Paxil and anger

Hello.  Is anyone having anger issues while taking Paxil CR?  I stopped taking it several months ago because of anger outbursts and tried Prozac but due to anxiety/panic attacks had to go back on the Paxil CR.  It seems as soon as the medication starts to control my anxiety I become a very mean, spiteful, angry person especially with my children (8,6,4).  The oldest has severe ADHD and the same anxiety problems that I have so I need to be in control of my emotions and actions around the children at all times and just can't seem to do it.  Husband is very supportive and understanding but is getting tired of the tirades and trantrums that I cause.

Absolutely my experience. In the end I found that Prozac was the perfect drug for me, and was able to switch to that; however all the SSRI's  - including Paxil and Prozac - have potentially serious side-effects such as severe moodswings. 

  SEVERE MOODSWINGS.

You may be suffering from something known as "activation" which is a cluster of adverse side-effects, some of which may be very serious.

I do not wish to alarm you unduly - I was on Paxil (Seroxat) as it is known in the UK - twice, for periods of up to six months, and did not seem to suffer from any physical side-effects, despite feeling that I had become a Jekyll and Hyde person, and forever wishing that I was not on this medication.   

However, this is pretty much a biochemical lottery, and I'd urge you to do a search on "serotonin syndrome" and seek medical advice as a matter of urgency. I believe that there are support groups for people seeking to come off Paxil, and it may well be that this is your best source of advice. 

It is because of the lack of warning about such problems, both to regulatory bodies, medical authorities, and in patient literature that there are currently so many lawsuits against Paxil - I gather the most prominent one is being brought by the NY State Attorney.

Normally, I'd be inclined to worry about being sued for what I say, and would couch things in more general terms. However, in this instance the evidence is so overwhelming and hazards so dire, that regardless of what the level of risk may be to you, I feel no compunction in telling you that this is something to be concerned about. 

I appreciate that you are suffering from anxiety, and God knows I don't wish to add to it in any way.  Particularly if you have an ADHD youngster to cope with ! (My beloved nephew has that, so I have seen first hand the chaos that ensues within a family.  ) I also appreciate that I come to this subject not as any kind of qualified medical practitioner, but rather as an unusually well-informed patient who keeps abreast of medical research. But in my not-so-humble-opinion, there have to be better anti-anxiety drugs for you than the likes of Paxil as you describe it. 

I hope this helps you, and please feel free to ask any questions that may occur to you. This subject is not exactly my specialty, but I am willing to bet that I have both more time and energy to find out answers than you and your husband ! (On ADHD, you will certainly find the Healingwell forum of some use.)

 Good idea Ralph, she's exactly the person to help out here, it's exactly her area of expertise.

 I don't even know if Effexor is a SSRI, because I don't know the UK Trade name.

The problem here is partly one of risk versus hazard. Hazard is the harm that may befall you - for example a meteorite falling from the sky and killing you. Risk is the likelihood of that happening - in the case of mereorite strike, infinitesmally small. So a hazard may be great, but the risk is acceptably low, which allows inaction. However, if the hazard is great enough ( say, a meteorite that will wipe out life on Earth) then the level of risk deemed acceptable suddenly becomes smaller, and the likelihood of preventative measures being taken is greater.  

In the case of SSRIs, I'd guess that that the hazard varies from person to person, and the risk varies from drug to drug. So some people like myself have a mixed result from Paxil yet do wonderfully on Prozac, others vice versa; some may dislike both, and others may do the opposite. Clear as mud, in other words; trial and error, with bated breath.

Nice to see you are still going about, Ralph ! As you might know, I've been concentrating what little oomph I have on the Crohnies, but I've always been meaning to ask how you were keeping. 

Hi Rat dog,

Welcome to the HealingWell Depression forum. How long have you been on the prozac? Are you still on it?

If you are havintg anger issues, I would suggest talking to your doctor about some options that you may have. You could go to anger management classes, or maybe some counseling for it. You may even need a mood stabilizer for your anger issues. But first of all, if I were you, I would talk to the doctor and see what he/she thinks could be the problem.

I certainly wouldn't feel guilty for retiring early especially if you are having difficulty walking or being on your feet. Things may have been different, you may have had more money, but you would have probably been misserable from struggling each and every day with pain and frustration.

Try to take life one day at a time. Maybe you are more irritable in the morning because your meds haven't kicked in yet. I am a bear if I don't get my meds in me ritght away and get my coffee.

I hope that you feel better soon.

Hugs, Karen