As some of you will know, after the discussion in the chatroom the other night, I have been trying to come of the evil SEROXAT.
Just to let you know that the advice about coming off it really slowly was indeed valuable. Like a fool, I tried to come off it all in the space of one week!
Consequently, I had an awful panic attack during my Psychology exam this morning and had to walk out.
Needless to say, I have been to the doctor's and am now back on it. I shall now try again but over a period of weeks, if not months.
No problem with my exam: I will resit it in June.
Silly bugger I am.
Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi Sam
Sorry to hear it got to you today of all days, but at least you now know what's going to happen if you try coming off it too quickly.
I hope your doctor is supportive of you, and I am sure you will get lot's of support on here.
The bottom line is that if the tablets keep you on an even keel just keep taking them until the time is right for you to come off them. Good luck in whatever you feel is right for you.
owdlad
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I chose to come off fuloxitine against the doctors wishes a few years ago and never looked back. I reduced my dose gradually over a period of 3 weeks. It was really an awakening to start feeling my emotions again without the numbness I had become used to. I appreciated the good and bad feelings. It was quite an experience that changed my outlook on life and the way I feel. 3 years on and I'm still a content bunny that loves the people around him.
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People come and go, And forget to close the door,
And leave their stains and cigerette butts trampled on the floor, And when they do....
Sorry you had such a bad experience there - however, don't let it put you off coming off Seroxat altogether. Like you said, just take it slower next time.
You might also find that watching your diet, etc. during the coming off is a good idea. Keeping the blood sugar levels stable will help mood anyway.
Also, watch your calendar - do it when there's NOT an examination coming up...
Take care, and hang on in there - you'll get it sorted.
joe
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I was once prescribed fluroxatine (sp?) due to some home life situation which was affecting me.
I chose not to start taking it because the doctor said I'd have been on it 6 months minimum.
I battle through the time and although it was hardI'm glad I didn't start taking it.
I appreciate that for some it is a requirement that they're glad of taking - I really hope everything works out for you Sam Miguel (I know it will).
I can honestly say I'd never heard of SEROXAT prior to this thread, my quack never mentioned it at the time.
Seroxat has a half life in the body of about 24 hours (within 24 hours, half the drug will have left your body in some way, and so on every 24 hours).
Fluoexetine (Prozac) Has a half life of something like 21 days.
This means you can stop taking fluoexetine much more easily, because you don't experience a sudden crash, like you do when you stop seroxat cold.
These drugs are not addictive, in the sense that they reinforce habitual behaviour, it's just that they are mood elevators that work on some pretty misty principles, not yet really pinned down.
And when you have been taking them for any length of time, there is a considerable gulf between your current state of mind, and what it would be without the drugs in your system.
The higher you are (with these drugs at least), the harder the crash when you stop. But with prozac the crash is drawn out over a month so you barely notice it. With Seroxat, its much more sudden, as you discovered. Did your doctor not warn you against stopping suddenly?
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Interesting stuff phan as usual. I've just remembered it wasn't fluoxitine I came off, i had changed to amitriptyline a few months earlier. Any info on that? I know it's tricyclic anti depressant.
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Like a shell twists round in spirals; dreams are all we have.
There was a scandal about seroxat recently. They original trials showed it was addictive, and they decided not to include that on the information they presented to the FDA.
They've changed it all recently, and the new packaging and advice leaflets do say it's addictive. A lot of people in the UK version of the FDA (sorry, I forget the name) have quit in protest over it.
My other half has been trying to come off it for a few years now and has a wealth of knowledge and info about it.
There are quite a few forums and websites offering advice and support that she knows about.
Send me your email and i will pass it on if you want.
I would ask your doctor to give you the liquid version of seroxat (it's typically 10mg per 5ml) and drop it by about 5mg per week. I know that sounds slow and on a typical 20mg will take a month to come off but better that than the nasty side effects of stopping dead. Be aware of some of the side effects you may get (sleep disturbance, visual disturbances, anxiety, headaches) as knowing they are side effects can be helpfull. Also make sure your eating a good ballanced diet and try and do some regular exercise to help raise your endorphin levels
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There are some scary stats concerning some of the SSIR`s, but I really hope what choice you make is the comfortable one.
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As an ex Saraxat user I can tell you that on several occasions I tried to stop using Saraxat and it was pure hell.
For reasons I did not understand I would burst into tears even at work, there were times I thought of suicide as a better option to life and not knowing that it was withdrawl symtems I had no way to stop the feelings I was having.
I know 3 other people who had the same problems and every one of them tried to self harm, what was worst was that friends and family had no idea what was going on so they just thought I had lost the plot, which I had, but didnt know why.
There are some strong ugres that go through you whilst with drawing from saraxat and you will need all the strength you can muster up to get through it unscathed, let the people around you you know that you are quitting and also let them know what could happen to your behaviour patterns, there seems to be alot of aggression through withdrawel as well so this can be a huge problem.
I will not go in to the reasons , but I lost a lot of friends when I came off saraxat, it changed me in to some one I am not untill I had it completely out of my system.
