Posted by Rick on February 10, 2004, at 11:15:03
In reply to Re: serzone banned in aust » HappyGirl, posted by aussie on February 9, 2004, at 23:53:30
> I feel like a loser being on THREE drugs but I do want to get off the serzone, however afraid I am to doit. :(
There is no reason whatsoever that being on three drugs should make you feel like a "loser", unless you're talking losing money! There are millions of people in this country alone who end up on multiple meds, both for psychiatric and other disorders -- and are doing just fine, thank you! And that doesn't necessarily indicate that they are any "sicker" than people who take just one drug -- just that their body chemistry is a bit different in some ways. (Besides, even when someone *is* "sicker", that doesn't make them a "loser"!)
Serzone usually isn't hard to get off, but some people have reported trouble. (And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, that doesn't make you a "loser" either!) It sounds like you need to wean off slowly. Based on this experience, it sounds as if you may want to avoid Paxil and Effexor (sorry, I forget if you've already considered or tried one of these).
Just work with your doctor(s). I know it's frustrating, but eventually you'll get there.
And re your question about no one on the board living on the west coast, what makes you think that? I don't, but I've seen many posting here who say they live in L.A. and other west coast cities.
One more thing...I repeat what I and others have said: The risk of liver damage with Serzone is truly minimal. You'll have a lot more risk crossing the street or drinking too heavily. The difference is that in those very rare occasions where there *are* problems with Serzone and the liver, it can be very grave. That's why doctors are afraid of it (think "malpractice" and ambulance chasers and the legal leeches that abound in net ads.) The more legitimate concern is that Serzone can have strong metabolic interactions with some drugs. As an anecdotal experience, when I took it (over two years), I was also taking several drugs it interacted with. My liver function tests came out better than ever when I was on Serzone. I was taking 450 mg, and several times tapered off over a period of two days, with no problems.
Rick
poster:Rick
thread:304517
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040210/msgs/311668.html