what does half life of a medication mean?

[Taybey]

I hear this all the time im on paxil can someone please explain this to me?

taybey

[Paxiled]

Just answering your question in a simple way about choline receptors, not advising on supplementation.  

[Taybey]

Well i really dont get what your saying should I be taking vitimin b? i have not had any paxil in two full days now and im doing good. Wish me luck. Would u say that all of its out of my system? i was just taking 5 mgs

[Paxiled]

Choline is part of the B vitamin complex that has a lot to do with brain function.  As for every nutrient in the body, there are receptors that the body uses to "catch" the nutrients it needs and direct them where they're supposed to go.  That's obviously way simpler than it really is, but close enough.

[Taybey]

What is a choline receptor? Im not taking 5 mgs every other day or every two days if possible. i need to lose this weight.  Help....

[Paxiled]

Yeah, that's basically right, but you might not necessarily feel like you have none in your body because it's still used to having it there and doesn't forget that quickly.  As I understand it, at least part of what happens with all these tricyclics and ssris and such is that many serotonin receptors stop functioning while we're on the meds because they're no longer needed, but when we discontinue the meds they start to wake up again.  Since Paxil is also strongly affects choline receptors, that's also something that has to reorient itself.  With most people, the body does this pretty quickly, but for many it doesn't.  Some people get withdrawal symptoms just by missing a dose accidentally.  Remember, they affect everyone differently, and you've never had problems before with it.

[Taybey]

So if im on 10 mgs every other day on the day im not taking it I have none in my body?  you can pm me if u like?

[Paxiled]

kristine is right.  Paxil and all the other ssris other than Prozac have a very short half life, meaning they leave the body very quickly, some, like Paxil, in a matter of hours.  That's believed to be the reason for the intense withdrawals.

[kristine9190]

Half life means the amount of time it takes for your medication to get to half of the dose you took, for instance, I think Ativan has like an 8 hour half life or something, so if you take 1mg at 6:00, at 10:00 only .5mg is still in your body. That is my understanding, but there are people on here much more educated in the med department.

Take Care!