"my only symptom being having trouble getting a deep breath"

Three days ago I was prescribed Paxil for anxiety...my only symptom being having trouble getting a deep breath. I was told to take 20mg in the evening with dinner. When I woke up the first morning I could not talk and breathe at the same time. I had been told it would take 2 weeks for the medication to take effect so I never even considered that Paxil was the cause. After about an hour I was fine. The second day I woke up feeling in a fog without the normal feeling in my right arm. As I sat on my bed my husband asked me if I was all right. I said not really. I quickly realized I could not talk and breathe at the same time again. Also, my hands were sweating. Next I had an attack of diarrhea. As I went downstairs afterward, I was literally shaking all over. This lasted for about an hour. I decided to go on-line to see what I could find out about this drug. Thank goodness for your stories. You saved me from what could have been a terrible mistake. I also do not like to take medication, preferring herbal remedies when possible. I am grateful to be able to learn the easy way - from all of you - that this is not the drug for me. THANK YOU

-- submitted by kmjmchugh, 39

"Paxil caused me to gain weight, and it causes me to not want to have sex with my husband"

I have been taking Paxil since I had my 2nd child in December of 1995. The recovery period from a C-section the 2nd time was tremendously different than the natural childbirth the 1st time. I also had a Colicky, cranky, never sleeping baby to deal with as well as a 18-month old. Since my 2nd baby had her days and nights reversed, she would not sleep at all during the night but would sleep from about 6:00a.m. until 11:00 a.m. This was her long sleep daily. I was spending all night awake and most of the day, so I quickly became very depressed. I was put on the Paxil for this and I saw results right away. However, this wonderful drug caused me to gain weight, and it causes me to not want to have sex with my husband. The weight gain isn't as much of a problem as the other. My husband could not deal with this at all. I tried going onto other meds but nothing works as well as the Paxil. When I am not on any medication I am extremely mean and evil. I want to throw things at my husband for almost nothing at all. He has to immediately get up when I ask him to do something or it puts me over the deep end. I would rather keep peace and harmony within my marriage and family so I keep taking the Paxil. If anyone has suggestions on the mood swings that I have when not on the Paxil I would love to hear them. The other meds that I have tried that do not work as well are Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutrin, and Prozac.

"Progressively, since abortion I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety."

I had an abortion on May 30, 1999. Progressively, since then I was having bouts of depression, guilt, and anxiety. By Christmas, I had officially had my first panic attack after months of generalized anxiety. I had numb hands and feets and my first night of sweating. My doctor did blood work and said everything was normal except for a slightly off thyroid test. He prescribed 10 mg of paxil per day which I was to take for 1 week and then up the dosage to 20 mg. I could not tolerate 20mg. It made me extremely agitated and jumpy...almost worst than the reason I was on the medication in the first place. My doctor told me to go back to 10 mg. I continued this for a month and found that my anxiety and depression had only minorly improved. My doctor then took me off the paxil and told me to take 15mg of Buspar per day. I have taken the buspar 4 days now and have been extremely fatigued and lightheaded. I also cry very easily and I am extremely sensitive and irritable. I don't know if these reactions are due to the Buspar or due to the paxil withdrawal. I would recommend to anyone suffering anxiety or depression to avoid medications at all costs. It is better to work through your problems and if you are religious, to seek spiritual guidance and counseling. Medications can compound the problem and sometimes doctors don't tell you this. Remember, you are one of many, many patients that they see and your symptoms are probably just like many other people out there (even though we tend to feel like we are alone). Doctors are just trying to do their job as quick as possible with hope for success. Medicine is trial and error sometimes. Therefore, consider all of these things before you decide to start antidepressant medications. It can prolong your suffering in the end.

-- submitted by Jane, 26

"My symptoms involve anxiety, depression, mood swings, appetite changes, in varying levels 7 - 10 days before my menstrual cycle"

I was about to partake in a controlled study to investigate the efficacy of the treatment of paxil (10-20 mg) in patients with premenstrual syndrome. I suffer from PMS, as millions of women do across the world. My symptoms involve anxiety, depression, mood swings, appetite changes, etc., in varying levels 7 - 10 days before my menstrual cycle. I have never subjected myself to prescribed drugs as I am an advocate of cognitive and/or herbal therapy over chemical therapy, however I was curious as to the effects of such chemical therapy and decided to volunteer as a candidate for this study.

Well I'm glad I did my research before starting the program!!! There seems to be an overwhelming majority whom have experienced negative effects and results from PAXIL! I am grateful for your responses as it warned me of the detrimental effects that this drug can cause, and as a result I have decided not to be a mule for the pharmaceutical companies!

An interesting fact...The sponsor behind this PMS study is the pharmaceutical maker SmithKline Beecham. They provide the doctors with the funding to do the research, knowing that if the results prove beneficial (even slight and/or short-term) then this drug will be overly prescribed to the millions of women who suffer from PMS, thus making the pharmaceutical company millions and millions of dollars in profit, and we will have a society of drug dependent women!!!!!!!!!!

There seems to be a cultural crusade to medicalize any trait - physical or behavioral - that does not measure up to the elusive ideals generated by pop culture, advertising, and the shifting moral and political norms. We have become a society that runs for a chemical relief for any little idiosyncrasy that we experience!

What do we do and where do we turn?

-- submitted by natalie, 32

"he was not concerned about rebound depression or anxiety"

I chose to go on Paxil in February of 1999 due to high levels of stress and anxiety that were related to being in my third year of graduate school. I intended to take it for one year and then discontinue. I went off the Paxil on 2/6/00 after consulting with my prescribing physician who told me that he was not concerned about rebound depression or anxiety (neither was I). On Thursday, 2/10/00, I began to experience a headache, not unlike those I have had in the past due to sinus pressure from weather changes. This headaches did not discontinue, rather, it increased in severity and by Saturday I was ready to do anything to stop the pain. On Monday I saw my physician who prescribed migraine medication. I spoke to him the next day to inform him that it was not working and was encouraged to continue using the Midrin. On Tuesday (2/15/00) evening, I was taken to the ER by a friend of mine, was checked out, and was given a shot of narcotics. The ER physician told me to come back the next day if my headache was not gone. I returned to the ER the next day and had a head CT Scan. The CT reading resulted in no evidence of any problems, including my sinuses being clear. I now have a prescription for Metaxalone which is a muscle relaxer. While the severity of my headache has reduced somewhat, I am still experiencing pressure and discomfort behind my eyes which is exacerbated by reading, driving, etc. making it difficult for me to function as I need to. I am currently convinced that these symptoms are due to withdrawal from the Paxil and would welcome any solution that does not require me to go back on an SSRI.

-- submitted by Ann, 26

"I had decided to stop taking paxil 7 months later"

my obgyn put me on paxil 10mg. after diagnosing me with pre-menopausal symptoms on July 12,1999(even after my blood level was checked and hormone level was normal) I had decided to stop taking paxil 7 months later because of the expense and on the 3rd. day I thought that I was going to jump out of my skin.I was extremely nervous and could not fall asleep that night. I also had bouts of diarrhea with severe stomach pain.I called my doctor and she asked me if I still had any klonopin left over from months back, I said yes and she told me to take 0.5 mg. to combat the symptoms. In 1 hour I felt fine again but I had to ask myself,do I want to become addicted to klonopin as well?? NO>>>>> I started back on the paxil the next morning and have felt fine since. I have to wonder if the doctors and Pharmaceutic Companys realize what this drug is doing to people or if they even care.

-- submitted by scsun, 45

Your Physical Environment and Stress

If you are under stress, then it’s not only your personality that is to blame. It’s the physical environment of your workplace that is a significant contributor to stress. You might not be in a potentially dangerous job, but there are stressors even in buildings. Watch out for these environment stressors at your workplace:

• Closed, congested office spaces: Ever notice how uncomfortable you feel if a stranger comes too near to you while talking? This is because there is a personal space of every human being in which very few people are allowed entry. Going by the same logic, congested rooms do not allow people to have a certain level of privacy and tend to produce stress.
• An unclean environment: Messy and disorganized offices and neighborhood tend to distract from work and thus function as stressors.
• Noise pollution: Besides contributing to noise pollution, a cacophonous environment can affect your ability to concentrate and think effectively. It also causes mood swings. In fact, the higher the level of skill and speed required in a job, the more is the damage caused by the noise.
• Inappropriate lighting: If a room is either too dimly or too sharply lit, a person may suffer from headaches due to the constant screwing up of the eyes. Very little light can make you feel stressed, lethargic or bored. Low natural light causes both energy levels and morale to fall, thus affecting your work and satisfaction levels.
• Air pollution: When there is poor air circulation or improper ventilation, the stale air in the room is capable of causing stress. It can increase irritability, cause headaches and affect performance adversely. Working in a smoke-filled room can lead to claustrophobia.
• Uncomfortable temperature: While hot and humid environments make it difficult for a person to focus on the task at hand, noisy air conditioning can also be quite stressful.
• Lack of storage and filing space: In the absence of sufficient storage and filing space, files and work get piled up, collecting dust. Too much of clutter is stressful, as it distracts and annoys.
• Lack of sophisticated office equipment: It is extremely stressful to work with inadequate equipment. This multiples effort and creates dissatisfaction.
• Absence of support system: In case of failure of the computer, electrical or other systems, does your office have a support network in place? If not, then the knowledge of it is as stressful to the worker if not more, then the actual scenario of a breakdown of the machinery. A poor working environment can thus be a major cause of stress, not only because it can influence the way you work, but more importantly, because it can damage your health.