Posted by Jackster on August 3, 2001, at 1:27:28
In reply to Re: Is 60mg Paxil safe? Or should I switch to Prozac? » Jackster, posted by Mitch on August 2, 2001, at 9:10:09
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> Jackie,
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> This may be beating a dead horse, but given your dosage requirements (of SSri) and the expense, have you been adequately controlled with just clonazepam or alprazolam for your PD?? I just wonder if you have a pdoc that is anti-benzo and is wasting a lot of time (and *your* money) trying to get you controlled on just antidepressants when a benzo could work a lot better and be a HELL of a lot cheaper (and in my opinion not addictive either).
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> Perhaps you also have some depression problems as well, then maybe a lower dose of SSri *combined* with some clonazepam would be the answer. I know that generic Prozac should be available any time now(fluoxetine) which could save you a lot of money. You just said you are taking 75mg of Zoloft (assuming you are tolerating it ok). Given that I doubt if you would find Prozac too activating.
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> Yep, my suggestion is keep some money in your pocket, swap the Zoloft for 10-20mg/day of generic fluoxetine (don't bother trying to taper withdraw the Zoloft vis a vis the fluoxetine), keeping your Paxil at 40mg/day.
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> Then if you aren't already on some clonazepam or alprazolam-see if you can get your pdoc to add it.
> THEN try to taperdown the Paxil and maybe increase the fluoxetine with the benzo in place.
> Hopefully you can be taking just two generic meds-say clonazepam and fluoxetine (much less expensive!).
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> Mitch
Thanks for the advice - but I guess I haven't given the full info. (at the risk of rabbling on). I tapered of 40mg Paxil because I was feeling so good I thought I could carry on without it. At 10mg I started having panic attacks again and went back up to 40mg. It no longer worked nearly as well. I tried Celexa, Imipramine and then Prozac (which I took only for a week because it gave me the worst panic attacks of my life. I started at 20 mg which was too high). That was when the PDoc put me on Xanax. I eventually went back onto the Paxil - which made me OK, but not back to where I was. I actually asked to try the Zoloft - kind of as a last resort. I don't think I can afford the dosage I would need for it to be effective, and each time I went up 25mg it would be hell. My PDoc has said that Prozac could help but I'm really scared of taking it again. I could either start it really low (with the liquid) or go back to Paxil at a higher does. In the meantime I'm on 75mg of Zoloft and Xanax 2 (micro? grammes).
poster:Jackster
thread:72854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010731/msgs/73260.html