Thanks for addressing the weight issue

Like other people I have read about here, I was almost too thin before I started Paxil. I ate and drank pretty much whatever I wanted. I was never very active as far as exercise but I was more active in the sense that I was not lethargic all the time.

The first thing I noticed when I started the Paxil was the lethargy and the weight gain. I was depressed about having to be on any type of med in the first place. The weight gain compounded everything. While my family and friends think I look better with the weight I've put on, it depresses me because I have not been in control of it. I don't eat more than I used to. In fact, I've been conscious of eating less which I never had to do.

It's just one more area of my life that I feel out of control of because of the paxil. I can't wait to feel better about myself again. As I have seen other people mention, it just feels good to feel again. I'm not the me I used to be but just knowing I am attempting to take my life back makes a
big difference.

I think we are all beautiful on this site becasue we are reaching out to other people for help, a brave thing to do, as well as offering help to others.

Colleen

[darcyb]

You said it Colleen! And with you sharing your experiences, we are helped that much more: credibility building.

Weight gain is definitely a serious problem witih Paxil. It's observed all the time.

[Scott]

once i had reached my highest paxil weight I tried walking 2 miles a night.. I know i was burning calories but in a month of doing that I didnt lose a pound.

Thanks Darcy and Scott.

I know it's a vanity thing and the least of the Paxil issues but it does feel good to vent to people that understand.

I have been going to a couples therapist with my fiance to aid us both in dealing with the emotions. She has been very helpful in aiding VJ to see that all facets of the drug are important to address.

Scott, I very much appreciate your lyric as I am a die hard Bon Jovi fan. When I feel down, I put that on, crank it up and remind myself how good it feels to take my life back.

[Scott]

eh i dunno if it's all vanity.. im sure that's part of it when you're used to looking a certain way. But there comes a time when an added 70 pounds on a person makes them feel physically less than they should.

I'm 6'2" tall and I went from 225 pounds to 255 on Paxil with no changes in exercise and eating habits. Yet my doctor says Paxil ha nothig to do with it. My shrink at least acknowledges the correlation.

[darcyb]

Sometimes doctors have to be GIVEN the truth. They're people too who don't exactly recertify or get checked up on for how often they read medical journals, daily news, support groups, and the flurry of books coming out each day. And then doctors are further discouraged from discovering/admitting adverse effects to drugs because the less effective drugs are, the less effective they are since they have become so drug based. That risks their bottom line.

If people's health actually improved, doctor visits would go way down and serious money would be lost and doctors out of work. There's a big pressure in the world for people to stay sick. It's a deep s*** hole of conflict of interest.

The doctor who put me on paxil and xanax in the first place actually referred me to a pharmapyschologist because I expressed anxiety over the drugs and he did not know how to respond to that. I called the office thinking it was a one time deal where this person would instruct me how to wean off the meds and send me back to my own doctor. Turns out, this doctor would have charged $400 for the initial visit followed by a necessary series of visits at $275 per visit. He did not accept insurance and I am not sure how much, if any, my benefits would have covered. The only thing this doctor would have done was keep me on the paxil and caused me more emotional and financial anxiety!

I turned to a very knowledgable pharmacist friend to instruct me on weaning off. So far, he has been right on target with side effects and proper timing. All I need to pay him is a happier/healthier version of myself.

The medical professionals in this country are way to quick to prescribe these medications as a quick fix. I find it troublesome that they don't feel the need to closely monitor the patients who they put on these drugs. How can you take a depressed person and out them on this drug and say see you in 6 months. Some responsibility has to be taken for the potential effect it could have on an individual.

My doctor never warned me about the potential side effects. Believe me, I asked a lot of questions and was told that it would help me, not hurt me. I will never show such blind faith in any medical professional ever again, a tough lesson learned

Colleen

[darcyb]

Frequently doctors just don't know. It's not like they're legally required to read x amount of journals and x books per year or to listen to what their patients are telling them to have a learning exchange. Our health is often not open for discussion, it's a dictatorship.

Personally I didn't gain weight while I was on Paxil. But in the six weeks since I starting cutting my dose I've already gained five pounds.

I once read a cancer survivor's story in which she said that she actually gained weight during chemotherapy because she mistook the nausea for hunger. That doesn't seem too far-fetched to me. Personally I my stomach is unsettled all the damn time. Inasmuch as I just ate dinner three hours ago I must not really be hungry, but I really have no idea.