Worse before better on paroxetine?

[jonjon]

Thanks Catkins

I take short walk every afternoon and then follow it up with a guided meditation to help me relax.

I still have some side effects from the medication. Namely disturbed sleep and headaches. I find myself alternating between paracetamol and ibuprofen every day!

I am heading into week 8 at the moment. Did you have bad headaches for the first few months? Did they go away or how did you manage them?

Regards

John

[Catkins]

To be honest, I often get headache with anxiety so it's hard to tell if it was the medication or my anxiety.

The main thing I noticed was a bit of an increase in anxiety levels, but to be honest that passed quite quickly. I think I was quite lucky.

[jonjon]

Yes I get bad headaches from anxiety too but the current headaches seem different and related to the medication.

The insomnia really sucks. I am tired but cannot sleep. I have been on the melatonin 2-4mg for a week or two but to be honest I think the antihistamine worked better. Clonazepam works great but I do not want to be taking a benzo every night. This is a reason I am hesitant to go to 20mg of paroxetine.

I believe the insomnia might be the last big hurdle to my recovery.

Has anyone found a way to deal with paroxetine insomnia effectively?

[jonjon]

One more thing that has crept in the last few days is fatigue/sleepiness during the day. Last night I slept ok with half a Restavit. I woke up and went for a half an hour walk then had a large coffee and 3 or 4 hours later I was nodding off on the couch. Feeling a bit apathetic.

Tomorrow will be 8 weeks on this medication…

[Catkins]

To be honest you could just be worn out, you've had a long period of stress and anxiety. Your mind and body could well be just worn out. One night/week of good sleep won't make up for that.

Be kind to yourself. Rest if you need to. I'd try not to sleep during the day - I find it doesn't really help me.

[jonjon]

Thanks Catkins you might be right. I have been smashed with stress lately.

[jonjon]

Paroxetine 10mg update after 2 months…

Pros:

Less anxiety
Less panic
Less deep depression
Got me doing things that used to freak me out


Cons:

Insomnia (slightly better but still present)
Random headaches everyday
Emotional blunting
Fatigue
Drugged feeling

So it looks like paroxetine has had some positives but the downside is that it appears blunt any happy feelings as well. I guess you could use the word zombie to describe its effects on me. Not happy or sad, just existing. I refuse to settle for this.

I am speaking to my psych in two days and feel I have given this medication a good go but it might not be a good match for me. Upping the dose is out of the question due to side effects.

I will ask her if I should stick it out a little longer at current or lower dose, add something else to the mix or change medications.

I remember trying lexapro years ago and from memory the side effects were nowhere near as bad as this. I think the reason it might not have “worked” was because I was in a really terrible situation at the time and I only gave it about 6 or 7 weeks. From memory it worked better for depression than anxiety.

I cannot handle really stimulating meds like Effexor or Wellbutrin.

I welcome any input you guys might have from your experiences.

Regards

John

[pulisa]

I think escitalopram/lexapro is an effective med and it may be worth a try if your psych decides on a change. I couldn't handle paroxetine at all and have problems with the activating meds like you.

See what your psych says and you can decide on what's the best way forward..

[jonjon]

I think escitalopram/lexapro is an effective med and it may be worth a try if your psych decides on a change. I couldn't handle paroxetine at all and have problems with the activating meds like you.

See what your psych says and you can decide on what's the best way forward..

Thanks pulisa,
I have read that lexapro is middle of the road with prozac being the most activating and paroxetine the most sedating SSRI.

How did paroxetine effect you? Insomnia and headaches?

John

[panic_down_under]

I am speaking to my psych in two days and feel I have given this medication a good go but it might not be a good match for me. Upping the dose is out of the question due to side effects.

I will ask her if I should stick it out a little longer at current or lower dose, add something else to the mix or change medications.

While I suspect the side-effects have more to do with anxiety than chemistry I don't see the point in staying on a med you can't tolerate at an effective dose, or of supplementing it with something else in the hope things improve. Better to cut you losses and move on to something else that might do the job.

I remember trying lexapro years ago and from memory the side effects were nowhere near as bad as this. I think the reason it might not have “worked” was because I was in a really terrible situation at the time and I only gave it about 6 or 7 weeks. From memory it worked better for depression than anxiety.

Then it, or maybe citalopram might be worth revisiting, John.