New to this and scared

[paxilmom14]

Hi everyone,
I am a Mom of two. One of my (early teen) children was incarcerated last week for some really bad stuff. We are talking some felony charges here. My son is not that kind of person. I did not know about the Paxil connection until A Dr. I spoke to made the connections. They let me take him off the paxil and even with withdrawl he feels better. I have an attorney for him but I am new to the legal system does anyone know if judges usually are compassionate with paxil cases? What are the normal outcomes of trial? How can I get help for my son while he is in detention?
Thanks to all in advance!

[aberdeen]

I have no idea....I just wanted to give you some support and say welcome. That's awful, and I really hope you and your son manage to get through this nice and quick. How is he feeling withdrawal wise?

[NewbGuy]

I can't answer your legal question, but some on here can. But you might as well get some preliminary questions out of the way.

How old is your son, how long and when was he put on paxil, for what condition was he officially prescribed paxil, what dosage of paxil was he put on, was the felonious behavior completely spontaneous or was there any sort of history prior to paxil, etc..

[paxilmom14]

Thanks. My son is 14 and he started on Paxil in September so it's been 6 months or so. He was on Paxil for social anxiety and possible depression. He was started on the lowest dose however I started seeing more depression as well as some agitation and anger so the doctor bumped up the dose. I took him back twice when he claimed he wanted to hurt himself and she bumped him up twice more. His last dosage was 37.5mg!!!!! I have already beat myself up over this in fact it's killing me inside. He has NO prior record and has always been a very good kid. He was an upstanding member of society and in fact volonteered his time often. This was a complete shock to everyone around us. We are just thankful he or anyone else was not hurt or killed!
As for withdrawl I am not allowed to see him everyday and on visiting days it's for only 20 mins so I can't see alot. Yesterday while I talked to him he would shake uncontrollably almost seizure like he called them zaps. He also said he was cold all the time. however my husband wwas also on Paxil and doing reletivly well
. When this happened he quit that very day! It scared him to death! His withdrawl sympthoms are weakness, sweats, and electrical shocks in his head. Also he had a nightmare night before last that I could not wake him from very vivid from what I understand.

[miriza]

Hi paxilmom! All I can say is that I am very angry at doctors and Big Pharma...and I am sitting here crying...I'm going through Hell with these drugs and I just cannot imagine a 14 yr old going through this. Support your son, believe him and love him unconditionally! You cannot begin to imagine the crap these poisons put in our brains, the sheer terror they make us feel...and a child going through this I just can't imagine.

Many hugs and good luck.

Perhaps Dr. Breggin or Dr. Ann Tracy could help you out since they are experts on what these drugs can do...

[scotty]

I'm at work and can't post at this point, but watch this video and when I get home I'll get back on. I understand how scary this is, believe me.

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=55617

Is he home with you now? Please, please watch him close if he is in cold turkey withdrawal. His behavior can get very bizarre and you need to be prepared for that. I would consider giving him a half dose for a while to help with the withdrawal.

[caperjackie]

These FOUL drugs! I am so very sorry for what your family is going through. Dr Peter Breggin (www.breggin.com) may be able to help you - it may be worth trying to contact him. Also - coming off these drugs cold turkey is not the best approach as the withdrawal can be pretty brutal and prolonged. Perhaps your husband would consider having a look at this site which can help him to successfully wean after reinstating. Perhaps this would be an option for your son too? Good luck to you all - will keep you in my prayers.

[paxilmom14]

Belive me! he has gotten awsome support! At his first hearing to send him back to detention the judge as well as the state were shocked that we were not only there but stood up for him! I thought : what parent wouldn't? He has many friends and although they cannot see him they send thier love through us. When the took him back the officer did not handcuff him nor did he lock the doors when he left the vehicle to get gas. He told us as well as the judge he didn't need to as he was a good kid.
Since he is not with us I cannot give him support through this cold turkey phase except on visitng days and for 20 minutes. I am also not sure what ,if any support he is getting from the staff. I cannot regulate how he is taken off the meds. We asked the judge and was granted the permission for him to go to a mental health facility but they only kept him 4 days as that was what the court had ordered. The whole family is sick over this.
I am so glad I found this site! There is so much support here!

[paxilmom14]

has anyone here used Dr. Breggin for testemony before? The attorney squeezed what little I had out of me so I was wondering how reasonable he was. My attorney is looking for expert witnesses but I will have to pay extra for them. he sounds like what i need though

[Backtopaxil]

Originally Posted by paxilmom14

Thanks. My son is 14 and he started on Paxil in September so it's been 6 months or so. He was on Paxil for social anxiety and possible depression. He was started on the lowest dose however I started seeing more depression as well as some agitation and anger so the doctor bumped up the dose. I took him back twice when he claimed he wanted to hurt himself and she bumped him up twice more. His last dosage was 37.5mg!!!!! I have already beat myself up over this in fact it's killing me inside. He has NO prior record and has always been a very good kid. He was an upstanding member of society and in fact volonteered his time often. This was a complete shock to everyone around us. We are just thankful he or anyone else was not hurt or killed!
As for withdrawl I am not allowed to see him everyday and on visiting days it's for only 20 mins so I can't see alot. Yesterday while I talked to him he would shake uncontrollably almost seizure like he called them zaps. He also said he was cold all the time. however my husband wwas also on Paxil and doing reletivly well
. When this happened he quit that very day! It scared him to death! His withdrawl sympthoms are weakness, sweats, and electrical shocks in his head. Also he had a nightmare night before last that I could not wake him from very vivid from what I understand.

Oh my God, this sounds so much like Laurie's story with her son, granted he did not get involved with the law.

For now I can tell you this, THERE IS HOPE AND IT GETS BETTER.
She will communicate with you soon. She is the site moderator and can relate to this. Hang in there !

[jheaney1]

The head zaps are one of the first symptoms after stopping an SSRI. There may be some behavioral changes, depression, anger, indifference, anxiety. The list of symptoms is very long. Try your best to ride them out.

The anger that withdrawal can cause is very intense. Just do your best to remember that it's temporary, and transient. They most likely do not mean whatever they say in the heat of the moment, it's the drug withdrawal causing them to lash out, not their normal personality.

I've rewritten this post a couple times. I know your son's not with you, so I don't want to say anything that will cause you anxiety or worry, you probably have plenty of it, anyway. You'll all get through this, it sounds like you have a very supportive family, and that's the best thing in withdrawal. All the logic and reason in the world won't make a difference to someone with SSRI withdrawal, but they will cling to compassion like a life preserver

[paxilmom14]

Thanks so much guys.
I just got the call from the detention center that he was returned from the hospital today and they have him on suicide watch! I just want to go down there and hold him.

[scotty]

Getting an expert witness can be a huge problem. You can try Breggin, but I'm not sure he would be even close to be affordable. What state are you in? You can pm me this if you don't want it public.

I would not use Ann Tracy, her testimony hasn't held much water for most. Who prescribed the Paxil? Those are the notes you want to see if the change in personality is documented. The paxil insert specify's the potential for personality changes, that should have been picked up by the prescribing physician. The fact that he was only 14 is another HUGE factor, since these drugs are not approved for under 18 and have serious warnings for that age group too.

A few more questions:
1. was the prescribing doctor a GP or psychiatrist?
2. When did you notice the changes, and what did the doctor do about it?
3. Did his school notice any changes?
4. Does his attorney have information regarding paxil's influence on teens?

[scotty]

Originally Posted by paxilmom14

Thanks so much guys.
I just got the call from the detention center that he was returned from the hospital today and they have him on suicide watch! I just want to go down there and hold him.

He is suicidal because of the cold turkey withdrawal. They need to restart the paxil now.

[jheaney1]

When you see him, try to explain to him that the things he's feeling, and the intensity that he's experiencing, are from Paxil withdrawal. It was somewhat comforting to me to realize that my suicidal thoughts were coming from withdrawal, and not a fundamental change in my personality or a character flaw. It helped me get through the tough parts.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by jheaney1

When you see him, try to explain to him that the things he's feeling, and the intensity that he's experiencing, are from Paxil withdrawal. It was somewhat comforting to me to realize that my suicidal thoughts were coming from withdrawal, and not a fundamental change in my personality or a character flaw. It helped me get through the tough parts.

Excellent point! He needs to be told that there are people out here who believe in him and understand what he's going through.

[paxilmom14]

Scotty. How do you pm someone on this forum?
The pediatric Dr. Was the prescriber. What gets me is I specificly asked about the mood changes and suicide risks and she assured me this was safe.
I noticed depression and agitation on the first 30 days.
The Drs solution was to bump up the dose.

[jheaney1]

Originally Posted by paxilmom14

What gets me is I specificly asked about the mood changes and suicide risks and she assured me this was safe.

Most doctors are not aware of the pervasiveness of side effects with SSRI usage. They're not aware of withdrawal at all. The pharmaceutical companies have gone to great lengths to minimize the negative effects. Glaxo Smith Kline claims that only 2% of patients experience withdrawal which is minor and usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks. They don't even call it withdrawal... "Discontinuation Syndrome"
I was also diagnosed with situational social anxiety and possible depression, but when I went to the my doctor in full blown withdrawal... psychotic, suicidal, etc., he told me it was the reemergence of a pre existing condition. I'm shy and get bummed out occasionally, I've never exhibited those kinds of symptoms before or since. I don't think that my doctor is necessarily incompetent, although he keeps trying to convince me he is. He's been told so many times by a sales rep that these drugs are like mental vitamins that my experience doesn't even scratch the surface of his preconceptions.

[paxilmom14]

the dr. had actually been on paxil before and she claimed it saved her life after a death in the family, of course she is 50+ years old NOT 14!

[aberdeen]

THis is criminal, there's just no other word for it. 14 years old is a baby for crying out loud, disgusting.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by paxilmom14

Scotty. How do you pm someone on this forum?
The pediatric Dr. Was the prescriber. What gets me is I specificly asked about the mood changes and suicide risks and she assured me this was safe.
I noticed depression and agitation on the first 30 days.
The Drs solution was to bump up the dose.

Click on anyones "screenname" (left side of their post) and you will get a menu that includes "send a private message". Just follow the steps from there. I've turned on your private messaging(which can be done in your profile, but it's all done for you)

[scotty]

Originally Posted by paxilmom14

the dr. had actually been on paxil before and she claimed it saved her life after a death in the family, of course she is 50+ years old NOT 14!

Even after all these years we still see doctors, especially a pediatrician who should KNOW better, deny the dangers of this drug. The warnings are very well documented today(not the case in 2004), so there is NO excuse for not seeing the adverse effects. I makes me so angry to see this still going on.

[jheaney1]

That's the thing about this problem, it doesn't affect everyone. Your doctor had a positive experience with Paxil, I think many people do. The thing I find unforgivable is that the percentage of people who have disastrous experiences is dismissed by the manufacturers. The responsible thing to do would be to admit that the problem exists, and develop some way to mitigate it. The pharmaceutical companies have decided to pursue the deny/litigate/blind settlement course of action. They will eventually share the fate of the Auto industry bean counters and tobacco companies. That's a bare comfort for those of us who live with the consequences, now.

[nickels]

This is so upsetting to read. I'm sick for you and your family. I really hope he gets the help he needs. I don't have any advice from a legal standpoint, just wanted to offer prayers. Please listen to scotty, shes lived it!

[paxilmom14]

Yeah and law has been no help . They want to try him as an adult.