Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 3:42am I was put on Paxil to help me deal with some birth injuries my daughter sustained due to an improper delivery. Now 6 years later, I have been divorced, married, divorced, and the doctor now says I have a personality disorder and major depression. I never had any of these problems before I took Paxil. I was upset about the injuries but did not think I had a personality disorder. I had almost lost my job last year because I called in sick a lot. I went through spells of not even wanting to get dressed. All of this took place after I started on Paxil. I had been to other counselors and no one ever said i had any emotional problems. I did some very daring things that I would have never done before I started taking Paxil, such as being very free sexually. Now that I have been cutting down on my doses, and almost to the point that I can quit, I feel that I have some control now of my decisions. Anyone else go through this. Btw, the doc. that injured my daughter was the same doc. to start me on this horrific drug. Caroline Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 3:56am Response1: SUE HIM FOR PUTTING YOU ON THIS DRUG, TOO!!! Your experience with Paxil is very common. If you weren't deranged BEFORE you take it, you will be afterwards. How much are you taking now? Are you planning on weaning off? Trisha Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 3:09am Response2: Hi, sorry to hear of your bad experience. I think you'll find that many people on this list didn't have 'personality disorders' before taking their various drugs. These drugs strip you of your personality, identity...and much more. It doesn't surprise me that the same doctor who did the damage to your daughter prescribed the drugs. Sounds to me like he was trying to numb you into silence. Debbie Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 5:31am Anyone have colitis or lose vision after taking this med of Paxil. I have lost 1/2 of my vision in my right eye, due to drusen, a freak of nature the doctor told me. Caroline Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 5:43am Response1: Don't believe this doctor. If you read some of the other Paxil boards, you'll see that people have lost their eye-sight because of the strokes this drug causes. 95% of the serotonin in your body is in your digestive tract, so taking PAxil usually causes a variety of bowel problems which go away when you are completely off this drug. What is drusen????? And when you're taking Paxil, there ARE no freaks of nature -- only severe side effects from Paxil. Trisha Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 6:02am Response2: Dr. Ann Tracy told me that this is common with these drugs, I will tell you that I only took prozac for 15 days, when I totally freaked out, I had diarhea so bad that I was checked for cancer, I lost 50lbs in a matter of a couple of months, I really thought I had cancer. It really really effects the colin, and dont let the doctors lie to you. And after taking the Prozac for only 5 days my eyes were really bad, blurred vision. Cynthia Date: Sun Mar 4, 2001 5:47am Other symptoms I have not seen mentioned on here: swollen ankles and hands, feeling of arthritis in the hands. My doc. had me taking Trazodone for a while, and then Remeron with the Paxil of 40 mg. I was about comotose with all of that in me. I no longer take the Remeron and I am down to about 10 mg. of Paxil and am finally starting to feel alive again. I have been on Paxil for 5 years, with doses of Trazodone and some other things with it. All of this because I was upset about the birth injuries my daughter had because of a bad decision of the doctor. I was told that my eye had a mini stroke and that I lost part of my eyesight because some of the optic nerve was blocked by proteins in the eye. I was also given drops for glaucoma to keep the pressures down in my eyes, as the pressures were high. I also had very high blood pressure, and trouble breathing. I have to take an inhaler now. Caroline Response: Paxil casues strokes -- or brain bleeds -- and if you didn't have this problem BEFORE taking Paxil, it's the Paxil. Same with the high blood pressure. I'm assuming you're healthy otherwise? Did the doctor link the "stroke" to Paxil? If not, you need to educate him. I'll look for some info on stroke and Paxil. This stuff is dangerous!!! I have a friend whose sister took Paxil for only 5 days and had a stroke. No other indicators. Just Paxil. Trisha Date: Sat Mar 10, 2001 0:43am I can relate to your side effects of the drugs. I too have ibs, swelling in hands and feet, puffy face, irrattic mood swings, unable to urinate, I had to go to court this summer to get control of the crazy custody arrangements that were set up a few years earlier. At the hearing, my ex had gotten dr. reports of my sessions with him. The dr. said i had major depression and a personality disorder. I was not told that by my dr. He had never said anything to me of the sort. I was upset that it was bared out for all to hear what was wrong with me, and I didnt even know it. Somehow I stood strong through the court hearing and must have shown that I was stable even though I had been thrown this info to throw me for a loop. You see 2 years before my husband had stolen my computer and didnt tell me. He told me the day in court that he was going to blackmail me if I did not agree to the terms he wanted. The information was about my deepest thoughts, my anger, my inner most thoughts, of everything I had been through,opinions of what I thought people were like, and secrets about other people's lifes that if it got out in public it would not be a pleasant thing. I cried and panicked and went with what he wanted. I was on 50 mg. of paxil at that time with trazodone of about 40 mg. So here I am in court again 2 years later. I am on 40 mg. of paxil and 40 mg. of remeron. He had also seen the doctor but said that he didnt believe what the doctor had said about him. That he did not have a personality disorder, or problems with anger control. But me, the doc. had said the things about me, he said those were true. I ended up getting what I should have had in the beginning, primary custody of the children and child support instead of having them every other month with no childsupport. I called the doctor about what he had written about me. He had also said that I had planned to move to another state and I didnt even remember talking to him about it. I had said that my parents lived in another state and he said had I ever thought about moving. I said I thought about it, but I was not going to move as I have had the same job for 15 years and my kids had security here. I asked him what sort of personality disorder that I had, and he said that I was too hard on myself. Isnt everyone too hard on themselves? I continued to go to this doctor for one more visit. I felt that he had betrayed me in what he said about me and not even telling me what was wrong with me, but let me be embarrassed in court. I had asked him before the court date if he thought I had any problems and he said no , just that you have been through a lot with 2 divorces and a child that has a birth injury.He said that I was able to keep a job and take care of my kids and that I was not crazy. So I get a bill my insurance company saying that they can not cover that visit as our insurance had been changed 3 days prior to the visit and I had forgotten that it was changed. I have not been back to see the man since and I have been off all of the meds for 4 weeks now. My vision is better, no longer have dry eyes, I am happier, more alert, and focused, not a zombie. Sorry I had to ramble on about this but I just had to get it off my chest. Thanks bunches. Caroline Date: Sun Apr 22, 2001 11:12 am I have had that - it was utterly horrible. My eyes rolled up in my face - my face was having spazms and my jaw was strained all the way open and my tongue was sticking out as far as it could go. Some people laughed at me but it was incredibly painful. I had to get a shot of cogentin to make it go away. I was on serveral antidepressants and tranquilers and the doctor said it was a side effect. Caroline Date: Mon Apr 23, 2001 12:35 pm I remember when I went off Celexa - I was so sick - it was like a bad flu. I went to a family doctor to see why I was so sick and he basically told me that going off any anti-depressant makes you feel sick like you have a flu. Caroline Date: Sun May 27, 2001 3:29 pm I started weaning from paxil in February. I have been completely off of it since the end of Feb. but still have some residuals. When I exercise I can feel that same lead foot feeling I used to feel being on the zombie med. I had a marguarita a few days ago, and the next day I was crying about the silliest things. I am not a big drinker but have one on occassion. I feel that it was the residual of the drug that made me all emotional combined with the drink, as I have never had this happen to me before I took the drugs. I took Paxil for 5 years and had cocktails of Remeron,trazodone, etc, mixed with it to "help me sleep". Now I take nothing and sleep a good sleep the whole night. I am taking my son to the psychologist next week. I am worried that they are going to suggest meds to help with his anger. I looked at his report card after he got out of school the other day and saw where his behavior got worse for a while when I was weaning from Paxil. I wonder if I had an influence on that bad behavior. It finally perked up at the end of the year, but it is still not flying colors. Anyone ever try to the blue green algea to level yourself out? I am going to fight the doctor to do anything but put my son on drugs. Thanks, Caroline