pros and cons of aropax

[kiwiang]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum but SO glad to find it:)

I have battled with anxiety for a few years now and have previously been on lexapro (once for 6 months then again for 12 months) both times I stopped due to the huge weight gain (about 10-12 kg) my gp has tried cymbalta which made me very very ill. I have been off lexapro for 6 months but anxiety is back full force and I have my gp has given me aropax to try, if I decide to go with this can I also take diazepam or lorazepam (which would be better until the aropax kicks in?) I know I can take diazepam with it but have both
Lexapro was great for me (10mg) and had very few side effects other than the weight gain-do I go with that and try harder to watch my weight?
I am hoping that this and the MBT (like CBT) will work together and that next time I come off I will know how to deal with my anxiety better.
I have not before had therapy and now realise you need both:) am going every week.
But as I have 3 young kids and a busy life I need to be able to drive-leave the house etc and as it stands thats just not happening:(
any advice would be soooo appreciated and again so glad to find somewhere that I know everyone else understands what I am going through(as most people don't
thanks ang

[ova'it]

Hey how r u? Im new here but i myself gained loads on aropax so drs swapped me straight to celapram! I had no probs switching over and no more weight gain. Just wish i could have lost a bit inbetween lolz. Celepram is goid and i found aropax a nightmare to get of hence the change to celapram

[alankay]

I'd try fluoxetine first as paxil has such a short half life. Diazepam lasts longer than lorazepam but is not quite as potent. If valium is effective for you I'd use that but if have lots of high anxiety/panic, opt for lorazepam as it is more potent. Use the benzos with some restaraint. You'll be glad you did. :) Alankay

[Beautiful Disaster]

Hi!

I second Alankay with the fluoxetine (prozac) suggestion. I was on Paxil for the better part of 10 years and steadily gained weight (though being in college certainly didn't help either!) - at least 20lbs. With my recent relapse of panic disorder/anxiety, I lost all that weight (not healthy, I know). I've been on Prozac for over 3 months (and a higher dose than what I had been on before) and managed to maintain my new, lower weight.

Also lorazepam was a life saver for me. You can take it as needed and it's very effective. Just don't get in the habit of taking it... it's not supposed to be used long term. I had a bad couple months and was using it at least once everyday... at that point you have to wean yourself off so it's not a shock to your system when you stop taking it!

Good luck! :)

[kiwiang]

Hey how r u? Im new here but i myself gained loads on aropax so drs swapped me straight to celapram! I had no probs switching over and no more weight gain. Just wish i could have lost a bit inbetween lolz. Celepram is goid and i found aropax a nightmare to get of hence the change to celapram

thanks for the replies, I have made an appointment to see my gp again tomorrow, I had a pretty rough time coming of lexapro (one year on 10mg) and also after 5 days on cymbalta as we tried that before lexapro again due to the weight gain-but as lexapro works it was back to that and another 10kg-its so gradual and seems to hit at the 6 month mark:(
the first one I ever tried was zoloft but that made anxiety worse so not a choice....
is the one your suggesting different to all of these lexarpo/zoloft/aropax?
LEXAPRO also helped me to sleep as I have trouble sleeping(staying asleep) I have been taking ENDEP 10mg every night but its obviously not great for anxiety(and weight)?
I use 1mg diazepam (is valium different to this?) when needed but was advised against driving using this as it relaxes me and a bit spacey feeling...so she gave me the lorazapam (0.5 mg) it does nothing....my panic is before I leave the house-the fear of something happening once I leave I suppose so I need it before the attack...lots of questions I know but GPS do tend to go from the book-although mines open to other things and is pretty good,it helps to hear from others on medication or with the same issues
I have always been highly anxious but this is crazy and ruining my life,kids and hubby just don't understand at all, my anxiety has caused physical symptoms that have cost me thousands in tests......I know now that anxiety is making me have all these strange symptoms that change all the time:(
so with medication (as little as possible i hope) and therapy I hope to be on the road to a better life soon:)
again thanks ang:)

[kiwiang]

Hi!

I second Alankay with the fluoxetine (prozac) suggestion. I was on Paxil for the better part of 10 years and steadily gained weight (though being in college certainly didn't help either!) - at least 20lbs. With my recent relapse of panic disorder/anxiety, I lost all that weight (not healthy, I know). I've been on Prozac for over 3 months (and a higher dose than what I had been on before) and managed to maintain my new, lower weight.

Also lorazepam was a life saver for me. You can take it as needed and it's very effective. Just don't get in the habit of taking it... it's not supposed to be used long term. I had a bad couple months and was using it at least once everyday... at that point you have to wean yourself off so it's not a shock to your system when you stop taking it!

Good luck! :)

How much lorazapam were you taking may I ask?
I have seen my gp,she did not agree that paxil/aropax (please excuse names as I think they are different in australia?) will make me gain weight and did speak of effexor but did see in my notes that I had tried that/cymbalta and zolofot and none of these were good for me-although I was so sick on my 5 days if cymbalta that I lost weight:(
okay the outcome is 10mg of prozac to start for a week then to 20mg..also lorazapam 1-2 (1mg tablets) as I was taking .5 and thats why it was not doing anything....shes told me to try having them at night to help me sleep? how frequently can you have these tablets? (only until the prozac takes effect)....does that take long? I know lexapro was working within the week last time...plus combined with weekly CBT should be feeling good again soon I do hope.

[Beautiful Disaster]

How much lorazapam were you taking may I ask?
I have seen my gp,she did not agree that paxil/aropax (please excuse names as I think they are different in australia?) will make me gain weight and did speak of effexor but did see in my notes that I had tried that/cymbalta and zolofot and none of these were good for me-although I was so sick on my 5 days if cymbalta that I lost weight:(
okay the outcome is 10mg of prozac to start for a week then to 20mg..also lorazapam 1-2 (1mg tablets) as I was taking .5 and thats why it was not doing anything....shes told me to try having them at night to help me sleep? how frequently can you have these tablets? (only until the prozac takes effect)....does that take long? I know lexapro was working within the week last time...plus combined with weekly CBT should be feeling good again soon I do hope.

I was taking .5mg or 1mg of Lorazepam depending on how bad I felt. Hopefully 1mg will see a difference for you. I am currently weaning myself off of it, taking .25mg (or less) at night, a couple hours before bed. It does help me sleep (since my anxiety is at its worst at night). I'm not sure what the indication is for how often you should take them but my doc told me at one point I could take one in the morning and one at night.

It took at least 6 weeks for me to start feeling the effects of Prozac, but that's mainly because I hadn't been put on a high enough dose yet. They did 10mg for 2 weeks, then upped to 20mg, then 2 weeks later 40mg. Once I had been on the 40 for a couple weeks I started noticing it helping. Even more so when I went up to 60mg.

[kiwiang]

I was taking .5mg or 1mg of Lorazepam depending on how bad I felt. Hopefully 1mg will see a difference for you. I am currently weaning myself off of it, taking .25mg (or less) at night, a couple hours before bed. It does help me sleep (since my anxiety is at its worst at night). I'm not sure what the indication is for how often you should take them but my doc told me at one point I could take one in the morning and one at night.

It took at least 6 weeks for me to start feeling the effects of Prozac, but that's mainly because I hadn't been put on a high enough dose yet. They did 10mg for 2 weeks, then upped to 20mg, then 2 weeks later 40mg. Once I had been on the 40 for a couple weeks I started noticing it helping. Even more so when I went up to 60mg.


hello BEAUTIFUL DISASTER


I have been reading your story and its a lot like mine, so this morning I have taking 10mg prozac and I took .5 lorazepam before I took the kids to school which is normally my most anxious time...WOW it worked way better than diazepam which makes me quite dopey feeling ....so am going to stick with .5 in the morning and maybe .5 at night to sleep until prozac kicks in........am so so hoping the prozac works and does not have lots of side effects....:)
I plan to only do this until prozac takes hold as I found when on lexapro I did not need anything else at all, I personally don't have an addictive nature and would do anything to not take the benzos but i need to function so for now thats how it is, and with CBT I hope to be med free again one day:)
thanks for your reply its so nice to have someone to chat to that knows what its like (as not many people understand sadly)
ang

[danielle22]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. My doc started me on CYMBALTA 4 days ago. Feeling so crap on it. And many side effects! My doc said to push through and they will fade but I was wondering what made you stop???

[kiwiang]

what made me stop medication full stop or cymbalta? I will answer to the later as thats what your on (if the other let me know ) cymbalta from the first tablet made me feel so nauseous I could not get off the couch:( I did not eat or move(which with 3 kids is hard) I felt like I was crawling up the walls-just horrid,i tried to ask doctor to get off day 3 she said give at least a week, so off I dragged myself to my 40th birthday lunch after taking diazepam (1mg) WOW I got up from the table as I felt sick went to the toilet and when I emerged looked like I had a shower, I had a massive panic attack-I have never had one before or again....that day I said no more (i had to be driven home i was that ill) then coming off was horrific to and this was after 5 or 7 days? so I went back to good old lexapro-which works for me but I end up depressed due to the weight gain:(
thats just what it did to me...effexor also-but they are snri so I think I just need to stay away from this group and stay with SSRIs,I am trying the prozac now-day 2 and will see how it goes.....hope your feeling better danilelle22:)