Date:  Tue May 8, 2001  9:59 pm
 
Hi, I am a new member of this group. I live in Central Florida where they just 
happen to be doing a "study" on Paxil.......I hear ads nearly every day in 
promotion of this drug and it absolutlely sickens me!!!! If you are feeling 
nervous anxious "out of control" you may have an anxiety disorder.....and 
Paxil my be just what you need......HELLO.........everyone has these feeling 
at times it the bodies NATURAL response to certain situations and in my 
opinion often motivates people to make necessary changes in their lives. I am 
so tired of the medical and pharmecutical profession trying to make people 
feel that it is unnatural to have these types for feelings. It seems that 
everyone has a "DISORDER" of some sort these days these people are nothing 
but legalized drug pushers and I feel that this type of advertising needs to 
be STOPPED! it makes my blood boil everytime I hear this on the radio, or see 
an ad for one of these types of medications ANYWHERE!!!!! They are also very 
good a labeling people with disorders that are supposedly "Incurable" ex: 
obsessive compulsive, manic depressin etc...as a means to keep them dependant 
on these drugs. When if fact it is these drugs that are cuasing people to act 
in these ways! The pharmecutical companies are getting rich at our expense 
and this truly has gotten way out of hand. I always prided myself on not 
becoming dependant on drugs/alchohol however at one point I even switched drs 
because he would only give me a 1 month prescription at a time.......how did 
I get started on this crap??? By going to a marriage counselor and venting my 
frustrations and telling her about the constant headaches that I was getting 
for no particular reason....so she decided I was "DEPRESSED" and sent me to 
an MD to get a prescription....I never realized how freely drs give 
prescriptions for this stuff out!! Never once was I examined for a physical 
cause for my headaches, and I personally feel that this woman had me put on 
this stuff as a means to "Shut me up and cooperate" it is no wonder that so 
many people "gun down their phsychiatrists!!!" Which is how I truly felt at 
one point during my withdrawal phase. What also maddens me is that the 
majority of these drugs are prescribed to women...it seems to me that they 
trying to create a society of STEPFORD WIVES!!! In the end I ended up walking 
out on my husband whom I love very much...but the drugs deadened my senses so 
much I thought Id lost all my feelings for him and losing my new home in 
foreclosure.........Then when I attempted to come off this stuff, a few 
months after I walked out on my husband,I got hit in the face with all sorts 
of emotions that I wasnt prepared for.........I was told I had a disorder 
because i thought about my ex husband all the time........Tell me after 
living with someone for 13years how is someone supposed to just stop thinking 
about that person every day......it certainly doesnt happen overnight!! and 
it doesnt mean someone has a disorder just because they are faced with 
constant reminders of that person..when you are married and truly love 
someone they are a very important aspect of your life..you cant just turn 
that off ...it goes away with time and only time will heal. As for the 
headaches I eventually found out that I had a herniated disk in my neck. Am I 
angry???  You bet!!! That I had to suffer through this kind of hell. When I 
was attempting to come off of the medication I went into my counselors office 
crying (at this point they had me on wellbutrin I was only taking a 1/2 of a 
75mg tab a day I refused to take a higher dose because I wanted to come off 
the medications........I became extremely dehydrated, started urinating blood 
went down to a childrens size 12 and couldnt sleep at all or sit still 
either!!!! I went into  her office and told her of my thoughts as I was 
driving to her office of what I was going to write in a suicide note to my 
husband, when she tried to teach me relaxation techniques I told her "you 
dont understand its these damn drugs I feel like Im on speed!!!" anyway I got 
"Baker Acted" (sent to a mental hospital 
against my will) because I coulnt promise her that I wasnt gong to do 
sometthing stupid although I didnt have any particular plans in mind I was 
trying to get across to her how badly I wanted to get off those drugs but at 
the some time I was extremely depressed and scared to death (I was also 
trying to raise two teenagers...and I couldnt even take care of myself!) and 
also living 2000 miles away from my family, anyway she called the police and 
had me taken to a mental hospital...and now for the most humiliating 
experience of all..........They sent the bill to my ex-husbsands 
house!!!!!(now he really knew he was married to a nut!!!!) Because I was 
still covered by his insurance!.......So needless to say I have suffered 
through some extremely humiliating experiences because of these 
drugs......... 
If I could sue someone over this I definatly would do it!!! But what would 
they say "Im mentally unstable" I feel like its a no win situation.  i only 
hope this website will be helpful in keeping some people from suffering 
throught the experiences I have...NO ONE should ever have to live through 
these experiences I am so enraged that I want to speak out but at the same 
time ashamed to voice my opinion because I dont want people to think I am 
crazy.......anyone else have these feelings????Thanks for letting me vent .    

Theresa

Date:  Tue May 8, 2001  10:19 pm

Response: 
Welcome to the group. I also do not feel I should have been given these drugs. 
I answered 10 questions and wham i needed effexor which led to paxil wellbutrin 
elavil depakote etc...I sometimes feel like keeping it quiet and my parents feel
I should, but I do not and it is amazing the people who have called wanting to 
know how to get off these I get overwhelmed at times.I too ended up in a mental 
hospital worst experience of my life. I was told that it was not the drugs but 
they uncovered my illness.(BULL) Well welcome to the group i think we have all 
been about where you are.

Kim
 
Date:  Fri May 11, 2001  11:26 pm
 
I took paxil for about 2 yrs i was a mess after i (while taking it i think i 
got more anxious and just started to depend more on drugs totally lost my 
libido and inability to cry also was hungry all the time anxious and began 
picking at my face so bad i had sores all over it  plus my back broke out 
really bad i was a mess!!! dont take it or try weaning off it for own good, 
it wont be easy but will be well worth it in the long run. good luck!  

Theresa