Paroxetine (seroxat)

[angelica1414]

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 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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