Changed Medications too Quickly?

[bucksbeat]

Hello everyone. I am a 23 year old male who has had Anxiety for seven years and have been on Paxil CR 25 mg (2x daily) for that duration of time. In January everything was going well for me, even well enough to hit the gym and such. I have always heard that Paxil was a drug that no one should be on so I talked to my doctor about switching. He decided that Sertraline may work for me. He had me stop Paxil for two days and then begin taking Setraline 25 mg for two days and then upping it to 50 mg. I began feeling terrible. Increased heart rate, drowsiness, pressure in the front of my head, occasional dizziness and seeing visual flashes of light (just a quick flicker) at certain times of the day.

After a couple weeks I went back to the doctor and he upped my dosage of Sertraline to 100 mg as he said the 50 mg of Paxil I was taking all these years was comparable to that amount. I went home and continued experiencing these symptoms and finally went back to the doctor and told him I want to be put back on Paxil. This time he had me cut back down to 50 mg of Sertraline for 2 days and then jump to Paxil 25 mg for two days and then up to my usual 50. This was around 2 weeks ago and those symptoms are still sticking around.

I'm wondering if my doctor didn't wean me off the proper way and I am experiencing withdrawal and/or my body is trying to realign itself from those changes. Even as I read how my medication constantly changed, it seems like a lot for a body to go through. Any ideas would be great..

[studchick]

I've been on Paxil for about 14 years. It was the only med I could handle. I started on a 3 mg dose as every other med made me feel nervous and nuts and I have had a very severe panic disorder! If I raised the Paxil I was horribly nauseated. After many years,I've gotten up to 20 mgs.I feel so tired, sometimes like I'm living in jello and trying to move. Moved into a small town (no psychiatrists) and have a nurse managing my meds. She suggested Celexa because I was so tired and gained weight. A month and a half later I find myself more depressed and suicidal. I've had suicidal thoughts before, very rarely, but this time it sounded good for about a minute. Life has improved and I should not be feeling this way. Knew it had to be Celexa so I switched back to Paxil in 3 days, the nurse said to. I'ts been a week. Feel unstable and anxious. I don't know what is going on. Does it take time to adjust back?

[bucksbeat]

Thanks for the comments thus far. I am back on paxil now but am waiting for these symptoms to subside. The poor decision to try and get off of paxil came from hearing how addictive and unsafe paxil was. After talking to my doctor he made it clear to me that he shys away from prescribing it because he feels he is taking people off of it more than putting them on. Either way it was a mistake that I am now paying for. Would you still have some kind of withdrawal from it until it establishes itself back into your system and how long do you think that takes? Thanks for the answers... it will help me to form a discussion with my doc during my annual physical later this month.

[Paxiled]

You're probably suffering from Paxil withdrawal, and Zoloft doesn't necessarily substitute for it.  Two very different meds.  Paxil is notorious for its withdrawals, and should be tapered slowly.  Many psychiatrists believe you can just switch from one ssri to another, but my experience is otherwise.  You might want to read a book called The AntiDepressant Solution by Joseph Glanville for a proper tapering schedule.  I also wonder, if Paxil is working, why you'd want to switch after so many years?  It's hard to find a med that works, and whatever damage Paxil does has already been done.  None of these meds was ever intended or studied for long-term use, so we really don't know if they cause it or not, but who says Zoloft won't cause it as much as Paxil?  I could understand better if you were desiring to get off meds, but just to switch seems to be going from the known to the unknown.

[boogieman]

Hello. The use of antidepressants is by no means an exact science. Many find through trial and error what works best for them, as these meds have different effects on different people. As far as your symptoms, I would think that the withdrawal or the conversion of different meds could be responsible. Hopefully these will dissipate soon. Keep your doctor informed as to your status, and be sure to mind the basics of eating and sleeping well, getting exercise, etc. Best wishes, GM