Paxil to Take or Not to Take!

I have really bad PMS and took Sarafem (it's basically just prozac). I have read some terrible side affects with both prozac and paxil. I think it varies by the individual. For me, prozac helped with PMS but I was always in a bit of a fog. I was sleepy. It worked. However, I know take Sam-e and B-complex vitamins. I also just excersize 3-4 days a week. It really does help. I suffered YEARS of terrible PMS and it's not near as bad as it used to be. The only other alternative the doctors gave me was birth control.

I am a pharmacist. Paxil and the other SSRIs have proven very beneficial to many, many people. There will always be people who believe you should not take psychiatric medications of any sort, but truly, when you have a chemical imbalance, they can work when nothing else does.

Valium is far more addictive, both physically and psychologically. It is a controlled substance for that reason. It's not as bad as most of the narcotics (Vicodin, Percocet), but it still can be a problem. Paxil is not controlled, and there is no evidence of addiction. That being said, it is recommended that you taper off gradually if you decide to stop to minimize withdrawal symptoms. This is because of the chemical imbalance I mentioned earlier. Your body does get used to Paxil in the sense that it changes serotonin levels, and when you stop, those levels will change again. Another thing of note: it takes several weeks to truly feel the effects of all the medications in this class. Some people may notice an improvement sooner, but you shouldn't give up on it until you've been taking it 3 to 4 weeks.

Your "what if" thinking should improve, so hopefully you won't be worrying about what will happen. I can tell you this: even if the computers crash, most pharmacists would never leave you without any medication unless there is a very good reason. If you have an established pharmacy, go there regularly, and have a bottle, even with the computers being down, they would most likely give you at least a few pills to get you through in a worst case scenario. Think of all the hurricanes we had here, particularly in 2004. I was working at a hospital in Pensacola when Ivan hit, and we were making sure that people in the shelter who forgot their maintenance medications were getting a supply of at least a few days (with an MD"s OK, of course). Pharmacies have back up plans for power failures (particularly in Florida!).

Ultimately, you have to decide what is the right course of action for you, If you are uncomfortable with taking a prescription at this time, talk to your doctor about other alternatives. If you are concerned about a particular drug, ask questions. Feel free to email me with more questions.

BTW: weight gain dose happen, but it is an infrequent side effect. Paxil and the SSRIs more commonly cause weight loss.

Wellbutrin and Lexapro were recommended by some of the others, but you should know that they are not currently indicated for use with OCD. That doesn't mean that they still couldn't help you, but since you specifically talked about the OCD symptoms, you would probably want to try a med that does have that indication.

Hope this helps.

Join one of the groups that have formed for people with OCD. My ex boss was very OCD. She couldn't open a door if she didn't have a paper towel to put over the knob. When we went out to eat she took her own silver ware with her. I helped her a lot and also got her to join a help group. It is helping her. At least she doesn't carry a paper towel around at home. But yet still no one can use her bathroom. Not even her husband. The Paxil made her worse not better.

Try an energy session. Read more at www.wheelsoflight.org We are full of emotional and mental energy that is stuck or unuseful. Exercise, like yoga is a great way to release these energies too. There are herbs that can help with the PMS and mood swings. Herb pills are ineffective...tinctures and teas are best. Also you need to take things for at least 30 days as herbs take longer to get in your system. My site has resources for that too. See the Just for Moms page. Sending you light...

i HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH PAXIL AS WELL AS OTHERS DURING POST PARTUM DEPRESSION A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. i FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT GAIN WITH THIS MEDICATION BUT HAD BETTER LUCK WITH WELLBUTRIN AND LEXIPRO. ASK YOUR DOC ABOUT THESE INSTEAD. PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY LOST WEIGHT ON WELLBUTRIN.

ALSO THE ADDITION OF XANAX USED AS NEEDED HELPS THAT PANIC ATTACK THING. ANTIDPRESSANTS DON'T ADDRESS THAT ISSUE

Sahm i took valium for three years and got hooked but thank god i got unhooked.i was taking three 10mg a day too much and i had a hard time getting off it took three years to get half way back to normal but i made it my mind was made up i knew i had to get comtrol and i did.i would say most decisions are a mind and determination thing.but be careful coming off isnt easy and i was warned to not quit cold turkey that i could have a heart attack or stroke.we i cut the dosage slowly from week to week and i weaned myself off.when the dr said i may never get off that was when i realized i had too.i dident want to take something i just dident have to have.hope ive been of some help C.

Please mothers - you need to be aware - stay away from these psychiatric drugs - keep informed - they're extremely dangerous! Here's one woman's story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9trXZrzWkvA

i have taken paxil for over eight years now, i take it for stress and nerves. BUT i take it as needed, when i know im getting extremely stressed or over whelmed i start taking it. i only take 1 the am and 1 in the pm. that way the day isnt as bad as it could be and then at night im a little more relaxed. when i get hold of myself, i take 1 pm for 3 days then nothing,. my dr knows what i do and knows i refuse to let myself get dependent on any meds. i also help control my blood pressure and my sugar as well as other diagonised problems with my body. i swear by my diatation. i do not do health food stores except for milk thistle for my liver. also please remember that the it can cause warnings are done with years of research involving thousands of people. so if one person in a thousand has a reaction they have to by law make the public aware of it. take care. good luck. i have a book that i refer to a lot. HERBAL MEDICINE by dian dincin buchman the natural way to get well and stay well. it is right next to my notes from the diatition. J.

I took Paxil a couple years ago. They are not considered Addictive (according to my dr). They did take a couple weeks to wean off of. I am now taking lexapro, which I have not had any trouble with either, but I'm pretty sure you still need to be weaned off of it.

FYI - in the past, I have stopped taking Paxil because I ran out of them and after a couple days I felt dizzy and lightheaded. After a couple weeks, if you had to go that long, you would probably experience your previous PMS symptoms. But that only takes a few days of meds to take careof :)

Hope this helps!

I took Zoloft- loved it!

You are goona find many differnet people telling you many different things. Your best bet is to listen to yourself and your DOCTOR. They do know what they are talking about. I have been on meds. for OCD/ Anxiety diorder for years now. I have seen myself off the meds. and on them, and I, myself, function better on them. I think clearly and am able to make better choices. But, that is just me personally. You need to talk to your doctor about all the choices you have. Good luck to you!

I took Paxil for several years as a treatment for Fibromyalgia and found that the medication worked wonders. BUT I gained about 25 pounds in the process. It also took me about 6 MONTHS to wean off of this medication. The dr. originally told me to just stop taking the med, but after 3 days, I was borderline suicidal! Not me at all! Plus I was not being treated for depression. Some of the the side effects I suffered with paxil withdrawals were vertigo, extreme headaches, mood swings and fatique. I would also experience these symptoms after missing just one dose. I do think my case was extreme and not all people have the same experience. I would recommend Wellbutrin over Paxil, but I don't know that it would help with PMS problems. I would just be very careful to weight the pros/cons of an SSR to treat anything other than what it is meant to treat. Just my opinion.

S. you're going to have to do what you feel is right for you. Me, I'm not into the drug scene. Maggie's got some terrific suggestions, and what worked best for me was the use of DERMALLY applied bio-identical natural progesterone,
as well as altering my diet. Consider the guidance of a nutritionist to support whatever path you take, to help ease your symptoms too. In addition to these, having spiritual support from a trusted mentor has helped many of my clients through the long haul of LEARNING and PRACTICING how to mind their minds.