I badly need help

[Boots]

I have not posted for awhile as I have been busy tending to my 89 year old father , who is in an assissted living facility but fell and broke his foot .Iam currently off of paxil and various other ssri's . I don't know if I should type my history of use again or not. I have been off of all drugs for 9.7 months I tried going from paxil to prozac which did some really weird things to my brain .Any way I am having a very bad bout of anxiety, depression and nausea.I am hoping this will let up. Am seriously thinking of trying the cipralex sample that was given to me by my daughters Dr.I can't take this much longer. Please give me some support. Also I am not very good with computers.

[LCrawford67]

Boots, I've been tapering and my father was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in March, and passed 34 days later. In that time, I was back and forth to the cancer hospital, then the nursing home.

After that, I had a breast cancer scare, that turned out to be nothing and my husband's grandfather had a stroke.

Life is full of ups and downs and we have to learn how to cope with them, without the use of drugs. You've been on an merry go round of SSRIs, none of which have done you any good. Trying another one, isn't going to help you either.

If you find you can't cope with the things going on in your life now, look to a good therapist, not a psychiatrist. Or, look to your church or family for guidance and support.

[rdjanis]

It is not uncommon for one to still have withdrawal symptoms at 9.7 months. How long one was on meds, and how you came off play a role in the length as well.

Most people who switch meds to cover paxil withdrawal are disappointed, as in most cases it doesn't work. Not only does it not work, but it is simply creating another addiction... I wouldn't suggest switching unless you absolutely cannot handle your symptoms.

People experience anxiety when family members are not well, this is normal. In withdrawal, the anxiety is magnified... when you can try and rest, eat well etc. and this may help.

Which ever route you choose, there is always someone on here to talk to.

[Delynbetter]

I understand that you are at a very difficult place in life right now, but...
1. It is illegal to take medication that has not been prescribed to you.
2. Do you really want to go back on a type of medication that you've had problems with in the past?

[Boots]

Thanks for your quick responses. I went to my daughters Dr. and she gave me the sample and told me to come back in a week. To start out at 5mg. I did not take it yet. I just thought that maybe if I could get stable on it , I could wean off properly this time.I did not know about this site when I withdrew from the prozac. I did a fast taper while on a supplement regimen. Could a person go on a tricyclic ? I am so sorry about your father Laurie and your cancer scare. I feel so selfish when I get like this. I think it is the panic from the w/d.

[Delynbetter]

It's ok to be selfish. Not being selfish enough is one of the things that leads us to anxiety, panic and such - leading us to the medications. It is your decision, but being off the meds for this long - it would be a hard decision.

[TryingtoGetWell]

Originally Posted by Boots

I have not posted for awhile as I have been busy tending to my 89 year old father , who is in an assissted living facility but fell and broke his foot .Iam currently off of paxil and various other ssri's . I don't know if I should type my history of use again or not. I have been off of all drugs for 9.7 months I tried going from paxil to prozac which did some really weird things to my brain .Any way I am having a very bad bout of anxiety, depression and nausea.I am hoping this will let up. Am seriously thinking of trying the cipralex sample that was given to me by my daughters Dr.I can't take this much longer. Please give me some support. Also I am not very good with computers.

Hi, Boots,

I'm so sorry for all you're going through, and for your father's ppor health. I have an elderly father who isn't well also, and it's a huge concern for me that if his health worsens I don't know how I'll do all that is needed. Helping him is helping me to keep my mind occupied and also to get to know him better than our previous relationship permitted. But it's always a matter of concern, and I sympathize so much with what you're dealing with.

I can't tell you what's right for you in terms of medication. The more I read on this board, the more I realize our healing process is different from case to case. I know that in my case I didn't have any real noticeable improvement til almost one year off, and even that was not too much. I had more improvement recently, about thirteen months off; I'm still trying to sort out what is what there.

I have to be honest with you, I'm still having ups and downs, some of which may be due to another medication (not psychotropic), which I am decreasing with my doctor's guidance. It is not addictive but may have been worsening my withdrawal condition. Are you on any medications (or suplements) now?

Regardless of whether that dosage reduction improved my condition, I was having some improvement before that. I have to be honest that I still have a long way to go, but I do see how in some of us withdrawal is a lengthy process with ups and downs along the way. I hope so much that you are heading toward an improvement soon.

In my case, I did try some supplements/herbs and even minute doses of a tricyclic AD at various stages of w/d, and although some seemed to help for a day or two, I always ended up getting worse. I can't say that will happen for you, but if you think you can hang in there a little longer, an improvement may be around the bend soon. For some reason I tend to feel worse before an improvment occurs. Quite a roller coaster ride...

If you need moral support in being a caregiver for your father, feel free to PM me. I understand how difficult and stressful that can be.

P.S. You're not being selfish. Withdrawal affects some of us very severely, and you're doing your best. It took my father a while to understand that I couldn't be there for him as much as before, though we talk on the phone very frequently and I do a lot for him from home. Now he understands, especially since he can relate to not being well.

[LCrawford67]

Boots, you're far from selfish, believe me. I just wanted to point out to you how life can be sometimes and how we truly can face it, without drugs.

[texgirl]

While meds may help with the immediate anxiety and depression during stressful life events, eventually they'll stop working or you'll decide you want to experience life drug-free, only to discover that the emotions that the meds suppressed still have to be dealt with, sometimes years after the fact. I went on Paxil 14 months after my father's death and found that the true work of grieving didn't begin till I went off it a year later. You might be able to postpone the ride, but it will catch up with you at some point. If you do choose to stay on meds, be sure to get some therapy so that you'll have good tools in place later.

[Pat Shields]

It's natural to feel the way you're feeling going through what you're going through. NATURAL, I tell you! So don't use a very unnatural substance to try to control nature. Your feelings will abate on their own. Taking one of those drugs will only cause you another problem. Go through it like water instead of ramming into it like a wall.

[Petrucci]

howcome you got off and went back on antidepressants? these drugs are toxic and causes brain damage with its long term withdrawal. once i get off these drugs i will never go back for the rest of my life. psychiatry destroyed my life.

[LCrawford67]

Petrucci, no one knows that these drugs cause brain damage and we certainly shouldn't be telling people that.

Lots of people have tried different ADs in their lives. Your case is very unique in the high doses and the manner in which you quit.

[Boots]

Petrucci to answer your question about why I went on and off antidepressants is because I did not know any better at the time. I was first prescribed paxil for anxiety I was having. My husband had heart trouble, he was relieved of his job after 30 some years ,we had to sell our house and then moved several times due to employment. The stress was just too much for me and I went on the paxil. It took me about 2 weeks to get used to the drug but I persevered because my Dr. at the time told me it would get better. It did work and after a year we decided I could go off. I tapered off and after about 8months started feeling bad again ,not knowing it was probably withdrawaland went back on. It worked but foolishly I went off again , we moved back to Alberta and then I crashed again. Tried to get back on paxil but it would not work, severe agitation and othe side effects. My Dr tried effexorand that made me worse then zoloft which did nothing and some others but I did not know that I was going through withdrawal from the paxil and the effexor I think . To make a long story short being ignorant of these drugs has messed my brain up. Has this happened to any body else.

[rdjanis]

To make a long story short being ignorant of these drugs has messed my brain up. Has this happened to any body else.

Every single person going through withdrawal was ignorant to the fact that these kinds of meds could cause this havoc, your not alone!! If you stick around, you see the process unfold and watch everyone heal along with you as the months go by... very cool!

[BanjoDan]

I had a doctor who wanted me to go on about 4 different drugs during my lengthy withdrawal.. I thank the support of this board friends and family for convincing me not to as I made it entirely back.. albeit 2 years later.. I am sure I would not be where I am today if I had tried another drug.

[scotty]

Dan, the time needed is so much longer than we thought a few short years ago. But it's SO doable with alot of patience.

[BanjoDan]

PATIENCE should be capitalized because that is something paxil withdrawer's are learning to have at superhuman levels!

[CELESTEP]

"Most people who switch meds to cover paxil withdrawal are disappointed, as in most cases it doesn't work. Not only does it not work, but it is simply creating another addiction... I wouldn't suggest switching unless you absolutely cannot handle your symptoms." ..... RITA

I pasted this because this is what I did. It didn't work and I am now trying to wean off lexapro. For some reason, weaing off paxil and trying another med just doesn't work. You do have alot on your plate and It's been 9 months since you have been off paxil. You are still in the unfortunate time frame of w/d. Talk out your stress with a counselor. Your human and under stress..........hugs.

[Fleet86]

Originally Posted by Boots

Petrucci to answer your question about why I went on and off antidepressants is because I did not know any better at the time. I was first prescribed paxil for anxiety I was having. My husband had heart trouble, he was relieved of his job after 30 some years ,we had to sell our house and then moved several times due to employment. The stress was just too much for me and I went on the paxil. It took me about 2 weeks to get used to the drug but I persevered because my Dr. at the time told me it would get better. It did work and after a year we decided I could go off. I tapered off and after about 8months started feeling bad again ,not knowing it was probably withdrawaland went back on. It worked but foolishly I went off again , we moved back to Alberta and then I crashed again. Tried to get back on paxil but it would not work, severe agitation and othe side effects. My Dr tried effexorand that made me worse then zoloft which did nothing and some others but I did not know that I was going through withdrawal from the paxil and the effexor I think . To make a long story short being ignorant of these drugs has messed my brain up. Has this happened to any body else.

Boots,

I'm sorry to hear about your anxiety and your personal situation. The information about the SSRI's are only really getting to be more widely known and yet still there are poor souls who arrive on this Forum just starting to take an SSRI and not knowing the harm they can do. I think most of us are here because we just believed what our doctors told us and only later found how hard they are to wean.

Your doctor has tried a lot of SSRI's on you (my doctor did the same to me) I think that in itself, ontop of the Paxil withdrawal can take some time to stabilize from. At least it has for me. Don't beat yourself up for not knowing how bad these drugs can make you feel in withdrawal.

Medicine wise everyone is giving good advice. Please know that everyone here will be a support for you, whatever you decide to do.

nicci x

[Kristin]

Boots, I'm sorry your father is having problems. I know it takes so much work to care for parents as they age.

Withdrawal is notorious for causing upheaval (return of symptoms) at 9 months. many folks feel when they get past one year there is huge improvement.

Anxiety is a symptom of W/D but it is also a signal from the body that something is too much. Is there any more support you could get from friends, church members, or someone you could hire? Many times we CAN do it all, but there is a cost. There are often more choices if we just allow ourselves to see them. In other words, are you taking care of yourself, as well as your Dad, and if not, what can you arrange? Sending a hug...

[Songbird]

Any extra stress you are under could be making your symptoms worse (it does in my experience, anyway). Try to reduce stress as much as you can. If you are looking after someone else, make sure you also look after yourself as much as you can too, it is not selfish! If trying to do too much is adding to your stress levels, find out if there are some things you have to do and others you don't really have to do, find a way to get out of some of those extra things you don't really have to do, maybe someone else could do something, maybe some things aren't all that important. Do whatever you can to de-stress - take time out for yourself, take a walk, have a rest, a bath, a massage, or whatever you find helps you. Nurture yourself, be kind to yourself! Hope you feel better soon.

[Kitsyl]

Boots, please try and talk things out before going on meds.

I'm under immense pressure and stress at the moment (not related to w/d) and have just finished tapering. It would be so easy to take something to 'take the edge off' things, but I can never let myself go down that route again.

I'd rather be coping with what I've got going on at the mo with a clear head than in a drug induced fog. This way I'm in control, not the meds:-)

Good luck, and keep talking. This is a great forum and you'll get lots of help here.

(((((((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))))))