View Full Version : Seroxat - Success Stories Please
Hi Fellow Seroxat Users
This is my third time on Seroxat after a long slow withdrawal ending earlier this year.
I've read many reports and horror stories that it is less effective or simply doesn't work when on it the second/third time round, but as is the nature of the internet/forums, the good news stories are hard to find.
I was on 10mg a day for several years and am currently on week two of 10mg a day, slowly working up a 2-3mg every 2-3 days over the next couple of weeks until I reach 20mg a day (I've never needed more than 20mg).
Can anyone who had been prescribed Seroxat on two or more occassions advise if it was as effective and if it helped them again. If it didn't, what else did you try and what worked (I know everyone is different).
PLEASE - if you are from SeroxatMad or Paxil Progress, don't post your horror stories, I've read them all before.
Thank you
Worked great for me for 14 years but then unfortunately stopped. :-(
I'm on sertraline now but it's not helped me as much as the Seroxat and I would consider going back on them in the future.
Lol at your comment at the end of your post.
Hope they work again for you.
Keep us posted.
Haz.x
cathycrumble
08-12-11, 01:13
My 2 cousins are on Seroxat and been on it for 10 years and wouldnt dream of coming off it. Thy take 20mg
Cathy xx
Thanks both. It's always worked for me before, having taken it on two occassions, but was persuaded by my GP that it was time to start coming off it. Wish I hadn't cause 10mg a day worked wonders for years.
I've read that it doesn't always work the second or third time around, but as it never stopped working for me in the first place I'm hoping that going back up to 20mg a day will be effective again.
I never had much trouble withdrawing but I did it over about 18 months but a lack of understanding of my/our conditions meant I never noticed a lot of the warning signs/symptoms returning.
Fingers crossed its as effective as previous occassions :)
I really hope it goes well for you this time around! Just wanted to send a hug your way :hugs:
Keep us posted on your progress!!
Hi everyone,
I started retaking Seroxat 9 days ago after being off it for 5 weeks and then 2 weeks on fluoxetine which didn't seem to work. I went straight in at 20 mg. So its day 9 and I feel like I am going to die today. I feel so lightheaded and my legs feel like jelly that I just feel I don't want to move from my chair. I can't remember how I felt the last time I restarted Seroxat as I have withdrawn successfully but then had to go back on it again. Has anyone else felt like this back on Seroxat. This is the only AD that works for me (or seems to work) so I am going to persevere. The problem with me is that I want an instant solution and I know it doesn't work like that. Please help as I am going mad .....
Thanks, Spike
Hi Spike, I can completely relate. This time last week I was a wreck (at that point I was on day 10 of 10mg a day). I begged my husband not to leave me on the Friday morning and thankfully he stayed with me, I couldn't have managed to get out of my chair (or PJ's) otherwise. Since day 12 I've been SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better and on day 14 I started to increase the dose and still feel fine.
I suffer really badly when I first start taking this AD and am so desperate to feel better that I start looking for the reasons I still feel terrible.
Before I started taking Seroxat this time I hadn't hit rock bottom, but knew I was heading that way, it made me feel horrendous for the first 12-14days, even on half the dose. The only reason I don't really remember it making me feel so bad on previous occassions is because I really couldn't have been in a worse place to begin with. This time, my anxiety went through the roof, literally sky high.
I'm still having wobbly mornings but each morning is getting easier (touch wood), I just have to motivate myself early.
What time of day do you take your dose? I find that taking it in the evening means I don't suffer any night sweats or nightmares like I used to and a lot of the other side effects are easier to deal with and less intense.
Message me if you have any questions, I'm only a few days ahead of you so will be happy to offer any reassurance you need. The great news is you're nearly over the worst. Any day soon it the SE's will ease considerably.
Hi lauz_lea,
Thanks for your words of encouragement. Like you I have been on and off Seroxat a couple of times and now realise that I do need to take it to remain stable. I just wish I hadn't come off it 3 months ago and then perhaps I wouldn't be feeling so bad.
Anyway since restarting the Seroxat I have been taking it in the morning but I used to take it before I went to bed. I am thinking of changing back to the evenings. Anyway I feel better in myself but its the lightheadedness, shaky legs and nausea that are the worst for me. Not sure if you have had those symptons since restarting.
I work full-time and my doctor has not signed me off even though I haven't been functioning properly. I think he thinks it is best that I am kept distracted. I do understand the logic but its hard going to work and having to pretend that everything is ok - which clearly it isn't.
More words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Hope you are having a good day too :)
Hi Spike - where are you now on your course, about day 10? That's wher it started getting better for me after the good day/bad day cycle. I had one bad day after that but the rest have been so much better, I can even eat properly again having lost a stone in the last two weeks.
I, like you felt very sick, and did vomit a couple of time but I would say this was more to do with the anxiety SE - I was a right mess.
We sound so similar in circumstances, I too stopped taking Seroxat a few months ago after a slow (but easy) withdrawal. I never noticed the anxiety creeping back up on me until a few weeks ago and decided I had to do something about it before I hit rock bottom. Whilst in the initial two weeks I wondered if I was really doing the right thing (because of how terrible I felt), now I've made it through the terrible SE's I'm glad I stuck with it (for the third time).
My doctor did sign me off, which I was very greatful for and I have a great support network of friends and family, so I haven't been on my own unless I've chosen to be.
I'm considering returning to work next week but I will wait and see how I feel when I go back to the GP on Tuesday as I'm sure there may be momentary blips whilst I continue to increase my dosage to 20mg.
On the whole, the first 10-14 days were a complete roller coaster of SE's - like I said earlier, a good day/bad day cycle that made me dread going to bed at the end of a good day, fearful that I would be waking up to a bad day, but now, on day 18, the SE's have all but gone. I only suffer very slight anxiety early in the morning, and extreme tiredness in the evening (which I combat with one cup of tea at about 6:30pm).
I don't want to sound like I'm preaching, but if you drink caffiene or alcohol and smoke, try to cut right back. This will ease the shakes, wobbles, jitters or anxiety, but I know it's easier said than done. Avoid caffiene and nicotine early in the day, keep them as low as you possibly can.
You may find that switching from taking your meds in the morning to the evening helps a lot too. I can't recommend that enough.
Hi lauz_lea,
Thanks for your post. Our circumstances do sound very similar. What causes your anxiety - mine is worrying about my health !!!! I have wasted so much of my life worrying about my health it is ridiculous. When the seroxat works I feel much better and my worries are just in the background but at the moment my health is all I can think about. I have had loads of tests on my heart and apart from actually opening me up there aren't any more tests I can have. BUT I still think there is something wrong with my heart. I have also had a brain MRI scan because I kept feeling dizzy and lightheaded and thought it was a brain tumour :(. I must add that I have paid privately for these tests as my GP wouldn't send me for them.
Anyway I am on day 10 today and don't feel too bad at the moment. I am at work and can't wait for 4 p.m. when I can go home. I am going to start taking my tablet in the evening. I took one about an hour ago because I didn't want to wait until tonight to take it so tomorrow I will start in the evening.
I have also lost loads of weight in the last few weeks. I had no appetite for days and also couldn't sleep. I am still not sleeping very well and keep waking up during the night where I just lay and worry - great.
I don't drink much caffeine just the odd can of pepsi, don't smoke and actually am not keen on alcohol so I do try and avoid caffeine where possible.
I am really pleased to hear that you are thinking of returning to work next week. Just make sure you are ready to go back.
Did you feel lightheaded and shaky with your side effects from the tablets. I am assuming it is the tablets or could be my anxiety.
Anxiety is just AWFUL !!!!
Take care xx
Hi Spike, yes, I do get light headed and shaky, but this goes hand in hand with the anxiety. I feel all jittery all over but its almost like its in the pit of my stomach radiating outwards.
My anxieties are varied, mainly it's death related. I don't handle losing loved ones very well at all and it makes me fear my own death, which bring on health anxieties, but thankfully not to a major extreme.
Over the last year my health has been terrible, all caused by anxieties and burying my head in the sand after losing a lot of loved ones at the end of last year, so CBT/counselling here we come.
Today I felt really ALIVE - more than I have since I started taking Seroxat again a couple of weeks ago, I even sat at home on my own for a while and put my make-up on, something I haven't been able to do for the last couple of weeks :)
Hi guys,
It was interesting to read about some others anxieties, and so I 'll post mine - they used to be mainly about illness and death, yeah sounds strange but illness phobia or cancer phobia where the real nastes that messed my life up and the amount of trips to A&E and seeing the doc I can't recal over the years - just too many.
Anyway 17yrs on seroxat and cannot come off even though I try a few times a year, I give up now, I feel very good whilst I am on it, it's only when I come off that all hell breaks lose.
Gerald
ps I know exactly what you mean about Paxilprogress and other forums, if you say you feel you should be on it for life they won't have any of it, I do feel sorry for guys who have had a bad time on it of course, but some people are too extreme too much BS'ers on the net.
Thanks Gero. I know a lot of SSRI's are hard to come off, it's not just Seroxat but to be honest, the only time I ever worried about coming of it was about 10 years ago when the bad press started, but my opinion is, if it works for me, why rush.
I feel sorry for those who have had bad experiences with it, but they've probably had bad experiences with other SSRI's too.
This AD has always helped me immensely once I've gotten over the initial SE's, but I reacted worse to Prozac so it really is a case of each too their own.
Before going on seroxat I was put on Prozac for anxiety social phobia/anxiety after a week or two I reacted badly, I became very aggressive bordering on the violent, I think Prozac is good for depression and also 'lifts' you up, itmay have helped with depression i.e. blocked the re-uptake of serotonin and so serotonin circulates in the brain giving the feeling of normality and saneness again, but a person who is already up i.e. prone to anxiety may do badly with Prozac, this is why I think seroxat works with people who have anxiety/depression, it dealswith depression and calms you down at the same time, but yes Prozac made me too hyper, too confident.
Had a couple of down days (one and a half actually), followed by an evening where I felt so "NORMAL". I even went to bed at 9pm, something I haven't managed for a while, I've been having to go to bed at around 7pm cause I've been so exhausted, particularly on bad days. The only problem with going to bed so early, is waking early. It's almost as if I'm getting exactly 8hrs sleep and then my body wakes up with a degree of anxiety (a side effect though, not a symptom of my original state before starting back on them).
I managed to get to 14mg from 10mg fairly easily, but when I upped to 16mg I had a bad day afterwards, so dropped back to 14mg after chatting to my GP. She said increase slower if I need to, so that's what I'll do I think. I desperately want to get the side effects out the way, but am also fearful of them at the same time - afterall, no one likes feeling so crappy.
I'm rubbish at taking my own advice sometimes too - when I feel anxious I know that there is a build up of adrenaline and know I should try to burn it off. A vigorous shower helps in the morning, followed by walking my daughter to school but today, waves of anxiety keep coming over me and all I can do is sit here.
So, on that note, I'm going for a walk!
Well, into week 5 now and on 15mg and I can answer my own question - I'M GREAT!
It was a really tough first few weeks but over the last week or so things really lifted. I've got very few lingering SE's, just a bit of morning anx and jitters and a little OCD (more the "O"), but my appetite has returned, I'm sleeping better and I'm feeling AMAZING.
If anyone is in any doubt about this AD, or has just started and is concerned about the SE's, please feel free to PM me. I will happily share my experiences and offer any support I can.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS - ONLY 3 MORE SLEEPS :)
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