Seroxat

[Janinex]

Hi Sal,

Yeah I was ok when I was off it, although coming off it was hell as my Dr halved my dose over a fortnight and that was it so the withdrawal was hell!!

My father in law comminted suicide in Aug 2011 and since last May I have been terrible with anxiety and panic and my Dr has had me on citalopram twice, sertraline twice, fluoxetine, venlafaxine (which i took for a day) trazodone the last 4 months, I went to see a different Dr about 6 months ago and she has been a god send when the trazodone was doing nothing for me she decided 24 days ago to try the seroxat again for the first week I was on 10mg then upped to 20mg it is definately helping me, I am not as anxious, had no panics, am going out and about which I wasn't before, infact I started college this week and have so much more motivation.

My time of the month is due today and usually I have ten days of hell with anxiety prior to it but this month I seem to be coping a lot better.

So at the moment for me I have no intentions of stopping it, as I manage so much better on it.

Janine x

[Darbysa]

Janine
Well done on starting college. I know how you feel to be on an even keel again. It's amazing what a little white tablet can do! If you had been off for 3 years then you must have gone past the withdrawal stage so in my view it's something in our make up which makes us have these problems. Whilst not a suicide(which must have been terrible for you), a close friend of my husband and myself died suddenly from cancer last year. I thought I dealt with it ok but maybe that had a longer term effect on me than I thought. Either way, like you I am happy on 20 mg for now as it has no adverse effects for me and just makes me feel like me again!

Sarah
Each time I came off it I felt great for about 2 months then started with anxiety and panic creeping back in until after 3 months I was a wreck. Hard to keep up that confident front when you feel you can't leave the house. Both times, within a week of restarting the seroxat I was absolutely fine.
I have put this down to withdrawal and not being able to cope with it but having read janines story where she was free for 3 years I am not so sure and I'm going to try and stop beating myself up by feeling weak for being on them.
I had already had my kids when this started for me so didn't have the added worry of being pregnant whilst on them. I would probably have done the same as you in that position.
I think all SSRis have some issues when stopped. There are lots of stories on here about people having problems stopping cit but i know that seroxat does get a bad press. The nature of these and other forums is that you tend to only get stories from people who need help rather than any successes. That's perfectly understandable as this site is a godsend when you are struggling.
I think I will always have some inner conflict about this, same as you and your partner otherwise we wouldn't be trying to come off these meds.
Good luck to all of us in whatever we decide to do in the future.
Sal x

[Janinex]

Hi Sal

I agree with you there is definately just something in our makeup. I too struggle with having to take a pill to feel normal I tried the whole seeing a herbalist route but for me unfortunately nothing works like seroxat so am now kind of resigned to the fact that I need it and just have to learn to accept that

Janine x