Should I take my prescription medicine?

This would probably be the worst place to ask this type of question, due to most member's hatred for Big Pharma, but I need some advice.

The main two issues for me are: philosophical and health.

I've been dealing with this anxiety disorder for about 2 years now and I never really gave prescription a chance. I tried it for about a couple days but it wasn't long enough for it to kick in and then I quit. Things I have given a fair chance, though, would be almost everything: diet, exercise, meditation, qigong, acupuncture, cupping therapy, massage, chiropractic, cognitive behavior therapy. They all helped a tiny bit but never were enough to allow me to have my life back.

So, I've had this bottle of Paroxetine (Paxil) sitting on my desk for about 8 months now and I've not taken it because I always wanted to try and beat this thing without the use of drugs. 1) Because I would feel better about myself if I did beat it with the use and 2) I worry about the side-effects and possibly making my body toxic from using them.

The only reason I am seriously starting to consider it now is because my hypochondria and my agoraphobia have gotten so bad that I can barely leave the house now without having a panic attack and it's slowly killing me/driving me insane.

If I don't take the pills, nothing will change, most likely. If I do take them, then maybe it'll cause more problems down the road.

Any advice?

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


The only advice I, or anybody else here, should or can give you is to trust your doctors, your family, and your own body.

Asking about it here is not the wise choice. Don't trust your health to strangers who have no stake in your real life.

~Heff

Take the medicine. Give it three months, then be honest with yourself. Did it help? If so,there's your answer.

Medicine can be a real godsend. I understand wanting to overcome your problems without pills, but would you ask a diabetic to go without insulin shots? A nearsighted person to not use glasses? It's the same thing.

Best of luck to you, my friend! Please keep us informed of how you're doing!

Well, I'm not always so keen to trust doctors. Also, I know ultimately it is still my decision, but I still wouldn't mind some persuasion one way or the other.

Mentally, am I a weaker person for taking them?
Physically, could I do harm to myself from them?

That's really all that is important to me.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
Take the medicine. Give it three months, then be honest with yourself. Did it help? If so,there's your answer.

Medicine can be a real godsend. I understand wanting to overcome your problems without pills, but would you ask a diabetic to go without insulin shots? A nearsighted person to not use glasses? It's the same thing.

Best of luck to you, my friend! Please keep us informed of how you're doing!

You raise a good point, smyleegrl. I suppose three months would be a good amount of time to notice a difference but not get too dependent upon them. Thank you.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan

yes

Medicine is just that... medicine. It helps one to counteract the negative results of an injury or disorder or disease. Take it, and keep a little journal on how you feel daily, hell hourly if need be to see how it affects you. It took many tries before my doctor and I got the right medication for my own problems. I still fight the issues from time to time, but its a fistfight instead of an all out land battle that I would have easily lost on my own. Write down your feelings, both emotional and physical. Even monitor your eating habits. All this will go towards making you better. Good luck.

Is the damage that the anxiety is doing to your emotional and mental health worse than the damage the medicine could only possibly do?

It sounds like it's getting to the point where it'd just be best that you at least attempt the medicine to see if it will indeed help you.

You are getting some wise words from others here. The only thing I will add, based on personal experience. Paxil, any anti-depressant should never be stopped cold turkey except under the care of your Doctor. They are used for a specific period of time, for evaluation by your Doctor and you, for how it is dealing with the issues, it was prescribed for. Then, you are weaned off them by a schedule given by your Doctor. A lot of people get in trouble by not taking them at least a month to get the benefits from them, and just going off them all at once. I did go through a time where I had anxiety so bad, I didn't leave my home for over 4 months, didn't even go to the mailbox. I followed a prescribed treatment with my Doctor, have not had those problems any more. Daily journaling, I found, to be at least half the healing for me.

Good health, and well wishes to you...

Des

Your MD should prescribe something in addition to the Paxil if you truly have panic attacks. The Paxil may help long-term but you'll still need something like valium, Xanax, etc... for acute need.

[post by ErroneousDylan[/url]


Hi, the drug rang a bell with me, one of the other brand names for paroxetine (sorry about my spelling) is "Seroxat" !

Big alarm bell went off in me.

Read Me

But this Panorama investigation discovers the drug may have a darker side - the programme reports that people can get hooked on it, suffering serious withdrawal symptoms when they try to come off it.

And that's not all, it has been tenuously linked to suicide too.

My advice would be, yes do give anti-depressants another go, you need to take them for about 4 weeks, to allow them to kick in, and be effective, but ask for another type, cipramil (citalopram), is a good one, but there are many, my advice is to try one, which hasn't attracted the negative attention of the press.

. Taking meds doesn't make you weak or any less of a wonderful person. If its a needed treatment, and will improve your quality of life, it can be a very good thing. Just know that it is only part of that treatment and not a magic cure all. And a doctor will monitor your health with recalls and blood tests to make sure your body is reacting well. I know that sometimes the hardest part of all this is accepting that you need meds and might for the rest of your life.But its ok, because if you respond well to this rx or another, what matters is the quality of your life being improved. So although its difficult not to hear the naysayers about psych treatment, what it comes down to is you and your own needs. Besides many are still in a denial stage about their own problems, or have not had good doctors that really listen.

Originally posted by ErroneousDylan
Well, I'm not always so keen to trust doctors. Also, I know ultimately it is still my decision, but I still wouldn't mind some persuasion one way or the other.

Mentally, am I a weaker person for taking them?
Physically, could I do harm to myself from them?

That's really all that is important to me.

Your never weaker for taking them, if anything it shows strength, as you are facing up to what isn't comfortable, and making effort to fix it.

You wouldn't think twice about using crutches to help you get about after breaking a leg, anti-depressants are much the same thing, they help you to get back on your feet, as perception becomes skewed for a variety of reasons, anti-depressants are the crutch which helps you to get back perspective, once perspective is acheived and maintained over a period of time, you can start to wean off the drug slowly.

Physically speaking I couldn't say, having said that I took anti-depressants when I was 30 weeks pregnant with my first child, and he is one bright spark, began reading just before he was two, presently he sits top of his class in maths, and pretty much has the reading age of an adult, Oh, and is on the more able pupil register, whether it was down to the drugs I will never know, but it certaintly never harmed him

Totally with you on the distrust of doctors......I have quite a few horror stories now !

Take it and get the opinion of others around you after 60-90 days. My son is on meds for ADHD an bi-polarism, and insists there is no difference. Everyone in the home says otherwise.
He begins to feel better and decides not to take his meds like he needs to, then has problems again.

Please, ask others around you if they notice a difference. And please take them regularly even of you feel better.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I decided to take it. I realize now that I only have a 30 day supply in this bottle, however, but I can get a refill if I need it. Also, about being monitored by a doctor... I was given this bottle a long while ago and since the doctor that prescribed them has left so I can't really have him monitor me.

I know I only just took but I must say I am feeling very drowsy and a bit anxious but maybe it's just in my head. Thanks again.

I've been through what you're going through. For anxiety I do prefer Xanax. The antidepressants caused me to gain way too much weight, and gave me a sort of flattened affect (no highs nor lows). As a rule, in the beginning, people are given an antidepressant and a benzodiazepam (such as Xanax). Then the benzos are used as needed, and the antidepressants are taken daily.

I am no fan of Big Pharma, but when it comes to anxiety and the suffering it causes, along with the way it narrows your life down to nothing, I definitely go the Pharma route. In the old days, people like us became alcoholics or were hopsitalized for a "nervous breakdown".

I would use the pills as prescribed, and like the other posters said, give it several months. Make sure you don't run out, or you will go through something unpleasant...not necessarily like a true withdrawal, but more like you feel weird and start getting "brain shocks"...it feels like you're suddenly falling and then your brain gets these weird shocks to it.

Understand the risks, and weigh the pros and cons. For me, they're a Godsend. As for Big Pharma, still not a huge fan, but some of the older, tried-and-true drugs can help quite a bit.

Originally posted by FissionSurplus
I've been through what you're going through. For anxiety I do prefer Xanax. The antidepressants caused me to gain way too much weight, and gave me a sort of flattened affect (no highs nor lows). As a rule, in the beginning, people are given an antidepressant and a benzodiazepam (such as Xanax). Then the benzos are used as needed, and the antidepressants are taken daily.

I am no fan of Big Pharma, but when it comes to anxiety and the suffering it causes, along with the way it narrows your life down to nothing, I definitely go the Pharma route. In the old days, people like us became alcoholics or were hopsitalized for a "nervous breakdown".

I would use the pills as prescribed, and like the other posters said, give it several months. Make sure you don't run out, or you will go through something unpleasant...not necessarily like a true withdrawal, but more like you feel weird and start getting "brain shocks"...it feels like you're suddenly falling and then your brain gets these weird shocks to it.

Understand the risks, and weigh the pros and cons. For me, they're a Godsend. As for Big Pharma, still not a huge fan, but some of the older, tried-and-true drugs can help quite a bit.

Actually, I know exactly what you are talking about from the SSRI withdrawal syndrome causing brain shocks because I get brain shocks even though I haven't taken and meds and my research always leads me to that syndrome. Honestly, I've come to the conclusion that it's just the low level of serotonin through withdrawal or not that causes the shortages in neurons.

reply to post by ErroneousDylan


Paxil never helped my anxiety. Remeron seems to help, Xanax works best.

Originally posted by amesT
reply to post by ErroneousDylan

 

Paxil never helped my anxiety. Remeron seems to help, Xanax works best.

Xanax did help my panic attacks but my doctor only gave me 20 at the time because he was worried I'd get hooked on them and said I shouldn't take them "as needed". I don't know how much they'd help for just chronic anxiety though.

Stop and listen:
Taking medication for such things is often a LIFE LONG COMMITMENT.
Once you are addicted it will be hard for you to function normally and many people loose their true personality.

Before you make this life long commitment consider trialing a more natural approach such as eating healthy and being active. Try it for a few months and if you see no improvement asses your options because if you start taking medication you may never have a chance for the natural approach to work.