Posted by worrier on June 16, 2003, at 19:49:46
In reply to Re: I am scared of this medicine, HELP ME!, posted by Susy on June 13, 2003, at 22:46:07
> Hi, I been taking Xanax for years also and lately I've been feeling like I don't have energy to do anything but still, I feel agitated inside.
> My pdoc gave me Paxil and recommend that I take it along with Xanax to overcome Paxil's side effects. I am scared...whenever I read the instructions it says not to take an AD with a Tranquilizer, have anyone of you do it before?
> By the way...I took Paxil alone and I experienced the strongest panic attack I ever had!
> Please help me with your experiences.
>
> Susy>Susy, you are by no means alone. I also took paxil (after trying Prozac and Welbutrin which I thought had bad side effects) But the Paxil just about killed me...I had the most severe panic attack I have ever had...imagine your worst one and multiply it by a million. I went to the ER the next day, as the symptoms had only subsided a tiny bit...the ER doc gave me xanax and sent me back to my MD (who was the one who prescribed all the other meds including paxil) She said I was experiencing "breakthrough anxiety" and needed to increase my paxil dose. I did like an idiot and things went to hell fast...uncontrollable tremors,vomiting,sweating,agitation so severe I literally paced the floor all night or went for long walks outside (I live oon an 80 acre farm,so I had lots of room to pace). I finally realized I had to do something or die. Got in quickly to a pdoc who recognized my symptoms as a serotonin storm caused by the paxil. That was a year ago. Like you I'm still taking xanax, but the internal agitation/anxiety still remain.(By the way, before this I "only " had panic attacks, not this generalized agitation/anxiety. I just started taking xanax ER 2mg once a day...it's alot smoother than the regular xanax, no peaks and valleys and it has helped somewhat more, but still that internal feeling remains. My pdoc has suggested that I start on a tiny dose of zoloft with the xanax. Needless to say I am scared silly to try another SSRI, but he feels that in a very small dose (starting with 12.5mg) may help with the agitation. He does stress the need for a very small dose and caution if/when we increase the dose. He at least is very aware that people with panic/anxiety need to be extremely careful with these drugs. To make a short story even longer than I already have, you might want to give the combo a shot...knowing you've got the xanax in case the panic happens again should be of some comfort. Easy for me to say as I have not yet worked up the nerve to try the zoloft. Good luck to you and let me know how it goes. Worrier
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