joneil
01-06-2006, 05:34 PM
I'm new here and could really use some advice. I have been on pain medication for about 2 1/2 months (percocette the entire time and valium just for a week). I had good results from surgery and have gone off them now. Though I had no trouble with physical withdrawal (thank god) I have been in a severe depression for he past week. Can't sleep, crying ALL the time. It has truly effected every aspect of my life. I saw my dr.today and he thinks paxil will help. He put me on the lowest dose and said it shoudl only be temporary until my seratonin levels increase.
Though I can't imagine how I will manage the depression otherwise. Does it make sense to go on one drug to come off another?
Has anyone gone through this?
Any thoughts feedback at all is appreciated .
Though I can't imagine how I will manage the depression otherwise. Does it make sense to go on one drug to come off another?
Has anyone gone through this?
Any thoughts feedback at all is appreciated .
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Director
01-06-2006, 06:04 PM
Hi Joneil: The treatment your doctor is doing for you seems appropiate. You said you were on the lowest dose of Paxil, but are you on the 10 mg tabs or is it the 12.5 mg CR? Paxil is a antidepressant/mood elevating agent that would help you while going through the transition period coming off the other meds. I assume you aren't in any pain from the surgery and it's just the "down feeling" you have all the time. Usually people in a deprtessive state are on the controlled release type of Paxil, but he could be dosing you with small doses more than once per day.
I hope things smooth out for you soon and you're able to get off all medications.
I hope things smooth out for you soon and you're able to get off all medications.
scotty12
01-06-2006, 07:26 PM
welcome joneil,
Depression is normal and to be expected after stopping opiates.
while the 2-3 months you were taking percocet is not very long, it is certainly long enough for you to become physically dependant on opiates.
depression follows withdrawal and is to be expected.
things should improve gradually but steadily .
Im not very familiar with valium.although benzos are much harder to stop then opiates a week is not long at all.
opiates effect our our body's natural ability to fight pain and it takes time for it to get back to normal after depending on the opiates to fight pain.
i think sleep is very important.
if you dont want to ask the doc for something to help you sleep you may want to try melatonin(OTC).
I took ambien for years and after i stopped taking it i took melatonin (6mg) and it does help some.ambien worked great for about 1 year
but wasnt effective anylonger so i stopped.
i hope you start feeling better soon,im sure you will.
take care,Scott
Depression is normal and to be expected after stopping opiates.
while the 2-3 months you were taking percocet is not very long, it is certainly long enough for you to become physically dependant on opiates.
depression follows withdrawal and is to be expected.
things should improve gradually but steadily .
Im not very familiar with valium.although benzos are much harder to stop then opiates a week is not long at all.
opiates effect our our body's natural ability to fight pain and it takes time for it to get back to normal after depending on the opiates to fight pain.
i think sleep is very important.
if you dont want to ask the doc for something to help you sleep you may want to try melatonin(OTC).
I took ambien for years and after i stopped taking it i took melatonin (6mg) and it does help some.ambien worked great for about 1 year
but wasnt effective anylonger so i stopped.
i hope you start feeling better soon,im sure you will.
take care,Scott
Shoreline
01-06-2006, 10:06 PM
I Think the guys pretty much covered it. For some reason they don't make the depression aspect of withdrawal as well knwn as the cold shakes but it can be equally severe.
A far as using another med to increase or speed up serritonin or physiological changes, I's realy your docs call hopefuly based on experiernce and patient reporting. If it helps and he thinks it will help, I don't see the harm in a short course of antiD's to move things along and help with sleep. You will feel better if you seep better.
Take care and congrats on your surgery, Dave
Hey Dan as faras using a med for an unintended purposes, we would all b SOL if theat wasn't standard practice. You mgt want to explain a littler better what you mean by relapse. True this is not organic depression, but there was a time where anti depressants were used as the primary med to combat chronic pain and sleep problems.
Your right you won't see imediate benefits with Paxil as you would using elevil to improve sleep but we can't really have it both ways, It's OK to use a med off label if it suites my purposes but when t's done for another reason your suugesting it's putting someone at risk. Yes Paxil can be tough to discontinue when used in higher doses for prologed periods of time, But Neurochemicaly and bio chemically we are a bit out of whack after 3 months of post op meds. Whether it's paxil for 2-6 months or Elevill, Who is supposed to dictate when a med should be used for off label use? People really don't seem to like it when non medical personal start dictating medical treatment or restricting a med to it''s aproved use. I would assume in the docs experience it did help, and that's why he's using it.
I have never heard of rebound depression in the abscence of true oraganic depression, I think what your describing is more abstinence syndrome as Paxil can be extremely tough to discontinue in a % of the population that takes it, please be clear when your message is cryptic. You think she will be stuck needing antiD's for years if she uses them for a few months?? I don't agree, I think there are meds better suited that would be more effective quicker without waiting for serum levels to build up.
Perhaps I just missed your point Dan? What is that your fear will happen, that she won't be able to report, adjust or change during the course of treatment over the next few months. AntiD's reduce substanc P in your spinal fluid, a potent neuru inflamatory agent,Using them in PM is an off label use, Using anti-siezure meds for neuro pain is an off label use, but these meds do work for problems that haven't been FDA aproved and have been the mainstay and only option in PM prior to the invention of OxyC just 10 years ago. Why is that she shouldn't use Paxil at the lowest dose made for a few months post op after opiates are discontinued?
I would hope the doc is making his selction based on patient experience and reporting and the good he has seen it do during that last phase of discontinuing opiates. Her alternative is???
Just curious, Dave
A far as using another med to increase or speed up serritonin or physiological changes, I's realy your docs call hopefuly based on experiernce and patient reporting. If it helps and he thinks it will help, I don't see the harm in a short course of antiD's to move things along and help with sleep. You will feel better if you seep better.
Take care and congrats on your surgery, Dave
Hey Dan as faras using a med for an unintended purposes, we would all b SOL if theat wasn't standard practice. You mgt want to explain a littler better what you mean by relapse. True this is not organic depression, but there was a time where anti depressants were used as the primary med to combat chronic pain and sleep problems.
Your right you won't see imediate benefits with Paxil as you would using elevil to improve sleep but we can't really have it both ways, It's OK to use a med off label if it suites my purposes but when t's done for another reason your suugesting it's putting someone at risk. Yes Paxil can be tough to discontinue when used in higher doses for prologed periods of time, But Neurochemicaly and bio chemically we are a bit out of whack after 3 months of post op meds. Whether it's paxil for 2-6 months or Elevill, Who is supposed to dictate when a med should be used for off label use? People really don't seem to like it when non medical personal start dictating medical treatment or restricting a med to it''s aproved use. I would assume in the docs experience it did help, and that's why he's using it.
I have never heard of rebound depression in the abscence of true oraganic depression, I think what your describing is more abstinence syndrome as Paxil can be extremely tough to discontinue in a % of the population that takes it, please be clear when your message is cryptic. You think she will be stuck needing antiD's for years if she uses them for a few months?? I don't agree, I think there are meds better suited that would be more effective quicker without waiting for serum levels to build up.
Perhaps I just missed your point Dan? What is that your fear will happen, that she won't be able to report, adjust or change during the course of treatment over the next few months. AntiD's reduce substanc P in your spinal fluid, a potent neuru inflamatory agent,Using them in PM is an off label use, Using anti-siezure meds for neuro pain is an off label use, but these meds do work for problems that haven't been FDA aproved and have been the mainstay and only option in PM prior to the invention of OxyC just 10 years ago. Why is that she shouldn't use Paxil at the lowest dose made for a few months post op after opiates are discontinued?
I would hope the doc is making his selction based on patient experience and reporting and the good he has seen it do during that last phase of discontinuing opiates. Her alternative is???
Just curious, Dave
dango
01-07-2006, 02:46 AM
I think it's lovely of your Doc to be so kind and compassionate in what is clearly a difficult time for you. I think that many of us have a tendency to be harsh/self-critical about accepting help/comfort. It goes kind of like, "Oh, that medication makes me feel (less depressed, less anxious, stress free) better than I have since I came off Opiates. Hey I must be a Giant loser to need it!" Of course of anyone else told you the same story and wondered if it was okay to take the Paxil to ease their suffering, you would most likely tell them to go for it and not to worry! By the way, meds like Paxil are really not meant to be used super briefly. Even when symptoms relent--that's BECAUSE OF THE MEDS--you can set yourself up for a nasty relapse if you don't do a good solid year or so of treatment! Many people take Paxil, or a similar drug long-term for the "normalizing" effect. Best to you. I wish you well.