UK Seroxat Users trying to withdraw

[kwingypaws]

If anyone in the UK is having difficulty withdrawing from Seroxat, please contact me, as i have received some information from GSK, with advice on how to obtain information about withdrawing from Seroxat.

Is basically a form giving your doctor permisiion to contact GSK for specific advice on withdrawing from Seroxat.

The question I tried to ask GSK was that when taking liquid seroxat, could you replace the amount taken with a solvent therfore diluting the concentraion of Seroxat you take each day.

So the dose you take is is more gradually reduced at smaller rates.

I have read somewhere that people withdrawing from Valium do this.

GSK are unable to provide you with specific medical advise, as it must adhere to the code of ABPI (assiciation of the British Pharmaceutical Industry)

Once GSK have your doctors details, all further correspondance with be with your own doctor

Please PM or ask for more information.

I dont know if this has been discussed on the board before, or tried by anyone.

But if you need more information on how to obtain consent for your doctor to communicate with GSK on any matter reagrdiing Seroxat, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I hope someone might find this information useful.

Thanks.

[altostrata]

What the heck, if you have information that can help people, please post it, don't play games.

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by altostrata

What the heck, if you have information that can help people, please post it, don't play games.

I dont have the information, I contacted GSK who sent a form out to send back to them giving them consent to contact your doctor. GSK wont disuss anything with the patient without going through their doctor first.

I have the details on how to obtain a consent form for anyone who is interested, but as to the the actual withdrawl program, that would have to be discusssed with GSK and the doctor.

I am not playing games, just giving advice to anyone who wishes to get their Doctor and GSK in contact, in order for the doctor to get better infromation from GSK on any withdrawl or other effects from Seroxat.

GSK wont give information directly through a patient, is has to be done through their doc, so I dont have any information that can help people, other than to put GSK in touch with their Doctor to discuss any problems that the Doctor can get more detailed information on Paxil.

I'm sorry if you feel I'm playing games, but I am trying to point people in the right direction, so they can get help. I believe the information I have posted can help people.

Sorry if you feel the first post wasn't helpfull, but anyone wishing any more information please reply and I will try and help. I'm doing the best I can.

Regards

[altostrata]

Sorry, kwingy, I know you're trying to help the best way you know how.

It just seems to me perverse that GSK assists patients by providing a permission form so GSK can contact the patient's doctor. This must be the way GSK is monitoring reports of withdrawal problems. One wonders what the conversation between the GSK rep and the doctor might be like.

What might be much more straightforward and honest and truly helpful is for GSK to widely publish whatever so-called withdrawal tips GSK has, instead of keeping the information to themselves until a patient begs for it in this extraordinarily roundabout way.

But that would be confessing there are withdrawal problems, wouldn't it?

They are scum, and everything they do regarding paroxetine is scum.

[akaenew]

I agree with altostrata. GKS is pompous and paternalistic. To engage solely through a safe tool (the doctor) that they can control is just more indication of their inability to cope with the "fall-out" created by paxil. If they have so-called information to help- just make it freely public.

"advice on how to obtain information about withdrawing from paxil" is convoluted, stilted, and sad. advice on how to obtain information??????
akaenew

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by altostrata

Sorry, kwingy, I know you're trying to help the best way you know how.

It just seems to me perverse that GSK assists patients by providing a permission form so GSK can contact the patient's doctor. This must be the way GSK is monitoring reports of withdrawal problems. One wonders what the conversation between the GSK rep and the doctor might be like.

What might be much more straightforward and honest and truly helpful is for GSK to widely publish whatever so-called withdrawal tips GSK has, instead of keeping the information to themselves until a patient begs for it in this extraordinarily roundabout way.

But that would be confessing there are withdrawal problems, wouldn't it?

They are scum, and everything they do regarding paroxetine is scum.

Hiya, no problem altostrata.

The letter says “This prevents us giving advice as your family doctor, nurse, specialist or local pharmacist are in a much better position to further assist you”

Yeah like GSK know less than doctors on Seroxat.

It also goes on to say “GSK takes all reports of effects associated with the use of our products very seriously and conducts a continuous process of safety monitoring and evaluation. We are always keen to obtain further information regarding such problems from the prescribing doctor. The information we receive from both patients and their doctors regarding adverse events that have occurred during treatment with any of our products is entered onto our global safety database and helps to contribute to their continuing safety surveillance.
Thanks you for reporting this event to GSK. We take all reports of effects associated with the use of our products very seriously and conduct a continuous process of safety monitoring and evaluating. It is only by collecting such information that we can continue to monitor the safety profile of our products.”

The usual standard line!!

I do think it might be helpfull if we did all send in a patient consent form to GSK, as these would have to be logged, and if our Doctors were contacting GSK for advice on a regular basis, they might have to rethink the way Seroxat is marketed.

In any case getting your GP to contact GSK will give your GP better access to ways to come off the drug, and learn more about it.

Please contact me and I’ll provide details of how to get a consent form.

Regards

[scotty]

Oh, someone do this!!! I would LOVE to see their "advice"! Kwingy, I would do this but I'm in the states and much to well known to GSK for them to provide anything to me. We need someone who is still going to a doc, which may be hard to find.

[altostrata]

Originally Posted by kwingypaws

In any case getting your GP to contact GSK will give your GP better access to ways to come off the drug, and learn more about it.

With all due respect, kwingy, I doubt GSK is going to give doctors constructive advice. In all likelihood, they'll collude in minimizing symptoms and ascribing them to something else, like relapse, thereby reducing the number of reported adverse events.

Look at how GSK interpreted the suicide statistics and you'll get my drift.

Still, thanks for your help. If you have the form in electronic format, you could attach it to a post so people can download it.

(I'm in the US so, like Scotty, this doesn't apply to me.)

[eileen]

GSK contancted my doctor without my consent. I wouldn't give these foul people permission for anything. They would probably tell the doctor to up the doses.
eileen

[pax80]

GSK does this for years here with NO RESULTS because the docs don't give a damn about seroxat. It's the front line drug so who cares...

[kwingypaws]

OK guys, forget this post. I thought some people might be able to get some help by giving GSK permission to access your medical records in situations where your doc was inexperienced in withdrawal or side effects of Seroxat.

From the majority of replies I get you all hate and dont trust GSK, quite rightly, but they would have alot more information at their disposal in order to give GP's advice. It would be in their best interests to help patients having trouble with Seroxat in order ro reduce negative publicity.

So thanks for all your feedback, I did think this might be of interest to some people.

Apologies if you feel I have offered bad advice.

Scotty I've PM'd you with details of the service and some contact numbers, and e-mailed to find out what they offer in the USA, will let you know when I get a reply.- cheers

Regards

[scotty]

Kwingy, I think you're hearing the frustration of those who have been through the hell of withdrawal and been kicked to the curb by GSK and their doctors. I would LOVE to see GSK make a committment to distributing accurate withdrawal information, and maybe this is a start of seeing some honesty from them. I'm VERY curious to see what they would actually provide to a doc looking for advice.
Don't take the responses personally, that's not what they are. The words your seeing are those totally frustrated with a company that has admitted the presence of withdrawal in court, and then hid the documents, yet denies it exists in the public forum.
I hope that someone takes you up on this fact seeking mission.

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by scotty

Kwingy, I think you're hearing the frustration of those who have been through the hell of withdrawal and been kicked to the curb by GSK and their doctors. I would LOVE to see GSK make a committment to distributing accurate withdrawal information, and maybe this is a start of seeing some honesty from them. I'm VERY curious to see what they would actually provide to a doc looking for advice.
Don't take the responses personally, that's not what they are. The words your seeing are those totally frustrated with a company that has admitted the presence of withdrawal in court, and then hid the documents, yet denies it exists in the public forum.
I hope that someone takes you up on this fact seeking mission.

I know what you mean, I'm not taking it personally, just annoyed when I am trying to help all I get is negativity.
My original query to GSK was that if you were on liquid SEROXAT, AND TOOK 5ML (10MG Seroxat) then filled up the bottle with 5ml (what would you use to fill it up? water?) then the next 5ML you took would contain less then 10MG,and filled up with another 5ml of substance, the next dose would be even less.

Im not smart enough to work out how much your dose would lower each day, but the decrease each day would be tiny, making it easier to taper off. I wrote to GSK to find out what you would fill the bottle up with, but maybe your doctor or pharmacist could answer this without contacting GSK.

If theres anyone out there good at math could you work out the what actual dose you would be taking per day with this method for say the first couple of months. Im sure there's a formula you can use to work it out. But it would be interseting to know if this slower taper off method would be easier.

This wouldnt have to be for UK and would work worldwide. Are theyre any chemists out there?

Just a suggestion, and remember wouldnt need to contact GSK if we knew what solvent to fill up the bottle.

I know they used to do this for valuim withdrawal withdrawal.

Let me know what you think - positive & negative!!

Cheers

[scotty]

Kwingy, using the liquid paxil gives you a pretty good way to do an extremely low dose using a TB syringe, you can get down to minute doses without having to add any other solvent. But I still would like to know the answer to the "solvent" question. Another aspect that I would be interested in is the dissolving of tablets in something for those who don't have access to the liquid Paxil.

[SareBare]

If GSK is a world wide company, why would they do this for only people in the UK. I would love to do it and find out what they say. It would be very interesting. Do you think they would do it for me in aussie. I know theres a GSK factory about 30mins from my house

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by SareBare

If GSK is a world wide company, why would they do this for only people in the UK. I would love to do it and find out what they say. It would be very interesting. Do you think they would do it for me in aussie. I know theres a GSK factory about 30mins from my house

dont see why they wouldnt, docs can call drug companies of any information if they are unsure about a drug! whether they would tell u or you would need to go thru doc i dont know. i think you would have to go throught your doc.

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by scotty

Kwingy, using the liquid paxil gives you a pretty good way to do an extremely low dose using a TB syringe, you can get down to minute doses without having to add any other solvent. But I still would like to know the answer to the "solvent" question. Another aspect that I would be interested in is the dissolving of tablets in something for those who don't have access to the liquid Paxil.

Just done a quick work out of what the dose would be if you took 2.5ml(5mg) a day then topped up the bottle- not sure if right - can someone check please.

Dont know if its any better than syringe method?!but i suppose you could take 2.5ml (5mg)- you'd be dropping by about 0.08mg a day. Which isnt much really in 62 days youd be down to 0mg day.

[rdjanis]

LOL... I'm no good at figuring out dosage like this, but I can tell you that going from 20 ml to 0 in 60 days is too fast for many people.

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by rdjanis

LOL... I'm no good at figuring out dosage like this, but I can tell you that going from 20 ml to 0 in 60 days is too fast for many people.

unless im wrong its from 5mg to 0 mg in 62 days. Is there someone clever on here that can check??


Here's one from 10mg to 0mg in 32 days, but you could stop at 5mg on day 16 and start on a new bottle. from 5mg to 0 in 62 days

Just trying to make it easier to stop!

[rdjanis]

Now I get it.... LOL

Laurie 1 and Laurie 2 should jump in here soon, they are good at this.

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by rdjanis

Now I get it.... LOL

Laurie 1 and Laurie 2 should jump in here soon, they are good at this.

good, I would like to double check its right, I know a pharmacist so im gonna ask him about what to top up the bottles with.

Also is liquid Paxil easy to get in US, i hear its quite dear, but if you can get down to 5mg/day on tablets, i bottle of liquid paxil should last 62 days and get you down to zero. I dont know how this compares to the dropper method.

Just as a sideline I have been on paxil twice, and never had any withdrawal cos I switched to other SSRI's straight away, so please forgive me if my taper down schedlue is way off!!

I really hope this information is able to help some people come off paxil with minimal side effects!

thanks

[wendywoo]

I am in UK. My GP suggested this method to me (adding water each day equivalent to what I had taken) but personally I wasn't happy that I would be able to calculate correctly what I had tapered to and instead have used a very slow taper with an accurate 1ml syringe, dropping 0.1ml each time. This has worked very well for me with minimal side effects.
It's interesting where my GP got this suggestion from ? He also told me I could stay on 20mg "forever" and that If I stayed at 3mg forever (what I was on the last time I saw him)that he would be "okay" with that. He might be - I am not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only one GP at my surgery has ever been accepting of Seroxat problems, another said "well you can read anything on the internet" when I told them about this site ..... another hinted that I might be after GSK for a lawsuit ....... another said I was the first case he has ever come across for WD problems .........I still think GPs in the UK are hiding their heads in the sand over this massive problem !!!!!!

[rdjanis]

Originally Posted by kwingypaws

Just as a sideline I have been on paxil twice, and never had any withdrawal cos I switched to other SSRI's straight away, so please forgive me if my taper down schedlue is way off!!

If only we could figure out why some people have no withdrawal or can switch meds, and others cannot. Most people that suffer withdrawal, switching to other meds doesn't work....

[kwingypaws]

Originally Posted by rdjanis

If only we could figure out why some people have no withdrawal or can switch meds, and others cannot. Most people that suffer withdrawal, switching to other meds doesn't work....

When switching from 30 mg paxil to sertraline
week1 30 mg paxil - 50 mg sertraline
week2 20 mg paxil - 100mg sertraile
week3 10mg paxil - 150 sertraline
week4 150mg sertrline.



Alot of docs prefer you to taper of your old med, then restart new one, but with these two there were no major interactions ( was told to watch out for serotion syndrome)


I did get a little withdrawal or side effects from sertralinedont know which!!
But over all no problems.

How doeother people switch between meds? - do they have to come right off old me before starting new one??

[Buxy`s Back]

yes i would like to see the advice they offer too, but hang on they deny"withdrawal problems" so what would be the point of now admitting that we have to look like dirty little drug users to get off the crap.
IMHO they are now just giving a little piece of carrot just to pacify sufferers,the first thing was they admitted that their defective drug caused suicidal tandancies in under 18s,(after they denied this time and time again),then they raised it to young adults,under 30s,come on they are crapping themselves and just trying to look better admitting bit by bit they did this with no concience but all for their own gains.they are still not holding their hands up and saying" we fcuked up" big time for our profits,hey sorry everyone sorry if ya recived damages from our drug but the money was more important to us at that time.Untill they admit full responsibility for the damage and maimings no amout of small talk information makes any of this right.
For people like me the damage is done,im living with the hell of the damage but is that ok coz they will now send docs information to taper off???? sorry its a big load of BOLLOX .
Yes if this information would help in any way then im all for it,but excuse me for being a bit paranoid here,i bet it still gives ways to taper too fast ect, ,if it would save one person a bit of hell then thats enough for me.
One day they will have no choice but to accept responsibility for their actions as too many of us have been damaged already,and none of us are gonna put up and shut up untill justice prevails