Been on Paxil for 3 days now

[Guest Guest_Lilly_*]

I have been taking Paxil for 3 days now and I'm a lil afraid to continue taking it after all the horror stories I've heard about it. I don't have social anxiety or depression so I don't know if I should really be taking it. I have been through alot in the past year and I was experiencing some kind of anxiety attacks. At first they would happen in the middle of the night maybe once a month. Then I started getting them during the day and more often. Well then recently I was having that anxious feeling every day all day. I was snapping at everyone and had a very short temper especially with my kids. So I went to the dr and told him what has been going on in my life and how I was feeling and he prescribed me Paxil 20mg. And since I started Paxil I have been very calm and the anxious feeling went away, but I'm not very social anymore and I just dont feel like myself. Does anyone have any advice for me?

[BPCharlotte]

I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with such anxiety.

Three days is not really enough to judge the full effects of any med, I don't know how much you have been told about the therapeutic timescales but it can take weeks to get the full idea of how a med works for you. Some side-effects wear off after a while.

Don't be afraid to go back to your doc if you're not happy with the effects though, they can advise you/change your meds later on if neccessary/refer you to a pdoc(psychiatrist) who deals with the specific anxiety/depression etc meds and can arrange some kind of other support like therapy to work on coping strategies, breathing exercises, thoughts and feelings.

I'm sure others will chime in here with more useful stuff, I'm not up to much myself right now so I'll step aside for their (probably more useful) advice.

Best of luck.

[Deepster]

Lilly-

I took Paxil for 7-8 years. I do recall the ramp-up on this med can be bothersome, and I'm sorry that you feel you are getting off to a bad start. I do recall that it was a full 45 days before I began to feel "normal" on Paxil. It really was a good med for me. The only problem was that at the time I had never been assessed for Bipolar II disorder, and I lived in a hypomanic state for about 4 years without even realizing it. You should not have that problem if you have no dx of BP.

Paxil is often prescibed for anxiety/panic/agoraphobia, all of which I do have.

I took myself off Paxil after reading some of the horror stories you mention. All I can say is that each of us are different, and one person can react totally different on a med than the next person. The best suggestion I can give is that you stick with what your doc for the time being suggests. If you find out it's not working or the side effects are too horrendous to deal with, discuss this all with your doc.

Another thing I'll suggest is to stay away from websites that are full of nothing but horror stories. People who have bad reactions are more apt to slap up something on the web drenching you/me in such mind grabbing lurid details that it would cause anyone to shy away from a med.

So, stick with your doc. Be med compliant, and if you still feel something is amiss, go right to your doctor with it.

Please tell me you are relying on a trusted PSYCHIATRIST for treatment, NOT A FAMILY DOCTOR!

My best to you!

Deepster

[MikeInVa]

I've been on Paxil 20mgs myself for quite a while now after first being on upwards of 40 mgs of Lexapro before it crapped out on me.The major side effects for me so far have seemed to be an increase in fatigue but other than that it seems to work well,although given the issues I've recently had to deal with I'm considering asking my pdoc to increase my doseage to see if it can bring me out of this terribly depressed state that I'm currently in.

[AirMarshall]

I'm glad you are feeling calm so quickly. Relief from anxiety/panic attacks is a wonderful thing. I too started on Paxil for panic attacks almost 5 years ago.

Like most psych drugs, it can take perhaps 6 -8 weeks for the full effects to develop. Drug changes often aren't particularly fun, whether its starting, stopping or just changing dosages. You need to understand that the brain just doesn't respond immediately, and that with psychiatric treatment you are in it for the long haul. It takes patience, a sense of humor to deal with the ironies, and determination to get through the pains and little agonies.

Hang in there things will get better with time.

Best, a.m.