Paxil Vs. Zoloft

[TypewriterGirl]

Which has worked out best for you?

I'm worried about the weight gain and heat allergy, but mostly I'd like to just feel better. Thanks for any input - I've read past threads and heard really mixed reviews.

[dsdmom]

If you're worried about weight gain, I wouldn't try paxil. Although I've never been on it myself (and that's the reason why!) I've seen several people gain a ton of weight on it. I have been on zoloft before w/ no weight gain.

[lalalisa]

Hello,

You may just need to give them a try to see how you respond. For myself I can't take Zoloft because it makes me anxious but Paxil works well. I know the controlled release type of Paxil may help with the potential weight gain. I haven't gained a pd. from it but I know any SSRI's can potentially cause this...

Either med you decide on I would recommend going on it slowly. Even paxil which works well for me has an adjustment period and I have to titrate up slowly by cutting the pills in 3rd's over and increasing over the course of a few months.

Let us know how it goes.

Blessings,

Lisa

[abbriggs]

Paxil really helped with my symptoms and helped to increase my energy. I was a size 4 when I started taking it a little over a year ago. I have since gained 55 pounds and am a size 12. Another thing about it is, it is one of the worse SSRI to try to stop taking. I have to decrease my dose by 2.5 mg and wait for the horrible side effects to go away about a week and a half then let my body get used to the new dose before tapering some more. I am down to 5 mg. But this has taken me 3 months to get to and I don't think I will be totally off for another month and a half.

Paxil is the only SSRI that I have tried.

[poppetkazutaka]

If I remember correctly, and excuse my brain, I was on Wellbutrin (which I don't recommend either for the suicidal tendancies) and they tried to add Zoloft because it wasn't working. The Zoloft made my hypoglycemia worse, to the point that it would randomly drop my sugar to 70-80 range and I would -in the middle of a call at work- start shaking and sluring and have to be walked -because I couldn't walk on my own- to the break room to eat.

I wouldn't take the Zoloft. It didn't work, it made my suicidal\self-hurting thoughts worse, and made the hypoglycemic episodes majorly bad.

I've tried it twice, once when I was a teenager, and once as an adult. It never worked.

I'm on Topiramate now, an anticonvulsant (excuse my spelling, please!) that they're testing for bipolar disorder and it's worked great. But if you do get tolerance, you have to step up every year or so. It keeps me very calm.

EDIT: Also, Topiramate is geared toward losing weight because it helps you not to eat. It makes bad food taste funny and makes you not be able to eat so much in one sitting.

[potsgirl]

I couldn't stand the Zoloft, made me jittery and really anxious. I've been on Paxil for years, and it's really helped me. I didn't gain any weight on it - in fact, I think I lost some. I think the responses show that it's all in your personal body make-up what will and won't work for you. Will you be going to a psychiatrist? Some meds work better for certain issues than others, and they'll have an opinion on it, too.

Good luck,

Jana

[scarfgirl]

I've tried Zoloft with no noticeable side effects, doesn't help with my depression though, or not much anyway.

Never tried Paxil.

Wellbutrin gave me a bit of energy and I lost a ton of weight on it (not that I had a ton to lose), but it made sleep problems worse.

[TypewriterGirl]

Thanks so much for all of your advice. I was on Wellbutrin for a week and a half and had horrible chest pain, anxiety and insomnia. There was no way I could make it through any longer on it. My mom actually drove down and stayed with me for 3 days to help take care of me. I started 12.5 mg of Zoloft a few days ago and so far no side effects besides sleepiness, except that my BP has been dropping 20 points when standing, which was a lot more sustainable on the Wellbutrin. I'll start on 25 mg after a week or so, and hopefully notice a difference. Even a more positive attitude would be helpful!

[erickamcc0523]

It's been such a long time (9 years for Paxil and 7 or so for Zoloft) since I was on either drug, so I don't quite remember exactly what happened to me except I know that I actually lost weight on Paxil, and it worked pretty well for my depression at first, but after a relatively short period of time, it stopped working. I think once I was titrated up again, I slept most of the day, so I was taken off that and put on several other drugs (including Wellbutrin and Prozac) before I was put on Zoloft. I know that I was pretty much emotionally dead on Zoloft... had no emotional affect, and my self destructive behaviors and depression got much worse....

I think, though, like someone else said, it really depends on you how you'll react to certain drugs. Case in point, my mom has been on Paxil for about 4 years now, and has really not had that many problems (except for some weight gain, which could also be attributed to her hysterectomy and the fact that her weight has, throughout her life, yo-yoed back and forth, and she's in a period where she's gained weight). She doesn't have the problem I did with having to sleep alot on the Paxil, either. I'm sure you could ask 10 other people about their experiences on Paxil and you would get 10 different answers. In any case, you should be followed closely with a doctor, preferably a psychiatrist who is very familiar with psychotropic drugs, and have his/her number on speed dial in case you should get some really bad side-effects (so you can call to see if you need to change the dosage or immediately stop the meds or come back in for another appointment).

[icesktr189]

zoloft i HATED. if it wasnt for my klonopin i would have jumped out of my skin from all the anxiety i was having. lexapro worked best for me.. never tried paxil. However i should mention i didnt know i had POTS when i started zoloft and they gave me 50 mg. it might have not been as bad for me if i would have started at a much lower dose