Fenrir: my Paxil journey

[Fenrir]

How long have you been at 10mg?  Did you ever stabilize on 12mg?  Have you had these symptoms since February or did they just come back?

they came back after a period where I felt better.

I had a dental ct scan in mid june and after that event I started to feel worse again.

I have also developed acne on my forehead and back.

I'm experiencing confusion, fatigue, and sometimes anxiety.

[Petunia]

Dropping from 12mg to 10mg was too much.  We recommend cutting by not more than 10%.  You might want to updose to 11mg and hold there for a while.

[Fenrir]

Dropping from 12mg to 10mg was too much.  We recommend cutting by not more than 10%.  You might want to updose to 11mg and hold there for a while.

I did not went from 12 to 10 straight away, but stayed at 11 mg for about 2 months or more. Sorry for my signature not really clear.

[Petunia]

Thank you for changing that in your signature Lex.  Are you still having nausea? Ginger can sometimes help with nausea.  I use ginger tea.

[Fenrir]

I'm getting all sort of disease, I have a form of folliculitis now and acne and fatigue and weakness of muscle....I don't know if I can ride it out

[Fenrir]

Terrible anxiety since august, today I vomited after lunch

[Fenrir]

So, I decided to updose to 12mg from the 10mg I was taking since august, my sexual dysfunction worsened, I started to have anxiety out of the blue, all my symptoms worsened in the last months so decided to updose to 12 mg, keep fingers crossed for me please

Will I ever be able to get off this awful medication?

[Fenrir]

I need a suggestion, should I continue with the updose or stabilise on 10 mg where I have been since august=?

[Fenrir]

 

I have updosed some days ago but I'm not sure, it would means for me a step back, on the other hand I'm dealing with anxiety and other problems. I don't know what to do, if continue with my updose or stay at 10mg and try to stabilise on that. I need your help on this, don't know what to do

[areyouthere]

I wonder of trying 11 mg might be a nice compromise? Please don't look a it as a step backward... even if you do have to updose and stabilize , if it makes your overall quality of life better in a more difficult time it will be worth it.

 

Just my .02 cents..

 

RU

[Altostrata]

How are you feeling at 12mg?

[Fenrir]

I took one time this medication http://en.wikipedia....hiocolchicoside
which is a muscle relaxant sold only in italy spain and greece
there are no studies of interaction. Could this with paxil have damaged me? Thank you

I'm experiencing anxiety, malaise, low testosterone, sexual dysfunction.

Could this be a cause? I took it only one time some weeks ago

I feel like a pressure in my adrenals or renals and anxiety and derealization all the time. Please help me or tell me more.

Thank you I'm in a very bad place right now. Help

Sexual dysfunction worsened in the last month

 

I have to add that I updosed only for a few days and then go back on 10, don't want to updose

[Altostrata]

Lex, it's possible you had a bad reaction from that drug, but it alone probably is not responsible for your difficulty going off Paxil.

 

Did the 12mg help? How are you feeling on 10mg?

[Fenrir]

Lex, it's possible you had a bad reaction from that drug, but it alone probably is not responsible for your difficulty going off Paxil.

 

Did the 12mg help? How are you feeling on 10mg?

Not well, I have anxiety, fatigue and ED, sometimes derealization...and sometimes I have circles, darkness under eyes.

 

Why I'm not able to go off paxil?

[Petunia]

Hi Lex,

As Alto wrote, Thiocolchicoside, which you took one time may have caused a temporary increase in symptoms, but I believe that your problems with coming off paxil are still being effected by your cold turkey and withdrawal in 2011, followed by a year of withdrawal syndrome, beginning escitalopram, subsequent crash and then reinstatement of paxil.  After reading back through your thread I can see that you also had a bad reaction from changing to liquid.

 

Your nervous system is probably still extremely sensitized from all the changes it has been through over the last 3 years and has never fully stabilized.

 

I know that you want to get off paxil, but its not going to happen faster than your nervous system is able to handle.  I think you need to pick a dose and stick with it for as long as it takes to stabilize, even if its a year. Accept that this is going to take longer than you would like and do the best you can to reduce stress and relax. Then when you have properly stabilized, been symptom free for a couple of months, I suggest tapering by 5%.

 

If you keep changing your dose, trying to feel better, its just going to make it worse, please read:

 

Keep it simple, slow and stable

 

Also, read back through your thread and notice that you have a tendency to want to change something when you have an increase in symptoms, even when you are advised to keep holding.  In recovery and even when trying to stabilize, improvement happens in a windows and waves kind of pattern, you can feel well for a while, and then have a wave of increased symptoms.  This will pass eventually and its not a time to make a change to your medication.  Please read through:

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery

 

 

[Fenrir]

Lex, it's possible you had a bad reaction from that drug, but it alone probably is not responsible for your difficulty going off Paxil.

 

Did the 12mg help? How are you feeling on 10mg?

the 12 mg seemed to help but I went back immediately to 10mg, do you suggest to go back on 12 or remain at 10 which seems to be very rough on me?

[bubble]

I can only repeat what Petu wrote for you. Please read it several times and think about it.

 

It is not a particular dose that helps us recover but stability over time. Going back and forth just aggravates things.

 

I felt awful for 4 months before I noticed some improvement. What helped me survive that time was living for brief moments when the anguish would subside. I had to forget about the drug in the sense of what dose to take. It was very, very hard but we have to try and do whatever it takes to do it. 

 

The key to coming off these drugs is stop reacting to symptoms by changing the dosage. And refrain from doing it for as long as it takes. Petu took time to look at the whole of your situation in great detail. What you are going through and experiencing at the moment is not a result of the drug you took or didn't take yesterday or even previous week but years of taking and stopping them. That's why your central nervous system needs a lot of time to recover and regrow itself. Constantly changing doses traumitises it over and over again and delays recovery.

 

As much as it is hard to live with severe anxiety and all other symptoms we have to find a way to distract ourselves from those symptoms as best as we can, redirect our focus from the drug and gently direct it to other aspects of living and growing.

 

 

Your nervous system is probably still extremely sensitized from all the changes it has been through over the last 3 years and has never fully stabilized.

 

I know that you want to get off paxil, but its not going to happen faster than your nervous system is able to handle.  I think you need to pick a dose and stick with it for as long as it takes to stabilize, even if its a year. Accept that this is going to take longer than you would like and do the best you can to reduce stress and relax. Then when you have properly stabilized, been symptom free for a couple of months, I suggest tapering by 5%.

 

If you keep changing your dose, trying to feel better, its just going to make it worse, please read:

 

Keep it simple, slow and stable

 

Also, read back through your thread and notice that you have a tendency to want to change something when you have an increase in symptoms, even when you are advised to keep holding.  In recovery and even when trying to stabilize, improvement happens in a windows and waves kind of pattern, you can feel well for a while, and then have a wave of increased symptoms.  This will pass eventually and its not a time to make a change to your medication.  Please read through:

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Recovery

 

[Fenrir]

After I took deflazacort, similar to prednisone, in september, when I finished the cycle for an ear clogged, that's when this anxiety started....from that moment I feel everyday, along with anxiety, a sort of pressure on my adrenals/renals. WHat is this?

[Petunia]

Lex, its possible that you also had a bad reaction to deflazacort, perhaps because of your sensitized nervous system.  While in withdrawal, many people have adverse reactions to drugs, supplements, products and foods which they were previously able to tolerate.

 

I am in protracted withdrawal and can no longer tolerate caffeine, alcohol, B vitamins, antihistamines, msg, sugar and spicy foods, they all give me increased symptoms which last for days. In early 2013 my recovery was set back months because I took dexamphetamine drugs for ADHD for a week.  Symptoms which had completely gone, came back and are only just starting to go away again now.

 

If these drugs which you have taken recently have caused a wave of symptoms, that's all the more reason to hold on your paxil dose and stop making changes.  Almost everything we do effects the nervous system, from what we eat, watch on TV, read, look at and even think about. Drugs can have some of the most profound effects, so only take them if absolutely necessary and keep the dose stable of the ones you are already taking.

 

Do the best you can to avoid getting sick or having accidents, which could necessitate medical care and more drugs.

 

By doing this, you will become stable again, but I can't say how long it will take.

 

Please read back through your thread and the links which have been posted for you.

[Fenrir]

what is this discomfort at renals/adrenals? it seems to trigger anxiety

[Fenrir]

I updosed. I'll stay put with these 12 mg... see you in january for updates. Thank you.

[Fenrir]

I know you said to keep a dose and stay with it, but 10 or 12? In terrible indecision

[Altostrata]

How about 11mg?

[Fenrir]

How about 11mg?

Ok alto, I'll keep 11

[Fenrir]

At about the 10 of september my doctor put me on prednisone (not really prednisone but a similar compound deflazacort). 

I had an ear clogged and inflamed and I took 30 mg for 5 days, 15 mg for other 5 days and 7,5 mg the last five days.

Since I stopped the steroid cycle my anxiety got really bad, especially in the morning and my libido dropped significantly. 

I had hormonal bloodworks  and my testosterone was low at 412 ng/dL and cortisol was above normal range.

Why I have this anxiety and low libido since stopping? Previously I never lose erection now it happens and have poor libido. What is happening?

How could I solve this situation?

[Fenrir]

or maybe I have to link my symptoms to the wisdom tooth extraction at the end of June 2014?

I read somewhere that wisdom teeth are linked to the hormonal system

[Altostrata]

Anesthesia, antibiotics, or steroids can exacerbate adverse effects from psychiatric drugs.

[Fenrir]

will this solve?

[areyouthere]

Yes. It will get better but you have to pick a dose ( 11 mg as suggested by Alto & seemed to work for you awhile back sounds best) , stick with it and just accept the fact that it is going to take some time, perhaps months , for you to stabilize.

 

Worrying about it, wondering IF this caused a problem or taking THAT caused a problem will do NOTHING for you other than make your life more difficult because you can't go back and change it. 

 

The only thing that you can control are: 1) Deciding on a dose and staying with it. and 2) Making up your mind that you are just going to have to take the windows and waves ( more waves at first) as they come l;ike the rest of us.

 

It's simple. Take a dose, STICK WITH IT and suck it up. Oh. The other thing you can control is your attitude about who is in charge of how you react to the symptoms when they come. You are.

 

Do yourself a favor and read up on the symptoms and self help threads, gather up some courage and get ready. Get determined to get better because you WILL get better. You seem to be questioning that. Will you get better? YES!! YOU WILL GET BETTER!!!

 

Take the advice here and get started....

 

Sorry if this seems harsh... but we've all been in your shoes and we all have had to face the fact that life is going to SUCK for awhile ( there's no way around it... it's going to be hard) but it does get better!!

 

Pick a dose ( 11 mg) and hold hold hold hold and deal deal deal with the windows and waves, symptoms, the sooner you accept the situation you're in the sooner you'll get better... 

[Fenrir]

So I have to suppose that I had a bad reaction to the anaesthesia and then maybe to prednisone similar cooumpound (deflazacort) and maybe also to muscoril...bad reactions set down after a certain time? 

I just want you to read this article and if you can tell me what do you think: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4633/Why-taking-wisdom-teeth-ruined-skin.html

I mean if a wisdom tooth extraction can have this effect, why I can't have a reaction to it aswell. After I had it I started to develope acne also on the back and on my arms. Which is only now starting to fade away

[Fenrir]

Please read the post before this one

 

anyway

 

I made hypothesis about this drop in libido and testosterone:
- Dosage changing of antidepressant
- Paroxetine withdrawal syndrome
- Bad reaction to prednisone similar coumpound (deflazacort)
- wisdom tooth extraction after a mouth ct scan ( I started to feel fatigued after that event which took place at the end of june)
- testicular trauma ( in september I hit my testicles with a dip from trampoline at the swimming pool and I had 5 minutes of testicular pain after that)

Let's remember that paroxetine is itself a nitric oxide inhibitor but I never had such problem also on high dosage.

What do you think about all this?

in Summer 2013 I had more than 1000 ng/dl testosterone
in march 2014 I had about 750 ng/dl testosterone
and NOW 380....

I booked a testicular ultrasound scan, can it see if there is some sort of testicular damage?
I am 25 years old

Another thing to add is that sometimes I used to tan in the tanning shower naked, could this have something to do with this drop?

[Altostrata]

Yes, you might get medical tests and examinations for your symptoms, but be prepared for nothing definite showing up.

 

When your nervous system has become stressed from withdrawal, many different things can happen in your body. Your body and nervous system need time to stabilize and heal. Various drugs can set you back, and then you need to let the symptoms settle down again.

[Fenrir]

Alto, the test show low testosterone, this could explain my drop in libido and difficult achieving erections. It was very high till march, now took test one mo nth ago and it is low for a person of my age, I'm 25

[Altostrata]

If I were you, I'd read everything I can about those tests, their reliability, and causes of low testosterone. Be an informed patient.

[Fenrir]

Yes I read but cannot understand the reason of the drop, the hypothesis I made are above in my post...don't know what to do

[Altostrata]

Sorry, I have no idea.