Paroxetine and discontinuation syndrome
Common Questions and Answers about Paroxetine and discontinuation syndrome
paxil
There have been postmarketing reports of serotonin syndrome when linezolid was given with or soon after the discontinuation of serotonergic drugs, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine and sertraline.[9][110][111][112] It may also enhance the blood pressure-increasing effects of sympathomimetic drugs such as pseudoephedrine or phenylpropanolamine.
The sensation down the arms when turning your head sounds like the L'Hermitte's Sign.
Causes of this sign include MS, transverse myelitis, Behçet's disease, trauma, radiation myelopathy, vitamin B12 deficiency, cervical spondylosis, disc herniation, tumour, Arnold-Chiari malformation, "discontinuation syndrome" associated with certain psychotropic medications particularly Paroxetine and Venlafaxine.
Monday night took my dose and Tuesday felt even worse.I spoke to my therapist and internest,and he recommended to stop taking it completely.Since then i have felt depressed,week at times,headaches sometimes,no appetite,light headed ,detached ,anxiety at times,etc..Does this sound like discontiuation syndrome? Thank you for fielding my question.
1) Paxil (Paroxetine) is well-known to have unpleasant symptoms as part of a discontinuation syndrome. 40mg daily is a significant dose and one would expect to have difficult experiences upon changing or stopping it. However, three weeks is a long-time, it's possible your mood is dropping and worth discussing this with your doctor.
2) Prozac (Fluoxetine) has a very long half-life, possibly up to eight weeks, and so does take much longer than most SSRI's to 'kick in'.
Without knowing more about your situation I would suggest that it is possible that you had both a withdrawal syndrome and a recurrence syndrome. The withdrawal syndrome (which I think is what you meant by the physiological stuff) was followed by a recurrence of your original symptoms (worse perhaps because of the withdrawal and the lack of good communication from your psychiatrist). I would say that your best strategy is tackle this as if it is a pretty severe depression...
Just go to your pills and take one, it'll stop. You must wean off your medicine VERY slowly to prevent those electric zaps, so back off on the dose, a small cut every three or four days until you feel normal, then cut again, until you reach zero. But anytime you have ANY problem getting off a drug, get up and go take a pill and you'll make it through any rough patches.
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/mepergan-fortis-with-paroxetine-1558-8514-1800-0.html
The first link above just basically gives reported interactions (to the FDA), and is more related to long-term use of both meds. The info can be more frightening if taken out of context, but it IS important to see what has been reported.
You would definitely want to work with your doctor to find an appropriate antiemetic that is okay to take with the Paxil. Zofran may be a better option.
But if you do decide to stop it, the best way to do is taper it off gradually and watch for any symptoms of discontinuation syndrome (also called withdrawal). He might try another class of medication as an alternative to Paxil.
I have been on the pill form of Paroxetine for over 10 years now and would like to wean off slowly 2-4mgs. at a time using the liquid form. Is it safe? I read in a book on how to get off Paxil that one should not switch. What could be the cons to switching to the liquid form?
My doc immediately prescribed me 20mg of Paroxetine and 10mg of Buspirone. He wanted to up my dosage to 25mg of Paroxetine and 15mg of Buspirone. I didn't want this however because I know there are some withdrawal problems with paxil. I'm just worried about taking these two medications together. Thanks.
Pharmacodynamically, the combination of paroxetine (or any other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and a TCA may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5HT1A receptors.
MANAGEMENT: In general, the use of paroxetine (or other SSRIs) with TCAs should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk.
The switch is not abrupt, she first reduced the dose of paroxetine and started with a low dose of the new drug for a while.
I now also have burning/freezing pain in both legs that is sometimes unbearable (especially at nights) and body-wide twitching
1- I have read that Cipro can have peripheral neuropathy, panic attacks and twitching as side effect that can start (or go on) even months after discontinuation of medication. I know this is more common with the oral/IV Cipro but I may have used the CiproDex for longer duration that was prescribed. I believe that I was misdiagnosed with anxiety and hyperthyroidism.
Other symptoms include nausea/ vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, restless leg syndrome and muscle cramps, generalized pain throughout the body, and terrible insomnia. Soaking in a hot bath tub alleviates many of these symptoms temporarily. Psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety are very common among long-term users. All these things are worse if the opiates are discontinued cold turkey. You should have minimal trouble since you have only taken opiates for a short time.
My mother who is 79 years old, has severe arthritis and has dealt with anxiety for many years has been prescribed for sometime by her doctor to take 20 mg Paroxetine and 2 mg Alprazolam in the morning, 1 mg Alprazolam at lunch and 2 mg Alprazolam before bedtime. Paroxetine is the generic for Paxil and Alprazolam is the generic for Xanax. Is it normal to be taking Paxil and Xanax at the same time?
Please let me know how this combo works for you and what you think of prestiq. My son was on another med with prestiq that we discontinued and he has had discontinuation syndrome. Rough. But I"m curious if you'll find relief from ocd with prestiq and abilify combo.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding ADs because they can have a "discontinuation syndrome" when trying to come off. Many people call that "withdrawal", therefore people assume it is "addictive". Certainly the body gets used to having it on board, but it is different than an opiate.
So, if you do not have these symptoms and are only feeling depressed, you are probably suffering from SSRI discontinuation syndrome. You may need to restart Cipralex or any other anti-depressant.
However, since you have been on it for 20 years, you should consult a psychiatrist for complete psychological evaluation before treatment is re-initiated. After evaluation your doctor will decide whether you need further treatment or the symptoms will go away with time.
I was given Paroxetine for depression/anxiety over a year ago. I didn't take it however. Tried talk therapy for 6 weeks instead. I feel now, however, that I need to go on meds. I was just wondering if someone can tell me what to expect after taking paroxetine. Does it really work? How long does it take it to work? And are there any noticeable changes at all the first few weeks. Before, I did take one pill when I was given the meds.
Combining fluoxetine or paroxetine with phenytoin can also lead to increased phenytoin side effects and reduce blood levels of paroxetine.
You really need to discuss the potential drug interactions with your own doctor.
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