Re: __Paxil

[Guest guest]

recently changed antidepressants

doc weaned me off of zoloft and at the same time started me on wellbutrin [generic version]

did both gradually until i was totally off one and totally on the other one

no problems

i even got the giggles when the wellbutrin kicked in

Pink Joyce R (IPF 3/06) IFA 5/09 Pennsylvania

Donate Life Listed 1/09 Inactive 4/09

www.transplantfund.org---

Subject: __PaxilTo: Breathe-Support Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 11:27 PM

,It is my experience that "slow" is the key to dropping down on antidepressants. Having 2 brothers whose doctors reduced their dosages rather quickly, I recommend you be cautious. Just last year I went to stay with a brother in Huntsville whose doctor stopped his Lexipro and started another antidepressant without any tapering. He is fine now, but I was very worried about his mental state at the time. My oldest brother stopped Paxil too suddenly with the result that he was not able to work for several months. Doctors should have known, but use your own judgement in a case where the tapering seems too fast to you. If your prescribing physician was a psychiatreist, then he/she will probably do what is best for you, but otherwise don't hesitate to question if you are in doubt. After all, this is pretty much your idea.Although imapramine is a tricyclic antidepressant and dissimilar to SSRIs in many ways, my experience with tapering was

very easy. I took close to 6 months to taper from 100 Mg.. Since it was my idea to stop, he pretty much left the dosing up to me. In your case, your doctor wowuld probably ok a 5 Mg. drop over time, if you both decide this is inin your best interest. I hopes this helps.Jerry/Mississippi/ IPF/dx April 05

[Guest guest]

Pink

The SSRI's are especially difficult to both built and wean. That

includes the original group of Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil as where as the

offshoots such as Lexapro. Also some of the old tricyclides like Doxepin

and Elavil can be difficult. Wellbutrin is less of a challenge but still

inadvisable for anyone to just stop.

When you're coming off its very important to watch yourself, great if

you have a family member who can also use their awareness and your

counselor or psychiatrist with good communication.

>

>

> From: JerryB jerryb888@...

> Subject: __Paxil

> To: Breathe-Support

> Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010, 11:27 PM

>

>

> Â

>

>

>

> ,

> It is my experience that " slow " is the key to dropping down on

antidepressants. Having 2 brothers whose doctors reduced their dosages

rather quickly, I recommend you be cautious. Just last year I went to

stay with a brother in Huntsville whose doctor stopped his Lexipro and

started another antidepressant without any tapering. He is fine now, but

I was very worried about his mental state at the time. My oldest brother

stopped Paxil too suddenly with the result that he was not able to work

for several months. Doctors should have known, but use your own

judgement in a case where the tapering seems too fast to you. If your

prescribing physician was a psychiatreist, then he/she will probably do

what is best for you, but otherwise don't hesitate to question if you

are in doubt. After all, this is pretty much your idea.

>

> Although imapramine is a tricyclic antidepressant and dissimilar to

SSRIs in many ways, my experience with tapering was very easy. I took

close to 6 months to taper from 100 Mg.. Since it was my idea to stop,

he pretty much left the dosing up to me. In your case, your doctor

wowuld probably ok a 5 Mg. drop over time, if you both decide this is

inin your best interest. I hopes this helps.

>

> Jerry/Mississippi/ IPF/dx April 05

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for this valuable information Jerry, that must have been terrible for your brother. Scares me, but I'll go very slow.

C_53_Familial IPF_5/09, Washington

HOPE doesn't disappoint!

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 8:27:03 PMSubject: __Paxil

,It is my experience that "slow" is the key to dropping down on antidepressants. Having 2 brothers whose doctors reduced their dosages rather quickly, I recommend you be cautious. Just last year I went to stay with a brother in Huntsville whose doctor stopped his Lexipro and started another antidepressant without any tapering. He is fine now, but I was very worried about his mental state at the time. My oldest brother stopped Paxil too suddenly with the result that he was not able to work for several months. Doctors should have known, but use your own judgement in a case where the tapering seems too fast to you. If your prescribing physician was a psychiatreist, then he/she will probably do what is best for you, but otherwise don't hesitate to question if you are in doubt. After all, this is pretty much your idea.Although imapramine is a tricyclic antidepressant and dissimilar to SSRIs in many ways, my experience with tapering was very

easy. I took close to 6 months to taper from 100 Mg.. Since it was my idea to stop, he pretty much left the dosing up to me. In your case, your doctor wowuld probably ok a 5 Mg. drop over time, if you both decide this is inin your best interest. I hopes this helps.Jerry/Mississippi/ IPF/dx April 05

[Guest guest]

When my brother called, I could tell he was very scared, and when he asked if I would come over, I couldn't get there too fast. It just seems that the withdrawal from SSRIs in particular is given a short once over by the drug companies who sell them. At first SSRIs were tauted as haveing fewer side effects than the tricyclics, but that hasn't proven true. Some of the older tricyclics could be just as effective in some individuals, and best of all they are proven. No salesman comes calling on medical professionals now to sell such antidepressants as Elavil and Tofranil, so they are pretty much overflooked.

I have tried both Trazadone and Lexapro. However, imapramine seems to help more with the anxiety that seems to be so much a parft of my depression. Now I feel normal and pretty much able to cope with what ever this disease can bring up. Without imapramine, I doubt I would be up to the every day tasks of dealing with pf. Some people I know who suffer from depression have to try many drugs before one is found that can really helpI.

After coming out of depression for the 3rd time some 7 years ago, I'll stay with imapramine. Each time, my recovery seemed much harder, and this last time was the hardest. I thought the good times would never come again. Now I have to stay focused and dedicated to making these days the best I can.

Hopefully if you decide to stop taking Paxil, if you need to start back, hopefully you won't find it as hard to come back as I did. I can feel for you and any one else who has to cope with both depression and pf.

Jerry/Mississippi/54/IPF/dx April 05

Who believes that hard times help us appreciate the good times even more.

[Guest guest]

I am on Paxil and have gone two weeks without taking it and nothing happens to me. I don't know that it is there whether I have it or not. It doesn't seem to affect me. I went two weeks because I needed a new prescription and that is how lon git took to get some more. I am on the lowest dose and have been on it for several years but i hae no idea why I am on it. I am not clinically depressed or anxious. Joyce R AZ birds

[Guest guest]

Joyce

The reason you don't have withdrawal is that you're not on a therapeutic

dosage. If you don't know why you're on it, you need to find out.

I see a lot of non psychiatrists prescribing dosages below therapeutic

dosages of anti-depressants. Some of them are adamant it still helps

while most psychiatrists I've talked to have been just as adamant that

below a certain dosage was no more helpful than nothing. The individual

patient has to decide if they believe they're being helped.

>

> I am on Paxil and have gone two weeks without taking it and nothing

happens

> to me. I don't know that it is there whether I have it or not. It

doesn't

> seem to affect me. I went two weeks because I needed a new

prescription and

> that is how lon git took to get some more. I am on the lowest dose

and

> have been on it for several years but i hae no idea why I am on it. I

am not

> clinically depressed or anxious. Joyce R AZ birds

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Jerry,

I'm thinking I'll wait a few more months before trying to wean myself off of it. I have my house on the market right now and will probably be moving by Spring, so I don't think I want the added stress of withdrawal symptoms.

I started taking Paxil years ago more so for anxiety than depression and it definitely helped me with both. So maybe I should just continue on with it.

I just feel like I'm on so many medications and if I don't need one of them anymore than why not elmintate one chemical from my body.

C_53_Familial IPF_5/09, Washington

HOPE doesn't disappoint!

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Sun, January 17, 2010 2:03:28 PMSubject: Re: __Paxil

When my brother called, I could tell he was very scared, and when he asked if I would come over, I couldn't get there too fast. It just seems that the withdrawal from SSRIs in particular is given a short once over by the drug companies who sell them. At first SSRIs were tauted as haveing fewer side effects than the tricyclics, but that hasn't proven true. Some of the older tricyclics could be just as effective in some individuals, and best of all they are proven. No salesman comes calling on medical professionals now to sell such antidepressants as Elavil and Tofranil, so they are pretty much overflooked.

I have tried both Trazadone and Lexapro. However, imapramine seems to help more with the anxiety that seems to be so much a parft of my depression. Now I feel normal and pretty much able to cope with what ever this disease can bring up. Without imapramine, I doubt I would be up to the every day tasks of dealing with pf. Some people I know who suffer from depression have to try many drugs before one is found that can really helpI.

After coming out of depression for the 3rd time some 7 years ago, I'll stay with imapramine. Each time, my recovery seemed much harder, and this last time was the hardest. I thought the good times would never come again. Now I have to stay focused and dedicated to making these days the best I can.

Hopefully if you decide to stop taking Paxil, if you need to start back, hopefully you won't find it as hard to come back as I did. I can feel for you and any one else who has to cope with both depression and pf.

Jerry/Mississippi/ 54/IPF/dx April 05

Who believes that hard times help us appreciate the good times even more.

[Guest guest]

Normal starting dosage for Paxil when used for depression is 20 mg

building up to a maximum of 50 mg. For some conditions it goes up as

high as 60 mg. So as little as 20 mg could be considered a possibly

effective dosage for depression. Now, as you're older meds do tend to

affect you more and many primary physicians will prescribe 10 mg of

Paxil. Normally 10 mg would not impact your system so much that weaning

from it would involve complications. However, larger dosages generally

will be decreased by 10 mg at a time and the length of time at each

level vary. Generally 10 mg would not be effective for someone with

clinical depression and the serotonin imbalance but it might well help

someone who just needed a little help in their day. According to one

source, Paxil is probably the most difficult of the SSRI's to wean from

(Prozac being the easiest).

> >

> > I am on Paxil and have gone two weeks without taking it and nothing

> happens

> > to me. I don't know that it is there whether I have it or not. It

> doesn't

> > seem to affect me. I went two weeks because I needed a new

> prescription and

> > that is how lon git took to get some more. I am on the lowest dose

> and

> > have been on it for several years but i hae no idea why I am on it.

I

> am not

> > clinically depressed or anxious. Joyce R AZ birds

> >

>