Going to Dr tomorrow

[safarigal]

There are many people with many opinions on this board. And everyone is entitled to share their opinion whether one likes it or not. But being rude gets one nowhere.

An open mind will lead you to success.

[MizzT]

Originally Posted by sc_girl

I wish there was a drug that helped severely anxious and/or depressed people feel better and had no side effects and caused them no harm. Is that the case?

How about magnesium?? a simple supplement that helps many overcome anxiety and depression by actually providing a mineral which you very well might be deficient of. I can tell you that you are not deficient of paxil.
AND...if you have taken ssris before you are more than likely deficient of magnesium.

I find it hard to believe the scientists are trying to hurt people, are they trying to do what the tobacco companies do? No, tobacco helps nothing, helps no one. Anti-depressants? Some helps some people. No one knows which will help whom until they are tried

maybe the scientists who are creating the new molecules are not out to harm people....but are the drug companies doing what the tobacco companies do??? YES! MAKE MONEY.
that is pointed out daily in the newspapers.
Pharma Cos spend 2.5 times as much money on promotion and executives as they do on R&D. and our doctors are payed off to push the drugs for all sorts of off label prescriptions.

Yes...its your decision to go on paxil. all ssris are not equal. and once you start tweeking with one...whos to say what chemical balance or imbalance you have...and whether its from the last drug or original symptoms.
Its a slippery slope when you start tweeking the endocrine system. And people here are not off base saying that paxil shows some of the worst side effects of all of them. And its so similar to lexapro which you said did not work. But i am not here to tell you to do anything in particular.

but there are substances out there that can actually cure you and not have side effects. They are found in diet, exercise and positive thought.
and while you say you are proof of ADs working....I too am proof of magnesium working....and simple natural methods. Its worth considering simply because of the lack of side effects and gentle healing for your body.

peace
beverly

[emily]

SC, you're welcome to pm me--lots of people seem to with things they're scared to say on this site--but just know that i WILL tell you: getting off paxil later, if you go on it now, may be the most hideous experience you've ever had in your life. Honest-to-God.

As for drug companies: of course they do loads of good. The psychology of "drug-companies-are-the-antichrist" conspiracy theorists--the classic psychology of conspiracy theorists in general, be they left- or right-wing--is this:

*the world seems out of my control
*therefore other people must be controlling it
*therefore i will come up with theories to govern the world's inner workings
*by coming up with these theories, i will make myself feel that i have "special" or "superior" knowledge that the rest of society does not have, thereby alleviating my original sense of inadequacy & making myself feel specal & 'in the know."

(My father, for example, believes there's a left-wing conspiracy to cover up John Kerry's "true" Vietnam record: Oy. Don't get me started!)

Having said this: truth usually resides somewhere smack in the middle between paranoia & blind acceptance. Do drug companies do loads of good? Of course. Are there entire villages of orphaned children in Africa because the drug companies are too f-ing greedy to supply the drugs to the poor? Yup.

[lisak]

SC_girl:

I would like to let you know that you are not the only person who believes that some ADs are actually helpful. I've been on Paxil CR for the past year and a half and have found an amazing change in myself.

Don't get me wrong: I am not saying that Paxil has cured me or that it has gotten rid of my anxiety and OCD tendencies. I am saying that with Paxil's help of being able to control my anxiety and OCD, I have been able to go to a psych-doc EVERY week to learn what the underlying issues of my anxiety and OCD are. As just about everyone here will tell you over and over, Paxil is not the cure, it only masks the issues.

I am extremely grateful for Paxil and am still taking it. I read this message board every day to learn what I can about this drug and how I react to it and how others reacted/are still reacting to it. I plan to reduce my dosage in the near future and the only way sometimes to understand reality is by others' experience (well, and your own, but I don't mind cheating a bit and learning from mistakes/unfortunate experiences of others ahead of time). I have learned here that when I am ready -- when I have learned about myself and found ways to deal with my issues and the side effects of these issues (i.e., anxiety, OCD) -- I will be able to take the information provided by so many users here and withdraw from my meds slowly, properly, and with caution.

I for one do not chastise you for beginning to take Paxil. I will say that there are many side effects that suck. But for me, the side effects have petered out and I am living a fuller life because of this stuff.

G'Luck.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by sc_girl

The big bad drug companies, ohhhh, they make horrific things like AIDS treatment drugs, drugs for people with heart problems, anti-seizure medication for my friend who has epilepsy, drugs for hemopheliacs - all kinds of mean nasty things.

That does not justify them lying about ssri's

[emily]

SC, what other SSRIs have you been on/what doses/how long etc?
What's your med-history?

I've only ever taken Paxil (20mg, 6.5 years), Lexapro (5-15 mg since
January) & xanax (O-3 .25 mg pills per week this year, as needed).

Knowing where you're coming from may help us all understand better.

Some people here were only on an SSRI for a few months; some have been on different ones since their inception (20ish years); some were even on the old tricyclics before that. Some people here have battled benzo addiction & kicked it's sorry butt. (Hey all: tangentially: did Scott get swept away by the hurricane)?

[Scott]

Originally Posted by sc_girl

That is not my intention. I just wonder why so many here are so closed-minded.

People on AD's sometimes kill themselves. No kidding! What a shock! They were depressed to start with and the AD they were taking wasn't working. You blame the drug? Or the depression?

people who have had no history of depression have killed themselves on these drugs.. we have a girl who posted not even 3 months ago who just lost her dad to suicide. He was on it for anxiety. He killed himself shortly after his doctor took him off too quickly.. so yeah, we blame the drug. I've also been on many ssri drugs and none of them can touch paxil as far as symptoms while starting and while stopping. Also, it was the drug that induced depression in me as I have never been depressed. So enjoy your fantasy world of denial that this is a miracle drug that will not cause you problems, i'm sorry I cared whether someone I've never met has a hard time, it won't happen again. I don't need this crap.

[safarigal]

Oh oh, Scott is starting to feel the stress from Charley, Frances and Ivan out at sea. Yeah Scott, I hear ya on this one. I'm feeling it too.

People who have had no history of depression have killed themselves while not on anti-depressants, too.

It is impossible to know what is going on in someone's mind unless they offer it, drug or no drug.

[quote]That is not my intention. I just wonder why so many here are so closed-minded.

I don't think we are close minded. If "we" were, we would have never taken the meds in the first place. However, had I know the withdrawal side effects would last 9 months and counting, if I had known that I would gain weight to the point I am now considered obese, if I had known the toll it would take on my family coming off the meds, I would have done things differently. Would I have started the meds to begin with? Probably. Would I have taken them for 3 years. Absolutely not. But due to the internet and great websites like this, I have been offered a soft place to land and connect with others who experience the not-so-great side of SSRI's. For that I now feel "informed" or "enlightened".

[Scott]

Originally Posted by sc_girl

People who have had no history of depression have killed themselves while not on anti-depressants, too.

It is impossible to know what is going on in someone's mind unless they offer it, drug or no drug.

it's irresponsible to say a drug had no part in the suicide of someone who is otherwise totally normal and has a great relationship with his daughter. I've started paxil and i've quit it.. and I really can see how someone can give up. There were times when all I could do is lay in bed wondering when my brain would stop trying to escape my skull. I literally had to hold on to my sanity.
I've been switched many times and have been on prozac, luvox, effexor, serzone and lexapro.. none of them gave me the hell that paxil did. You're hellbent on starting it and obviously biased to drugs so there is no changing your mind. I just hope that you do not have the reactions that we all have seen in many thousands of people. I hope after a year of use you don't gain 70 pounds. I hope after 2 years it doesn't quit working for you and you then have to go through what you're reluctant to accept now.
Most importantly, I hope you aren't like that girl's father, a normal guy with a good family and life, driven to suicide.

Scott:
I don't know where you get the idea that I am "hell-bent" on taking Paxil. I am considering it among my choices and it is. I am of course empathetic to the things you went through, but that doesn't happen to everyone, not even the majority (of people who take SSRI's). That of course, does not lessen your suffering. I have taken SSRI's before, Luvox has worked great, Prozac made me sick.
What I find is that some folks seem to think that any anti-depressant medication is inherently evil and what I am trying to say it that is not the case. I understand from others here that some viewpoints are apparently not as welcome as others.
There is no saying a drug causes a person to kill themselves as there is saying lack of a drug causes someone to kill themselves - fact is, unless we were that person - we just don't know.
(I knew a guy who was married, had a baby daughter, good job, went to my church, always seemed happy, never said anything about being the least bit upset to anyone, not even his wife. One day his wife and daughter went to the store, he went out to the backyard, sat on a swing and shot himself in the head, nobody saw it coming - only him. if he had been on a medicine, could it have helped him? maybe, who knows)

AD's have helped and do help a lot of people. Everyone? Guess not. But that is no reason for anyone to condemn anyone else for trying them.
I appreciate the "warnings" about Paxil. I will definitely take those into consideration as I do my own research.
Good luck to you and I appreciate your effort.

[MizzT]

Originally Posted by sc_girl

Luvox has worked great,

so why not just stay on luvox?

[MizzT]

OIC

As you were paxilprogress bashing over on crazymeds you happened to mention that the Luvox Seems to have pooped out on you.
kind of causing some symptoms. hhhmmmnnn....who would have thought that with such wonderful drugs! Did the doc ever tell you it might poop out.

poor SC....her luvox pooped out on her!

[emily]

wow, defonz--you sound kind of patronizing & hostile? maybe you could tap on whatever body part helps you with that--or take some more probiotic fiber? if someone is on a drug that helps them--& it stops helping them--i don't know if this is something to be smug about.

[Scott]

ok that's enough