Im all out of my paxil!!! what do i do???

[dayday14k]

I have run out of paxil after taking 40 mg for 7 months. My friend gave me 30 lexapro 10 mg. is this going to help me come off of paxil? will I stay the same since lexapro is an ssri and essentially the same drug class? I need to know this or I will have to go to an emergency to get more paxil. Please help me

[nursegirl6572]

I will give you one more piece of advice...then no more lectures!  :0)

Be VERRRRY careful ordering meds online.  Number one....some of the sites offer one thing...but send something different.  Meaning, you THINK you're getting Paxil, when in reality you are getting a jacked up mixture of substances (some toxic) that could cause very very serious problems for you. Some "SSRI's" ordered online have been found to have Haldol in them to attempt to mimic the effects...and Haldol is a very potent anti-psychotic med.  Something you definitely do not want to be taking without needing it...not to mention in unmeasured doses.

Also, your argument about not having enough money for the doc doesn't hold water...as I personally have looked at some of those sites...and they are OVER THE TOP!  You could get a year's worth of MD visits PLUS your Paxil for probably 2 orders online.  Truly think about it.

Again...you're playing with fire...and if this has a bad outcome....it will be very difficult to "un-do" what you've done.

Take Care.

[dayday14k]

Ok I'm going to sound like a jerk. I can definitely feel some withdrawal symptoms now. The nightmares and panic attacks have started. I was wrong when I said lexapro worked as a substitute. I'm definitely going to get my paxil back tomorrow. I appreciate all of you for your help though. Thanks.

[Paxiled]

I don't know, generic Paxil, paroxetene, isn't really all that expensive.  You see a shrink, get a prescription, and fill it at Walmart or Costco for hardly anything.  I mean, it's been off patent forever, whereas Lexapro is quite expensive, since it's still on patent.  You only have to see a shrink three times a year.  Listen to Nursegirl and play it safe in the future.  Though I agree, psychiatrists are often hacks who don't tell us anything about the medications we're on or how to get off them.  A psychiatrist pretty much destroyed my life by messing up my Paxil withdrawal.  But here's the thing -- I never had a bad reaction to a drug in my life, and then, Paxil killed me.  It only has to happen once.  So, play it safe, for all of us.  Okay?

[dayday14k]

Yeah I used to see a doc and he prescribed me paxil and then lexapro and the effexor etc... Anyways, I stayed on paxil because it worked so well. These blood tests you mention, for an entire year that I was seeing a doctor, I was never given one. Nor was I ever advised about liver problems. I found out the information online. So needless to say, I cut out the middle man and started obtaining my paxil from a close friend for free. Anyways, he is no longer around, however my neighbor gave me her lexapro. Maybe I will order more paxil online. It's so expensive though. Jeez :/

[nursegirl6572]

Well, thank you for your honesty.  No, you're not a bad person...but I sincerely DO hope that you reconsider what you're doing.

There are many many very good reasons that prescription medications require a prescription....including all important follow up, monitoring while on prescriptions (lab work looking for any liver concerns), etc etc etc.

I know you already know...but let mw just give you a quick mini lecture.  You are playing with fire.  You are doing the job of a doc,  but without all the other important aspects....just popping a pill isn't the answer, and you are putting yourself at risk. Not to mention...should you ever run into a problem taking an un-Rx'ed prescription and should have a very bad reaction...you will be in a horrible situation.  What about the important blood work?  What if one of these meds that you are obatining from a friend (who, btw, ought to have their head examined!) causes you liver problems (it happens)...but by the time you'll find out (b/c you aren't getting labs monitored)...it could be irreversible?  While that may be an extreme example...it isn't impossible....and would it really be worth it to lose your life over Paxil or Lexapro that YOU decided you needed?

If it is a money issue...there are solutions.  Many Pharm co's have programs for people that cannot afford their meds.  If you do not have insurance...that is also fixable.  A lot of employers will give insurance for PT employees.  You have to make it happen.  Start calling around.  Call your County's Dept of Welfare and see if you have any options.  They will have a lot of resources for you, even if you do not qualify for assistance.


PLEASE re-think what you're doing and get the medication you need the RIGHT way. For your own well being!  :0)

[dayday14k]

Well here is the deal. I do not have a doctor. I acquire medications by other means. It is much cheaper than seeing a doctor or paying for a prescription. I know I know. I'm a bad person for self medicating, but one thing is for sure, I do need ssri's. They help me. I wasn't able to attend school without paxil. I've replaced my paxil with lexapro and I'm not experiencing any withdrawal symptoms. So for all of you that are curious about jumping from one ssri to another, I am your lab rat. It has worked for me, and I have been on the new ssri for about 2 weeks now. No withdrawal symptoms. Thanks for everyone's input though. :)

[nursegirl6572]

While Lexapro and Paxil are both in the same class of drugs (SSRI's), they are chemically quite different.  That would be the same as swicthing out a BP med, or diabetic med from one to another.  There is no guaruntee that Drug B will be as effective as Drug A, or that you will tolerate them both the same way. Just because two medications share the same drug classification, does not mean they are the "same".

The very BEST way to handle this is to do it the right way....with your doctor's guidance.  If you decide to switch to Lexapro, fine...but do it the proper way.  Not to mention that you have to consider comparable dosing with each med.  However, it sounds more like you are just using the Lexapro as a replacement for the Paxil....NEVER a good idea...and really, your friend shouldn't be handing out his/her prescription meds either.

Try calling your doctor 1st and explain the situation.  If you haven't been in to see him/her in a while, then he/she very well may possibly demand that you make an appt in order to get a script.  They cannot just continue to call in meds/refills without an occasional face to face appt.  You may get lucky where the doc may call you in enough until you are able to get the funds you need for the appt.  You may even be able to call the office Mon to see if they will work something out with you, financially.  

However...if the doc won't budge...then making the appt happen is a priority.  Do what you need to do to obtain the funds for the appt, or work something out with the office.  THEN, at the appt, you can discuss how you want to proceed with your medication regimen.

[Paxiled]

Caution is always best.  Everyone's entitled to do what they want, but what we all want, I would think, is to know what's going on.  You can't tell that if you're on two drugs at the same time.  To everyone here, a good book on this is The Antidepressant Solution by Joseph Glanville, one of the only psychiatrists to write a book about withdrawal and discontinuing medication.  Just better to be safe than sorry.  

[crackedglass]

And I thought I was the only one on the planet! Now there's 3 of us. I sincerely do not recommend self regulation of medications becuase it goes against everything I've read, such as having doctors switch or stop meds, be aware of withdrawal symptoms...etc., however my doctors, over the years, have made rather abrupt med changes on me that didn't seem like a good idea at the time, but hey, I'm not a doctor so I did as told. Except for some anxiety about possible withdrawals, which never happened, I was pretty much the same.

[suzi-q]

It still comes down to that you should not just switch SSRIs without a doctors approval.  you don't know the dosage etc.....it is dangerous...If you want to come off the Paxil, you need to withdraw slowly....if you want to switch meds, it should be under a doctor's care.  You need to call the doctor and explain the situation.  

[Taybey]

your not the only one on the planet my doctor switched me from paxil to zoloft and i have no side effects i was fine. doctors know what they are doing.

[catmagnet]

Maybe I'm the only one on the planet, but I've jumped directly from one ssri to another with no problems. I thought it was the maoi's you had to be careful with.

[Paxiled]

The Lexapro isn't equivalent to Paxil.  Nothing is.  You need to withdraw slowly.  If you then want to switch to Lexapro, that's the time.  What you're likely to end up with is withdrawal symptoms from Paxil and side effects from starting Lexapro.  So get more Paxil from your psychiatrist by phone, and if you want to quit, work out a nice, slow taper that suits you because you won't react like anyone else.  You're on a high dose of Paxil.  Now, some psychiatrists will switch you to Prozac to help with Paxil withdrawal, because it stays in the body longer.  Don't know if it helps or not.  

[dayday14k]

I cannot afford to make an appointment and wait to see a doc. I just need to know if the lexapro will hold me over for a few weeks until I can get another refill.

[mjbrown]

why can't you contact your dr. and get a refill on the paxil?