Re: switching from prozac to paxil

[Guest guest]

I'm not a doctor but when I was at my son's recent appt., I had similar question

about Prozac and if the need comes to switch to another drug. He said we could

go to 60 and above that, he would be concerned about serotonin syndrome, even

though he said there is research to support going higher with the Prozac would

be OK. He is pretty conservative so I like that about him.

Anyway, if she is at 40, she wouldn't be at the max yet according to Roy's

pdoc. Taking her off the Prozac and adding paxil slowly seems OK. He must be

thinking along that line. Roy's pdoc said if we switched, we would lower the

prozac and keeping lowering it as we slowly titrate up on the other med. Roy is

17 and has been on the Prozac for 3 yrs. He also has Busbar added on. Has worked

for him pretty well. The rituals are still there, just not continual. Hope they

can find the right med combo. That can be hard too.

>

> My daughter has just began an intensive outpatient program for her SEVERE ocd.

She is currently on 40 mg of prozac daily. Her ocd thoughts are to a point where

she is unable to handle exposures(non stop). The psychiatrist has said to stop

her prozac and begin paxil at 20 mg for 3 days and then increase to 40 mg after

3 days. I know prozac has a long half life and I am concerned about seratonin

syndrome. Going up this quickly on paxil while prozac is still in system doesn't

sound safe to me. Has anyone had any experience when switching between the two?

>

> Thanks, Diane

>

[Guest guest]

I want to say that I think I've read Dr Jenike saying - when it comes to Prozac

and switching meds - that you can just switch.

I'm pretty sure when switching to Prozac, or from Prozac, he has said you can

just switch (no weaning down between meds...). I know what you mean about the

half-life though. I guess if the 4th day or so she started showing " signs " you

could drop back down next day. And I am guessing, if you take Prozac on

Wednesday and then totally switch to Paxil on Thursday at low dose...then

probably fine as they move up dosage in a few days. Again I'm just guessing

myself.

Wish I could be more help, a definite answer...

be thinking along that line. Roy's pdoc said if we switched, we would lower the

prozac and keeping lowering it as we slowly titrate up on the other med. Roy is

17 and has been on the Prozac for 3 yrs. He also has Busbar added on. Has worked

for him pretty well. The rituals are still there, just not continual. Hope they

can find the right med combo. That can be hard too.

>

>

>psychiatrist has said to stop her prozac and begin paxil at 20 mg for 3 days

and then increase to 40 mg after 3 days. I know prozac has a long half life and

I am concerned about seratonin syndrome. Going up this quickly on paxil while

prozac is still in system doesn't sound safe to me. Has anyone had any

experience when switching between the two?

> >

> > Thanks, Diane

> >

>