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Healthcare scandal

Posted , 4 users are following.

emma23953
emma23953

I have been on seroxat for over 20years and decided over a year ago to start to taper off. I bought measuring scales and cut the tablets and got diwn to 15mg. It has been hell. So i go to my GP and they gave me liquid. I reduce by 2mg. Absolute hell. So i go back to my GP. I explain that i know a lot about this drug . I also explain i have 2 recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in my family. When discussing the withdrawal symptoms they suffered i relate. However, alcoholics get put into rehab and their withdrawals are fairly short lived. She told me they don't usually do that for prescription drugs..(even though they are just as potent). The withdrawals i am experiencing are EVERY TIME I REDUCE. When i asked if i could use a bridging drug like prozac (which is easier to taper off because it has a longer half life) i was told they didn't want me getting addicted to another drug! Then she said..how do you know it's the withdrawsls and not just how you are feeling? Well...if i stay on the same dose for a bit i am ok but as soon as i try to decrease i feel like hell! So now i am questioning myself ....is this withdrawal or am i just nuts? I feel drug addicts and alcoholics are treated more seriously. GlaxoSmithcline who make seroxat/paxil refuse to admit this drug is addictive. RUBBISH. I don't care what their definition of addiction is. The point is I NEVER GOT INFORMED OF THE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS OF THIS DRUG. NO INFORMED CONSENT. And because of this those going through this hell are left high and dry by the health service. We have been treated criminally. I am so angry.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • carol15326
    carol15326 emma23953

    Posted

    I can u stand your frustration about this. I have never tried to reduce or come off my seroxat because I am aware they have to be tapered off and replaced with liquid. I am afraid that I will lose it and get worse. I am on 60mg and I know its a high dosage. I often wonder what will I be like without them. When I first started taking them they gave me confidence and over the years my confidence has got low again.

    The doctor told me that I woukd only need this medication for a few weeks, back in 1993...I wasn't on a high dosage at first just 20mg but at time has gone on I have become used to them, one crisis then another. Overall I feel ok, but have often wondered why I still take 60mg. Perhaps I should just go and sort it out.

    Hope you get some help too.

    • emma23953
      emma23953 carol15326

      Posted

      Thanks Carol

      I started about the same time as you. I made the decision to try to taper after watching documentaries about the questionable effectiveness of these drugs and the drug companies. Before that I believed they were the only thing keeping me sane. I wouldn't be able to cope with these withdrawals if I still believed they worked for depression and anxiety.

    • carol15326
      carol15326 emma23953

      Posted

      Hello Emma. Thanks fir your reply on this. It is a few weeks back now that I wrote on here about this drug. I wondered if you managed to withdraw from this completely? I am interested because when I feel well I feel like I could taper off them. I am on 60mg a day and have been fir years on this high dosage. Any advice I would appreciate.

    • emma23953
      emma23953 carol15326

      Posted

      Hi Carol. How are you? I had a year of he'll and decided to go back to a GP I am back on 20mg of seroxat but I can always try to taper again in the future. It was just too hard. The one thing I have about this drug is how I feel physically. I felt much better on 15mg physically but the crying was horrible .

  • Jane2806
    Jane2806 emma23953

    Posted

    I am also tapering off of paroxetine-very slowly.  It is awful.  I have been on SSRI's for almost 15 years and have tried coming off several times.  I would get very anxious and believed I needed to stay on the meds.  I now know that the anxiety is part of the withdrawal of coming off these medications too quickly.  I wish I would have known about the difficulty of coming off these meds years ago.  I know now that the slower you taper, the better off you will be.  I am now tapering 10% of my most recent dose and holding for a month or longer before I drop again.  I have gotten down to 8mg and know it will take me over a year to be completely off the meds.  Most doctors don't even understand how awful this is.  You are definitely not alone.

    • carol15326
      carol15326 Jane2806

      Posted

      Thanks Jane. Years (1993) my then psychiatrist put me on Paroxetine. I didn't think I would still be on them now! I often wonder what I may be like without them! I have been able to cope but just recently have worried about my forgetfulness, memory, never used to have a problem or maybe its just getting older! I have thought that if it was diabetes or something I wouldn't think twice about it but because its anto depressants, its like well maybe I shouldn't be on them now, am I still anxious, depressed.....(when I'm well for months) do I need them, what will I be like.....etc etc. Interesting to know you are tapering it off, how do you feel now though? Hope its good.

    • emma23953
      emma23953 Jane2806

      Posted

      Hi Jane . Hoe are you? After a year of hell i needed to go back up to 20mg. I was finding it difficult to function after going down to 10mg. I think after a while back on 20mg I am going to try to go down to 15mg again.
  • catali
    catali emma23953

    Posted

    Hello! I seem to be in a similar situation to many of you in this thread, and I would really appreciate some mutual support. 20+ years on 20mg seroxat. have just discovered the appalling effects of withdrawal. I can't believe Ive been so naive but followed GPs suggestion of tapering over a few weeks. Far too quick.  Have been suffering extreme insomnia, intense sweating and anxiety and confusion/brain fog for nearly 4 months. We tried transferring onto mirtazapine briefly before going back to half dose (10mg) seroxat. I couldn't bare the idea of going back to 20mg and having to start withdrawal from there. I now feel profoundly depressed and emotionally numb. I've completely lost self confidence.

    I have no idea how to proceed from here. I think I need to stabalise  more on this dose, but feel sure that the seroxat is causing me long term problems with gastritis and pins and needles in hands and feet. The thought of futher withdrawal is now really frightening and as I was prescribed the seroxat for recurrent depression it is hugely scary to think of that condition returning. 

    How are you all doing? How have you been coping with the withdrawal symptoms? I have just found them crippling. My partner is finding it really difficult and I have been off work now for an extended period and fear I may well loose my job because of this. 

    I think we are all desperate for advice and there doesn't seem to be much awareness or knowledge from within the medical profession. Maybe all we can do is try to help each other as best we can. Sharing experiences at least means we might feel less isolated. I'd love to hear how things are going with any of you!

     

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