Date:  Wed Jan 31, 2001 2:12pm
 
Hi, I've been on paxil for 10mths. and am now down to
10mg.from a high of 40mg.So far I'm just dealing with
constant nausea,diarrea,up and down emotions(but at
least I'm feeling!!)and terrible
concentration.Depression was heaven compared to the
side effects of this drug.Are there any Dr.'s out
there who take these symptoms seriously?I'm so
disgusted with my Dr.that I will not go back!
Thanks for listening,

Laurie (Laurenne)

Date:  Wed Jan 31, 2001 2:54pm

Response1:
Lauri, Nope! None of us can't seem to find a doctor who
believes us, most of us don't go to the doctor for our
withdrawal problems because they will just think we're
nuts, which we are, thanks to the SSRI's we took.
Your feelings are normal, and it gets better but it takes
a long long time, take care,

Cynthia
 
Date:  Wed Jan 31, 2001 5:43pm

Response2:
Hi, Laurie:  Welcome to the group.  Unfortunately, most doctors don't 
recognize the withdrawal symptoms.  They will tell you things like "It's all 
in your head,"  "Paxil doesn't have withdrawal," "You must really need this 
medication," "Actually, Laurie, you are mentally ill and need to stay on 
Paxil."  These are the most common insults that a doctor will hurl at you.  
We on this board know more about the withdrawals than any doctor, except 
Breggin and Glenmullen, but they haven't taken this poison, so they only know 
what their patients tell them.  The withdrawal can be long and painful, but 
you will get through it.  There is not much you can do except ride it out.  
We're here to help you and support you, and yes, I agree with you,
depression is a tea party compared to getting off Paxil.

Trisha  

Date:  Wed Jan 31, 2001 6:19pm

Response3:
Hi Laurie, so very glad that you found us. We've all gone through 
various amounts of sickness from these drugs and various withdrawals. 
Read the files section on this site and you will see that you are 
definitely not alone. That's one of the worst things about these 
drugs. Your brain is going crazy and you feel physically sick. You 
think that you are losing your mind. When you try to tell anyone else 
exactly how you feel they just don't quite understand what's going on 
because it's not they, themselves that are feeling this particular 
hell. 

Doctors, in my experience and opinion, don't understand or care what's 
going on with us. They just try to push us another pill and 
overmedicate us. My doctor, for example had me on Paxil for 8 1/2 
YEARS and Prozac for about 5-6 months. These drugs should NEVER be 
taken this long. He just kept filling the script and telling me that I 
was like a diabetic who needed insulin. My brain chemistry was 
unbalanced and needed to be balanced with the drugs. There are no 
tests for "normal" chemical balances in the brain. With a diabetic you 
can test for insulin. This just goes to show how ignorant Doctors are 
and will just keep pushing the "happiness in the bottle" because of 
the propoganda the drug companies are feeding them to make billions of 
dollars a year. When I decided to go off of these drugs and get rid of 
them completely, my Doctor said "Take them for 2 weeks and then stop." 
What?? I ignored him and tapered off like I learned here and other 
places on the Net that I investigated.

I myself went through about 6 months of hell when the Paxil was 
actually making me sick. So sick that I couldn't function as a human 
being anymore. I switched to Prozac, didn't feel any better and 
decided that I didn't want ANY more of these drugs in my body and 
brain. Hell, after so many years on them, maybe I do have permanent 
damage. I've been 13 weeks (Yay!) "drug-free" and it's not easy but I 
take the withdrawal day by day. Sometimes I want to crawl right out of 
my skin. I'm so sick of the headaches, the head zaps, the dizziness, 
the anxiety, the breathing problems, the fatigue, I could go on. 
Sometimes I just want to experience one "normal" day without the 
reminder of what the drugs did to me. Maybe not even one day. I'd take 
an hour, a minute. I want to be a "normal" person one day and not feel 
the withdrawal.  When I have those "down" times I just try to stay 
focused and positive. It's not easy, but these drugs are not going to 
bring me down. Stay with us here and let us help you.
After all, we (unfortunately) know exactly what you're going through.
Take care,

Robin