What is going on with me (w/response)

July 10, 2009

<<So about 3 weeks ago now I started having insomnia after coming off of Paxil

for over 3 months. I was on Paxil because of obsessive worry over

sleeping/insomnia and it worked great for 6 years. Don't ask me why I got off.

My doctor to get me over the anxiety prescribed Xanax (which I only took at

night) and Lexapro. Let's just say the 10 days following that were the worst

ever. Not only did my insomnia not get better, but I was even more anxious,

palpitations, trembling hands, sweating, etc. When I got back into town I talk

to my PCP and she thought it could be me having a reaction to the Lexapro. That

was Monday 7/6/09 - I stopped taking Lexapro and Xanax. I started taking 10 mg

Paxil the next day. I still feel really anxious a lot of my day though for the

most part have been sleeping a little better. My question is could I still be

suffering from Lexapro - switching on it, then off, then onto another SSRI? I

did this because they

were prescribing sleeping pills to help with the insomnia and I don't want to

do that. In the past I would just take 25 mg trazadone if needed and I would

sleep like a baby.

I am screwed up and I feel like I am letting the family down because I am

usually the one who makes things happen for my kids, keeps the house, helps my

husband and I feel frozen.>>

** Your problem is classic -- it's withdrawal. Depending on the time line

on how much you dropped at a time it's quite possible going back on something

(I would need more in-depth info from you to give you a recommendation) and

coming off it more slowly. It appears you dropped Paxil and Xanax at once.

This will create havoc, too. It should never be done.

Did it occur to you that the doc was giving you another drug (Lexapro) just

like the one you were on (Paxil) to get rid of the symptoms of coming off Paxil

too quickly? It won't work. Now you're in withdrawal from 2 antidepressants

and a benzodiazepine.

This situation appears to be a little too complicated for email. I cover

these in private consultations. There is info on this in our files on the group

site. The benefit to consultations is you get to cover much more ground than

can ever be covered in email.

Regards,

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