Hi,
I could use some input from anyone who had changed SSRIs.
I was on Paxil for 6.5 yr. and it just suddenly stopped working about 2 months ago. I went on Lexapro, and it gave me bad side effects, and I was extremely nervous, so after 9 days I stopped it and went to Cymbalta. I started out at the normal 30 mg. and after two days was again very nervous. My doc said cut down to 15 mg. I’m still nervous. It seems to be working just fine, just every day I am jittery and nervous. I have to take Klonpin.
I have heard so many ideas of what is causing this.
It’s the Cymbalta, I have to give it time to get used to it.
It’s withdrawal from stopping Paxil all at once.
It’s not the right drug.
And many more.
Does anyone have any experience with changing meds, and what I can expect? This is a new one for me. I thought I would take Paxil for life and be a happy camper.
God bless, and thanks.
Dawn
Dear Dawn,
I have heard that ssris do make you jittery at first but it wears off. Talk to your doc and also the pharmasist would be able to advise you. Good luck, I’m in the same merry-go-round.
I was on Zoloft a few months ago and it just stopped working so my Dr switched me to Cymbalta after being on it for 2 months and thinking I was going into perimenopause I realized it was the Cymbalta giving me the hot flashes. So then my DR switched me to Lexapro everything was fine for the 1st 2 weeks then my face broke out in a horrible rash and conviently my Dr is out of the country so his Partner put me back on the Zoloft . I feel like I am on the rollercoaster and I just got back at the end of the line again. All I can say about the Cymbalta and the Lexapro is that if it was not for the side effects I would have stayed with either of the drugs, both of them worked for me mentally and emotionally, unfortunatally my body just didn’t like them. I wish you the best in your search. Christine
Hi ChristyJo,
Thanks for writing to me.
How long had you been on Zoloft before it quit working? Was if for anxiety or depression?
After my Paxil quit working I went on Lexapro and had head flashes, upset guts and diarrhea. I was extremely nervous. After 9 days I changed to Cymbalta. I really have not had any side effects, and it has really helped my emotional/mental state, but I still have nervousness and sometimes like a muted panic attack. I have only been on it 2 weeks though, and only at 30 mg. for 5 days.
I have recently started seeing a really good homeopath who said she see’s patients all the time who’s SSRI has stopped working. She said she has helped lots of people get off them completely and balanced out their chemistry naturally so they are fine. She even offered to give me names and numbers for refs. I’ve been through so much with my health in the last couple of years I am not really quite ready to try to embark on getting off the meds yet. She told me that the nervousness, etc. I am feeling is actually withdrawal from the Paxil. I have heard that a few other times too, inc. from the doc I got the Cymbalta from because my doc was out of town too. It’s amazing how much docs seem to be out of town. I have been taking Klonpin for the nervousness, but yesterday I got some homeopathic stuff to try instead of the Klonpin. I used it this morning and it worked!
Also, I found another anxiety message board that has a LOT of traffic, and lots of people to talk to and get help from who have been here, or are here right now. If you would like more info on any of this just let me know.
I’m sorry for all you are going through. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.
God bless,
Dawn
I would like the other web site and also how to find a homeopathicd dr. who
would rx something besides t5he cek lexa and klonapin and webutrin I have been
on for over ayear! For depresssion and anxiety. I hate being on these
drugs but hate feeling so anxious, sad and half way panicked at the least little
thing an d so is my family. Thanks for any hepl! Linda Smith
************************************** See what’s free at http://www.aol.com.
Hi Linda,
The other message board is called "Anxiety Journey message board", address is: http://www.anxietypanicattack.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0
I found lots of help there. lots of people to talk to who answer back quickly.
The stuff the homeopath gave me to take instead of Klonpin is 3 different things you take all at once. Two are little sublingual tablets made by Heel boitherapeutics, one is called 'Ypsiloheel' and the other is called 'Neuro Heel'. She said these are homeopathic physician's formula, but I have seen these products at our local health food/supplement store.
The other is a liquid, you take 10 drops straight up or in water, it's called. Ignatia Homaccord, and it's also made by Heel. I took them all this morning and they worked in about 1/2 an hour. One my way home yesterday from her I took just the Ypsiloheel as a test, and it worked alone too, I was feeling uptight.
Personally, I think if you are taking all those meds, and are not getting relief, you are not getting the right med.
Once I went off my Paxil, and when all the anxiety came back, I decided to try Zoloft. I know a few people who take it and love it. It did absolutely nothing for me. Everyone is different, and you need something besides what you are taking. Like a new doc! LOL.
If you decide to go to a homeopath, be sure you get a real homeopath, not a naturalpath, or some other title. A homeopath has been trained like a doctor, but used natural stuff instead of drugs.
God bless,
Dawn <><
For the effects of changing, stopping, starting these meds a good place for strictly med-related information is crazymeds.org.
FYI: Cymbalta is a combination SSRI & a SNRI (norepinephrine uptake inhibitor, Paxil and Lexapro are SSRIs (serotonin only), they do not effect other neurotransmitters.
One thing about the homeopathic meds — always take the homepathic physicians formulas, they have a consistent strength and quality. The products in the health food/ supplement stores are not monitored by anyone. The strength and purity/quality of these can be all over the map. No official group with any power of enforcement is looking over their shoulder to make sure these are all safe. The strength and even the quality can even vary in different batches of the same stuff made by the same company.
True, these are considered to be “natural” and as such are not considered drugs. However, they still cause changes in the brain and body chemistry, and as such need to be taken with care. They can also have side effects – a number of people have had severe allergic reaction to St Johns Wort.
Remember marijuana and those mushrooms and cactus that cause hallucinations and all sorts of other mental n are also “natural.”
No I’m not a pharmacist or any other kind of medical professional. I’m just an information junkie, and since being diagnosed with MDD and GAD (and the jury is still out on Bipolar Disorder II), I’ve been out of work most of the time. So, I spend about 75% of that time doing research, taking notes, and putting it all together.
But don’t believe me, do the research for yourself. I consider it my JOB to learn as much about these disorders and meds as I can.
good luck with all of this, it can be frustrating, as all of here know.
peace, christine (yep, another one)
I agree about the physicians formulas for homeopathic stuff. That is what I got. But the Heel corp does make consistant monitored stuff, but the physicians formulas are stronger.
FYI: The homeopathic stuff worked fantastic for me for the first 2 days, and the last 2 days it didn't work at all. I have no idea why, I need to call the doc and ask.
I am in info junkie too. I can even carry on a fairly intellegent converstation with a doctor! LOL
I know Cymbalta is an SNRI, and Paxil is an SSRI. I think it would be harder to go from SNRI to SSRI, instead of vice versa like I am doing. Effexor is an SNRI and I have heard it's very hard to come off of. BUT, I have heard that about Paxil too, and I sure won't argue that point!
I upped my Cymbalta to 60 mg. yesterday. After farting around with smaller doses for over 2 weeks I decided I needed to just go for it and take what they say I'm supposed to take. Mentally/emotionally I'm doing well, but I'm still jittery/nervous the first 1/2 of the day. I've tried taking the Cymbalta morning and evening, and it doesnt' matter, it's the same. The only thing I can guess is when the sun starts going down, melatonin kicks in, as well as other things, and perhaps that's what helps me later in the day and evening are fine.
Dawn <><
Hi Dawn,
i didn’t mean to give a lesson to someone who already knew – i had a feeling you were up on the the meds stuff. but just in case not all readers of the forum were . . .
it seems to me that a lot of CP members know the names of meds, but don’t really know what is what.
out of curiosity – where do you get most of your info – could be a source I haven’t found yet.
thnx,
christine
Hi Seesaw,
Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I guess the anxiety forum doesn’t send out a notice to my email that someone commented like the IBS forum does. I thought nobody was interested.
I do a lot of research online. There are other anxiety forums online that are better than this one. For some reason this one doesn’t have a lot of traffic. The Anxiety Journey is a good message board. When you post a question there you get answers fast. You can read through all the stuff others have talked about and learn a lot. I’m sort of a chronic question asker.
Well, the Cymbalta didn’t work out for me. I just got more ane more nervous. My doc had me go back on Paxil, and this time up the dose. I was taking 20 mg. and now I’m taking 30, and she wants me to go to go if I need it. I’ve only been at 30 for 5 days now. Seems to be working, don’t knew yet if I’ll need more, but I hope not. The less the better.
God bless,
Dawn
I’ve had lots of experience with changing meds. I mostly have been adding new drugs onto what I’ve been taking. I now take three medicines: zoloft, trazadone, and seroquel. Don’t give up. Changing can be tough but consider adding “booster” meds only your base medicine. You’ll find the right combo eventually. If you ever need anything please contact me. 
Good luck and God bless!
Hi Bekblu,
Wow, you only in your teens and you’ve already changed meds a lot? Geeze… I feel for you!
Isn’t seroquel for bi-polar? Not real familiar with that one, just heard of it.
I used to take Trazodone to sleep, but after a couple years on the Paxil I didn’t need it anymore.
I have a friend with OCD and she takes 200 mg. Zoloft, and that works for her.
God bless!
Dawn