Med. questions
Question:
Well the strange thing is,when I hit the pillow I read one or two pages in my book and baaaaaam I sleep 
Wich is very nice ! It is only the strange early awakenings.
The sleeping med would help you to avoid the early awakenings. I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me.
Yes In this country it’s very rare for the diagnosis to be anxiety only – nearly always here it’s "anxiety and depression". The depression can be underlying, and expressed as anxiety and insomnia. But of course, that’s just a theory, and you don’t live in the UK! Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS 
And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort 
But I see your point
In my experience, therapy can be boring and repetitive – but with a good therapist, it can be a voyage of self-discovery (a cliche, I know, but it’s true), and bring about a great widening of one’s experience and horizons. It’s finding the right therapist that’s the really hard – and tiring – bit. Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of
Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. -David-
Response:
[-] The sleeping med would help you to avoid the early awakenings.
I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5 I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me. Yes In this country it’s very rare for the diagnosis to be anxiety only – nearly always here it’s "anxiety and depression". The depression can be underlying, and expressed as anxiety and insomnia. But of course, that’s just a theory, and you don’t live in the UK!
No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort But I see your point In my experience, therapy can be boring and repetitive – but with a good therapist, it can be a voyage of self-discovery (a cliche, I know, but it’s true), and bring about a great widening of one’s experience and horizons. It’s finding the right therapist that’s the really hard – and tiring – bit. Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer.
Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess -David-
Love Anna
Response:
I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5
Sounds like a sensible idea to me – why not try it? No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows.
I think you could trust your pdoc on this. But maybe you should see him/her again? Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess
Yes, this is definitely called "overdoing it" – tut,tut Miiss Anna. Actually, messy gardens are fun! -David-
Response:
Please don’t overdo it Anna. I like a woman with at least some butt! Boyd (Who has almost no butt himself) — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [-] The sleeping med would help you to avoid the early awakenings. I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5 I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me. Yes In this country it’s very rare for the diagnosis to be anxiety only – nearly always here it’s "anxiety and depression". The depression can be underlying, and expressed as anxiety and insomnia. But of course, that’s just a theory, and you don’t live in the UK! No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows. Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort But I see your point In my experience, therapy can be boring and repetitive – but with a good therapist, it can be a voyage of self-discovery (a cliche, I know, but it’s true), and bring about a great widening of one’s experience and horizons. It’s finding the right therapist that’s the really hard – and tiring – bit. Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess -David- Love Anna
Response:
I am currently taking 40 mg.paxil And 7.5 mg. valium before sleeping an sometimes 5 mg. valium as needed. This combo I am taking now for 13 months. My sleeping-pattern changed allmost from the beginning of taking paxil. It settled after 2 months with a awakening time between 5.30 and 7.00 am. Wich I found very nice BTW The strange thing is that for the last 2 months it seems I have more side-effects. I am awake between 3.45 and 5.00 am. And I am having huge dreams . Have more fatigue,wich I cannot fight. Meaning I have to sleep ! (I am still glad tho,for taking the paxil My life is much more phleasant) But I would also like to make little steps into the world. I have commitment-anxiety And knowing I have the fatigue, doesn’t make things easier,cause I am affraid I will be very sleepy when I make a commitment. Questions : Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ? I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…) What can I expect from weaning down ? I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ? How do I know I am at the dose that is right for me? Is a week in between long enough ? Thanks for any input Please dunnot question the paxil or the valium. It makes me very insecure. If it is possible,just answer my questions. Sorry if this sounds not Anna-like But I can get very wishy-washy from all kinda input ) Kiss from Anna
Response:
My sleeping-pattern changed allmost from the beginning of taking paxil. It settled after 2 months with a awakening time between 5.30 and 7.00 am. Wich I found very nice BTW The strange thing is that for the last 2 months it seems I have more side-effects. I am awake between 3.45 and 5.00 am.
You didn’t alter the dose of either the Valium or the Paxil in any way? When I was on Paxil (only 20mg – I was on Valium, too, though only 2-4 mg a day) – I found it almost impossible to get a night’s sleep without a sleeping med, which in my case was first the hypnotic sedative zolpidem (Ambien) and then the hypnotic zopiclone (Imovane), the latter of which did the trick for me at a 7.5mg and later a 3.25mg. dose. Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ?
I think there is always the possiblity of anticholinergic side-effects from an AD, no matter how long one has been taking it. But then there is also the possibility of losing response to the AD over time. On the other hand, there is also the possibility that a lower dose will give you fewer side effects. And then again, there is a chance that the side effects are not side effects at all, but the residual symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. At a fairly late stage in my last depression, I found that this was the point where psychotherapy really began to make a difference, and it helped me a lot. I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…)
IMHO there’s no reason why you shouldn’t experiment with this, but it would be best to do it under a doctor’s supervision. What can I expect from weaning down ? I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ?
People react differently. Weaning down at 2.5mg a week shouldn’t cause too much trouble, but YMMV. I found when weaning down at 5mg a week that I suffered considerable dizziness – quite bad once, when I nearly fell over into the bathtub while getting out of it! It was a sensation a bit like being on a boat in a rough sea. But it passed. As for the side effects – it’s important to find out if they are side effects, or symptoms of anxiety/depression. Insomnia is often a symptom of these. You need to get an expert opinion from your physician or pdoc. If you’re not experiencing panic attacks, and find that your moods are more or less stable, this might be a very good time to start some psychotherapy – either the cognitive behavior type or some kind of regular twice-a-week explorative therapy (existential, psychodynamic, analytic or whatever), as apart from anything else this can help to prevent a return of the symptoms. It can also give one a wider perspective on the disorder, and some support in the "steps towards commitment" you mentioned in your post. -David- – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And I am having huge dreams . Have more fatigue,wich I cannot fight. Meaning I have to sleep ! (I am still glad tho,for taking the paxil My life is much more phleasant) But I would also like to make little steps into the world. I have commitment-anxiety And knowing I have the fatigue, doesn’t make things easier,cause I am affraid I will be very sleepy when I make a commitment. Questions : Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ? I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…) What can I expect from weaning down ? I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ? How do I know I am at the dose that is right for me? Is a week in between long enough ? Thanks for any input Please dunnot question the paxil or the valium. It makes me very insecure. If it is possible,just answer my questions. Sorry if this sounds not Anna-like But I can get very wishy-washy from all kinda input ) Kiss from Anna
Response:
I worked mine off. Actually orangutans don’t have much of a butt, anyway. Boyd — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Please don’t overdo it Anna. I like a woman with at least some butt! Boyd (Who has almost no butt himself) Dunnot worry I am ready and there is still enough butt left hihihi Where is yours then ????? Anna aka curious — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author)
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [-] The sleeping med would help you to avoid the early awakenings. I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5 I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me. Yes In this country it’s very rare for the diagnosis to be anxiety only – nearly always here it’s "anxiety and depression". The depression can be underlying, and expressed as anxiety and insomnia. But of course, that’s just a theory, and you don’t live in the UK! No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows. Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort But I see your point In my experience, therapy can be boring and repetitive – but with a good therapist, it can be a voyage of self-discovery (a cliche, I know, but it’s true), and bring about a great widening of one’s experience and horizons. It’s finding the right therapist that’s the really hard – and tiring – bit. Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess -David- Love Anna
Response:
Anna wrote…… Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ?
I think it`s possible, but there may be other explanations for the symptoms you are having. Are you sleeping more during the day that it`s affecting how long you can sleep during the night? If I take a afternoon nap I have a hard time falling alseep that night. I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…)
If you feel you are ready than why not I started weaning off Paxil a few weeks ago. I was at 15mgs, decreased my dose by 2.5mgs, stayed there for a few weeks and just decreased another 2.5mgs a few days ago….although I did take 12.5mgs yesterday and one other day because my head felt weird…..but I was also very tired which can also make my head feel funny. What can I expect from weaning down ?
Hopefully very little withdrawal symptoms while still effectively controlling your panic and anxiety. I have tried weaning off Paxil before, but I did it in 5mg increments and found it too uncomfortable. Decreasing my dose in 2.5mgs has made a world of difference. The only thing I have felt is a funny feeling in my head, but only with the last decrease. I have noticed a little more energy too which is what I was looking for. Anxiety and panic still under control even with working those two weeks……so that was a good test!! I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ?
Only time will tell sweetie. How do I know I am at the dose that is right for me? Is a week in between long enough ?
The right dose will be a decrease in your side-effects with little or no increase in your anxiety and panic. A week before you decrease should be fine…..but you can go longer if you want, that is what I am doing. I decrease when I feel I am ready. If it takes me a few months to get off Paxil, that is fine for me…….I may also stay at 10mgs if I find my energy level has increased, the fatigue has lessened but I still have good control over my anxiety and panic. Jackie ~*~Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star
Response:
I don’t like that, much. I would rather be an orangutan! I would hang around in a tree all day, and eat bananas and apple pie. Boyd — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I worked mine off. Actually orangutans don’t have much of a butt, anyway. Boyd — You are not an orangutang. You are Boyd. A human being Miss Anna who loves orangutans hahahahha
Response:
I don’t like that, much. I would rather be an orangutan! I would hang around in a tree all day, and eat bananas and apple pie. Boyd
Do orangutans eat apple-pie. In that case in renounce my former statement In fact I announce myself an orangutan too !!!!! Where will we go and hang in the trees ??? Miss orangutan
Response:
I worked mine off. Actually orangutans don’t have much of a butt, anyway. Boyd —
You are not an orangutang. You are Boyd. A human being Miss Anna who loves orangutans hahahahha
Response:
Please don’t overdo it Anna. I like a woman with at least some butt! Boyd (Who has almost no butt himself)
Dunnot worry I am ready and there is still enough butt left hihihi Where is yours then ????? Anna aka curious – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." (Ellen Parr- author) [-] The sleeping med would help you to avoid the early awakenings. I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5 I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me. Yes In this country it’s very rare for the diagnosis to be anxiety only – nearly always here it’s "anxiety and depression". The depression can be underlying, and expressed as anxiety and insomnia. But of course, that’s just a theory, and you don’t live in the UK! No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows. Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort But I see your point In my experience, therapy can be boring and repetitive – but with a good therapist, it can be a voyage of self-discovery (a cliche, I know, but it’s true), and bring about a great widening of one’s experience and horizons. It’s finding the right therapist that’s the really hard – and tiring – bit. Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess -David- Love Anna
Response:
I thought of a little experiment when I was working the garden Okay,my problem is NOT falling asleep. So maybe I can take 5 mg. And when i wake up very early I can ake the other 2.5 Sounds like a sensible idea to me – why not try it?
I am gonna do that yes. Seems sensible to me too ))) No we here in Holland dunnot have depressions hee hee No my doctor and psychotherapist did not *see* a depression. And from waht I know and read I believe it was noet there. But then again who knows. I think you could trust your pdoc on this. But maybe you should see him/her again?
I have a psychotherapist and actually I was thinking of that myself. She worked with me for many years. Till I finally *could* take meds. I can ask her if she can help me with the babysteps-thingie. She is very honest and when she thinks I would be better of with someone else she would say so. And most likely she knows more and better p-docs then I do Me too, but I’m working indoors at the computer. Wich is blaaaaaaaa hehe….. I am having a ciggie-pause and looked at the garden And Yikeeeeeeeeeees I was a bit overdoing I think lol My whole garden is a totall mess Yes, this is definitely called "overdoing it" – tut,tut Miiss Anna. Actually, messy gardens are fun! -David-
Thank you for sticking by me this afternoon. The input helped a lot Kiss Anna
Response:
Hidi hi ANNA Did you get my e mail two days ago?
No,I didn’t (((((( Server is screwed up sometimes baaaa I went down 10 mg , from 30 to 20 mg 5 mg per week. I decided to keep my self bussy and not doung anything i found a bit hard. I blamed everything on side effects, true or not true , it was easier this way. I used some Ativan when going some where, wich helped very well. i can feel somehow that i take less Paxil, I feel a bit more on my own instead of leaning on the med.
Yes,I can relate to that. That is what I feel ATM Things are not normal here as usual..marcel is oversees again so its hard to tell what is what. I am less faticeu…jeh hoe schrijf je dat, gewoon MOE dus,
LOL,ik snap het hoor !!!! less tension on my jaws. i sleep well. Still find it hard to get started in the morniong, but ones on my way I am fine.
When I am awake,no matter how late I am widw awake I take Paxil in the evening BTW. I wanted to be on 20 mg and that was where i headed for, i am very happy to go up 5 mg when I think I need more….its a bit of a fine line…I will not go any lower on this stage. Good Luck Anna Kiss Jeannette
Thanks for your response. I counted wrong btw. I am also down 5 mg tutututut. A halve from 10 = 5 huh ???? I will see how I feel. last time I stopped in 2 days. But I feel more determined now. And I have my valium to pull me through. Lekkere Bosche Bol Voor Jeannette
Response:
My sleeping-pattern changed allmost from the beginning of taking paxil. It settled after 2 months with a awakening time between 5.30 and 7.00 am. Wich I found very nice BTW The strange thing is that for the last 2 months it seems I have more side-effects. I am awake between 3.45 and 5.00 am. You didn’t alter the dose of either the Valium or the Paxil in any way?
Nope When I was on Paxil (only 20mg – I was on Valium, too, though only 2-4 mg a day) – I found it almost impossible to get a night’s sleep without a sleeping med, which in my case was first the hypnotic sedative zolpidem (Ambien) and then the hypnotic zopiclone (Imovane), the latter of which did the trick for me at a 7.5mg and later a 3.25mg. dose.
Well the strange thing is,when I hit the pillow I read one or two pages in my book and baaaaaam I sleep Wich is very nice ! It is only the strange early awakenings. Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ? I think there is always the possiblity of anticholinergic side-effects from an AD, no matter how long one has been taking it. But then there is also the possibility of losing response to the AD over time. On the other hand, there is also the possibility that a lower dose will give you fewer side effects. And then again, there is a chance that the side effects are not side effects at all, but the residual symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. At a fairly late stage in my last depression, I found that this was the point where psychotherapy really began to make a difference, and it helped me a lot.
I never was diagnosed with depression,not even at the height of my PAD. This makes me one of the rare exeptions I know. What I am feeling is not a depression. I do like my life,but the side-effects ? are restraining me. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…) IMHO there’s no reason why you shouldn’t experiment with this, but it would be best to do it under a doctor’s supervision. What can I expect from weaning down ? I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ? People react differently. Weaning down at 2.5mg a week shouldn’t cause too much trouble, but YMMV. I found when weaning down at 5mg a week that I suffered considerable dizziness – quite bad once, when I nearly fell over into the bathtub while getting out of it! It was a sensation a bit like being on a boat in a rough sea. But it passed.
Okidoki. As for the side effects – it’s important to find out if they are side effects, or symptoms of anxiety/depression. Insomnia is often a symptom of these. You need to get an expert opinion from your physician or pdoc.
Maybe it is time to see a p-doc Only to talk about my meds. I will consider this. If you’re not experiencing panic attacks, and find that your moods are more or less stable, this might be a very good time to start some psychotherapy – either the cognitive behavior type or some kind of regular twice-a-week explorative therapy (existential, psychodynamic, analytic or whatever), as apart from anything else this can help to prevent a return of the symptoms. It can also give one a wider perspective on the disorder, and some support in the "steps towards commitment" you mentioned in your post. -David-
Yes,I have the feeling my moods are more or less stable. More then ever (besides my Horibble PMS And maybe you are right about the therapy. I am just so damn tired of therapy in any sort But I see your point Thanks from Anna,who cbted herself in the garden and is working her butt of – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And I am having huge dreams . Have more fatigue,wich I cannot fight. Meaning I have to sleep ! (I am still glad tho,for taking the paxil My life is much more phleasant) But I would also like to make little steps into the world. I have commitment-anxiety And knowing I have the fatigue, doesn’t make things easier,cause I am affraid I will be very sleepy when I make a commitment. Questions : Is it possible that side-effects occure after such a long time ? I have allmost no panick-attacks anymore Would this be a good time to try and wean down by 2.5 mg. a week (I have started today anyway hehe…) What can I expect from weaning down ? I had no major side effects with weaning on. I did that 10 mg. a week. Will the side-effects I described above lessen on a lower dose of paxil ? How do I know I am at the dose that is right for me? Is a week in between long enough ? Thanks for any input Please dunnot question the paxil or the valium. It makes me very insecure. If it is possible,just answer my questions. Sorry if this sounds not Anna-like But I can get very wishy-washy from all kinda input ) Kiss from Anna
Response:
and
