Had Doctor Appt. Concerning Withdrawl

I saw my doctor yesterday - Was a checkup on my paxil decreasing. (a refresher - my attempt last month to drop 10 mg decrease was disaster. Got very sick, suicidal, etc. She had me go back to full 40 mg. Then decreased by 5 mgs., and same withdrawl symptoms e xcept not suicidal). Anway, yesterday, my doctor said that she thought my withdrawl symptoms are way to severe. So instead of decreasing monthly, she wants me to do it at 6 wk intervals. And she is afraid of dropping me another 5 mgs - is afraid of the suicidal effect, so she has decided to make my drops in 2.5 mgs. She also said that she thinks the effects I've had are a combination of withdrawl and relapse. But I don't see how a person can have any relapse with just a 5 mg. decrease. Then she said that she thinks I may have to be on something the rest of my life. She said that the older a person gets, sometimes, the worse you get with the brain not working right on making this serotonin. And since I've had problems since my early 20's and I'm now 51, she feels that I will be one of these people. I'm sorry to say, that I was not a happy camper. I told her that I was getting off this crap no matter what, and that Ididn't plan on taking anything else. We'll see, though. She talked to me about possibly switching to another ssri where the withdrawals are near as bad. I told her that she would never put me on prozac, or zoloft. She said there is Celexea and another which name I can't remember. I told her that I was planning to get completely off stuff and see if I could maintain myself. I know I'm probably just rattling on now as I can't seem to say what I want. Anyway this is my update in this ongoing saga.

[JulieG]

These doctors just LOVE to tell us we'll be chained to these medications forever don't they? If someone told them that they'd have to be on meds I wonder what they'd say...

I'm SO glad you stood up for yourself! I hope all of us find alternatives to drugs.

[Paxil Junkie]

jackie good for u, ,next time ur doctor brings up the chemical imbalance thing tell her that its not a lack of seratonin that is making u feel bad, its a lack of seratonin metabolism, so taking these "wonder drugs" will just make em worse. also tell her that the first "wonder drug" was cocain elixer thought to make everything better by raising seratonin and dopamine, then came amphetamines(speed) all lasted roughly 30 year before the public realized how bad they were, since pharmaceutical companys denying it and hiding court settlements (just like today) and these ssri's of today (paxil prozac zoloft effexor celexa, which are ALL THE SAME, if u dont want to take prozac u dont want to take celexa because they are the same thing) noone knows the long term damages that they cause, because fda testing is a 2 month program!! and after effects of years of usage is monitered by 5 doctors from the fda, which is why these drugs are still out(ruffly 20 years, people are starting to know and prtotest, but itll be another 10 years at least before they recall these drugs and make a new "wonder drug")is because they dont know what it does in the long term. Plus "Selective" seratonin reuptake inhibitor is a lie, because as they raise the seratonin(which is only located 5% in the brain...what an imbalance huh?) they lower dopamine...again why there is so many problems... lowering seratonin metabolism(the source of our problems in the first place) and dopamine (what cocain raises to provide such a blissful high) is a dead giveaway as to why these meds make so many problems, and thats just shortterm... there are so many long term damages including a 80% increased chance for women to get breast cancer, early alzheimers and memory problems, seizer disorders, ,parkinsonism disorders, gastrointestinal problems, iv even heard of some reports of glaucoma, and of course the horrid withdrawls.

jackie stand by ur beliefs and dont give in to ur doctor! keep informing urself, and if she keeps pushing it, get a new doctor!! even if she is aware of paxil withdrawl she doesn't seem to be aware of celexa withdrawl or any other medicine withdrawl(celexa getting almost as many complaints concerning withdrawl as paxil and it is still brand new)then she needs to know, get some of the books mentioned here... "prozac : backlash" "the anti depressant fact book" and "prozacanacea or panarea" and MAKE ur doctor read them. she only wants to listen to toher doctors? those are written by other doctors. hope u make the right choice

just because paxil has an effect on you, how do they know that you have low serotonin? And even if you do, how do they know what causes it? I mean which came first, the depression or the low serotonin? I had anxiety attacks: Now, was this because I had low serotonin or was my decerease in serotonin due to anxiety attacks??? And since no one even measured my serotonin, how do they know that I really had a lack of serotonin? maybe I had too much of something else??? And, last of all, how do these doctors think people got over depression & anxiety before drugs? I guess they didn't. . . but I don't believe that either!

Geez.

Reduced to nothing but a chemical reaction. This is really really sad. You know, your body produces serotonin and you can do things to help it produce it. That's what I think.

[Paxil Junkie]

no no no listen, u want low seratonin, low seratonin is good, what happens is u get low reuptake of seratonin(5-htp) and that is what causes it, which is why the 5-htp drug everyone is raving about is working so well for everyone, since it raises the seratonin metabolism, if and when u have a "chemical imbalance"(the disease with no test for) its not that u have too little seratonin, thats just what the pharmacuetical companys want u to think so that they can make money and is why all these drugs have so many problems... these drugs also depleate dopamine, ,which is even worse.. raises seratonin, lowers dopamine and 5htp... bad bad bad

oh. Dear, I'm confused, I though 5-HTP was a precursor to manufacturing serotonin.

[Paxil Junkie]

"We know that these drugs interfere with serotonin metabolism (demonstrated by levels of the serotonin metabolite 5HIAA). It is not serotonin that is low in these disorders, it is this by-product 5HIAA, which indicates the level of serotonin metabolism, that is low in depression, suicide, etc. Yet as serotonin (5HT) goes up serotonin metabolism (5HIAA) generally comes down. We already have studies demonstrating at what percentage each of these drugs increase 5HT and decrease 5HIAA." hmm wierd i thought it was 5htp... k i dont know what 5htp is then lol

I'm a little confused by what Paxil Junkie explained but I think I got a little grip on it. Paxil Junkie - what is the best book to get to explain what you tried to explain. I would like to get it and read it and yes then give it to my doctor. I still don't believe that there is any relapse in this 5 mg drop, and I don't think anyone will ever be able to convince me otherwise. I did ask my doctor why she thought age with an ongoing problem can only make the problem worse? As I told her, I didn't understand that, because if my body supposedly hasn't been making enough serotonin - then if it's not making it, it's just not making it and never has made it. I think my doctor realizes the withdrawl problem but not anything else yet. I don't know if I'm wrong or not, but I told her I considered it to be addicitive. The reason I say this is because once you start taking it you have to continue or else you have these withdrawal problems, just like people who take illegal drugs. If taking illegal drugs causes withdrawal, or alcohol for that matter, then I say it's addictive. Mydoctor said that these ssri's are not addictive in the sense I think they are. I don't understand that one. Am I all wet in the head ??? And bodhipuff, I started on Paxil also because of severe panic attacks. For years, I problems off and on with depression. I'm just hoping that when I finally get free of this drug, my panic attacks won't come back. My life, my home environment, and work environment are a lot better than when I started paxil, so I'm kind of banking on that in hopes of no more of those attacks. Oh , Paxil Junkie, I'd also like to know where you got the knowledge about the possible side effects you listed like alzheimers, breast cancer, memory loss (of which I already have), etc. I would like to read that also. And hopefully, Julie G, we will all find our ways not to be chained to these drugs the rest of our lives. Doctors don't always know everything. Right ?? ? Right!!!

[Paxil Junkie]

iv researched a ton of sights to find them... the 80% increase risk of breast cancer u can find almost newhere... www.prozactruth.com is one, about the books "prozac backlash" is another where it tells about all the harmful effects of it and u can go to http://www.glenmullen.com/prozacBacklash.html and read a few chapters(the first chapter and the introduction, ,introduction that tells about what the book is about and the first chapter that deals with the brain damage caused by these drugs... alzheimers irritability and movement disorders like parkinsons) "prozac: panacea or panarea" is also a good book that tells u about how the chemical imbalance is not the lack of seratonin but the lack of the metabolism of seratonin, and that webpage is www.drugawareness.org which has a bunch of information on what the drugs do why they fail and where u can buuy the book(but no sample chapters sadly) and the other book "the anti depressant fact book" i dont know much about but everyone on this site is raving about it... u can get all 3 on amazon.com and i would suggest u to read them all especially if ur surprised about the alzheimers breast cancer parkinsons ect.

Thanks Paxil Junkie for all your help. I plan on getting them and reading.

[Paxil Junkie]

no problem, grr paxil cr commercial just came on... not even saying nothing just says "ask ur doctor about paxil cr" doesn't even say what its for grr makes me so ****ing madddddddd

neway what was i gunna say? oh yea, maybe when ur done with the books u could let me borrow it? i read the few chapters online and would like to read em all but am too poor to buuy em lol

Jeeze, this is really getting more scarier all the time. I read part of that book that was on the web page. I've wondered why the last couple of years that I have a problem when I go to bed with keeping my foot still. I'm always bouncing it til I go to sleep. Can't seem to stop, even my husband noticed it and has said something to me on several occassions. I wonder now if it's the paxil doing it after reading this stuff. Does anybody else on paxil have this problem?

I am going to call the bookstore in town and see if they have that book, if not, then I'm going to ask them to order it for me so I can read the whole thing. Am gonna start with one book at a time. So yea, Paxil Junkie, If I can get the book, I can also send it to you when I'm finished. Will let you know if I'm able to get it.

[Paxil Junkie]

yea its probably the paxil, the scary thing is that these drugs are still new and noone really knows what kind of damage it is doing... i mean in that book u read it said that cocain elixers were hailed as a miracle drug and prescribed just as much as these prozac drugs are being prescribed today, and it took them so long to know how dangerous that was, just imagine 10 or 20 years from now they might know what it could be, iv always said look for those lawyer commercials but instead of saying "if you or your loved one has used the diet drug fen fen or redux" itll say "if you or your loved one has used the anti-depressant drug prozac or paxil" ... thing is fen fen redux paxil and prozac all **** with seratonin, so in reality these drugs are as just harmful as fen fen and redux probably, just these drugs are still new and dangerers are unnknown... but yea u can get those books at www.amazon.com, not sure if they have these kind of books in library, but then again i never go to the library heh...

Jackie, don't worry too much about the jumpy legs. I had that pretty bad during my dosage taper. I've been coming down off 60 mg, a high dose by most standards. I have experienced just about all the withdrawal symptoms but have managed them. I think the key is to taper slowly and to stay at each new dose until the w/d symptoms stop. That jumpy leg thing is weird, isn't it? I also felt that my body needed to be "squeezed." I know that sounds strange, but that's how it felt.

I am now down to 2.5 mg and doing well. Most of the w/d symptoms have stopped. I'd say the worst right now is the emotional upheaval that hits a few days after dropping the dose. I am tapering off in 0.5 mg increments right now to go easy on my poor ol' brain. I use the Paxil suspension (liquid) and measure with a syringe. I also take a variety of vitamins and supplements that I feel have made a positive difference in my well-being.

I don't care if Paxil is addictive in the true sense of the word or not--the fact of the matter is that it is darn hard to get off of without losing one's sanity and ability to function with regards to day-to-day life. It can be done, however--I am convinced of that.

Here are some very worthwhile books to consult--written by a knowledgeable, highly qualified psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Breggin:
THE ANTI-DEPRESSANT FACT BOOK
YOUR DRUG MAY BE YOUR PROBLEM

A couple interesting websites:
www.breggin.com
www.radiantrecovery.com

Be advised that most doctors do not realize how difficult it is to get off of Paxil because they merely read the literature furnished by the drug company. They often suggest quitting very quickly and then blame "relapse" for the return of symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you read Dr. Breggin's books (which I was able to take out from the local public library), you will have a good understanding of SSRIs, your body's reaction to them, and also how to talk to your doctor about SSRI use or getting off psychotropic drugs. Best wishes.

Thanks for the input, NM, now I won't be so scared about the leg thing. I have gone to radiant recovery website, and will take a look at the other one. I took my next dosage down yesterday (at 5 weeks instead of 6 like my doctor wanted me to do, as I have to work next weekened so I did it now.) I just went down another 2.5 mgs instead of 5mgs. It still isn't pleasant, but not as bad as the 5mg drop. Bad, bad head and eyes, bad stomach, little shaky inside, very light headed and dizzy whenever my head barely moves. So I have been down in bed almost all day. Hopefully tomorow will be better. Also, I have ordered the book 'Prozac Backlash.' When I'm finished reading it I will get one of the ones you suggested and then the other one. I am going to get as much education as I can on this stuff. I'm glad to hear that you are down to 2.5 mgs. Boy, you're almost there! Good for you !!! I am taking the vitamins, etc you suggested a while back. I just wish I was down more on this dosage - I have such a long way to go. Started at 40 mgs. and am only down to 32.5mgs. I guess I have a little depression going also, but I'm gonna have to try and remember that Rome wasn't built in a day either. Take care, and I'm wishing you happier and healthier days !

Thanks for the input, NM, now I won't be so scared about the leg thing. I have gone to radiant recovery website, and will take a look at the other one. I took my next dosage down yesterday (at 5 weeks instead of 6 like my doctor wanted me to do, as I have to work next weekened so I did it now.) I just went down another 2.5 mgs instead of 5mgs. It still isn't pleasant, but not as bad as the 5mg drop. Bad, bad head and eyes, bad stomach, little shaky inside, very light headed and dizzy whenever my head barely moves. So I have been down in bed almost all day. Hopefully tomorow will be better. Also, I have ordered the book 'Prozac Backlash.' When I'm finished reading it I will get one of the ones you suggested and then the other one. I am going to get as much education as I can on this stuff. I'm glad to hear that you are down to 2.5 mgs. Boy, you're almost there! Good for you !!! I am taking the vitamins, etc you suggested a while back. I just wish I was down more on this dosage - I have such a long way to go. Started at 40 mgs. and am only down to 32.5mgs. I guess I have a little depression going also, but I'm gonna have to try and remember that Rome wasn't built in a day either. Take care, and I'm wishing you happier and healthier days !

I came across as Guest. Got a new computer yesterday, so don't know what I'm doing. Am trying to get my username across. Jackie