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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Laney on February 10, 2010, at 11:52:56
Would love to hear all stories!
I've been on paxil for 13 years and need to make this switch.
Thanks! Laney
Posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2010, at 12:21:57
In reply to Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac, posted by Laney on February 10, 2010, at 11:52:56
Hi Laney seriously this topic is of great interest to me as l0mg of paxil did work for me and I dropped it as my Son was coming to live with us and he didn't believe in meds. And since then none worked. Wait I did briefly return to it and then the pdoc switched meds to justify a hospital stay for med switch. And that was the end of paxil working for me. And it was a mere l0mg no weight gain. My brain adusted after three months with very low xanax. So refresh my memory why the switch to prozac med poopout? Love Phillipa
Posted by Laney on February 10, 2010, at 12:24:27
In reply to Re: Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac » Laney, posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2010, at 12:21:57
Thanks Phillipa. Yes, poopout. I was lucky to get all those years out of it I guess.
So damn hard to come off of without something else. I'm doing both paxil and prozac right now.
Laney
Posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2010, at 16:56:12
In reply to Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac, posted by Laney on February 10, 2010, at 11:52:56
Have you tried things to revive Paxil's efficacy? I'm thinking Risperdal, Abilify, Zyprexa, Ritalin, Savella, Nortriptyline...things that will bring the norepinephrine and dopamine circuits up to par with the Paxil serotonin circuits. I would certainly try a few of those things before abandoning it completely.
I was on Paxil for one year. I weaned off in about 2 months, shaving small amounts off the pills, maybe going a little bit lower in dose every 4 days or so, staying at a steady dose for a few days, and so on, feeling it out on the fly. After the final dose, which was down to just crumbs, maybe 1mg or 2mg, the next few days were a bit harder than I thought, with some extreme dizziness and nausea and such. I went back to the crumbs, stabilized a week or so, and then got off without much problem.
With you it is likely to be more traumatic and problematic. Thirteen years is a very long time and your body is completely dependent on that Paxil molecule. The fact that it has pooped out is irrelevent. Your body can't function without that molecule. It is more complicated than merely serotonin reuptake or whatever. Prozac will only partially make up for the loss of Paxil. Each med has unique functions on genes, enzymes, and detailed obscure things we don't talk about much. We know Paxil hits some of the other neurotransmitter systems, such as cholinergic, and others, that other SSRIs do not.
I think you just have to whittle the doses down in very tiny steps. Razor blades are good for shaving off small amounts from pills. Cutting a pill in half makes it easier to shave small amounts off of corners. Tricks like are, in my mind, absolute necessities if the goal is to have the smoothest ride possible. If you are planning on going from 20mg to 10mg 5mg to 0mg, forget it, that will never work without going through hell for a few weeks or months. The slow wean in tiny steps is much smoother.
All that said, not to rain on the party, I have doubts any SSRI is going to work very well after 13 years of another one. It is probably going to involve a combo of meds that hits serotonin, NE, and dopamine. Serotonin has been ruling the show for too long at the expense of the others.
My two cents anyway.
Posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2010, at 21:31:46
In reply to Re: Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac, posted by bleauberry on February 10, 2010, at 16:56:12
Why 40 years on benzos sometimes one or another and dose change at random that's a pretty good record. Last two nights cut the pesky luvox in half and was fine. No difference and about 14 years on that one. Me I'd take a bit of paxil with the prozac as that is how when had lymes they took away the paxil to straight low dose luvox as on then 2.5mg paxil and 12.5 luvox. Stopped the paxil and just left the luvox. Combos more than an antianxiety and small dose of ad in just common depression in only my opinion just lead to not knowing what's doing what. Phillipa
Posted by Laney on February 11, 2010, at 10:20:20
In reply to Re: Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac » bleauberry, posted by Phillipa on February 10, 2010, at 21:31:46
Phillipa,
What are you saying here? Could you say it in another way so I can really understand? You don't agree with bleauberry on the combo thing? You got off of paxil with luvox? What is Luvox and are you still on it? Bleuberry, so you don't think an SSRI is going to do it for me as a monotherapy again correct? Because of the 13 years? How do you get your doctor to see things differently?
Thanks guys!
Laney
Posted by DStupid on February 14, 2010, at 16:39:28
In reply to Re: Anyone switch from Paxil to Prozac, posted by Laney on February 11, 2010, at 10:20:20
Are you on regular Paxil or on the XR version?
This is the end of the thread.
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