Anyone have experience with tapering/reducing Paxil/Paroxetine for an elderly person?

[The Albatross]

My mom: Generalized Anxiety, depression and OCDish tendencies likely but undiagnosed PTSD..... she's 79. In the two years since her med increase her cognition has had a moderate decline to the degree that she's experiencing functional difficulties and has taken to keeping 4 small notebooks and is writing down literally everything from the time she wakes til bedtime. Since upping her dosage two years ago, she's lost about 100 pounds. Pharmacists agree with regard to the rest of her meds this is the culprit - doctor is evaluating but is likely to concur.

Anyways... any members deal with withdrawal whilst elderly or supervise withdrawal for an elderly parent?

 

[Kubash16]

I didn’t take it long term, I’m not elderly, and I had a really bad reaction to it. But my pdoc had to give me extra meds (klonopin) for about a week and a half to get myself off of it and onto Zoloft and I had only taken it for two days. That stuff sucks. Coming off of it, I was shaky, wanted nothing more than to sleep, felt like everything was on fire.

Hopefully she has a far easier time.

 

[The Albatross]

Yeah... I found a list of 7 things to assist withdrawal, and am doing most all already day to day for her anyways... but figured if I had to I could switch up her antihistamine (OTC) with Benadryl to ease the symptoms. Just talked with my brother and left another message for her doctor. Thanks

 

[Cypress]

Slow and steady wins the race when weaning off any SSRI but especially so with Paxil and in the geriatric population. Her doctor should able to create a weaning schedule for you.

 

[The Albatross]

Ty Cy.... already 2 weeks in. Very little withdrawal effects noted. Nightmares/sleep terrors have decreased. Some increased moodiness rather than generalized anxiety, panic attacks or increase in OCD tendencies noted. Just an update.

 

[The Albatross]

Okay so 1 month... review. No adverse mood/impulse control or depressive issues resulted from 20 mg withdrawal to the 10 mg. Sleep is less disrupted by night terrors, night mares. Less confusion evident though she still has the cognitive permanent deficit. Stayin' at the 10 mgs/day til her Oct Dr's visit. Don't really see that further reduction is necessary at this time. That gives me a month and a half to observe before she's seen again.

Like I suspected, either she was overmedicated or the amount of medication decreased in relation to her body weight. Her quality of life is good and she's even trying to resume cross stitch.

 

[The Albatross]

Update... only negligible improvement... but some improvement. No further action warranted. Doing another med review with the doctor mid October.