Re: Replacing seroxat with another med?
Hello Sarah
Having been on Seroxat for many years and come off it, I know how hard it can be. It took me many months and I suffered horrendously. But it IS possible to come off it - it's just that there are a couple of things to bear in mind that I hope will help your sister.
Firstly, there is NO alternative to paroxetine (Seroxat). These drugs hit slightly different receptors in the brain and are therefore unique in their mechanism of action (even though they all increase serotonin). Swapping to a similar SSRI like Prozac may help a little but it won't get rid of all the Seroxat withdrawals. Also Prozac comes with its own unique side effects, and as you say, anxiety is one of them. Insomnia is another and it can add to the withdrawal symptoms negatively.
Secondly, if depression/anxiety is still an underlying problem then coming off the med is not to be advised because the depression/anxiety will just come back along with other withdrawal symptoms.
My advice would be for her to stay on the med and get cognitive treatment, ie counselling, CBT, self-help etc until she's in a much stronger frame of mind. Then she could again slowly taper the drug and hopefully come off it then - but it's so important to be ready to do so.
There are support sites for Seroxat like Paxil Progress etc which you can find on the net.
I hope that helps somewhat and wish you both well.
*BTW, I'm NOT a medical doctor! Also, GPs aren't always very knowledgeable when it comes to mental health and I would advise for your sister to be referred to a psychiatrist if possible.
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KK
Never Surrender, Comrade