WDSurviving22: Need Help! (tapering paxil)

[scallywag]

You've handed yourself a lesson about how drinking (alcohol) affects both your symptoms and your tapering progress. It's a tough one but worth learning from. You'll recover, it may take days or weeks, but you will recover to where you were before the binge, and then beyond.

[WDSurviving22]

Well it definitely sucks, because I really need to taper, because like I said 13.8 felt way to strong after the binge, so in your opinion in, should I wait until I'm stable to taper? Or can I go ahead and decrease by 0.1mg?

[scallywag]

What is your daily symptom pattern?  If you have been keeping notes, please post them for the last few days. 

 

If you haven't been keeping track, please keep notes on paper of your symptoms and the times of your dose(s). Here's a post that details a useful format for a daily log:
Take notes of doses and symptoms

[WDSurviving22]

Well I've only got one days worth of symptoms recorded (today). But I will be keeping tabs over the next couple of days, and I will get back with those. Tonight is the second day of taking 10mg pill along with 3.75mg compounded. Last night when I took it the first time, I started sweating about 10 minutes later, got real hot, and felt like electricity coursing through me, and tense muscles. I took my second round about an hour ago ( it's 7:42pm, I took it at 6:45pm) and tonight I'm freezing, my muscles are tense, but no electricity feeling, kinda dizzy. It feels as if I've dropped my dose even more, though I haven't, I'm taking the pills that were compounded for me.

[WDSurviving22]

It seems to me, that my body has become so desensitized by everything over the years, that my body can tell even a minute difference in dose. Unfortunately I do not believe a compound pharmacy can weight out that precise taking into consideration all the other ingredients that are mixed in with the actual medication. I feel that liquid is the only option I have, yet when I tried taking the name brand Paxil liquid, it gave me a lot of side effects that I did not feel well, and making my own liquid worked in the past, but I've noticed that every time I've made my own liquid, that it always seems to desensitize my system even more. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ChessieCat]

You may be experiencing interdose withdrawal.  You could consider splitting your dose.  To do this you would take half your dose, then 1 hour later take the next dose, the next day 2 hours later etc until your doses are about 12 hours apart.  However, the evening dose may cause sleep issues.  If this is a concern you might consider taking the doses a bit closer together.

 

Because I'm now taking only compounded Pristiq when I take my dose I take a 40mg capsule (with slow release formula) and I open one of the additional capsules to get an immediate dose.  This had been 2.5mg but recently I reduced to 1mg.  My next planned taper dose will be either 48.5mg or 47.5mg and I will be once again be opening 2.5mg.

[WDSurviving22]

Well I just saw on another person's thread, that they were able to get compounded liquid paxil. Her name was ladybug99. Is it possible to get liquid paxil compounded? The reason I ask, because I couldnt handle the name brand Paxil liquid, but if it is legal for a compound pharmacy to make up a liquid suspension for me, that would help me greatly.

[scallywag]

You could call the pharmacy that fills your prescription for paxil to find out if a Paxil liquid is available where you are.

[WDSurviving22]

Well I live in the U.S, and I know there is a manufactured version of paxil liquid, but my body can't tolerate it. I'm truly hoping that the pharmacy will be legally allowed to make up a liquid.

[brassmonkey]

Yes, a compounding pharmacy can take what ever pills and make a liquid out of them, as long as the pills are properly prescribed. So if you have a particular generic that is working well for you, they can take it, grind it up and make a liquid out of it.  Like wise they can get paxil in its pure form and make up a liquid using that. There are a lot of options you can talk over with them.

[scallywag]

Some people are dealing with the issue that their insurance will cover only tablets or only generic formulations. If you want to try a liquid, you can use water or a manufactured compounding liquid, such as OraPlus.  There are two or three members here who are using that to taper Zyprexa.

[WDSurviving22]

Well, my doctor was going to prescribe it, but then decided that she would feel better if I went to see a psychiatrist. My mother has since called up the pharmacy and pleaded with them that if they prescribed this, that I wouldn't call them anymore with any new ideas. But now I'm worried that the compound liquid is just going to do exactly what the compounded pills have been doing, which is some pills make me feel like I've increased my dose, where as other pills have made me feel like I've decreased my dose.

[scallywag]

Did you see my comment about a compounding liquid so that you can make a liquid of the medication yourself?  You may not need the compounding pharmacy to do anything except sell you the liquid.

 

http://www.perrigo.com/files/rx/pdfs/pds173-ORA-Plus.pdf

 

 

ORA-Plus is an aqueous-based vehicle

consisting of a synergistic blend of suspending

agents that have a high degree of colloidal

activity. The suspending agents form a

structured, gel-like matrix which suspends

particles and allow for little settling. ORA-Plus

is buffered to a slightly acidic pH to help reduce

degradation of medicinal agents through

oxidation. An anti-foam agent is incorporated in

ORA-Plus to allow for vigorous shaking with

minimal foam.

 

[WDSurviving22]

Yeah I saw it, but was hoping to get the pharmacy to do it because I don't really trust myself. I've read the thread on how to make your own liquid hundreds of times, but my brain still doesn't seem to be able to grasp it.

[scallywag]

Ok. Gotcha.

[WDSurviving22]

I really need a method that is as accurate as scientifically possible. I tried making my own liquid before using water, but most of the time, i could see a lot of powder bunched up in the syringe. I could make it using oraplus, but I'm scared of losing some of the powder, and also I'm sensitive to some of the ingredients in oraplus, my other option is to have a compound pharmacy make it up for it, but again I'm afraid the dose will be off even if they make it, and also since my doc has pretty much disowned me, I have no way of getting the script. I'm running out of options, and I'm scared and depressed.

[scallywag]

Will your doctor meet with you again?

 

What is your access to other doctors like?

[WDSurviving22]

Well she won't return my or my mothers phone calls, there are other doctors in my area, but I have no clue if they will prescribe what I need or not or total guess work.

[scallywag]

When you meet with a  new doc, you could take your current prescription bottle to the initial consultation and request that they write a prescription to continue it because you know that suddenly stopping it is a bad idea.

 

Some other (repeat?) reading for you:

How do you talk to your doctor about tapering and withdrawal

What to expect from your doctor about withdrawal symptoms

[WDSurviving22]

Well luckily I have plenty of refills from my previous doc, what I need is for a doctor to write me the script for the compounded liquid.

[scallywag]

What I meant to say and didn't: Take an existing prescription to show the doctor that you have already been prescribed the medication.  Then you can have a discussion about the formulation and compounding.

[WDSurviving22]

Ah, my apologies. My brain isn't working correctly atm. OK I'll definitely do that.

[WDSurviving22]

OK I have an appointment with a new doctor on December 5th. I need a logical legitimate reason as to why I need my dose split into 10mg and 3.8 compound liquid. I don't want to come across as insane.