Posted by iforgotmypassword on January 20, 2006, at 13:24:01
In reply to Paxil and Muscle Jerks, posted by daisym on January 19, 2006, at 23:37:52
i just wrote a long message but i don't know if it was helpful... i basically just want to say that paxil was hell for me (i was 17 at the time). i experienced muscle jerking, twitches (that still happen, ssris seem to permanently alter brain chemistry in some), shivering, deadening apathy and amotivation to intense agitation, need to act and move, writhing in my bed from agitation, skin tingling, pacing *constantly*, abrupt suicidal impulses (my only attempts have been on SSRIs, most on paxil), inability to explain, interpret or understand own behaviour (very disorienting and humiliating looking at months in retrospect). many people at the hospital noted my restless sleep and constant moving.
(also please note that i have not ever been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder or tendency, so the possibility of my experience being a bipolar reaction is not probable)
these are side effects few doctors seem to validate, and i don't mean to make you paranoid, but if your son starts to show any more of these effects, i really lean strongly towards thinking that it is not the drug for him (though taking into account my probable bias), but especially if he is one losing will to do things, engage in things, and has trouble with school (if this is a problem; it was for me, it shows poor catecholaminergic/prefrontal cortex functioning)... combination with remeron may help (if you watch to see if his temper changes), and especially if paxil is switched to effexor, but effective doses need to be used in that case. it is tough to determine what drugs work best for boys, in general... but it seems the more catecholaminergic (i.e. affecting norepinephrine and/or dopamine) drugs are more helpful. from my observations, girls are the ones who tend to benefit most and more completely to drugs very specific to serotonin (SSRIs) though of course this is a generalization and not always true, at all. (i am wary of the idea of recommending just straight SSRI regimens to anybody.)
also please note if paxil is switched to effexor, effexor is a drug notoriously hard to get off of when one has been on it for long enough and at therapeutic dosages, but then again so is paxil. switching from paxil to effexor will probably negate discontinuation effects, but just to warn you if or when he goes off of SSRI/SNRI drugs completely... tapering off slowly is a necessity.
(also, a good thing to look into for your son may be omega-3 fatty acids like high quality fish oil, or possibly flax seed oil if he or your family is vegetarian like me in which case higher dosages need to be used to be helpful, as it is made out of short chain omega-3s the body needs to convert)
it is very hard to determine what is most helpful to children, in fact sometimes the idea of it can scare me so much i almost feel like medication should be an absolute last resort given the reactions that can happen in children who are already unstable and in enough pain... and doctors just seem to offer a mindless, monotonous drone and seem even less responsive toward boys in many cases. i wish you and your son the best of luck. sorry if i am incoherent in this message, someone here will undoubtedly have better recommendations than i will.
poster:iforgotmypassword
thread:600932
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060115/msgs/601093.html