Claudius Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Today I found a website of a pretty well-known Dutch internet GP who offers his service to people who have no personal GP or want a second opinion. I wrote him an email in which I described my experience with Paxil/Seroxat in all gory details. I hoped that he would recoginze something of it and could give an advice about knowing doctors on this subject. This evening he called me by phone, and was very kind and had read my email carefully. But... he told me he was VERY surprised by my mail and had prescribed Seroxat many times and also took his patient off after an average of 1-2 years use. He acknowlidged that tapering should be done carefully, and better too slow than too fast. And that there can be great differences bwetween people in the speed of getting off. He also know people who went off cold turkey and with only minor problems. But my/our story was completely new for him! At least that is what he said but I did not get the impression that he was withholding someting. And that illuminates the sad part of our story, probably we are a minority who have reacted so violently on WD and even the good doctors have not seen much cases like ours, if any. In the end he gave me the advice to see a neurologist for the remaining stuff but although this was probably well-meant, we are far beyond consulting doctors for our protracted WD who can do nothing else than prescribing new meds. In the end disappoiting because each time I hope to find a doctor who IS knowing about protracted WD. But unfortunately our cases are so bizarre that most of them have no clue... 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 His answer is normal, i never see a doctor who will say he prescribed meds which worsened so hard a patient, he is not mad, I asked my doctor if she has patient who have difficult after stopping psy meds, she answered me any, i was alone they cannot say yes , or it will begin heavy problems for them. And write something in that sense , never. for anxiety 12 years paxil - cold turkey 1,5 month - switch celexa 1 year taper; total 13 years on brain meds 67 years old - 9 years med free in protracted withdrawal rigidity standing and walking, dryness gougerot-szoegren, sleep deteriorate, function as have a lack of nerves, improving have been very little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuroplastic Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Stan is right. They won't admit it - this would mean "sawing off the very branch they're sitting on". Their whole career, studies, what they've learnt throughout years would have to be questioned. It's a mix of denial and opportunism... and many others. Fortunately, there're those who have chosen a different path. 2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression 2008 - Paxil c/t Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once” Albert Einstein "Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!" Surviving Antidepressants And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Healing Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I wonder if all his patients who get off Paxil / Seroxat "need" another antidepressant within a few months because of a sudden "flare up" of their "pre-existing condition." Did you tell him to come here to SA and read all about it? 1996-97 - Paxil x 9 months, tapered, suffered 8 months withdrawal but didn't know it was withdrawal, so... 1998-2001 - Zoloft, tapered, again unwittingly went into withdrawal, so... 2002-03 - Paxil x 20 months, developed severe headaches, so... Sep 03 - May 05 - Paxil taper took 20 months, severe physical, moderate psychological symptoms Sep 03 - Jun 05 - took Prozac to help with Paxil taper - not recommended Jul 05 to date - post-taper, severe psychological, moderate physical symptoms, improving very slowly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuroplastic Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 I wonder if all his patients who get off Paxil / Seroxat "need" another antidepressant within a few months because of a sudden "flare up" of their "pre-existing condition." You beat me to it! 2000-2008 Paxil for a situational depression 2008 - Paxil c/t Severe protracted WD syndrome ever since; improving “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once” Albert Einstein "Add signature to your profile. This way we can help you even better!" Surviving Antidepressants And, above all, ... keep walking. Just keep walking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 I sent him the following links: http://seroxatsecrets.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/the-hell-of-seroxat-withdrawal/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2002/jul/27/uknews http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2003/may/03/medicineandhealth.lifeandhealth/print http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8665 I choose to send him not too mich info because the experience is that the more links/articles you send, the smaller the chance they even turn their eyes to it. And he replied that he would discuss the issue with a psychiatrist... I do not think he is a liar but just part of the system. And as we have state before, the bigger the lie, the fewer people will consider it a lie. And as I stated, he did take people off by tapering using a personal schedule, so I think he is not the worst of the docs. To play devil's advocate, I think that my protracted WD case is unusually severe, and that getting off and back on for many times has worsened my case a lot. I tihnk that this is the biggest risk factor. 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 12, 2011 Administrator Share Posted May 12, 2011 Claudius, all the research papers on withdrawal syndrome note that it is almost always diagnosed as relapse. The kind doctor who was surprised probably has had many patients with withdrawal symptoms, but he diagnosed them as something else. But you can see the value of having publicly readable anecdotal documentation to educate the medical profession! This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claudius Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 Yes this is very well possible. Problem is that most doctors do not want to be "educated" by patients, let alone patients with the stigma of "mentally ill". When I finally told my GP about WD in a letter I published last year on the other site (PP), this was not before a number of consults were I only cried, complained about my financial loss an bully experience and therefore I guess she did not take me serious anymore in any sense. And that counts for many people who want to educate or report to their docs. I will be a long long time before the truth finally finds its way to a big audience. I hope to see this happen one day! 10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002 several attempts to quit since 2004 Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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