DaVinci2

OK, so 2 days ago I went to the doctor. We decided to try 20mg of Paxil and he gave me some sleep meds to help with insomnia and use as needed. It will be a month before I can see him and I get my meds directly from them, so this is my only resource for info now. My question is this: I was told by someone else that since I've already been on 10mg for the last 3 months that the extra 10mg wouldn't take as long to build up and start to help. Is this at all true? Second question, today I start to feel a bit dizzy, and had some sudden sharp but quick muscle pains. The only way I can describe them (And it happens in my legs mostly) is as though something is brittle and breaks within...it's short lasting, nothing I would bend over and rub, but still annoying. Is this normal? And finaly, today after coming home I feel dizzy, but not really sick. It's hard to focus on anything. The room is spinning a little bit...or should I say, whatever is in front of me moves. Is this also normal?

Right now, I'm taking asprine for the pain. The dizziness only just started today, so I'm GUESSING it's just a side-effect to the increase in Paxil. I'm hoping that this will go away after a couple of weeks. Today is my birthday, which makes this pretty ******. It was the same time 4 years ago around this time that I had my very first panic attack ever. Anyways, some info would be great.

Live

Call a pharmicist and ask!

margo

I second that, DaVinci - we cannot answer those questions.

Sorry you're having a bad day, but would like to wish you a happy birthday anyway!

GingerM

DaVinci, I'm going to refer you to this site:

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/parox_ad.htm

Scroll down to the table where it compares Paxil to placebo. Look for "myalgia" and "blurred vision". I can't say if it's the paxil or not, if it will go away or not, or anything else, but at least based on this table, those are rare but known side effects occuring in a greater percentage in the test group than the control group.

Morning Glory

DaVinci2,

Are you also taking something for weight training? I thought I read that somewhere. Have you told the physician everything you are taking?

I know you took Paxil for a long time before and I think you said you didn't have problems with it before.

DaVinci2

I live in Japan, it works differently. If it were that easy, that's what I would've done. I have to ask my doctor, and I can't see him for a month. If I call a hospital, they say ask my doctor. If I got to a pharmacy, they say they can't say without consulting my doctor...it's all in the hands of my doctor. It's Saturday, and they are not open today or tomorrow. Thus, I posed the question here.

I've stopped all supplements, so nothing from that should be interfering.

margo

Here's the number for a London Drugs pharmacy in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are open 9 until 9 PDT:

604-980-3661

Ask to speak to a pharmacist - it's done all the time here.

Anxiety disorders cause people to become alarmed over the tiniest "abnormal" sensation. I speak from experience and I know how frightening it can be, how much time of the day can be spent worrying over every little twitch. The more you focus on your body, the worse it becomes. This is a common scenario in people who suffer from anxiety disorders. Researching drugs and side effects on the internet, even reading about others' experiences, can set off an anxiety reaction. It's a vicious cycle that can leave you exhausted and depressed. I find the best way with meds is to read the patient information that comes with the drug and not worry about all the other stuff. Better yet, ask your doctor to outline what you need to know about a drug at the time of prescribing and stop researching and reading about every little reaction anyone has ever experienced. The bump in Paxil dosage will hopefully help your anxiety so you don't feel so obsessed with your health all the time. I do sympathize - anxiety sucks.

Live

Sorry, shows how little I know about Japan!

DaVinci2

What time would they be open? Would it matter that I'm calling from outside of Canada?

margo

They don't ask you where you're calling from.

Live

Probably not or you would have said so....but if you miss Paxil for a couple of days, things get weird....like you said.....was the closest I ever had to an out of body experience! LOL

DaVinci2

OK...I will call them. I've been going over what happened to me and I think I missed my afternoon benzo dose without realizing it. I can't remember. Not sure that would've been it. I never miss my Paxil dose though, always at night before bed. Thanks for the info.

I should say that I did actually call my doctors office and said I NEED TO KNOW NOW!! The doctor told me that I should go back to 10mg if 20 was making me dizzy. I'm not sure that's what another doctor would've done though. I thought this was just a side-effect to 'get through' over a week or so. I guess not.