I was looking up previous Q&A on Paxil side effects... withdrawals, excessive weight gain, all of which sounds like a terrible nightmare!! I have realized that I have pretty bad anxiety, I get killer migraines, jitters, my heart races so fast it makes me wanna throw up. hard time falling asleep, hard time concentrating, always very anxious, ect. and reading these answers made me feel even more anxious and nervous. My doc just prescribed me to the generic version of Paxil and I took my first pill yesterday, I have been trying to lose weight which has worked (I recently lost 10lbs) and I really am afraid to gain any. I know meds affect everyone one differently, but I really feel I need some more advice on this here. What do I do? The withdrawals seem to be just retched from what I have read. Is it worth it to try? It seems like a lose lose situation.
2007-05-18 05:42:21 · 15 answers · asked by sweetme 3 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Not everyone gets side effects. I took Paxil and never gained any weight. Try taking it before you go to bed at night, that way if you do have side effects it wont affect you as much.
2007-05-18 05:45:11 · answer #1 · answered by Loca 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really need to contact your doctor with these worries - that's your right as the patient. In terms of withdrawal problems, the two drugs which seem the worst for this are Effexor and Seroxat - if Seroxat is Paxil then yes, you might want to ask your doctor why he's prescribed that for you first, rather than trying a different one.
Also, don't pay too much attention to other people's 'horror stories' about anti depressants. People are more likely to share bad experiences than good ones - and these drugs help millions of people! Ultimately, only you know how awful you're feeling.
If you think you can cope without medication, then try and investigate other remedies. Try homeopathy, or reflexology; there are so many out there.
If though you feel you need medication, then go for it; you might feel great on this medication!
I was told 'never' to take Prozac for my depression and extreme PMS, and I read TERRIBLE things about it! But I did take it and found it a very gentle medication; I had hardly any side effects at all.
All of the anti depressants can cause withdrawal symptoms, and all have to be discontinued with care, and over a period of weeks, sometimes longer. That said, Effexor and Seroxat are definitely the most controversial in this respect.
Also be prepared for the fact that many of us have to try several anti depressants before finding the one that really works; this is very common.
Best of luck with it - do take any concerns and questions to your doctor and if you're not happy with his answers, get another doctor!
2007-05-18 05:54:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have taken Paxil for more than ten years and never had any problem.
I have stopped taking it for several months at a time and never had any noticable withdrawal symptoms.
You're thinking way too much, and you're going to have to take the stuff for at least a month before you know if it's going to work or not.
Paxil is very mild when you compare it to a lot of other medications. If you really have doubts about it, talk to your doctor, but you aren't going to tell any difference if you don't take it for at least about a month.
Someone answered here saying it's addictive; there's no truth to that. Someone else said St. John's Wort is better. I took St. John's Wort and had terrible stomach aches.
2007-05-25 15:35:54 · answer #3 · answered by majnun99 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had taken paxil some years back and never gained weight on it. I did have one side effect from it that was strange. I couldn't always verbally start a sentence without stuttering the first sound. It was quite noticeable and once I quit the paxil it stopped happening.
2007-05-18 05:54:08 · answer #4 · answered by ~~∞§arah T∞©~~ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was on paxil for a little over a year. I actually lost about 40 pounds while taking it. The only thing I hated was waiting on it to work I felt an increase in my anxiety. Once I got over the 1st 2 weeks or so, that ceased then I was ok.
2007-05-18 05:46:17 · answer #5 · answered by superwomanlib 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not everyone has the withdrawal problems from Paxil. And when you are ready to get off, you need to be under the care of your physician. The problem is people just stop taking their meds, and chances are ya, you get withdrawal.
No, its not a lose lose situation as your quality of your life right now is less than what you want for yourself.
You need to talk to your doctor about your concern of weight gain. Yes, not all get that side effect. You also need to be careful of generic drugs as they are not really the same as the brand name, and there are many different companies who make them. They may not be as effective as the brand or may be more side effects, but some are okay. There really is no telling with generics. Hopefully you get the same looking pill everytime you get your prescription filled.
2007-05-26 04:59:45 · answer #6 · answered by Marisse R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have worked in psych a long time. You are right that medication affects different people differently. There are many medications and strategies(research and talk to a therapist to get more details) that you can employ to help you deal with your anxiety on a daily basis, but do not stop taking your medication cold turkey.
Chart your weight and over a period of time note any weight differences. Then talk to your doctor. He would not have put you on this medication lightly. Cold turkey off medications can also be dangerous. If you find the medication does not work for you the doctor will take you off the medication gradually and try a new medication.
If you are really worried about weight gain continue with your exercise regime and healthy eating. This will help....
2007-05-18 05:53:00 · answer #7 · answered by DEREK E 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not everyone experiences side effects. I am on generic paxil and have not gained weight. I used to have severe anxiety attacks, and it has helped me tremendously. If your symptoms are bad enough, give it a try.
2007-05-18 05:50:44 · answer #8 · answered by Stephanie T 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Before giving you addictive, damaging drugs, I wonder if your doctor has bothered to check your blood for any physical problems like anemia. Symptoms are fatigue, weakness, breathlessness, heart palpitations (rapid or irregular beating), dizziness, headache, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating.
Or if he checked your thyroid
Or if he checked your endorcrine system
Or if he asked about your diet- do you skip meals and eat a lot of sugar or diet products?
If your doctor didn't look for the cause of your anxiety and simply offered you a drug to mask the symptoms, I'd call it a lose-lose situation. The withdrawals are retched. The side effects are dangerous and the long-term damage is only just now being reported.
2007-05-18 06:35:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know that your doc won't like it (because he won't get financial kick-back form the drug company- so sad) but there are non-drug solutions for anxiety- St. John's Wort, Inositol, and GABA (although you can only take GABA 6 out of 7 days throughout the week) try to do some research on other solutions that don't just mask the symptoms of a chemical imbalance and make you feel crappy in other ways
2007-05-18 05:53:43 · answer #10 · answered by hackwilson76 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋