[eyesclosed]

In 2002 I was given Paxil by my PC physician. He later told me I would have to take it the rest of my life. In 2016 my psychiatrist tried taking me off it and had a series of brain zaps that have caused some serous medical problems. I know they know about these brain zaps but there is no info on the label. I also think they are now saying these shouldn't be used long term and don't think it's on the label. Does anyone have any Idea why this is happening?

Perhaps there is some truth to what this doc is saying:
https://forums.psychcentral.com/gett...-thoughts.html
When I try to discontinue my antidepressant, I feel dizzy, nauseous, depressed, have a serious headache and am more depressed and emotional. My T, H, and all my doctors want me to stay on it forever....

[eyesclosed]

yes but they had me on two at the same time paroxetine and fluoxetine and I still am on fluoxetine and in march 2017 went of paroxetine at a slower taper than the first.

[Guiness187055]

Don't know why but had horrific brain zaps coming off of 6 years of cymbalta. So SNRI's cause them too

[eyesclosed]

were they all at once like a pack of firecrackers. Did you notice any change in how you feel.

[still_crazy]

ugh. paxil. i was only on it for a while, but i dropped it and had brain zaps and all kindsa problems. turns out...its one of the more difficult ssri drugs to discontinue.

im not an expert on tapering. then again, it seems most psychiatrists don't care enough to educate themselves, either. what helped me was online support groups and supplements. slow tapers are a good idea when dealing with any psych drug. I think the going recommendation is 10% per month, less if you start having lots of problems.

with some people, it gets to the point where they need the services of a compounding pharmacy, to get the reduced doses exactly right. there aren't a whole lot of independently owned and operated compounding pharmacies all over america, but there may very well be some near you. if not, i think some of the larger ones have websites. i think insurance coverage gets a little tricksy when you're dealing with compounding pharmacies, so if its something you might be interested in, you might want to check out the details of your policy.

i hope things get better for you.

[eyesclosed]

I did go off the paxil the first taper 2yrs ago almost was 50%. The one in march I was given the small doses to use and a 10% taper but at the same time he cut the alprazolam from 2mg to 1mg. I still feel horrible.

[still_crazy]

oh...wow. cutting paxil and xanax at the same time. sounds almost like punishment, honestly.

personally, supplements have helped me a lot. nothing fancy. I do Orthomolecular. Its high doses of common vitamins--b-100 complex, vitamin c, vitamin e, B3, etc.--that, over time, seem to help calm a lot of people down, sometimes considerably. The alternative health people who push Orthomolecular say that there are "side benefits," as opposed to the adverse effects commonly termed "side effects" found with pharmaceuticals.

Because of the way the vitamin mixes work in the body+brain, some people also find that Orthomolecular can help transition off of benzodiazepines. The combinations might also reduce some adverse effects from the psychotropics. Sounds like hippy BS, I imagine, but each vitamin one takes is involved in multiple reactions within the body. Combinations of massive doses of these vitamins, according to Orthomolecular people, can get some of the same effects drugs are used for, but at a lower cost and with far fewer problems as a result of treatment.

I hope your situation improves.

[eyesclosed]

I think your right. We are missing the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Most of the food we eat don't have them. The seeds are all altered. How do you find a reliable supplement now with so many fakes. I do take a calcium and magnesium mineral supplement. I did feel as I was being punished when he tapered them two meds together.

[still_crazy]

hi. im really --not-- trying to push Orthomolecular on you, just saying that its helped me a whole lot.

personally, i get my vitamins at an online, discount vitamin place. usually vitacost. sometimes i'll go to swanson's or puritan's pride.

for anxiety, l-theanine, on top of the standard orthomolecular line up, helps me a lot. the 'experts' say to buy suntheanine brand. a bunch of companies sell suntheanine at a variety of doses. lately, ive been buying 150mgs capsules of suntheanine under the brand name 'doctor's best'. they had a big sale at vitacost, so it made sense to stock up.

i feel badly for you. ive had horrible experiences with psychiatrists. its odd. when i was younger and misguided and all, they led me down a dead end road and then blamed me for everything.

now, im healthy and all, plus my family supports me, and they're more well-to-do now. well...surprise, surprise; suddenly, i get compassion from the psychiatrists. ugh.

anyway, i definitely do recommend at least trying orthomolecular. its been very helpful to me, and some people can transition off of psych drugs (and get out of Mental Health, Inc.) in part by doing Orthomolecular, so...that's always a good thing.

DoctorYourself.com: Andrew Saul's Natural Health Website

[eyesclosed]

I have been interested in this. I know amino acids a making some people better also. There is a medical doctor here where I live that does these transitions but it's not covered by insurance. I have had no income for almost 2yrs now and can't afford supplements. I do eat healthy though and don't drink pop.

[stuartslaugh2]

Well this just makes me furious! I've been prescribed one series after another without ANY warning about the possible negative consequences. Now I am a wreck! What the he'll am I supposed to do now?

[eyesclosed]

The warnings are listed in very small print and they don't tell you about them because it would take to long to read them and your apparently responsible now to read all this and then hope none of that happens to you. If you can ask to be tapered of whatever you are on now and stop taking it. They won't let me stop taking fluoxetine.