pinciukas: Short of breath

[pinciukas]

Hello!

 

I am tapering from Seroxat. Currently I am on 16.2mg. My dose was 20 mg. I am feeling good only one thing bother me now is short of breath. Already second day. Do anyone experience this? Generally i feel good, Better mood then in the first 2 when I dropped to 16.2, better sexual function, good mood.

[ChessieCat]

Hi pinciukas and welcome to SA,

 

SA recommends tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The shortness of breath may be a withdrawal symptom.  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

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This is SA's topic:  shortness-of-breath-and-other-breathing-issues

 

Once we have more information we will be better able to offer suggestions.

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress.

[ChessieCat]

You could try a very small dose increase (even a 0.25mg or 0.5mg increase may help) or hold at this dose until you stabilise before reducing your dose further.  Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

Stabilising After a Reduction - What Does That Mean?

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

[pinciukas]

Hello guys,

 

My name is Linas i am 34 years old. First i was prescribed Seroxat for anxiety disorder and panic attacks in 2005 sinds then i am on/off for 14 years. I tryed to tapper but that was not correct tappering system. So now i am tappering sinds 2018 March and currently i am on 6 mg Seroxat from 20 mg. So far so good but after every drop i have few weeks high anxiety and almost getting panic attacks. Major thing is annoying my sleep night terrors i don't know how to call them. Just seconds before fall a sleep I am jumping in my bed with feeling that I can't breath then I can sleep but usually I am getting those things 3-4 times. It is so scary luckily do not happens every night. I had this thing in the summer during my day naps in the midday also few second before I shut down. It is so scary I never had this on full dose Seroxat but had very bad night sweats so now they are gone and those night micro panic attacks (ny brand name  ) annoying me. Sinds my second drop actually. I believe it is just my anxiety and nothing bad. All the test are good and my doctor don't think that's sleep apnea because happens not always and also only when transitioning from awake to sleep I also sometimes scream (not loud). This is my story i am trying to stay strong and positive! 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, pinciukas.

 

As you may know, we recommend tapering by no more than 10% of current dose every four weeks.

 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

The best I can calculate, you've been tapering at about that rate in the 17 months you've been tapering, and being at 6mg is about where you should be if you're doing a 10% taper.

 

It is normal to have an increase in symptoms after each drop, then to have symptoms return their usual level.  Since your symptoms are bothering you, you might want to hold for a couple of months at this point just to let things settle down.

Another thing you could consider is working in a 2-week hold after each 4-week taper period.

 

Now that you're getting down to the low doses, you might want to consider slowing your taper a bit.  It's good to slow down for the low doses.

 

For your information, here is a link specifically about tapering Seroxat (Paxil).

 

Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

Here are some techniques to help you cope with panic attacks and anxiety:

 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)
 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

VIDEO:  Peace from Nervous Suffering - Claire Weekes (1 hour) (http://sendvid.com/vgquc1dg)
_____________

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help …

 

10 minute Restorative Yoga for Relaxation | Up the wall

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

[pinciukas]

Thank you very much for all the information I will study every link! ❤️

[pinciukas]

I don't know whether I can tapper or not. I just dropped to 6 mg 3 weeks ago and my anxiety is really bad few day everything was not so bad and now I have anxiety from 2PM untill late in the evening I can't concentrate i can't sit and work because of the chest pressure and lightheadnes. It is crazy I dropped so small amount and before my drop everything I was on vacation I drived my car 3000 miles and now I can't even come back home from work with my scooter without stop on 3 miles journey I am getting anxiety in public transport and I run away from 2 movies and I am afraid to go to the cinema. At least I lived without anxiety on my 20 mg dose so maybe I should go back? At the moment I am shame. I feel like a looser in this battle. I don't know what to do. All days long I am reading about anxiety watching people on YouTube I don't know why. Maybe this drug destroyed my brain and I can't heal? I am confused.

[Rhiannon]

From your description of your taper, it sounds like you may be cutting too much at one time, and perhaps you have not let your healing catch up with the taper as you have been coming down. 

 

At the lower doses, we have to slow down and make smaller cuts. The drug effect at the synapse is much stronger at lower doses, so every cut has much more effect. 

 

 

I don't think your brain is broken. What you describe sounds like very typical withdrawal. As terrible as you are feeling, that is unfortunately pretty typical for withdrawal. I think you have tapered well, but a bit too fast, and withdrawal has really hit you hard now.

 

Might be a good idea to stay off of YouTube for a while, it's easy to get obsessed with the negatives. There is a lot of hope to be found. Can you read the information on this site? I know there is a lot of it, but it is very useful.

 

Take care of yourself, don't change any medications right now either up or down. The moderators are all volunteers with lives of their own and most of them are dealing with their own tapers and withdrawal as well. They will help you as soon as they can. In the meantime, do as much reading as you can here, and learn everything you can. 

[Gridley]

2 hours ago, pinciukas said:

I just dropped to 6 mg 3 weeks ago and my anxiety is really bad few day everything was not so bad and now I have anxiety from 2PM untill late in the evening

Rhiannon has given you good advice.  I would hold where you are, neither increasing nor decreasing for at least 2 months, perhaps longer.  That will help your system to catch up to the reductions you've made.

 

Take a look at those links about anxiety I sent you earlier and see which ones you think might help.  The last link, about the yoga pose for anxiety, has been very helpful to me.

 

Also read the links about omegas and magnesium I sent you.  Many members have found these supplements to be very calming.

 

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[pinciukas]

14 hours ago, Rhiannon said:

From your description of your taper, it sounds like you may be cutting too much at one time, and perhaps you have not let your healing catch up with the taper as you have been coming down. 

 

At the lower doses, we have to slow down and make smaller cuts. The drug effect at the synapse is much stronger at lower doses, so every cut has much more effect. 

 

 

I don't think your brain is broken. What you describe sounds like very typical withdrawal. As terrible as you are feeling, that is unfortunately pretty typical for withdrawal. I think you have tapered well, but a bit too fast, and withdrawal has really hit you hard now.

 

Might be a good idea to stay off of YouTube for a while, it's easy to get obsessed with the negatives. There is a lot of hope to be found. Can you read the information on this site? I know there is a lot of it, but it is very useful.

 

Take care of yourself, don't change any medications right now either up or down. The moderators are all volunteers with lives of their own and most of them are dealing with their own tapers and withdrawal as well. They will help you as soon as they can. In the meantime, do as much reading as you can here, and learn everything you can. 

 

Maybe I tapered to fast I don’t know I believe I made to big cut from last dose. Now I have more information about tapering so for sure I will cut in good way. It is just annoying those symptoms in the morning I feel good and in the midday those symptoms beginning.

 

[Gridley]

5 hours ago, pinciukas said:

Maybe I tapered to fast

 

Please include the rate at which you tapered (for example, X% every X amount of time) in your signature.  Here's the link:

 

 

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[pinciukas]

3 minutes ago, Gridley said:

 

Please include the rate at which you tapered (for example, X% every X amount of time) in your signature.  Here's the link:

 

 

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Did it.  Hope now is ok.

[Gridley]

14 minutes ago, pinciukas said:

Hope now is ok.

That's great, thank you.

[pinciukas]

So finally after my last drop i got some light in the end of the tunnel. Finally anxiety is off and i can function as normal person. Only one thing is annoying my sleep. I am just waking up just a few seconds with short of breath and sometimes i talk loud like "yes yes yes" or something similar. It is so scary i feel like i am dying. 

I have this scary thing since my first drop so from March 2018. Will it over goes away? Sometimes i am affraid go to bed and sleep.

[pinciukas]

Hello! It's 1.30 in the morning and I'm really scared as soon as I want to go to sleep it seems as tho I forget to breathe and I gasp. I suffer from anxiety, but I find it hard to tell myself that I am not dieing.

I am so tired from those events. I believe they were not so often on higher dose Seroxat. Maybe i need go back to 20 mg ir 10 mg... I don't know what to do whether i will improve or not. Tomorrow I am going to my GP. Maybe she can recomment something

 

 

[pinciukas]

So yesterday I went to new psychiatrist and she was a lovely old lady she printed some researches about Seroxat withdrawal and told me that I am doing great with my scale and 10 percent cuts. She told me that Seroxat is a very bad drug and a lot of people having problems to get off. At least someone understands me. I am doing better not so much anxiety usully in the afternoon but not much. Last night I slept not so good got again those breathing anxiety incidents. But 2 nights before I slept like a baby so I am trying to stay positive! I plan to do my next cut in a few weeks the we will see. 

[pinciukas]

And one more thing I have sometimes problem with my eyes I feel like some sand is in my eyes and it feels itchy not everyday but occasionally. Also sometimes at night i have nocturia but if only i am stressed meditation helping here. Around my nose and in my head i have eczema I don’t know this is from Seroxat or no. One day is better other not. This drug is crazy so much harm. I hope my brain’s will adjust and can heal.

[Gridley]

1 hour ago, pinciukas said:

I hope my brain’s will adjust and can heal.

It will heal.  It just takes time.

[rola]

 

5 hours ago, pinciukas said:

Hier, alors je suis allée chez un nouveau psychiatre et elle était une vieille et charmante dame. Elle a imprimé certaines recherches sur le sevrage de Seroxat et m'a dit que je me débrouillais très bien avec ma balance et mes 10% de réduction. Elle m'a dit que Seroxat est une très mauvaise drogue et que beaucoup de gens ont de la difficulté à s'en sortir. Au moins quelqu'un me comprend. Je vais mieux, pas trop d’anxiété l’après-midi, mais pas beaucoup. La nuit dernière, j'ai mal dormi et j'ai encore eu ces incidents d'anxiété respiratoire. Mais deux nuits avant de dormir comme un bébé, j'essaie de rester positif! Je prévois de faire ma prochaine coupe dans quelques semaines, nous verrons. 

 

Hi I am also weaning seroxat and it is true that it is a drug difficult to wean I support you in this event but we will succeed a lot of good things😉

[pinciukas]

Anyone lost weight while tapering? I just lost 5kg....

[rola]

3 minutes ago, pinciukas said:

Quelqu'un a perdu du poids en diminuant? Je viens de perdre 5 kg ....

 

Hi

yes I lost weight too it's normal I think😉

[Erell]

Hi Pinciukas !

 

I think it is normal too :

- first, Paxil can gain weight, so now that you are lowing the dose, you may loose this weight.

- secondly, tappering and WD can be a very stressful process, so it can affect your weight.

 

How is your appetite ? How many meals do you have in one day? 

 

I'm in WD too and have lost a lot of weight, mostly because of a lack of apettite.

 

Take care

 

[pinciukas]

2 hours ago, Erell said:

Hi Pinciukas !

 

I think it is normal too :

- first, Paxil can gain weight, so now that you are lowing the dose, you may loose this weight.

- secondly, tappering and WD can be a very stressful process, so it can affect your weight.

 

How is your appetite ? How many meals do you have in one day? 

 

I'm in WD too and have lost a lot of weight, mostly because of a lack of apettite.

 

Take care

 

Hi,

 

My appetite is good I can say very good but. My weight always years was around 82-83 kilograms and I never can't lose weight with any diets or gym. Now I just dropped a lot of Seroxat and I believe this year I just lost around 5 kilograms 

[StrongEnough]

Totally normal during wd and 5 kg a year for your weight isn't too much, don't worry about that

[pinciukas]

Hi everyone,
How I can reinstate Seroxat? I am on 6 mg now from original 20 mg but I can't do it anymore. I can sleep or if I can then only from 4-5 AM I am able to fall a sleep I have very bad anxiety attacks just in time when I fall a sleep and I am jumping out of my bed. I have anxiety during the day it is manageable but very annoying. I feel like I am falling in to depression from all of this and can't do it anymore. I don't believe that is WD symptoms because I have this sinds my first cut. I am 14 years on Seroxat and I don't know whether I can quit. 🥺 I started Seroxat for Panic attacks and anxiety and now I feel the same like the day before Seroxat.

[pinciukas]

Today i made 10% cut again. So I am now on 0.072 from original 0.250.

[pinciukas]

3 days from my last cut. Untill now I don't feel anything strange. Hope everything will be good.

[pinciukas]

Anyone higher blood pressure during the tappering,?

[pinciukas]

Hello,

 

I am tappering from Seroxat 20 mg and currently I am on 5 mg. I am observed more anxiety that on a higher dose? How I can know it is my WD symptoms or anxiety is back? Mostly I am getting anxiety attacks at the cinema, concert, traffic jam. It is so annoying. Next month I have short flight and now I am affraid to step in to the airplane... I read that best to do expose therapy so now I am trying go to the cinema whatever I will leave in 10 minutes or not just to go few times per week to face my anxiety. 

[pinciukas]

I am here again, sinds my last cut I got I am holding now because my anxiety is sometimes bad. I even got panic attack 2 days ago. Scary never got panic attack on Seroxat. I lot of minds in my head. I am thinking about my tappering journey. I don't know why I have started this journey because Seroxat worked well for me. I would like to go back on 20 mg and be Happy but no! I need to quit this drug and try to live drug free live. I can always go back on Seroxat or any other antidepresant but first I will try to quit! 

[pinciukas]

Good day,

 

Please I need help advise. Since 25 December I have a bad days constant anxiety and agoraphobia is mild I can't go to the cinema or restaurant. I have anxiety all day long with help with a little benzos I calm but only for a few hours I don't want to take benzos because of my gambling addiction (free 4 years) I can trap very fast in any sort of addiction. I am now on 5.5 Seroxat since 15-11-2019 and I can't go like this anymore I am affraid I can't go to my work tomorrow last 2 days I spended in my bed constantly worrying and waiting for next anxiety wave. I know I should not wait and do something today I went to the park for a walk but after 3 miles anxiety hitted me and I came back home. Today I just updosed my Seroxat to 6.5 mg I don't know if I can live without this drug at least I am trying. What do you thing updose is good for me? Will this solve my anxiety? I felt good on 6.5 mg before. I have long history of Seroxat I did CT years ago 2 time last time I have stopped CT in 2007 and managed to stay off 1 year then everything came back my anxiety panic attacks and I started again Seroxat I felt very good on it. I don't even know why I started my tapering journey. But my question is how long should I hold now on 6.5 ? My psychiatrist told me I need go back on 10 and then 20 mg and stay for life. I am so confused.

[pinciukas]

Please someone help me advise anything I don't know what to do. Should I restart Seroxat? I have been in WD for almost 2 year. I have tappered in those years from 20 mg to 5 mg. Then got very bad WD anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia basically everything what I had before I was prescribed with Seroxat. I rised my dose to 7 mg few days ago and I feel bit better. But I just decided not to tapper go back on full dose and feel normal again. For me Seroxat worked very well I even don't know why I have started to tapper. How I can increase my dose? To 10 mg and after few weeks to 20 mg. It is sad that I need to go back but in all those 2 years I never felt good. I can't tapper anymore because I don't have any willpower and I am feeling suicidal and depressed. Or should I wait one week and see if increased dose will work. I feel that dose eased some symptoms but now I have insomnia and crazy jumpings just before I drift to sleep like scary signal that I am dying and I just wake up again and again. My doc told me go back on 10 mg and later 20 mg and stay for life

[pinciukas]

 @altostrata  @brassmonkey  any recommendations? Seems I also developed kind of agoraphobia

[pinciukas]

Decided to track my day

 

11:30 Wake up (4 hours sleep can't sleep all night)

12:00 Breakfast oatmeal with berries. 

12:15 8 mg Seroxat 

14:00 Went for a walk got king of agoraphobia in the park came back home with anxiety 5

15:00 Meditation relaxed but I am thinking a lot of my health (health anxiety)

17:00 Preparing dinner chicken with sweet potatoes and salads (no anxiety only pressure in forehead and cold hands)

[pinciukas]

Day 5 on higher Seroxat dose and I feel better. 

9:30 Wake up eat banana and little bit dark chocolate Anxiety 1

12:00 Cleaned house did some maintenance anxiety 1 dizziness 3 

14:00 Left with friends to restaurant for a brunch don't had appetite because of Seroxat reinstatement I want eat only after 5 PM. Took berries smoothie and tea. I was anxious 5 because I thought I will get panic attack there. 

16:00 Back home reading book

[pinciukas]

Decided now to tapper anymore because I am scary of WD or my anxiety wherever it is really bad I was in so bad shape that I can't work or eat even sleep was problem for me for 2 weeks. I can't hold anymore so upped my dose and now day 6 I feel much better but still not good. Probably in few days I will increase to 10 mg and then will see. I lost any hope to be Seroxat free and probably my body can't life without it.