Posted by JohnL on May 6, 2001, at 5:44:05
In reply to can someone give me some advice??, posted by MarieMurph on May 5, 2001, at 18:01:36
> Hey, my brother is 11 years old and has been on Paxil for almost 2 years. He has recently just increased his dosage to 30mg. However, he can't take it anymore, because it just isnt for him. it is making him not act like himself, and just isnt working anymore. Therefore, the doctors are weening him off of it. This is his 3rd day taking 20 mg instead of 30. They prescribed ativan to help him(2mg). My momm gave him 1 mg the other day, and she felt that that was even too much for him. He got very dizzy, and acted almost like he was drunk. He is 11, and only weighs about 80 lbs. However, he is like crying and acting very angry and emotional. He doesnt feel good, and feels extra anxious. He wants more than 2 mg, but we dont know if we should give it to him. Can someone give me some advice as to how much ativan is ok in one day, and also, is this normal for him to be acting like this.. please help, I think my mom is going to have a nervous breakdown over this :(--- Marie
What I don't understand is why the doctor is discontinuing Paxil and prescribing Ativan instead simultaneously. I also don't understand why they are weening him off Paxil.
Actually, I do understand Paxil isn't working and needs to be stopped, but there really is no need to do a weening thing. He could go straight from Paxil to something else like Prozac without any weening and without a washout. The transition from one drug to another is always a little weird, but it can be smoothed out a little bit if the weening part of it is skipped. I stopped and started many drugs using both techniques--weening, and no weening--and I by far favor the no weening approach. Just stop one med and start the other. Start the new one at half the minimum dose for the first few days while the old one fades away.
I have no idea why they prescribed Ativan, but I wouldn't even mess with that one at all. Something like good ole dependable Prozac makes more sense to me. If a second drug is needed for whatever reason (side effects, efficacy, whatever), Zyprexa (in my opinion) is the gold standard ingredient to mix with Prozac. Benzos like Ativan do not make my list of gold standards, in most cases. Of course, these are just my opinions. Hopefully your doctor knows what's best. Often they don't. Sometimes they do.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:61721
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010424/msgs/61756.html