Posted by Rathrbfishn on May 9, 2002, at 22:36:24
In reply to Just starting to take paxil, posted by keilia on May 9, 2002, at 15:14:23
> I was given paxil today for anxiety/panic, doc said it would help me taper off my xanax. I am hearing soo much about all the weight gain it will cause. Does the weight gain happen because paxil will make you tired therefore you dont do as much, or because maybe it makes you eat more? or do you just gain weight no matter what you do? Has anyone lost weight while taking paxil?
> I dont even know if I want to start a new drug...just something else to get dependent on, I dont think it will ease the xanax dependency much. I dont think anything will. The way he talked he wants to get me off of them pretty fast. What was your experience on paxil? Thankskeilia...I have never heard of a doctor using paxil to help someone withdraw from paxil. But then there are lots of things I have never heard of.
I have some questions if you don't mind. Why does he want you to withdraw from xanax? You mentioned dependence, how much are you taking daily? Is the xanax creating problems in your life? Is your doctor a psychiatrist? What were you using the xanax for, PAD? Was the xanax helping your problem? Do you want to get off xanax, you sound a little reluctant.
Usually it's the other way around. Small doses of a benzo are rx'd with initiation of paxil therapy, until the common side affects from the AD abate.
I would really like to know how your doctor thinks that rx'ing paxil is going to help you withdraw from xanax. What's his theory about how this will help.
It's unusual these days for pdocs to withdraw someone from xanax "pretty fast", unless there is something unusual going on, such as a medical necessity. The side affects of withdrawing from xanax can be greatly diminished with a proper, slow tapering process.
I don't know all the particulars of your situation, but if my pdoc suggested this approach to withdrawing from xanax, (he never would), I'd get a second opinion, a third and a fourth. JMO.
poster:Rathrbfishn
thread:105759
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503/msgs/105818.html