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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by n0matter on August 30, 2001, at 9:09:01
Ok, I started taking Ativan about 7 years ago without a true diagnosis; I had a breakdown at work and tried my hardest for years to attribute my anxiety to a physical condition. After finally resigning myself to the idea that the problem might be psychological, and moving across the country, I decided seeing a psych might be a good idea. Of course, by this time, I was completely dependant on the benzo and my Dr. moved me off my 1mg twice/day onto Klonopin, .5mg 3 times/day. I transitioned onto this benzo very easily and was doing quite well for a little over a year. Just recently, I lost my prescription on a subway ride home. I called the doctor in a panic at around 12:00am, and he described losing the prescription as "suspicious" and ultimately decided to wean me off the meds over a period of 6 days. SIX DAYS! By the third day of the Px indications, I was having the most horrible side-effects. It was like my initial breakdown coming back tenfold. I had the worst panic attack of my life at work and had to leave expeditiously for the emergency room. Anyway, the doc there put me back on .5mg 3 times/day and 100mg of Zoloft/day until I found a new doctor. Now I've visited my new doc and he's moved me onto Paxil, 20mg/day for the first week, 40mg/day after that. Since then, either because I've felt a lesser need to take the klop, and thus reduced my dosage myself to .5mg twice/day or because I've now moved up to 40mg/day of the Paxil, I've had this constant simultanious giddy restless feeling. It's almost as if there's a battle going on inside my body between adrenaline and exhaustion.
My question, after that long-winded post, are these normal symptoms for Paxil intake? It's been 4 days since I voluntarily cut my klonopin dosage and 6 days since I went to 40mg of Paxil. It's true that I do feel slightly more sociable now, but I also feel high as a kite and nervous all at the same time. Will this go away or subside eventually or do I have to live with this for the duration of the Paxil intake. Also, my doc's(and my) main goal for starting the Paxil was to wean myself off of the Klonopin. But now I'm hearing all these horror stories about Paxil withdrawal that it seems like a double-whammy to be on both of these meds at the same time! Any information or advice about my situation is appreciated.
Posted by Janelle on August 30, 2001, at 16:09:10
In reply to Paxil to treat Klonopin w/d and Paxil side-effects, posted by n0matter on August 30, 2001, at 9:09:01
Hi, I was on both Paxil and Klonopin (no longer on P, but still on K) for 7 years and then the Paxil pooped out on me. A consulting pdoc had me go off it in only four days (it should be more like 4 weeks), and I went through HORRIBLE withdrawal.
However, I can tell you that 30-40 mg/day of Paxil is a "good" average dose. I took 30mg/day for all those years, but kept a supply of the 40 mg ones on hand for times when I had a "dip." I would up it to 40 mg/day for a few days, the "dip" would pass, I'd feel okay again, and go back to 30 mg/day.
I've also decreased (or increased) my dose of Klonpin depending on how I feel, the doc said this is fine for me to do. I've been with her a long time, she knows and trusts me. The last thing I'd do is mis-use my meds. I tend to range from 0.5 to 1.5 mg/day (or evening as I recently switched to) of Klonopin.
Klonopin is the least addicting of the benzos, because it is slower acting and I think it has a longer half life than say Xanax or Valium.
I would say that since Paxil can be activating, that the symptoms you described are probably "normal" for initial Paxil intake and should dissipate. I felt this when I started EffexorXR and it pretty much went away. I got "lucky" with Paxil - it kicked in fast, I had no major side effects.
Good luck!
-Janelle
This is the end of the thread.
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