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Promethazine for Paxil withdrawals??
I've been on Paxil for 2 years, diagnosed with hypothyroidism 1 yr ago... Long story short, I'm trying to get off Paxil now, hoping that my depression was caused by thyroid. I weaned myself (doctor approved) down to 10 mg, doc said I should be fine to stop taking it... Now I am having SEVERE headaches and nausea. I don't want to get back on this med, and would prefer to suffer through withdrawals, however it's very difficult to function when I'm feeling this way. So, my question is, would promethazine ease the nausea at all and help me cope with this? Any advice would be much appreciated, but please keep in mind.... I DO NOT want to go back on Paxil only to have to be "weaned off" for months or years.
HI again! Thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear that the Phenergan is helping, that's great! Hope the headaches resolve soon for you. Let us know!
Thanks for commenting, sorry I'm just now replying. I quit taking Paxil almost 2 weeks ago, decided on the same day as my original post to try the phenergan just to see if it would help, and boy did it!
I know there's a better way to get off Paxil, the slower way, but with me having other health issues I think it's better I go this route. The headaches are still pretty bad, so I figured I'd give a little more time to see if they go away. If not, I may have to get back on it, but I pray that I don't.
Again, thank you for the advice, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
I know there's a better way to get off Paxil, the slower way, but with me having other health issues I think it's better I go this route. The headaches are still pretty bad, so I figured I'd give a little more time to see if they go away. If not, I may have to get back on it, but I pray that I don't.
Again, thank you for the advice, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
HI there! I'm sorry to hear you're going through a rough time.
The thing is, Paxil is a notoriously tough antidepressant to come off. There are horror stories everywhere about people having a heck of a time, and even experiencing protracted w/d syndrome, which is basically a very long, drawn out w/d.
The VERY best way to discontinue Paxil is to do a SLOW and gradual taper. You've done well thus far tapering down to 10 mg, but you're also experiencing significant symptoms related to Paxil's discontinuation syndrome.
I know you want off the Paxil, which is fine, but I DO recommend that you continue to taper, slowly, down to a very low dose before stopping all together. Are you still taking the Paxil? If not, when was your last dose?
A lot of times, it's recommended for a person to resume the Paxil, and then continue the tapering process. In order to minimize the symptoms, it CAN take a while, months even, but that's okay. There's no hurry. You will get off of it, but IMO, better to do it cautiously and slowly, the recommended way, versus trying to "suffer through w/d symptoms". You'll feel better in the long run, most likely.
As for how to treat the symptoms (ie nausea), definitely work with your doctor on that. There have been reported drug interactions between Phenergan and Paxil. The interaction is classified as a "moderate" severity. Read here:
http://www.ehealthme.com/drug-interactions/promethazine-and-paxil
And here:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/mepergan-fortis-with-paroxetine-1558-8514-1800-0.html
The first link above just basically gives reported interactions (to the FDA), and is more related to long-term use of both meds. The info can be more frightening if taken out of context, but it IS important to see what has been reported.
You would definitely want to work with your doctor to find an appropriate antiemetic that is okay to take with the Paxil. Zofran may be a better option. There have been reported interactions with those two drugs as well, but overall, there is less of a risk with the Zofran. There are many anti-nausea meds, you want to find one that is safe to take with the Paxil.
Don't ever be afraid to get another doc to look at your situation too. A lot of docs just aren't very knowledgeable about how problematic some of these meds can be. If possible, find a doc who knows his way around Paxil discontinuation and the importance of being cautious and not rushing a taper.
Good luck to you, please do stop back in and update us on how you're doing okay?
The thing is, Paxil is a notoriously tough antidepressant to come off. There are horror stories everywhere about people having a heck of a time, and even experiencing protracted w/d syndrome, which is basically a very long, drawn out w/d.
The VERY best way to discontinue Paxil is to do a SLOW and gradual taper. You've done well thus far tapering down to 10 mg, but you're also experiencing significant symptoms related to Paxil's discontinuation syndrome.
I know you want off the Paxil, which is fine, but I DO recommend that you continue to taper, slowly, down to a very low dose before stopping all together. Are you still taking the Paxil? If not, when was your last dose?
A lot of times, it's recommended for a person to resume the Paxil, and then continue the tapering process. In order to minimize the symptoms, it CAN take a while, months even, but that's okay. There's no hurry. You will get off of it, but IMO, better to do it cautiously and slowly, the recommended way, versus trying to "suffer through w/d symptoms". You'll feel better in the long run, most likely.
As for how to treat the symptoms (ie nausea), definitely work with your doctor on that. There have been reported drug interactions between Phenergan and Paxil. The interaction is classified as a "moderate" severity. Read here:
http://www.ehealthme.com/drug-interactions/promethazine-and-paxil
And here:
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/mepergan-fortis-with-paroxetine-1558-8514-1800-0.html
The first link above just basically gives reported interactions (to the FDA), and is more related to long-term use of both meds. The info can be more frightening if taken out of context, but it IS important to see what has been reported.
You would definitely want to work with your doctor to find an appropriate antiemetic that is okay to take with the Paxil. Zofran may be a better option. There have been reported interactions with those two drugs as well, but overall, there is less of a risk with the Zofran. There are many anti-nausea meds, you want to find one that is safe to take with the Paxil.
Don't ever be afraid to get another doc to look at your situation too. A lot of docs just aren't very knowledgeable about how problematic some of these meds can be. If possible, find a doc who knows his way around Paxil discontinuation and the importance of being cautious and not rushing a taper.
Good luck to you, please do stop back in and update us on how you're doing okay?
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