Increasing Paroxetine dose

[Geoff2301]

Have suffered from bad bouts of anxiety/depression for many years....... looking back on it, even had Health Anxiety through my teens though didn't realise thats what it was! Anyway, to cut a long story short...... well shorter anyway!!...been on various antidepressants virtually nonstop for the last 20 years and although I've had a number of relapses/blips, just about kept sane!! These days, I seem to go through a bad blip every 6-8 months which seems to clear all of a sudden after a few weeks..... during the bad spell, I feel so ill just don't know what to do with myself I feel so anxious and depressed. Usually seems to be triggered off by stress or would you believe it, going on holiday!! Anyway, as you probably guessed, going through a really bad patch at the moment...... always worst first thing in the morning..... and I'm having real trouble convincing myself I'll ever get better. Saw my gp on Monday who reckoned I had a big advantage over everyone else he sees as at least I know I'll get better! I'm sure it is true as I must have had absolutely loads of "blips" over the years and everytime feels like the end of the world. I've been on 40mg paroxetine and propanalol but he's now increasing the paroxetine to 60mg and given me a short dose of tamazipam to help me sleep a bit better for a couple of weeks....... got to see him again in 6 weeks to review. I've been taking the increased dose for a few days but not sure its a good idea....... reading the instructions, 60mg is the absolute max dose if you've got ocd which I've haven't got...... depression/anxiety is 40mg I think. . A few years back, the same gp doubled my dosulepin dose to 320mg....... turned out should never be on that dose unless in hospital...... after a few weeks started having fits as a result and ended up in hospital a couple of times and they gave me a brain scan thinking I had epilepsy!! Sorry if rambling here!!............ anyway,switched to Paroxetine 20mg and ticked along ok for couple of years...... hit a bad spell.... increased to 40mg....... ok for while with a few blips but now going through bad patch again which stated a couple of weeks ago out of the blue. Was on fluoxetine for several years..... 20mg....... which I did quite well on..... then had a bad spell and went back on the dosulepin as I knew it had been effective in the past. Couple of years back, another gp in the practice put me on Citalopram and never felt so ill though to be fair, only gave it a week as felt so ill...... then went on the paroxetine which helped.
My wife is really encouraging and says hang on in there....... keep on the 40mg and you'll soon be feeling better..... you always do. I've started going out cycling and doing some fast exercise which usually helps, bought some Omega 3 fish oil so will give that a go as well.
Reading all this, looks like I'm a right mess but to be honest, for about 90% of the time, I'm ok...... its just when I get the dreaded "blips" .
Although my gp has made a mistake in the past, he has the most experience of all the gp's in the practice and has got me through many a bad patch in the past and I don't really think switching gp's is really going to make much difference. He has referred me in the past to the local mental health unit and they were the ones that originally put me on the paroxetine........ I saw them about 4 weeks ago and was feeling absolutely fine so they discharged me and put me back under my gp which I was ok with at the time........ wish they hadn't now!
Anyway, sorry to ramble on and on ..... I just hope I'll be feeling better soon. In the past, it has suddenly started clearing and after a couple of days, back to full power..... just want it to happen now.
Anyway, does anyone else take such a high dose of paroxetine .and has it helped?...... I don't wan't to go on a really high dose which does nothing and then can't get down from very easily

[KK77]

I was on 20mg of paroxetine for a long time and couldn't handle anything above that dose. It stopped working after a few years and I had a lot of trouble coming off it but managed it in the end. I'm now on sertraline which is helping (although I still get ups and downs).

I don't think you can expect any med to cure you at any dose. I think that you'll still have blips along the way because it's the nature of this illness.

60mg is the max dose and if you can tolerate it at this dose it would be a good option till you feel better again - at which time you should look to reduce it. I think it's better than starting a new med and going through all the start-up symptoms again, not to mention paroxetine withdrawals.

I think getting in touch with the MHT again and explaining your concerns would also be a good idea - although I think that increasing your med to 60mg is the right thing for you to do if you're feeling like this.

Wish you luck.

[popsy]

Im on 60mg, it helped me at the time, basically your body gets used to the amount and to get the same effect i did at 30mg they had to double it (slowley). I didnt have any side effects increasing it, like you do at the beginning and i defo think its better to do that than start a new med with all the side effects involved. Im 2 years on now and still on 60mg im starting to wonder if its still working but have been advised to stay on it and start CBT too, so watch this space.....! LOL

[dream]

Hi my story is a little like urs this is my 3rd time on Paroxetine within 8 years I have been well for 2 year without being on meds but now going thro a bad patch , how is it going on ur new meds ? Hope ur starting to feel better , I started back on paroxotine 4 days ago but please don't laugh on a dose of 2 mg I'm so worried about the side effects could anyone tell me if this really worth it or should I have just started on a higher dose to get the side effects over and done with I plan just to wean myself up a bit each week till I get to 10mg is this worth it will I get side effects each week I up my does a tiny bit ? Thank u for ur time dexx

[KK77]

Hi my story is a little like urs this is my 3rd time on Paroxetine within 8 years I have been well for 2 year without being on meds but now going thro a bad patch , how is it going on ur new meds ? Hope ur starting to feel better , I started back on paroxotine 4 days ago but please don't laugh on a dose of 2 mg I'm so worried about the side effects could anyone tell me if this really worth it or should I have just started on a higher dose to get the side effects over and done with I plan just to wean myself up a bit each week till I get to 10mg is this worth it will I get side effects each week I up my does a tiny bit ? Thank u for ur time dexx

Wow, that's a really tiny dose! How do you measure it? I would think you'd need the liquid version to measure such a small amount.

Why don't you go up to 5mg and increase by 5mg a week till you get to the required dose? If you have any problems then go back to the previous dose for a while longer (say another week).

I'm sure you wouldn't have any problems doing it like that but if you do then you could always visit your doc.

[dream]

Hi yes its liquid form had a panic last night could I be gettin side effects on such a low dose now I'm worryed to move up a dose incase I feel even worse thank u for ur time x

[KK77]

It could also be anxiety De, not just side effects. It's such a low dose you're on. Try to increase gently and see how you get on. You can always go back down if it gets too much. Have a word with your doc if you're worried but I'm sure you'll be OK.

[dream]

Hey went to the doc today had a bad night last night with panic he said to stay on what I'm on just to get myself used to it then got to see him monday to see how I'm feeling he said just a small amout would be doing something x thanks for replys xx

[ellabell]

Hi, these posts have been really helpful... I've been taking paroxetine for 4 wks now and this is the 2nd time, before I took 20 mg for about 4 yrs and then came off them no trouble for a year but then had a bad patch and have started on them again, I'm worrying that I have'nt given them a fair chance before upping the dose to 40 mg today from 20mg for a couple of weeks and then 30 mg, I have just read that 40 mg is the highest dose for anxiety ! I have also read that taking them for a second time can take more of a dose to have a full effect.... wishing I had never come off them in the first place ! Just need some reassurance that I've done the right thing by upping the dose... I am feeling 100 times better than I was before taking them but still having the odd bad day which I guess I'm really trying to do away with completley. Any replies gratefully received x

[lauz_lea]

Hi Ellabell, I'm back on paroxetine for the third time and like you have been on it for about 4 weeks. This time I started on 10mg (which was my maintainance dose for many years). I also wish I'd never come off them in the first place as going back on them (even at only 10mg) has been difficult this time (on previous occassions I couldn't have been in a worse place so the initial SE's were nothing compared to what I was already experiencing). I intend to reach 20mg over the next couple of weeks, I've got to 14mg so far just increasing a couple of mg every few days.

I'm still having the odd bad day, which makes me forget the good days I've had and leave me wondering if I'll ever get better, but I know this is part and parcel of my original condition and the side effects.

I do worry that it will be less effective this time or that I will need a higher dose for a while, but it's worked for me in the past so I'm sure it will work for me again. I am fearful of trying other AD's because of the initial side effects (I had a severe reaction to Prozac many years ago), and the initial period of starting any AD, where you feel so much worse feels like an eternity.

On the up side, whilst there may be the occassional off day, we're over the worst and should start feeling ourselves again very soon so here's to the future