Paroxetine For Ptsd

[bright future28]

Hi just wondered if anyone else is taking paroxetine for ptsd and what are their experiences? I have been taking citaloplam for years and it has moderetly controlled my anxiety but stil having regular panic attacks and just not feeling 100 percent. Starting on a low dose of paroxetine next week feeling optimistic as iv heard its better than citaloplam for ptsd.

 

[amethist]

My husband takes this, but take it at night about an hour before you go to bed as it makes you sleepy.

He has taken it for a few years now with no side effects. He takes 40mg a day.

 

[bright future28]

thanks for your reply :) thats great to hear he has no side effects. hopefully il be the same touch wood! thanks for the advice regarding the sleepiness also.

 

[greenleaf]

Hello @bright future28 ! Thank you so much for the beautiful writing in your other post by the way; that was truly wonderful.

I've been on paroxetine for years and years; nothing else kept me from spiraling into a sort of hyper-aroused, unsafe-feeling state when life would throw stressors at me (which it does for everyone.) It is sort of like I didn't develop normal "brakes" on feeling fear; I don't think I learned how to self-soothe except for dissociating... Currently doing some work on that finally.

I did have side effects esp. at a higher dose (40mg) -- gained lots of weight, and other things -- but that was years ago. Now I do 20 and exercise; the side effects are much less though still a bit. However the lack of those spirals where I'd feel unsafe, then unsafe about feeling unsafe, stop being able to sleep well, etc. etc. -- amazing -- though I sorta take it for granted now.

I hope that with work on self-soothing I might not need it, but not there yet. I really just realized last year (cognitively) that I dissociate some while normally functioning; sort of derealized w/ numbing; even during good times etc. even on the paxil. I'd used those skills since childhood due to years of various types of abuse during childhood and parents who lacked good coping skills themselves. It's 'normal' for me except for brief occasions when I'd "wake up".... Those occasions let me know I had issues but there was no cognitive framework for my "adult mind" to put these experiences into at the time. I never felt as "helped" by various therapies as some other people I knew did. So... paroxetine and exercise. :rolleyes:

I am so glad people are finally doing more research on complex trauma, dissociative issues etc.

The paroxetine was the only thing that helped me not spiral into feeling that unsafeness back then -- tried many other things (20 plus years ago) and without adequate treatment available for the hidden emotional traumatized "parts" I think it's what has kept me mostly functional. I have actually sorta developed a "normal life" though dealing with lots of ptsd/"parts" stuff again now... but with better life skills than I had years ago, hopefully. And a much more knowledgeable T, a great community here, a trauma-sensitive yoga class, PT person who "gets it"... much better environment to try to do this work in. :)

 

[bright future28]

glad you liked the poem @greenleaf :) I always find it therapeutic after counselling to do some writing. Thanks so much for your reply will definetly give it a go and hopefully it will work for me also. Thats fab how it works well for you pleased for you :) I can relate to you about the dissociating also as i to was abused at a young age and almost feel like a part of that fearful girl is frozen inside of me and i still see my self as that girl at times

 

[moonbeam]

I have tried paroxetine and had some meh side effects. Bad enough to make me stop taking them because they outweighed the benefit. But I know others who have taken it and done well.

 

[bright future28]

thanks for your reply @moonbeam. I am abit apprehensive about starting a new course after taking citaloplam for so long but just not feeling great on them lately so will see how it goes with the paroexatine.

 

[Neverthesame]

I copied this from another thread where I described my experience with Paxil (paroxatine). You may do better with it than I did, but this is what I went through:

With regards to Paxil. If you have not done so already, please look up the adverse effects before taking it. Particularly the "discontinuation syndrome". Paxil was the first anti-depressant I was prescribed many years ago. I was told by the Dr. I was seeing at the time that Paxil is harmless, works great, non-addictive. That was a complete lie. That medication was extremely expensive for one. It caused me to sweat profusely when I was concentrating on anything (yeah, I know. That was bizarre) When I went off of it months later, I suffered the most horrible withdrawals. The two most frightening symptoms I experienced were, feeling like I was losing my mind and suicidal urges. I can't describe what it was that made me feel like I was losing it, just the feeling I got. The suicidal urges would come on suddenly, yet also unlike other times I have felt that way. It was a feeling of, "OK. Time to go". There was no fear, no particular reason. It required no thought. In fact I was perfectly fine with it. Just a sudden powerful desire to die. Ended up in hospital after my first suicide attempt shortly thereafter.

 

[bright future28]

thats really awful at @Neverthesame sorry you went through that :( did you find one that worked well for you?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I was on Paxil for 2 years, but I just had Acute Kidney Failure so I had to go off it. I have almost no withdrawal symptoms. I'm a little nauseous from time to time, but that could be from the kidneys healing. I am going back on Zoloft since it seemed to work better for me and doesn't "insult" the kidneys.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Paxil is non-addictive. You develop dependence. "Dependence develops when the neurons adapt to the repeated drug exposure and only function normally in the presence of the drug. When the drug is withdrawn, several physiologic reactions occur. These can be mild (e.g., for caffeine) or even life threatening (e.g., for alcohol)." (drugabuse.gov) "Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences." (NIH.gov)

I do have a withdrawal symptom from paxil -nausea- because I had a physical dependence on it. I never tried to buy it on the street, take more than I was prescribed, steal money to buy more, steal from others' stash of paxil.

That's probably more than you wanted to know about addiction and dependence, but that's what doctors mean when they say it's nonaddictive.

 

[bright future28]

Just a quick update first day of taking paxil today already feel a little less anxious althought that may be a mental thing as im feeling optimistic about trying a new thing but hopefully the feeling lasts. Have noticed some tingling in my hands since taking it but only mild so not enough to cause worry.