Syndrome makes it impossible for some patients to wean off medication
updated
8/31/2006 12:07:51 PM ET
When Gina O’Brien decided she no longer needed drugs to quell her
anxiety and panic attacks, she followed doctor’s orders by slowly tapering her dose of the antidepressant Paxil.
The gradual withdrawal was supposed to prevent unpleasant symptoms that can result from stopping antidepressants cold turkey. But it didn't work.
“I felt so sick that I couldn't get off my couch,” O’Brien said. “I couldn't stop crying.”
Overwhelmed by nausea and uncontrollable crying, she felt she had no choice but to start taking the pills again. More than a year later she still takes Paxil, and expects to be on it for the rest of her life.
Popular Posts
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and Other Options If you suffer from out-of-the-blue panic attacks, obsessive thoughts,...
-
How to stop the panic cycle The same nervous thoughts play over and over again in your head. Like a scratched record it keeps repeating. ...
-
What is "panic disorder"? Panic disorder is a recurrent and persistent occurrence of panic attacks that's accompanied by th...
Disclaimer
This website does not provide medical advice. The statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration). It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
