Seroxat

[Jenny]

I have just stopped taking SEROXAT after four years. I did it very slowly,but it has left me with this horrible taste in my mouth. I have been told by a GP that this is quite common. I wondered if anyone else has had this experience, and if so how long for?

Jennyxx

J. Farmer

[Shelley]

Sorry cant say I had a problem with taste, but I was smoking at the time, I came of it in January this year - only on it for circa. 14 months, to be honest my worst problem was the shakes and the occasional head shock

Shell

[bishop]

hi there
what do you mean by head shocks shell,ive had like white flashes of light when my attacks have been really bad. i was coming off sleeping tablets at the time.
eva

[Shelley]

They were quite strange...like little electric shocks in my head..to be honest after the first few times I got to quite like it...sicky puppy I am!! - they didnt last very long, the only withdrawal symptom that did last when I came off Seroxat was the fact my left hand shook when I held something and it still does a little bit..more so if i have been out the night before

x Shell

Shell

[bishop]

hi shell
mine where the same after coming off the sleeping tablets,but the white flash of light was so bright,i found this very frighting,and did not want to go anywhere,wanted to stay at home where it was safe,but i was also scared of the phone ringing,people asking why?wanted to be alone by myself safe ,its nice to no im not the only fool
eva x

[Shelley]

It's crazy how these little pills affect us - I think the problem these days is that doctors dont have the time or the incliination to actually sit down and find out why we are feeling like this...it's just oh okay..there's a prescription now on your way!! - hope you're feeling over the worst of it now

Shell x

Shell

[alexiussooty]

Hi Folks:

SSRI's (Selective Seratonin Re-uptake Inhibitors)is the group of drugs that Seroxat belongs to, they have been "claimed" to have no withdraw syptoms and few side effects, however some recent studies are begining to provide evidence that withdraw syptoms for these drugs are present and complex. Bright flashes of light, headaches, shaking, disturbed sleep with lucid dreams, sweating, distubances in consciousness (little electric shocks), are all part and parcel of the withdraw syptoms of SSRI's. Unlike Trycyclic antidepressants that affect the level of a substance called HT5 in the brain, SSRI's work by affecting the action and levels of Seratonin involved in the higher functions of the brain. Most of what you are describing would seem to be withdraw syptoms, but if anything persists and worries you get back to your Doctor.

Regards:

Nick.

[Shelley]

Hi Nick

You seem to know your stuff are you a suffer who has looked in to it or do you have a medical background?

Shell

Shell

[alexiussooty]

Hi Shelley:

Sorry about the delay in my reply, I am a sufferer who has looked into it. I originally suffered from panic attacks but this has mellowed out to general anxiety. My GP prescribed Prozac followed by Seroxat but both SSRI's made me worse even though I continued to take them for a while. I take a Tricyclic antidepressant, this works for me but its not perfect. Much of what your were describing in your posting is not that different to what I have experienced at one time or another. Many of the antidepressant drugs we are prescribed can cause disturbances in consciousness, this can range from an "unreal" feeling to mood swings. Benzodiazepines such as Diazepam are also prime culprits for this and are known to cause depression as well as aggressive tendencies in some people.

SSRI's are an improvement in the treatment of anxiety and work for many people just not for me. The thing is that there is a tendency when drugs improve your condition for relatives in particular to say "well you are cured now so get off the drugs". This a simplistic way of looking at things. All I say is that if the drugs you take enable you to function better than you would if you were not on them then take the drugs!!! Its a quality of life thing really panic and anxiety can ruin your life I know because it happened to me and I dare say a lot of the people who post on this site.

The best thing I can say is that a combination of treatments seem to work better than one, antidepressants work well with CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) and also with psychology, Benzodiazepines are no solution but might bring temporary relief. If you cannot take SSRI's then ask to try Trycyclics. If you find your GP unhelpful asked to be referred to a consultant psychiatrist he will know a great deal more than your GP or a general hospital consultant about anxiety. Just keep plodding along until you find something that works for you.

Regards:

Nick.[8)]

[Roxy]

Hello!

I resently came off seroxat.. probably 3 months now. And yes! I still have the bad taste. I wasn't sure if it was the remains of the withdrawal but I guess it is. I have been on *thinks* all types of anti-deps, and many many SSRI's, but this was the worst withdrawal hands down.

However! I am nearly over most of the problems (the main one which doesn't seem to be mentioned in any literature, either on the net or officially, is an inablity to eat anything)

My main suggestion to anyone considering anti-deps is to do your homework. And go on them VERY slowly. If problems develop, reduce the dose and try again. And advice to anyone trying to come off them.. just keep at it. The general theory among some of my friends who have been on seroxat (in particular and who also experienced the worse degree of all sideeffects) is that the 2 week point is the b*tch, but if you can get past it, it's up hill from there :)

I'm off everything at the moment, and trying councillors. To be honest it feels nice to be side-effect free! if only for a little while :)

Roxy

[blossom]

I was on SEROXAT for 4 years, and the stupid doctor I had took me off them cold turkey, that was 3 years ago, and I have not recovered since, I had to be put back on them for a year, and the doctor I have now weaned me off the over a period of 8 weeks, I cant say I had a nasty taste in my mouth, but did feel very anxious ans depression after coming off them. I am on Citalopram now, and have been on them for almost 8 weeks, and am finding them hard to get on with, I am agaoraphobic, and suffer from GAD, and panic, and the first few weeks on Citaolpram, I was dradtic, never got out of bed most days, lets hope they work soon. All the best Blossom

[joey]

Hi, I'm sorry that I just keep asking stuff just now, and never say anything to anyone else, but this is all so new to me. It two weeks since my first panic attack, which came out of the blue, and I've had three since. I saw my GP after the first one, and he dealt with it then as if it had been a particularly bad episode of SVT, and advised me to take my beta blockers regularly, rather than on the "as required" level I had been using them in the past. He asked me to come back today for a review, and to be fair to him, he was very supportive, and spent a fair while with me, and talked through various treatment options. He certainly didn't just write me a prescription and chuck me out. However, he did feel that as I was feeling so bad, medication might help, and so he gave me a prescription for seroxat, and told me to see him gain in three weeks. He also told me to carry on with the Half Inderal LA, and gave me 14x2mg of diazapam. He did however say that they (the diazapam) were for emergency use only, and that I shouldn't take them all the time, and that he would be reluctant to prescribe any more of them for several weeks. He indicated really that they were only to give me a bit of a crutch till the seraxat kicked in. However, I read the patient information sheet in the Seroxat pack, and then looked it up on the internet, and now I'm terrified to take it. Do most people do OK on it? He assurred me it wasn't addictive, but it sounds as if loads of people have terrible problems coming off it. I also need to be able to function while I take it, as I've got young kids around, and I'm with them by myself a fair bit. Mind you, I'm not functioning that well right now anyway, so maybe that's a moot point. I know that this is ultimately my decision, but it would be really helpful to have some views. Interestingly, the GP also gave me the URL for this site, and told me to ask on the message boards for support as well, so he isn't just a "swallow a pill" sort of person. Thanks again. Jo

[Meg]

My honest opinion ..

I think meds are a great help and I would support anyone who wanted to take them providing they do work on themselves whilst on them to shift the original issues.

Seroxat has got a bad reputation for getting settled on them and as you already know - especially coming off them.

Fact - They have helped millions of people with few issues but for some they have been very difficult.
All SSRI's have this potential but some seem to be more prone to it than others .

Maybe someone who has been on it will post their experience.


Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

[Meg]

Absolutely brilliant that he gave you this site though.

Where do you live ?

Meg

[sarah]

Hiya Jo

Just a quick note from sort of experience.

My mum was agoraphobic for most of my life (probably since I was 8 until about 5 years ago. ( im now 30)
Thats when she started taking Seroxat.....for the first 2 weeks she was terrible, thought she was going nuts,felt sick, dizzy and stayed in bed.
After that, within about 3 months she had booked and been on a cruise with my dad (who nearly fainted when he realised where they were going - it was a surprise for him to say thankyou for putting up with her all these years).

Now I have panic attacks, it was my mum who did everything for me when I wouldnt get out of bed.
My mum who dragged me out shopping to get 'practice' being in town.
My mum who goes to the pub and restaurants a couple of nights a week.
In fact..my previously agoraphobic mum goes out more than I do...lol.

just a note....she says it was hell getting on them for her, her life is brilliant now and she doesnt regret taking them at all but she is scared to come off them in case she goes back to how she was - (pretty common feeling for us on meds I think).

I dont know whether this has put you off or made you want to try it but this is an honest account of what its been like for my mum.
I hope it helped in some way :)

love sarah
xx

we arent mad, just the next stage of evolution :)

[joey]

Thanks, Sarah. That is helpful. Meg - I'm in Scotland. Jo

[EMMA]

I took seroxat 3 years ago and they were the best thing ever. Took a couple of weeks to get used to them then they worked a treat. Had no problems coming off them. When my panic and anxiety came back again this time I went to the docs and asked for them again. First couple of weeks felt dodgy but feel great again now. They are not addictive, they just help you over the rough patch.

Emma x

[snowman]

I took seroxat for 5 years...couldn't get off them and worried I wouldn't cope with the pressures of work.Eventually told my boss the situation in a round about way and stopped totally. Can't say i've ever been 100% in a natural way since and when things get too much I go downhill over about a 4 week period.Now about to try Effexor. Although from what I've read I've got mixed views on how I will get on with them. Good to see I'm not alone in this crazy world of Anxiety and depression.