Having to defend your viewpoint can only help to validate it or make you consider things you may not have thought about.

[Delynbetter]

We didn't start the discussion. Call you pharmacy. We do not know what your pharmacy has in stock. We have answered your question about Paxil CR being pulled from the market. Now make that call and you know where to find us in the future if you need support.

Make the call!

[scotty]

Why in the world would you feel that you have to "fight" for others who have chosen to take a drug?? We are here based on each persons individual experience with ssri's. You are talking to a group that has been harmed by these drugs. I'm not sure what you are are looking for from us??

[RedMed]

If you had read the posts, you'd see that people here are helping you. Call your doctor/pharmacist and get a refill. It is available.

Meantime, like others have said, if you came here looking for support to TAKE Paxil, you won't find it. This board is mainly for people to be informed and for others to seek help with problems caused by PAXIL. Just like we will do for you in a few months.