New Med

[ladyT38]

How do you feel when taking Paxil, Does it make you feel weird???? Sleepy, or lethargic. I have been prescribed 10mg. which the doc says is a low dose, and I wanted to know who elso out there is on it. Help a sista' out.

[theotterone]

You make me wish I knew about this place a lot sooner!  I think it would have saved me a lot of time and frustration.

You also make a good point, usually Paxil is used only after you have tried other medications and they have not worked for you.  I'm a little scared that if my anxiety comes down enough now that I am being treated for ADD, I can come off the Paxil all together.  I worry about how coming off it will affect me.

[Paxiled]

You say you don't want to take meds.  The question is how much does you're problem affect your life, and have you tried talk therapy yet.  If it greatly impedes your life and therapy hasn't helped, then medication may be called for.  If it only moderately affects your life, just do the therapy and leave the medication for later, in case therapy doesn't work or the problem gets worse.  You're going to have to do therapy anyway -- meds don't cure, they only treat symptoms.  But that's not to say therapy is all that effective, it's just the only way to a cure, or something else that involves altering the way you think so you don't obsess over negative thoughts and condition yourself to being anxious.

As to natural remedies, yes, if you read through the archives you'll see a lot of posts on them.  They are usually used in combination, because they're not as strong as meds, and usually in coordination with lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, meditation, and such.  A good book to read on this is Natural Highs by Hyla Cass, a psychiatrist at UCLA.  She covers a lot of the universe out there as to which natural remedies are available to treat anxiety and depression and how to dose them.  

As to Paxil, you didn't mention what your problem is or whether you've been on an antidepressant before.  I wouldn't start with Paxil or Effexor -- because they are difficult meds, they are now usually used as a last, not first, resort.  And you never have to stay on a med forever unless you never find a cure, in which case you choose to stay on a med.  As long as you do your homework so you avoid idiot psychiatrists, people do come off all these meds, but unless you've found a cure while you're on it, you'll probably still have the problem when you come off it.  If you've never been on an antidepressant before, I'd question keeping a psychiatrist who started with Paxil or Effexor.  That's just me, and having learned the hard way that these meds aren't created equal.  I'd start with Prozac, and second would be Lexapro; they just seem to be easier for people than Paxil.

[theotterone]

I have been dealing with depression and anxiety since before I was diagnosed at 16 (I am 34 now).  I have been on many different medications before I found that Paxil CR works for me.  I can't take the regular Paxil because I burn up the medication in my system and it doesn't do any good, hence the Control Release version.  Paxil is difficult to get off of once you are on it.  After so many medications and after so many crashes off medications (did that "I feel better, I don't need this anymore" thing); after going over family history with my mother (bless her!) and learning depression and anxiety run through both sides of my family like a dog race, I accepted that I will probably have to be on antidepressants the rest of my life.  When I was pregnant with both my daughters, I was gestational diabetic.  I likened needing antidepressants to needing insulin when my body couldn't produce it.  My brain just doesn't manufacture the right balance of chemicals I need it to.  This made it easier to accept my ADD diagnosis and accept medication for that.  

You may need them for the rest of your life, you may only need them for a finite amount time.  You and your doctor need to discuss this.  Talk to the doctor about your concerns.  If they evade your questions or brush off your concerns, FIND A DIFFERENT DOCTOR!  You need to do what is right for you, and you are worth the fight for it!

[ladyT38]

Thanks for the post. I have been suffering with panic attacks and anxiety for about 4.5 yrs. and have always taken Ativan as needed. I now have been prescribed Paxil by a new doctor (moved to a new state) and he wants me to try Paxil. I understand that once you start taking it you have to take it for the rest of your life, is that true for you?? And also was this the first and only med you had tried?? I really would like to know if there are other meds, out there that won't cause seizures, and bad withdrawal symptoms, that are as close to natual as possible. I don't like taking meds.

[theotterone]

When I first started Paxil almost 10 years ago, I did get sleepy and lethargic.  Once I got through the 4-6 weeks antidepressants take to regulate in your system, I was fine.  I just made sure to take it at night.

As for the dosage, when I have to tell a regular doctor how much I take (75 mg of the controlled release per day) they look at me and say "you know that is a high dosage, right?".  I do, and now that I am being treated for ADD, my anxiety has diminished greatly.  I am meeting with my own doctor soon and I am going to look at how much I can safely lower my dosage to!  

You have support here! :)