![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gjandtjsmom on July 16, 2003, at 23:59:57
Hi,
I just recently weaned myself from Paxil due to weight gain and the sexual side effects. I was, however, very pleased with the efficacy of the Paxil. I am wondering whether another SSRI would produce the same results without the same weight gain, sse, and withdrawal after discontinuation. To those of you who had success with Paxil, have you been on another SSRI with similar results yet different side effects? If I gained weight with Paxil, will I most likely gain weight with the other SSRIs? If Paxil was effective, will the others most likely be effective? Just trying to decide if it's worth it to try another SSRI. (I have GAD and tried Busbar but it seems to make on the verge of a panic attack which I wasn't in the first place...go figure.)Thanks in advance for your opinions and experiences.
Posted by Bill L on July 17, 2003, at 9:44:13
In reply to SSRIs Tried Paxil What next?, posted by gjandtjsmom on July 16, 2003, at 23:59:57
I'm sorry to hear about your side effects problems. My input is:
1) weight gain- Paxil generally has this side effect more often than other SSRI's. Remeron also can have this side effect (it's not an SSRI). You might try adding Wellbutrin to an SSRI to try to counteract the weight gain.
2) sexual side effects- once again, Paxil may be a bit worse than other SSRI's with this side effect. The addition of a small amount of Wellbutrin to take with an SSRI helps some people with this side effect.
3) other SSRI's - Some people, including myself, have less side effects with Lexapro. It tends to cause a lower degree of sexual side effects. It also has less of a weight gain effect than Paxil.
If I were you, I would first try Lexapro alone. If you still have side effects after a few weeks, try adding Wellbutrin.
If you are not satisfied with the above, consider going back to Paxil but this time adding Wellbutrin to it. If that does not work out, maybe consider Effexor.
Posted by Janelle on July 17, 2003, at 16:43:07
In reply to SSRIs Tried Paxil What next?, posted by gjandtjsmom on July 16, 2003, at 23:59:57
Hi,
I was on Paxil for many years with no weight gain (I should clarify that I did gain weight, but it was due to poor eating habits, not the med!) or other notable s/e's until it pooped out on me.
Yes, there are other SSRI's which would produce the same results without the same weight gain, and withdrawal after discontinuation. However, I'd be hard pressed to know which ones they are, sorry. Everyone reacts differently - what might cause weight gain in one person might not in another. However, there are certain SSRI's (and non-SSRI's) associated with weight gain, I just don't know which ones they are.
After my success with Paxil and its subsequent poop-out, I tried EffexorXR which was awful for me, and now I'm on Celexa, which knock on wood seems to be working with no noticeable s/e's. Certainly no weight gain. But I'm on several different kinds of meds so it's hard to evaluate s/e's of any particular one.
My guess would be NO - if you gained weight with Paxil, you most will NOT necessarily likely gain weight with another SSRI, provided you picked one that did NOT list weight gain as a s/e! There maybe be some you would gain weight on, but others you would NOT.
If Paxil was effective, will the others most likely be effective? Good question, hard to know. But I'm betting that you could find another effective one, but it might not be the first one you try. That's the hard part, you have to go on one, give it like 4-6 weeks (with s/e's kicking in first) and see if it brings relief. If not, you start all over again. It is frustrating and a test of patience.
Based on what you have said I think it IS worth a try for you on another SSRI. I'd suggest Lexapro or Celexa since they are the newest and supposedly *purest* in targeting Serotonin.
(by the way, I also have GAD and am on Buspar and it seems to help - I thought it was doing nothing/placebo, had my pdoc remove it from my mix, but within a few days man did I need it back for a rise in anxiety!)
Good luck 2 U!
Posted by krybrahaha on July 19, 2003, at 4:22:12
In reply to Re: SSRIs Tried Paxil What next? » gjandtjsmom, posted by Janelle on July 17, 2003, at 16:43:07
you could try Luvox - I hear it has the least side effects out of all the ssri's
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.