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foxyroxy
28-01-11, 18:23
Hi im new here and today have taken the big step of seeing my GP about the anxiety ive been suffering for over a year along with some depression, my GP has prescribed me Paroxetine (seroxat) 10mg, one a day.
Ive been looking this med up on the internet and am not finding a lot of positive reviews on it, ive read that it gives you weight gain, well im already overweight and hate it so i really dont want to gain anymore, also read that if you miss one dose it can have a really bad effect on you and they can give you bad effects when coming coming off of them. I had fluoxetine a few years ago to treat mild drepression and found them to be good, the GP said i could go back on them if i wanted but i explained that it was the anxiety that i mainly wanted treated so she suggested that i take the Paroxetine but im feeling slightly worried about taking them now, has anyone on here taken them or are taking them now?

elainey70
28-01-11, 19:02
Hi Foxy,

I currently take seroxat 30mg for anxiety and depression. This is my second time on these meds, the first time i was on them was in 1995 and i stayed on them for 14 years, only coming off them in 2009. I was fine for about a year and had a relapse, so here i am again back on seroxat. (Sept 2010). I wont lie they are horrendous to come of, you will have to do it in a controlled way and really slowly, but it can be done. If you miss a dose you will feel the withdrawal effects. These meds literally gave me my life back the first time and fingers crossed they will again. Oh and haven't had any weight gain due to these meds Good luck x

foxyroxy
28-01-11, 19:12
My GP said i should only be on them for about 6 months, im hoping i wont need them long term, I feel so low some days and just want to feel slightly human and normal again, i have read a few positive messages that seroxat has been a life saver and given people there life back so to speak, but got quite worried when i started reading the horror stories too, when the time came for me to come off them i would only do it in a controlled way via my GP and glad to hear no weight gain for you, that is one thing that i really don't want to happen, if it does i will see my GP and change the meds, im overweight now and unhappy with it so don't want to add to it.
Glad to hear it worked for you and i hope they work for you a second time round, thanks for taking the time to reply x

paul75
28-01-11, 19:58
I was on them for 12 years and they gave me my life back as well, it's coming off them that's the really bad part. But, I would rather be on medication and have a decent life than slip back in to old habits. Don't let any horror stories put you off, just take them as prescribed and don't miss a dose, you will be fine.

angelica1414
30-01-11, 16:13
im glad others have replied and said they gave them thier lifes back. in a way i suppose they did me also...........but i have to dissagree here there are far better tablets out there for you to take, ones that have a longer half life (this is how long the medication stays in your body before withdrawel starts) i have been on seroxat for over 17 years and am currently withdrawing from it, its hell its the worst thing to come off this medication, and im sorry if im out of line saying this, but it should be banned from being prescribed to new patients because of this, i cant believe how many gp's and phyciatrists still prescibe it, knowing how hard it is to get off it! GSK who manufactor this drug dint know how bad the effects of coming off it was when it was first brought out, it WAS seen as a mircle pill, infact my own doctor who initally gave it me said they were mircle pills! yeah right, try the withdrawel off them doc :ohmy:.
please if you havent started these tablets go back and ask if there is another antidepressant that could work for you, you have done your own research and as you said there isnt much positive feedback, it speaks for its self, the medication might work but unless you want to be like me and thousands of others out here who are trapped on it, ask for an alternative please :hugs: cause the withdrawel can be just as bad if not worse than the inital illness, i know im going through it now, i hope you sort it and start to feel better soon xx linda xx

angelica1414
30-01-11, 16:21
sorry i just wanted to add.........can you tell i feel so strongly about this drug??:lac:...... i am also noticing a pattern to this drug, people who succed in coming off it seem to relapse sometime down the line and have to go back on it, i dont hold out much hope but il try my hardest! xx linda xx

Geoff2301
30-01-11, 18:28
im glad others have replied and said they gave them thier lifes back. in a way i suppose they did me also...........but i have to dissagree here there are far better tablets out there for you to take, ones that have a longer half life (this is how long the medication stays in your body before withdrawel starts) i have been on seroxat for over 17 years and am currently withdrawing from it, its hell its the worst thing to come off this medication, and im sorry if im out of line saying this, but it should be banned from being prescribed to new patients because of this, i cant believe how many gp's and phyciatrists still prescibe it, knowing how hard it is to get off it! GSK who manufactor this drug dint know how bad the effects of coming off it was when it was first brought out, it WAS seen as a mircle pill, infact my own doctor who initally gave it me said they were mircle pills! yeah right, try the withdrawel off them doc :ohmy:.
please if you havent started these tablets go back and ask if there is another antidepressant that could work for you, you have done your own research and as you said there isnt much positive feedback, it speaks for its self, the medication might work but unless you want to be like me and thousands of others out here who are trapped on it, ask for an alternative please :hugs: cause the withdrawel can be just as bad if not worse than the inital illness, i know im going through it now, i hope you sort it and start to feel better soon xx linda xx
Obviously, not everyone has these withdrawal effects....... I was on 60mg and had no significant withdrawal problems...... lucky perhaps!! Regarding relapses..... I don't think this is specific to paroxetine......... unfortunately, there is quite a high relapse rate for ALL antidepressants..... personally, I think that unless you can change your lifestyle somehow, relapses are very likely no matter what pills you take.

Thyme
30-01-11, 19:30
Hi

I agree with Geoff. I was on Paroxetine a few years ago. I thought it was really good in that it did the job. I took it for about a year and took about 4 months to wean off it. I don't think it is hard to wean off but it does take time, I didn't have withdrawal symptoms but I think you have to play by the rules and not try to get off it too quickly. It wasn't the fault of Paroxetine that I relapsed. I didn't find that I had any weight gain with it...my only problem was night sweats. I think if you are not sure of a medication then you should ask your doctor, the internet is great (I use it all the time) but remember it isn't specific to you...your doctor can tailor your meds to you.

angelica1414
30-01-11, 21:35
im sorry if i seemed to step out of line regarding this 'mircle' drug, but the poster asked for people's opions as to taking them, as i said they worked great AT 1ST but then when your feeling well and no longer need them, theres the chance you will want to come off them, as i stated iv been on them over 17 years, thats through no fault of mine, i just couldn't get off them, after upping the dose and lowering the dose over them 17 years (and ive never done any of that without medical advice) two years ago it was me who decied i wanted off them, but after a failed attempt i had to stay on them after getting down to 12mgs...at that time....i had to re up them to 20mgs and stayed on that dose for two years. when i went to see the gp last september feeling depressed it was him who said the seroxat was no longer having the desired effect, so he started the reduction. i wouldn't call getting down to 3mgs....of which im on now.... a quick taper down, this is being done very slowly, but its still giving me withdrawel effects! Also to reduce propley you need to swap the tablets to medicine so you can get an exact measurement of how much your taking.....a lot of hard work if you ask me just to get off a medication that has brought a lot of problems MY way, as tyme said the only problem they had was night sweats, well i wish that was all i had, iv suffered with aching joints, vertigo, tremors ect i could go on but i think its just how it effects you, to ME this drug is evil and should be taken off the market completly, unless you are already on it and then you HAVE to have that monthly perscription, otherwise you can feel like a junkie needing thier fix........cause thats how bad withdrawel can be for a lot of people. xxlinda xx

haz
30-01-11, 22:07
Hi,

I know it might sound like just "swapping one drug for another" but perhaps you could ask your doctor to cross taper with another SSRI with a longer half life, like prozac or citalopram?? It might make the Seroxat withdrawal easier.

Just a thought?

Good Luck.

angelica1414
30-01-11, 22:49
hi haz
i was cross tapering up until 2 weeks ago but then it came to light that the new AD that i was taking since september was reacting with my blood pressure tablets so had to be taken straight off it.
So was left with either starting something else and coming off 2 AD's or just coming off them completly, i've managed over the last two weeks to get off the 1 but im still having to take my measly 3mg of seroxat, the only thing im grateful for is the other AD must of helped with me getting to this low dose as when i tried before i could'nt get past 12 mgs.
My point is im still dependant on that small amount of seroxat even though its of no theraputic use to me, my body still needs it :weep: come about 6 o'clock every evening my body starts trembling and my head is very wiered even on this small amount.
some people just find it harder than others i guess, xxlinda xx

krees69
11-02-11, 14:51
hi
I have never been in a chat room/post before, so please forgive any faux pas'
For Foxy roxy

I began taking seroxat in 1994. I guess I was always an anxious person, but things came to head, i was becoming agraphobic, terrified of my own shadow. At that time there was no information (internet-what internet! )about it apart form the drug literature, so i read nothing. I have to say it changed my life-it got rid of the anxiety after about 4 weeks. I have been on and off it all these years-simply because it works. Side effects -yes, sometimes awful,( head zaps, nausea, anxiety, I buffer the withdrawal with slow reduction and amitryptiline these days) BUT and a very BIG BUT, for me the benefits outway the side effects, and nowhere near as bad as what anxiety does to you. withdrawal -yes, but I must have been on and off it more that 8/9 times, its not great, but again nowhere near as bad as the anxiety. I read lots of negative stuff about it, but i look back and think where i woudl be now if I had never been treated-not travelled the world, married 2.4 kids etc. what i'm saying to you is don't listen to others (me included if you wish), just listen to yourself, how does it do for YOU. and remember all drugs that actually work usually have side effects. Its about achieving a balance. \Good luck

foxyroxy
16-02-11, 00:16
Hi Krees69, thank you for the post, its nice to hear something positive about seroxat and im pleased that it has worked for you, its been 3 weeks now since i was prescribed them and i still havnt started them, i read up to much about them on the internet and it scared me to take them to be honest. The Anxiety is ruining my life and is making me quite angry inside as its getting the better of me, but i know at the end of the day its only me that can try and make it better, you say that it has changed your life for the better and i would like that to happen for me, i just need to have the courage to start the meds and stop thinking about the IF'S and BUT'S

krees69
18-02-11, 23:58
hi
Glad you found what i said useful. If you are going to take it I STRONGLY recommend you take at least half of what you've been prescribed. For example if you have been prescribed 20mgs a day, then take half, so 10mgs or even a quarter so 5 mgs and then up to gradually over a period of say 4 weeks, you might find that you do not need the whole 20, but feel much better staying on the 10mgs.Cut up with a sharp knife I think if you start with 20mgs , you are really going to know about it!!-At first the side effects did frighten me, BUT it was weird more than anything else, like really colourful dreams and a LOT of sweating and a bit sick, but i know what they do now so these effects don't bother me.
It took about 4 weeks for me for the 'fog' to lift and the ridiculous rituals i'd set uo to 'prevent' me anxiety esculating, OCD almost, completly went.

For me medication is not a cure, it is a way to manage it, or certainly live a 'normal' life. I think i resign myself to the fact now, that my little friend will always be with me, is a part of me whether I like or not. In a way i've accepted that i have this and not 'worry' (LOL) about getting rid of it. We anxious folk spend HOURS worrying what is wrong with me, why is this happening to me, i must be going mad , there must be a way to stop this, where is the cure etc, etc, etc. That then feeds into the anger and sheer frustration that most of us feel, that we are in the prime of life and there is this 'thing' stopping us from living, then we construct 'safety nets' around ourselves to protect us from anxiety and before we know it we are so entrenched on our own world that it is difficult to move on. My advice is drugs and therapy
Make your decision and go with it
I never looked back!!
hope this helps
Kath

heath480
19-02-11, 00:06
I have been reading these forums for about 18months but never posted.
I just want to post my experience of Seroxat.In 1987 I had a severe bout of depression,I was prescribed Seroxat and took it for about a year,I had no problem stopping them.over the next 20years I had several episodes of mild depression,each time I took Seroxat,they worked fantastically and again no problem stopping.

In 2009 I had nasal surgery which was unsuccessful and I became severely depressed,by this time I had a new GP,he was reluctant to prescribe Seroxat and put me on Prozac,I can honestly say the weeks I took them were the worst in my life.He did put me back on Seroxat and yet again they worked wonderfully.

I believe different drugs suit different people and it is a case of finding the one best for you.Please dont let horror stories about Seroxat stop you from getting better.Many people have great success with them,unfortunately we usually only hear about the bad experiences.

foxyroxy
23-02-11, 17:33
Thank you for taking the time to post a message, its good to hear another positive about Seroxat, Ive taken Fluoxitine in the past for depression and they were fine and came off them after 2 years or so with no problems but the gp said Seroxat would be better this time round what with me have the bad anxiety, i read lots of horror stories on the net and on here about Seroxat and it did put me off big time, i do really want to get better and for the anxiety to go away, im sure that then the depression would go too. Like you and others have said different meds suit different people and i guess the only way im going to find out if this one if for me is to try it, they are still sat in my bedroom drawer.

tisa
24-02-11, 17:13
Hi foxyroxy. I too have been prescribed Paroxetine (yesterday)
I currently take 30mg of Citalopram but I don't feel like it really helps me (maybe because i've been on it for so long - approx 5 years). I'm exactly like you - scared about trying something new and the side effects it may cause. I've read some awful things online that have completely put me off. Do you think you'll give it a go? I just can't decide what to do for the best!

foxyroxy
25-02-11, 00:08
I really would like to give it go as i really want to be better as i feel the anxiety is taking over my life and stopping me from doing things and enjoying my life, I cant say at the moment if i defo will start taking it as it has put me off but i have also heard some very good positives about it where is has really helped people turn there life around and that's what i want it to do for me but like urself i dont like the side effects, especially the weight gain as im over weight already and if you miss one dose you will get the symptoms of withdrawal. I also cannot decide what to do for the best but i also think that this med might be fine as it effects people differently and i may just be one of the lucky ones and so might you, the only way we are going to find out is to try it but i have to be 100% sure about it in my mind before i start them x

alibobs
28-02-11, 21:18
Hi I was on seroxat for 10 years for depression and obsessional thoughts and i really believe it saved my life.Three years ago i managed to cope with losing my partner very suddenly losing my home and my job again i believe because seroxat kept me sane. I decided to come off seroxat in dec 2010, after forgetting to take them for a couple of days and not suffering the withdrawal symptoms i had previously. I so wish i hadnt I then had a heart attack just before christmas NOTHING TO DO WITH SEROXAT. I had a pretty rough few weeks afterwards and became quite anxious about my health. I then started obsessing about something i have had a phobia about for almost 30 yrs. It is a health issue but totally unfounded.( I can sometimes believe this) My doctor at my request put me back on seroxat 30 mgs my previous dose. After just over 2 weeks i was no better and he upped it to 40 mg i think i do feel a bit better and i have every hope i will be better still , but has anyone else had the experience of coming off and going back on it again and how long did it take to work and to make you to feel normal again ............sorry for the long story just wanted to be clear thanks

tmcg147
04-05-11, 14:55
just thought id share my story regarding paroxetine in the hope that it helps someone. i first was diagnosed with anxiety and in particular health anxiety back in 2000 during a very stressful job. gp prescribed 3 different drugs including prozac (fluoxetine) but i didnt get on well with any of them. it was only when he prescribed paroxetine that things began to sort themselves out. my condition presents itself like many others in that i am convinced there is something wrong with my heart, that im going to have a heart attack, and no matter how many tests ive taken or specialists ive seen, i still do not believe my heart is healthy. thus i go through most of the common anxiety symptoms which only makes things worse, then i REALLY think 'feck, i AM having a heart attack!' i have made many trips to a&e, had many tests, xrays and ecgs, yet nothing gets into my head that there is nothing wrong with my heart!

anyway all went very well for 7 or so years, life mostly back to normal, managing health anxiety pretty well, with the assistance of CBT and the meds, apart from the odd bad occasion and subsequent trip to the hospital!! then i decided i would maybe try to wean myself off them - the resulting side effects coupled with the breakup of my marriage put me way back beyond square one, my life basically fell apart, the only good thing about coming off them was i lost the 4 stone i had gained over the 7 years but in 1 month!! i was referred thankfully by my very understanding gp to a specialist and the bottom line is i am now back on paroxetine along with seroquel - things really were that bad for 3-4 weeks but slowly but surely i began to even out once more. today life is pretty much back to where i was when i decided to try to come off them. the weight is back on unfortunately, but i work hard at the gym to try and manage it. the bottom line for me now is that i have proven to myself that life is far easier to manage and cope with my condition with medication and if i have to take a couple of pills every day for the rest of my days, then so be it, its not so bad, much better that than going through all of that again.

hope this helps someone

keep going everyone