Doctor said I should switch to Paxil (antidepressant)

[[la...]]

I'm about 1 month into my taper ( plan is in signature below).  I recently went to a doctor and described my issue with clonazepam and how I've been tapering over my winter vacation.  He said I should continue tapering but start taking 10mg of Paxil daily, and that in about 2-3 weeks I should be able to withdraw completely from the clonazepam without any problems.  He also said Paxil is a much better anti-anxiety medication for daily use.  I looked around a little bit online and saw some stuff about suicidal thoughts and withdrawal symptoms, but it does look better than the horrible experiences I've had with clonazepam.  Do you think switching to Paxil is good advice for someone with mild anxiety and medium-to-severe insomnia?  One other thing to mention is that my benzo taper has gone well with only minor hiccups such as having bad anxiety during hangovers from alcohol.

[Guest [Mi...]]

Key words: "mild anxiety" and "medium-to-severe insomnia"

 

I wouldn't if it were me. Paxil has a short half-life and many people report problems coming off it.

 

If your benzo taper is going well, I would not add more meds. It would be best to not drink because alcohol affects the CNS and many, many members report problems after drinking.

 

I'm glad it's going so well for you. 

[Guest [jc...]]

Many people have a horrible time getting off of it.  It caused me to gain a huge amount of weight when I took it and made me feel like a lethargic zombie.  Do lots of research before taking it.

[[bu...]]

While ADs are often prescribed for anxiety, keep in mind that antidepressants are, by definition, "UPPERS".  Many people find them stimulating, not relaxing.

[[Ki...]]

Paxil is what started benzo use for me. My Pacil taper is now halted to deal with benzo w/d. The w/d was very difficult and studies have shown it is among one of the tougher AD's to withdraw from. IMO, you would be throwing gasoline on a campfire by going this route. You'd be much better off learning to deal with your anxiety using CBT, meditation, distraction, therapy....anything really that provides you with natural coping tools. I'm still on Paxil and it does NOTHING to cover up my withdrawal symptoms.

 

JC - are you Paxil free now? How did you find your w/d?

[Guest [jc...]]

I was on it about 18 years ago for about a year I think and switched to Celexa.  I don't remember going through withdrawal, probably because I went from one SSRI to another and I was also on 3 to 4 mg. of klonopin/day.

[[la...]]

The problem is that I think I need an alternative medication or other remedy to replace the benzo I was taking. 

[[Ki...]]

I'm confused? Replace what benzo? Aren't you just a month into tapering?

[Guest [jc...]]

You've cut by 2 mg. in a month, that is really fast.....I think 10% every two weeks is recommended.  Maybe you're not giving your body enough time to adjust and that's why you're feeling the need to take something else?

[[pi...]]

You are cutting very fast and it is likely that your nervous system is reacting to the rapid withdrawal. Clonazepam is very strong and I felt every small reduction greatly.  I know it's easy to be impatient but why not hold for a while to let your system settle down.

 

There is a start up time for any AD where symptoms can actually increase. There is simply no magic bullet to take away withdrawal effects. Slow tapers and time is the best.

 

pianogirl

[[la...]]

I'm still going to continue tapering for 2-4 more weeks.  What I meant by replacing the clonazepam is that I think some kind of anti-anxiety pill might be needed later/now since I'll just be back to where I started (or worse) once I'm off the clonazepam.  I'm not sure if I'll start taking the Paxil or try to get something else less dangerous.

[[Be...]]

My benzowise doctor prescribed Zoloft for me.  I didn't take it.  It made me feel out of it.  Paxil was a bad one for me.  Mental s/x's were bad on it.  Maybe even the tricyclics like Tofranil or Norpramin might be better, they stop panic attacks. 

[[Ri...]]

Hello Lawstudent8,

You really need to educate yourself about these drugs BEFORE you start trying them, doctors won't do it for you.  I highly recommend going to your library and reading a book called "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker, it could save your life.  I am assuming you are still young, trust me, don't fool around with this stuff.

 

Ringo

[[Fa...]]

I'm about 1 month into my taper ( plan is in signature below).  I recently went to a doctor and described my issue with clonazepam and how I've been tapering over my winter vacation.  He said I should continue tapering but start taking 10mg of Paxil daily, and that in about 2-3 weeks I should be able to withdraw completely from the clonazepam without any problems.  He also said Paxil is a much better anti-anxiety medication for daily use.  I looked around a little bit online and saw some stuff about suicidal thoughts and withdrawal symptoms, but it does look better than the horrible experiences I've had with clonazepam.  Do you think switching to Paxil is good advice for someone with mild anxiety and medium-to-severe insomnia?  One other thing to mention is that my benzo taper has gone well with only minor hiccups such as having bad anxiety during hangovers from alcohol.

 

 

    Believe it or not I actually had the most success with Paxil(Paroxetine) when it comes to dealing with anxiety and panic stuff. I took it for almost 5 years with barely any side effects (except one big one for me at the time, the inability to ejaculate, but don't that scare you.. (results may vary). But that is the main reason I decided to switch to something else...

    Anyway, after going through the SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors) I realized that this was a side effect of this class of drug no matter the slight difference in chemistry. So I looked toward SNRI's (Serotonin Norepinephine Re-uptake Inhitors) I.e. Effexor. Same thing...only with out realizing it I was confusing the hell out of my brain as far as wtf is normal. SO I stopped taking everything. (This was before benzos)

      Back to the point, yes I had much success taking Paxil, keep in mind though that it takes weeks to actually work...and if you are currently in w/d from clonazepam it may make your anxiety worse for the first couple of weeks untill your brain adjusts.   

[[la...]]

Hello Lawstudent8,

You really need to educate yourself about these drugs BEFORE you start trying them, doctors won't do it for you.  I highly recommend going to your library and reading a book called "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker, it could save your life.  I am assuming you are still young, trust me, don't fool around with this stuff.

 

Ringo

I agree with the idea -- yet the question still remains unanswered: is there a substance that can alleviate standard anxiety w/o having bad side effects?  I have the Paxil on hand, but probably won't use it before consulting w/ a 2nd doctor.  In all honesty, the doctor I met with recently did seem a bit like a salesman--he in fact said Paxil is "non habit forming" and mentioned nothing of the potential side effects of suicidal thoughts & weight gain.  Again, the problem is that I still have another semester of law school (hell), and I have to give oral presentations.  I need something that can take the edge off, which is what clonazepam did for me.  I have an 'especially sensitive nervous system' that needs to be relaxed.....isn't there something that can boost my natural CNS depressant?

[Guest [Mi...]]

Hello Lawstudent8,

You really need to educate yourself about these drugs BEFORE you start trying them, doctors won't do it for you.  I highly recommend going to your library and reading a book called "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker, it could save your life.  I am assuming you are still young, trust me, don't fool around with this stuff.

 

Ringo

I agree with the idea -- yet the question still remains unanswered: is there a substance that can alleviate standard anxiety w/o having bad side effects?  I have the Paxil on hand, but probably won't use it before consulting w/ a 2nd doctor.  In all honesty, the doctor I met with recently did seem a bit like a salesman--he in fact said Paxil is "non habit forming" and mentioned nothing of the potential side effects of suicidal thoughts & weight gain.  Again, the problem is that I still have another semester of law school (hell), and I have to give oral presentations.  I need something that can take the edge off, which is what clonazepam did for me.  I have an 'especially sensitive nervous system' that needs to be relaxed.....isn't there something that can boost my natural CNS depressant?

 

Does your university have yoga and mindfulness classes?

 

It's not about just getting through law school. How are you going to handle taking the bar exam? How about the interview process? Becoming a partner?

 

I spent years working in the accounting department of various law firms in DC. Lawyers have a lot on them. Lots of stress. And alcohol is all around. I've known many lawyers who went the drug and alcohol route. Many just ended up burnt out looking to "take the edge off."

 

If I had this to do over again, I'd head toward yoga and mindfulness as a way of life.

[[sc...]]

Paxil threw me into a state of mania, when my doctor seen me at my next visit he was shocked I wasso wired. In my own experience

[[Ki...]]

Lawstudent - I'm glad your doctor didn't seem like a salesman.....however, doctors only know what the DRUG REPS tell them. The drug reps WORK for the drug companies. You need to make a decision based on facts. Every single drug has a side effect. Every SSRI has the potential to produce suicide ideation. As far as Paxil and weight gain....I gained 40 pounds in the first 1.5 years i was on it. Please think long and hard about the road you are about to go down. I suggest reading Anatomy of an Epidemic before you make a choice to start a medication. You are so lucky to becoming off your benzo without too many issues....truly. I'm not anti-medication BUT you've already stated that you have an "especially sensitive nervous system" so IMO you are playing with fire. You don't need a "substance" to take the edge off. Therapy, EFT/Tapping, CBT, Meditation and Yoga are all better alternatives with no side effects and no altering of your brain chemistry.

 

Just my two cents.

[[be...]]

If it were me, I'd run like hell from Paxil. These are two quotes I picked up from the results of a clinical trial.

 

"In clinical trials, depressed patients taking Paxil found no more relief from depression than those taking a placebo."

 

"Patients trying to withdraw from Paxil run a very high risk of suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms."

 

That's good enough for me! Bets

[[Je...]]

Paxil sent me to the moon...not in a good way...

[[Di...]]

I take Paxil and it has helped my anxiety a lot.  Started on 10 mg which made me feel wired, went down to 5 mg, then back up to 10, and then I was fine.  Problem is, I want to get off it after the clonazepam, and I hear Paxil is very hard to get off of.  Not looking forward to that. 

[[la...]]

Does your university have yoga and mindfulness classes?

 

It's not about just getting through law school. How are you going to handle taking the bar exam? How about the interview process? Becoming a partner?

 

I spent years working in the accounting department of various law firms in DC. Lawyers have a lot on them. Lots of stress. And alcohol is all around. I've known many lawyers who went the drug and alcohol route. Many just ended up burnt out looking to "take the edge off."

 

If I had this to do over again, I'd head toward yoga and mindfulness as a way of life.

I want the ideals of the alternative medicine you speak of -- yet I don't think alternative medicine can conquer the reality of a hyper-sensitive central nervous system.  Here is where I stand: I've decided that going the Paxil route is a bad route (I was skeptical to begin with, as I think the ultimate goal is a natural way to stimulate my GABA receptors).  I tried to research GABA agonists and came across a substance called Picamilon.  Any thoughts on this?  I would really appreciate an educated conversation on GABA agonists.  Based on what I've read, it seems that the best way to normalize an abnormally active CNS is to stimulate your natural CNS inhibitor (which is GABA).  Doesn't this make sense?  The Soviet Union apparently developed several substances that can theoretically do this.  Is Picamilon an option?

[[hu...]]

I don't have much knowledge about picamilon, but if you are considering supplements, l-theanine seems like worth a try, it may or may not make a big difference with reducing anxiety, but I haven't heard of anybody having a bad reaction to that. I haven't taken it personally because it is hard and expensive to obtain for me, but there must be other BBs here who have tried it.

Paxil sounds like a risky idea, I've mostly heard scary things about it. If you really need pharma meds, there are other options that some BBs here have tried and found some relief, but it's kind of a guess work in the beginning, what works for one might cause some trouble to another.

 

 

 

[Guest [Mi...]]

Does your university have yoga and mindfulness classes?

 

It's not about just getting through law school. How are you going to handle taking the bar exam? How about the interview process? Becoming a partner?

 

I spent years working in the accounting department of various law firms in DC. Lawyers have a lot on them. Lots of stress. And alcohol is all around. I've known many lawyers who went the drug and alcohol route. Many just ended up burnt out looking to "take the edge off."

 

If I had this to do over again, I'd head toward yoga and mindfulness as a way of life.

I want the ideals of the alternative medicine you speak of -- yet I don't think alternative medicine can conquer the reality of a hyper-sensitive central nervous system.  Here is where I stand: I've decided that going the Paxil route is a bad route (I was skeptical to begin with, as I think the ultimate goal is a natural way to stimulate my GABA receptors).  I tried to research GABA agonists and came across a substance called Picamilon.  Any thoughts on this?  I would really appreciate an educated conversation on GABA agonists.  Based on what I've read, it seems that the best way to normalize an abnormally active CNS is to stimulate your natural CNS inhibitor (which is GABA).  Doesn't this make sense?  The Soviet Union apparently developed several substances that can theoretically do this.  Is Picamilon an option?

 

You may wish to post a question about Picamilon on the Alternative Therapy section of the forum. I'm not familiar with this.

[Guest [jc...]]

Another great supplement is inositiol.  I've been taking it a few months with great results.  It helps with panic attacks and anxiety.  There is a thread on it here, I think under the supplements or alternative treatments heading.