Paroxetine - Whats your experience?

Hi all, this is my 3rd day being diagnosed with PND and prescribed paroxetine. I am hoping that the side effects will subside very soon as i feel like its very noticeable that Im acting weird. I feel like im on ecstacy but without the good buzz just the hot/cold sensations, shivering, dry mouth and I constantly need to chew gum oh and yawning. I feel a bit paranoid too like everyone is looking at me and wondering if im on drugs. Please tell me your experiences with paroxetine...

Hi Floss,

I don't currently use any psych meds (But I realise that might have to change if I can't keep managing 'stuff') but I thought that the government MedsSafe websites Consumer Info Leaflet on Aropax might be of use to you? You can save or print it?

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/a/Aropax.htm

Yeah, I do remember the Aropax yawns, jaw-breakers almost. I also had trouble walking in a stright line (and driving etc) but some of that had other medical origins.

We all have different reactions even tho we might be taking identical dosages - but it does suck all the same, eh?

Take care of you eh?

hey thanks paddy, ive been searching those med links for paroxetine and its not listed for consumers. Will check out aropax now. Thanks for the heads up

wikipedia is also a good source of info floss, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxetine

I have a friend on Aropax who says it helps him, and he hasn't experienced any side effects. Apparently the coming off it is the part you have to be careful with.

hey Floss, keep with it eh, the side effect of any meds, usually taper off after a week or 2...they can suck, but hopefully the end result will be well worth it for you! (and as for people looking at you wondering if you are on drugs - it can often feel that way cant it - but im sure they are not)

Please be careful using a 'resource' such as Wiki to educate yourselves about mental illness or meds. Anyone can be a wiki contributor. Not all of its contributions are soundly based.

Incidentally that goes for stuff you might find here at TBBD too. Use with due care.

You will notice that I only recommend Medsafe as a reliable reource on presecrion meds in NZ. Its consumer info is sometimes not so easy to track down; correct spelling and Capital letters seem to be critical in using its search function.

For instance, to find their Consumer Information Sheet on paroxetine, you actually have to type Paroxetine into its Search Box AND select to search in Ingredient Name. That search will lead you two two hits - Aropax and Loxzamine. Same Leopard, different spots? I dunno. I'm not an expert.

So its not necessarily intuitive. Well, not our kind of intuitive, anyway.

But yeah, please use some caution if you are searching the Net or books for your answers. We are all different, we don't all present with a full range of potential symptoms and reactions and we are not necessarily the best people to judge the applicability or reliability of what we are finding out. The Net can trawl in and harvest a lot that is of no real relevance or use.

Drift Net-style trawling the Net for answers comes with risks. Please wear a life jacket or something if you're going to go fishing online for 'answers'.

Thanks,
Pat.

PS. This isnt a dig at you, JK and its good to read one of ours saying that not all the known side effects need be a problem for an individual.

I often use Wiki - but for mental illness stuff, I prefer sites where there is some accountability and the authorities quoted, actually exist.

Pat.

Thats ok Pat, we all have our opinions. Personally I have found wiki to be useful as it generally contains more information, and a references section at the bottom where each point is valididated by supporting references. It's true that anybody can contribute, but information without references are quickly removed.

I agree with you though, you should always be skeptical with ANY information on the internet as to its reliability. The medsafe site you mentioned is a very reliable source.

I think wiki helps present a balanced view of issues, as even though medsafe is government, there may even be some things even THEY dont want you to know.

(My university degree is in this area which is why I feel like i know what I'm talking about)

i'm afraid i would go with reliability of information. I had heard that wiki is made up of some dubious sources

I totally understand that it differs case to case, person to person. I was just after some real experiences, trying to find some common ground ya know? I dont know anybody in the same boat as me. But anyway, I am feeling much better today, side effects arent as strong so Im hoping things are looking up.

I took Aropax for a while and had no probs with them However when they changed to the generic version they didn't seem to be as effective so I changed to something completely different.

Whats the generic version?

To be honest I can't recall the name now but it is meant to be the same as Aropax and is what they are prescribing now instead. Unless they changed again since I was last on it well over a year ago.

ok thanks bluebird. Im on Loxamine so thats probably it.

YES that is definitely it. As soon as I saw it I recognised it.

Day 8 and going ok. Had a bit of a turn yesterday, I was in the middle of a conversation with a client when I felt short of breath and high pulse, and got a bit sweaty and shaky. Dont know if this was side effects or a panic attack but the feelings lasted till I got home. I managed to control it though but I still felt nauseous all evening.

Hi floss

I was on paroxetine for about a year and i can remember getting alot of body aches (mainly while trying to sleep) unfortunatleyy i cant remember much else (no idea y though) i do remember comming off them ,very clearly, not the nicest feelings in the world at all, anger wise etc.

i suffered major alergic reaCtion from aropax so cant help sorry!my throat closed up after taking it the first time.

I can't take any of the SSIRs,
I have severe reactions to them. Each one I have tried has put me in hospital.

Paroxetine hydrochloride is a prescription drug in the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication class. SSRI medications work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain to maintain mood balance. The brand names of paroxetine are Paxil and Paxil CR. Paroxetine is available in a tablet, a liquid and an extended-release tablet.
Indications
# Paroxetine is prescribed to treat a variety of illnesses, including depression, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hot flashes related to menopause or breast cancer, chronic headaches, premature ejaculation and diabetic neuropathy. The extended-release form of paroxetine is also prescribed for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Paroxetine can also be prescribed in conjunction with other medications for bipolar disorder.
Side Effects
# Paroxetine may cause side effects including dizziness, weakness, headache, forgetfulness, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, confusion, feeling drugged, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, gas, heartburn, decreased appetite, changes in weight, changes in sex drive, sweating, dry mouth, changes in the ability to taste food, sensitivity to light, yawning, cough, runny nose, pain in back, joints or muscles, tightness in throat, muscle weakness, flushing, unusual dreams and irregular or painful menstruation. Consult your physician if these side effects become bothersome.

I am on day 6 of this tablet and have had shortness of breath and bad reflux. I also am on another medication as I have a stomach ulcer but have found this antidepresent has made my reflux bad and I have had quiet bad shakes. I am finding it hard to concentrate but on the plus side I arent crying all day. I have till Wednesday before I need to go back to work so am hoping that these symptoms are gone by then. I am sleeping ok but have to keep my head busy so I dont start dwelling on things. To be honest I dont know if its worth taking this tablet but maybe this is just my bad thinking coming into account.I am sorry if this isnt making sense just another thing from my tablets!

Hi Kath, has your doctor mentioned the possibility of maybe going on an anti-reflux med too?? I take 20mg of Omeprazole (also known as Losec) daily for anti-reflux/heartburn which is caused by one of my anti-depressants.

Hi yes I am on omeprazole as well but as I had a miss -hap the other day ie I took gaviscon because I had really bad heartburn and I decided I would take two of my reflux tablets that day as it was still very sore but unbeknown to me it was actually my anti depressent medicence and I proceeded to throw up the tablets for the next 5 hours burning myself even more.

Have you got a check sheet from the chemist for side effects?

or maybe the MOH website?

No I havent had a checklist from anyone about possible side effects.

Hi KC,

Depending on who makes your Paroxetine, here are the NZ Govts Medsafe websites two reliable NZ Consumer Information Sheet links:

http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/l/loxamine.htm
and
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/a/Aropax.htm

Both versions of the med contain Paroxetine hydrochloride as the active ingredient but there are two ‘brand names’ available here, so you need to see which is yours. The Consumer Information Sheets are printable and maybe you could save a copy on your ‘puter for when you’re feeling more up to reading it, lol.

The Medsafe Site will have an Info Sheet for Consumers on EVERY medication available and approved for use in NZ.

It can be a handy site to remember and http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/CMIForm.asp
will get you to their Meds Search Page.

Its not quite as simple as it could be;, ‘F’rinstance you may have to search under Trade Name, Ingredients Name or Sponsors Name (the drug company) and STILL sometimes ya can’t find it – and ya know it has to exist, cos ya got a bottle of the buggers sitting in front of you.

Then, ya get serious and go to http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/datasheet.htm
and you have an Alphabetical Index to search through if ya have the patience. And these Info Sheets in this database link leads to Information Sheets more designed for health professionals than consumers.

MedSafe is really the ONLY website I recommend to anyone here at TBBD for finding valid information about our meds;

Ya can find anything you want to read on the web pretty much and a lot of it has bias one way or t’other. MedSafe just gives honest information. That’s a big part of its job. And nope, they don’t pay me to recommend them.

Take care, eh.