paxil affects

[Chris]

my girlfriend was just prescribed paxil for anxiety issues.
I looked it up a bit, and havent found that much information.
I have found that it has withdrawal symptoms, thereby making it kind of addictive.
I dont like the idea of her goin on it, but want more information about it, how it works, etc, before I can really make up my mind.
So, Im asking all of you what you might know about paxil, especially personal experiences with it.
I just dont want someone I know going on a powerful drug without knowing everything about it; Ive seen people prescribed amphetimines that screw them right up; i dont want this to happen to my girlfriend.

So, if anyone has any info, it would be greatly appreciated.

PS, Ive already looked at erowid; they have limited info on it.

[DayDreaM BelieveR]

Paxil (Paroxatine HydroChloride) is itself a relatively weak pharmaceutical in comparison to some others and has not much abuse potential IMO. Having done it myself (no, not prescribed, abusing it ) and having also abused various benzo's including Xanax and Klonazopam as well as Dextroamphetamine, I can safely say that if she sticks to the prescribed dosage she should only feel minor, if any, dependancy. However, the addiction risk is factored on the subject's personal factors including strength of will, etc.

Check out RxList they have information on every prescription drug out there and should be of much value to you. Good luck with your girlfriend, I hope she doesn't have to spend long on it.

Lucky me, someone brought up the topic I know most on [chemical child]

[moondog]

It's (in technical terms) a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). When a neurotransmitter (the chemicals that make everything happen in the brain; good and bad) such as serotonin is released, it sends its signal, and then gets taken up again, so there's not a whole lot of it just floating around. The SSRIs inhibit this re-uptake, thereby increasing the amount of serotonin, which seems to help with anxiety and depression, among other things.

You have to take it regularly or it won't work. You have to take it for a few weeks before it'll start working. The most common side-effects are headache, nausea/gastro-intestinal upset. These tend to go after a week to 10 days, and most people are able to tolerate it through that period. They can (fairly rarely, in healthy adults) drop the sodium level in your blood, so to be safest, she should get a sodium level done a couple of weeks after starting it. They can affect your libido - for the worse, I'm afraid - but then again, someone with significant anxiety/depression often doesn't have exactly the best libido anyway. There are others (quite a long list, to be honest), but rare; I've never seen anything other than those, and I've prescribed it to an awful lot of people. I really wouldn't get too worried about it.

As for the withdrawal effects, yes they are more recognised now. However, they can be dealt with; generally just by reducing and stopping slowly, and most people don't have a problem.

I'm quite surprised you haven't found much online; there's a lot of emotive misinformation around. Generally suggesting that taking it will make you kill yourself and/or someone else. There's really nothing to support that, except that it seems that a few adolescents taking paroxetine (paxil) may possibly experience suicidal thoughts which they didn't have previously. The only recommendation out of that is to avoid using paroxetine in people under 18.

Take home message: if she's been properly assessed by someone experienced in the area, and the medication is going to be properly prescribed and monitored, there should be no problem with it, and no reason to worry.

[matada]

I am on etizolam, which is about the same. It just keeps you anxiety/stress level at a managable level. Many business owners/managers often go to the doctor for the same thing. I was turned onto it from a good friend who also seemed to have the same issues a I did (sleepless nights, quick temper, excessive worrying over minor issues).
They gave me the depas (trade name for etizolam) and Halcion for my sleeplessness.

I have found sometimes it is difficult to sleep without the Halcion, but taken in the correct dosage, I have found no other probles. I was warned to not self medicat (increase my dosages beyond what the doctor informed me) and NEVER take it with alcohol, as it can not only intensify but completely alter the effects.

Moondog gave the best definition I could find. For the full technical breakdown by the governemnt (abuse issues etc.) go here:
http://www.inchem.org/documents/pims/pharm/pimg011.htm

[jon@af]

Zoloft is another good scrip that does basically the same thing that paxil is perscribed for, and has less side affects on some people. However, it's side affects are: no sex drive, weight gain, and insomnia. Is this her first perscription for this? Because it may take a bit to find a antidepressant/anxiety med that works best for her.

[asterox]

I'm not a professional but...

You will have withdrawal symptoms to almost any drug if you take it every day. Even if the "withdrawal" is experiencing unmedicated reality after a period of medicated reality. There isn't any way to abuse Paxil in the manner of amphetamines, benzos, or narcotics. If you took more than the recommended dose it would only increase the side effects.

The popular analogy is: if you're diabetic you take insulin to compensate for a natural chemical imbalance in the blood. Same with depression, except the chemical imbalance is in the brain.

[DayDreaM BelieveR]

Originally Posted by asterox

You will have withdrawal symptoms to almost any drug if you take it every day. Even if the "withdrawal" is experiencing unmedicated reality after a period of medicated reality. There isn't any way to abuse Paxil in the manner of amphetamines, benzos, or narcotics. If you took more than the recommended dose it would only increase the side effects.

The first part I agree with, that is, if you were to go cold turkey. But the normal procedure would be to slowly reduce the dosage and increase time in between doses to cut out the harsh feelings of needing it. However, it can be abused, it's just not as fun as other pharms. The feeling it gives you isn't really enjoyable and not something you'd want to do more than once considering the main effects are:

• A very dull feeling of being 'out of it'
• An uncomfortable sense of being (can't explain it any better)
• Usually paranoia and funnily enough, sometimes unhappiness/depression

It's more an interesting feeling than a 'high' fun feeling.

[thrasher]

I would stay away from Paxil. The other anti-dperessants/anxiety drugs out are far more effective and safer. I went through a massive withdrawl after slowly stopping its use, it was the worst thing I have ever been through. Prozac and Zoloft are better choices IMO, and both work better, also from personal experience.

I suppose I should also add this is only from my perspective, but I also know a clinical psychologist who says to steer clear of it too.

[Oz]

Pfft. Pussies. Just crush the pills up and snort em like the bitch you are.

[TheNotoriousMogg]

Originally Posted by Oz

Pfft. Pussies. Just crush the pills up and snort em like the bitch you are.

mean and insensative ozzie

[SeXy_AnGeL]

Paxil is one of the weakest perscribed....While the lower doses do work, it is a lot safer to be on them then on...lets take for example 37.5 CR...i mean, as long as they low doses continue to work, and the dr feels that she is making progress, it's a good thing. She'll know if its not working, and eventually you can get off of them. If you start at a Zoloft or a Prozac, it takes longer for you to wein off of them b/c they are simply stronger. Especially if your gf is younger...(i mean like lower 30's and younger) the weaker the better, bc she doesnt lose all sense of everything...She can still feel, and thats a good thing a lot of times.

[2strokebloke]

Originally Posted by TheNotoriousMogg

mean and insensative ozzie

overuse of smilies, and off topic moggy

My personal cure for anxiety is apathy. Or a good toasted sandwhich. Don't know why, but eating a sandwhich really lifts stress off the shoulders.

[moondog]

Originally Posted by matada

I am on etizolam, which is about the same

Ah...no. It's far from the same. Etizolam is a benzodiazepine, or a derivative. It's not an SSRI; it's basically a tranquiliser/calming medication. It doesn't treat anything as such, it just suppresses symptoms. I really hope you're not on both the etizolam and the halcion (another benzodiazepine). In fact, I hope you're not on the halcion at all - it's very good at producing tolerance and dependence. (different from the withdrawal effects of paxil, which are not because of dependence, or addiction per se).

[asterox]

Originally Posted by DayDreaM BelieveR

• A very dull feeling of being 'out of it'
• An uncomfortable sense of being (can't explain it any better)
• Usually paranoia and funnily enough, sometimes unhappiness/depression

Yup those are the increased negative side effects I was talking about. I can't say I've met anyone who enjoyed them enough to abuse Paxil. I'm on prozac at the moment and the main 'withdrawal' I feel comes after a few days of not taking the med... then it feels like the depression the prozac was originally prescribed for. Obviously not a good feeling.

I'll echo moondog's concern matada.. make some appointments.

[matada]

Originally Posted by moondog

Ah...no. It's far from the same. Etizolam is a benzodiazepine, or a derivative. It's not an SSRI; it's basically a tranquiliser/calming medication. It doesn't treat anything as such, it just suppresses symptoms. I really hope you're not on both the etizolam and the halcion (another benzodiazepine). In fact, I hope you're not on the halcion at all - it's very good at producing tolerance and dependence. (different from the withdrawal effects of paxil, which are not because of dependence, or addiction per se).

I wish I weren't.

I have to take it occasionally because of a sleep disorder I suffer from. A few years back in my life, I had several tramautic things happen, and as a result, I developed severe insomnia. I tried all the non medical routes, but they did not work. My doctor then prescribed something something that worked for a short while, but quickly became ineffective.
I started the Halcion about 2 years ago, and haven't had any problems with it. The etizolam is great at keeping my stress level manageable without any loss of motor skills or thought process. I refuse to take anything like paxil because I worry it may affect my judgement.