LostCO Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Hi, we've been searching the internet for a solutions since Friday and this site seems to offer the best self help device. Our son is 8 and has been taking Paxil for just over a year. He started off with 10mg and then it was increased to 20mg. Our family decided a couple of months ago that he would be better off not using it. Unfortunately we did not research withdrawal and did the following. We reduced the daily dosage from 20mg to 15mg for 3 weeks, our son had headaches for a couple of days in the first week, but seemed fine. All seemed to be going well, so we reduced the dosage from 15mg to 10mg for 2 weeks, again he had headaches for a couple of days only. So we reduced the dosage from 10mg to 5mg for 2 weeks, same again. Just headaches for a couple of days in the beginning. 7 days ago we went from 5mg to zero. In the first few days he had similar headaches every now and then. After 3 days he dry heaved a couple of times, the same on day 4. On day 5, which was Friday, he started throwing up in the afternoon. He has been throwing up constantly (every 30 minutes or so ) since then, today is Sunday. Yesterday we tried calling the Dr's office. But they just told us to take him to urgent care. Which we did. They gave him Zolfram, which stabilized him. They also monitored him and made sure he could hold down the water which they were giving him in little sips. We were there for a while and they were great. Unfortunately though they have no experience with Paxil withdrawals and could not offer any advice, other than going to see the Dr next week. They did give us a prescription for Zolfram though. The Zolfram is working for about 6-8 hours. He has been getting rest and re-hydrating. He has urinated which is a good sign, but once the Zolfram wears off, he starts to throw up again. We understand that we should have tapered him off Paxil. But we are at a loss of what to do now. Do we wait and go to the Dr tomorrow? Or do we try and reinstate today at 5mg? From what I have read, there are no definitive answers. However, we are hoping that reaching out to others who have been through this might give us ideas on what to do. Thanks in advance for any replies. Our son is 8 and has been taking Paxil for just over a year. He started off with 10mg and then it was increased to 20mg. Reduced the daily dosage from 20mg to 15mg for 3 weeks, then 15mg to 10mg for 2 weeks. Then 10mg to 5mg for 2 weeks. Then we went from 5mg to zero. On day 5 he started throwing up in the afternoon. He has been throwing up constantly (every 30 minutes or so ) since then Link to comment
direstraits Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 oh my god,why would an 8 year old be given paxil,this is a disgrace,when will this madness stop? I hope he will be OK. went on Prozac 1994-99,60mg.poopout ct back on 2001-2002,prozac weekly 2002,not working,Effexor 75 mg.?2003-mar.2004 gaining weight 8wk. taper,wellbutrin 150 mg.mar. -may 2004 ctmedfree til july 2005 back to Prozac gaining weight again,back on wellbutrin jan.2006150-300 mg.bad constipation.also was taking aygestin(hormone)perimenopausal irregular bleeding.back on Prozac around sept,?2006,hysterectomy jan30.2007(adenomyosis)off&on Prozac til 2009,citalopram about 1 mo, April 2010 no effect,Effexor again may -mar, 2011.ct,Prozac aug,-dec, 2011 &sept-nov 2012,paroxetine oct,23 2013-may 4 2014 20 mgs.tapered 6 wks.-failed RI in Oct.2014-in protracted WD.started 10 mgs. Fluoxetine May 25 2021 .Stopped fluoxetine May 2022 at 5 mgs. Link to comment
AliG Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Hi LostCO, Welcome. I'm sorry this has happened to you. I have been waiting for a mod to answer, but no one is available right now. Please read some of these links : http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/405-tips-for-tapering-off-paxil-paroxetine/ I think your son is in withdrawal from tapering too fast, and a small reinstatement , could help his symptoms. However, a mod should be along soon to give you a more definitive answer. I hope he improves very soon. You will get a lot of support, here. Ali. Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014 Psych Drug - free since May 2014 . Link to comment
LostCO Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Thank you Ali. I will read those links. Our son is 8 and has been taking Paxil for just over a year. He started off with 10mg and then it was increased to 20mg. Reduced the daily dosage from 20mg to 15mg for 3 weeks, then 15mg to 10mg for 2 weeks. Then 10mg to 5mg for 2 weeks. Then we went from 5mg to zero. On day 5 he started throwing up in the afternoon. He has been throwing up constantly (every 30 minutes or so ) since then Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted November 15, 2015 Moderator Share Posted November 15, 2015 Hi LostCO-- Welcome to the group. I'm so sorry to hear what the little guy is going through, WD is tough enough on adults let alone a child. He will be alright. Just for statistics sake he is the youngest one I have ever heard about, previously it was a seven year old. I won't go into my thoughts on drugging children, but you are going to see a lot of outrage being posted. That's not directed at you, but at the doctors who should know better. See it's started already while I was typing this. Anyway. The taper schedule was way too fast ans is what is causing the problems. There can be a big delay between when a reduction is done and when the symptoms hit, anywhere from days to months. Reinstating the paxil will be the best way to reduce the symptoms. However, it must be done slowly to keep from shocking his already sensitive system. I would start at 2.5mg daily for a week and see if that helps, them depending on his reaction maybe up it to 5mg. Once it starts to work it will take several weeks to a couple of months for him to stabilize. Once that happens we can do a long slow taper and get him off with a minimum of pain. We have a lot of good information here to help you understand what is happening, these threads will get you started, any questions just ask; What is withdrawal syndrome? About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms Why taper by 10% of my dosage? If you would please condense his history into a signature it will really help us to get a quick picture of what is happening and be able to help you better. Please put your withdrawal history in your signature Give him hugs fro us and tell him that some of the best people in the world are on his side. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
LostCO Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Thanks so much. I have read most of those links. Good reads! The 2.5mg is a good idea, everyone is sleeping now, when they wake up we will talk about it and probably try it. Luckily we have the Zolfram to help stop him throwing it up. How long would you guess it would take to kick in and start to alleviate the nausea? Would you recommend going back to the Dr who prescribed Paxil in the first place? Or would it be better to stabilize then taper? I have no problem going back to urgent care to ask for more Zolfram (we have a 3 day supply). Our son is 8 and has been taking Paxil for just over a year. He started off with 10mg and then it was increased to 20mg. Reduced the daily dosage from 20mg to 15mg for 3 weeks, then 15mg to 10mg for 2 weeks. Then 10mg to 5mg for 2 weeks. Then we went from 5mg to zero. On day 5 he started throwing up in the afternoon. He has been throwing up constantly (every 30 minutes or so ) since then Link to comment
LostCO Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Reinstating the paxil will be the best way to reduce the symptoms. However, it must be done slowly to keep from shocking his already sensitive system. I would start at 2.5mg daily for a week and see if that helps, them depending on his reaction maybe up it to 5mg. Once it starts to work it will take several weeks to a couple of months for him to stabilize. Once that happens we can do a long slow taper and get him off with a minimum of pain. This is the route I am leaning towards. My wife's question though, could this have any negative impact on him long term? Basically, could giving him Paxil now cause health issues down the road? Thanks Our son is 8 and has been taking Paxil for just over a year. He started off with 10mg and then it was increased to 20mg. Reduced the daily dosage from 20mg to 15mg for 3 weeks, then 15mg to 10mg for 2 weeks. Then 10mg to 5mg for 2 weeks. Then we went from 5mg to zero. On day 5 he started throwing up in the afternoon. He has been throwing up constantly (every 30 minutes or so ) since then Link to comment
luv2knit Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Hi, LostCO. So sorry you are going through this. These drugs should never be given to children. Someone else may disagree with me, but I would be especially cautious about any prescription drugs during withdrawal. Zofran can cause akathisia, which is an especially unpleasant symptom one can suffer during withdrawal anyway. Perhaps ginger would be a better option for your son's nausea(?) If you do decide to stick with the Zofran, I would only take it when absolutely necessary--and certainly not for any length of time. Best wishes!! Zoloft 100 mg. daily for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since Oct. 1994 / Synthroid 88 mcg. daily / Supplements: Neptune Krill Oil-1,000 mg. twice daily/Astaxanthin 10 mg. twice daily/Ubiquinol 100 mg. twice daily (These 3 have allowed me to discontinue (approved by doctor) bp meds I was on. Calcium Citrate 500 mg. daily/Vitamin D3 2,400 iu daily/K2 (MK7) 100 mcg daily (osteopenia and fam. hist. of severe osteoporosis). Stress B Complex (1/2 dose)/Quercetin (for allergies/asthma)/Magnesium (400 mg. oral glycinate and about 50 mg. magnesium chloride spray oil a day, divided throughout day). Tapered Zoloft about 6 wks. Totally off since the end of July (25-29, 2014). 3 wks. vertigo at end of taper, then 3-4 wks. OK, followed by withdrawal symptoms increasing in severity (nausea, gastric disturbances, loss of appetite, insomnia, restlessness, jitters, anxiety, agitation--jumping out of my skin--possible akathisia?) Seem to have paradoxical reactions to everything new, even Vitamin C. Severity of akathisia comes and goes, but is constant to some degree. Hard to leave house, and cannot be home alone. (Retired) Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted November 15, 2015 Moderator Share Posted November 15, 2015 How long does it take? Most asked and hardest to answer question we get. Any change in dosage takes four days to become steady state in the blood, but effects can happen within hours but can sometimes take a week or more. I think you have a good chance of it working fairly fast because of the good results you had with the Zolfran. However, I would be very wary of using them together because they interact dangerously. Major interaction: ondansetron ↔ paroxetineApplies to:Zofran (ondansetron) and Paxil (paroxetine) Using ondansetron together with PARoxetine can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma and even death. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms during treatment. In addition, combining these medications can increase the risk of an irregular heart rhythm that may be serious and potentially life-threatening, although it is a relatively rare side effect. You may be more susceptible if you have a heart condition called congenital long QT syndrome, other cardiac diseases, conduction abnormalities, or electrolyte disturbances (for example, magnesium or potassium loss due to severe or prolonged diarrhea or vomiting). Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor may already be aware of the risks, but has determined that this is the best course of treatment for you and has taken appropriate precautions and is monitoring you closely for any potential complications. You should seek immediate medical attention if you develop sudden dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations during treatment with these medications, whether together or alone. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor. The very low dose of paxil probably wouldn't cause trouble if they are used together, but with him being so young I don't think I would take the chance. Serotonin syndrome is very dangerous in adults, and he's just a little guy. It has not been shown that paxil can cause permanent damage. Neuroplasticity is a wonderful thing and children have it in spades. Going through WD without tapering would be much harder on him. Paxil works by changing the physical makeup of the brain and forces those changes to stay in effect while the drug is present. Remove the drug quickly and the brain doesn't understand what is happening and can't function properly. Remove the drug slowly, and the changes can be undone in an orderly manner with a minimum of problems. By going back on at 2.5mg we give the brain a little bit of what is needs to function correctly while it is sorting itself out. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 15, 2015 Administrator Share Posted November 15, 2015 Welcome, LostCo. The prescription of Paxil to any child is appalling. (If you want to read of the scandal in medicine over this, see http://1boringoldman.com/index.php/2013/10/15/paxil-in-adolescents-five-easy-pieces/ ) I agree, reinstatement of 2.5mg as soon as possible might stop the withdrawal symptoms. Some people feel relief within hours. Keeping any child (or adult) on an antidepressant long-term has adverse health effects, but your child should be fine at this low amount for the time you need to get him off safely. Please let us know how he and you are doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
nz11 Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 oh my god, why would an 8 year old be given paxil, this is a disgrace,when will this madness stop? I hope he will be OK. Seconded. In 2014, with the mountain of evidence available (GSK were sued for pushing this dangerous drug fraudulently on children as far back as 2004 by New York state, and paying backhanders to docs fro doing so...10 years ago!!!) and black box warnings that is criminal to put an 8 yr old on paxil. I would write a letter of complaint to all appropriate avenues. Perhaps consider finding a new doc and then complain about your ex doc. The good news "children and teenagers are most likely to experience complete clinical recovery from...medication" p 37 Breggin 'Psychiatric drug withdrawal'. (I'm sure this book is available at your library). If you do happen to see the doc about this, please get a second opinion from sa before acting on their advice. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Oh I'm so sorry your in this predicament but delighted you've found the right place for the correct help. Best wishes. 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
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