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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by audre on April 11, 2008, at 12:57:55
I've been on an SSRI , (Lexapro) since Nov. of 06. I switched to Paxil approx. Nov. of 07 and was up to 40 mg of Paxil about 2 months ago. This is all elements of my "diagnosed" anxiety - panic disorder. At one point about 6 months ago I was on 20mgs of Lexapro, 5mgs of Zyprexa, and .5 mg of Xanax Xr taken twice a day. About 3 months into this combo I was feeling a bit more anxiety and my "med guy" switched me to Paxil. I was up to 40mgs of Paxil for about 2 months. At one point in mid Febuary my "med guy" wanted to take me of the Zyprexa because it had put about 15 pounds on me and was making me sleep 12 to 14 hours a day. I soon was feeling sick and put myself on yet another medical leave from work. When coming off of the Zyprexa I would get these occasional dizzy spells. They came and went and finally went away. Bad news was that my anxiety went up and after a long talk my "med-guy" and I decided to go with a MAOI , Parnate. I'm under a time constraint relative to me medical leave. I have to be back to work by June 1 before I loose my job. A job I can't afford to loose. Bottom line: My "med-guy" did a fast ween of the Paxil. He weened me off of it in one week. Just before my last day of Paxil I started getting dizzy spells 24 hrs a day just like the ones I experienced coming off of Zyprexa. I've been off of the Paxil for 17 days now and am still having the dizzy spells on a constant basis. The dizzy spells are more of a constant pulsating thing. I called my "med-guy" and he said that the dizziness has nothing to do with the Paxil withdrawl any more and that I just have to deal with it as part of my anxiety. I started the parnate on the 9th of April. My med guy wants me to take 10mgs per day for 5 days then 20mgs for 5 days, and finally 30 mgs for two weeks then back for a visit.
I know no one has "the answer". I've been on the net and have already read the horror stories about some people having to go back on Paxil. This is not an option for me.
Could my "med-guy" be wrong? Could I still be suffering from Paxil withdraw?
I'm also on 6mg, (3mgs x 2) per day of Xanax Xr. My doctors and friends want me to be patient and wait for the MAOI to help a bit. I know it isn't going to solve all my problems, but I'm just looking for some hope.
Has there been anyone out there who has has gotten through a fast Paxil withdrawl? Also, I'm looking for feed back on a POSITIVE experience with partante.
Thanks for any feed back,Audre.
Posted by Justherself54 on April 19, 2008, at 21:16:30
In reply to Paxil withdrawl - switching to MAOI, posted by audre on April 11, 2008, at 12:57:55
Wow..that was a fast withdrawal from Paxil. What was the time frame between stopping paxil and starting parnate? I'm sure you've read that paxil is a hard one to go off and you did a really fast titration. I think you very well could be still feeling some paxil withdrawals and your body is now adjusting to Parnate, as it has it's own side effects, hypotension being one of them. In any event you can't go back on paxil right away as you would have to do a 14 days washout to go from a MAOI to a SSRI such as paxil, very dangerous.
Unfortunately you're left between a rock and a hard place with trying to ride out the rapid titration and having a MAOI introduced. I've been on Paxil and had brain zaps even though I did a slow titration. I've had continual brain zaps as I'm titrating off Nardil and still going strong into week 4. Stopping and starting meds always are a stressful time for me and I have to keep telling myself that it will pass.
As for a success story on Parnate...it worked wonders for me in a relatively short period of time. I did have a lot of hypertension episodes and due to a grey area of bad chilling episodes I was switched to Nardil and was already on it when my doctors figured out what caused the chills..it wasn't parnate. I've had some bad side effects on Nardil, and am currently starting the 14 day washout to go back on Parnate.
Both Nardil and Parnate are excellent for lifting depression, they just carry a different set of side effects. I find for me Parnate's easier to tolerate. Some here have great success with Nardil. There was one side effect from it that my doctor was concerned about, so back to Parnate it is.
I sure hope things settle down for you. You're going through a really rough time.
Posted by audre on April 19, 2008, at 22:14:55
In reply to Re: Paxil withdrawl - switching to MAOI, posted by Justherself54 on April 19, 2008, at 21:16:30
Thanks for your response. I switched from Lexapro to Paxil at a low dose in Oct. of last year. I was up to 40mgs of Paxil for only about 2 months before my 1 week ween. I had extreme dizziness and zaps for about 17 days then they just disappeared. While I was coming off the Paxil I was forcing myself to walk 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. It was horrible walking for 3.5 miles first thing in the morning on a beautiful day and thinking my life is over. My main problem is the benzo's in my system. My pdoc raised my Xanax Xr up to 6mg per day and my body is already going through tolerance withdrawal. I wake up weak and sick every morning. I keep telling myself that I need to try different things while I wait for the parnate to kick in. I just took my first dose at 30mgs. I'm feeling a bit less depression but I giving my twice a day treadmill trips the credit. When I was walking I was still feeling really depressed, but now that I'm jogging twice a day I'm a little less depressed. Thanks for sharing your experience with the MAOIs. The only side effect I'm having, (but not today) is restlessness. Hopefully this is my body adjusting to the parnate.
My hope is that the parnate will help me with my depression and anxiety just enough to help me tolerate the w/d symptoms of getting of the Xanax Xr.
Thanks again,
Audre
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