Question: Dosage and timing?

What are your dosages and when do you find it best to take? My doctor recommended taking 10mg the first 4 days and 20mg thereafter. He also recommended taking it at night because he said it would help me to fall asleep. What are your experiences with it?

Answers:

A:I started off taking 15 mg for the first week and the 30 mg after that, though I've read that 20 mg is the normal starting dosage. My doctor said that the medication works differently with different people, concerning sleep. Some will not be able to sleep and some will have difficulty staying awake; it's up to you to find out what kind of person you are. The first night I took it in the evening, around 6pm, but it kept me awake most of the night. The next day I decided to go ahead and take it in the morning and didn't have any trouble sleeping that night. It did make me a little tired during the day for the first few days but it wasn't too severe. I also think that it is easier for me to take it in the morning because I can remember and it is the first thing I do when I wake up. Did you have trouble sleeping your first night or any after? If so, then I would advise switching to first thing in the morning. If not, then keep taking it at night. Again, that is entirely up to you.

Gary

A: It's okay. I think I'll make it through it. Hopefully the medication will do something soon, though. Otherwise, I'll probably have to change meds when I see my doctor on May 11, though I really don't want to go through all of that all over again. He had mentioned something about other options, including Prozac, if Paxil didn't work and my understanding is that most people have to go through several before discovering the right one. Hopefully, I won't have to but I sometimes feel very impatient with waiting for it to have effect. Just like I am just waiting, waiting, waiting...it can get on one's nerves. Anyways, thanks for the book mention. I will check it out. A couple for you, if you're interested: Prozac Nation, which is a memoir by Elizabeth Wurtzel about her experiences with depression (excellent book), a little older but on the same subject is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, there is also The Cather In The Rye, which is my all time favourite, by J.D. Salinger. These are the best books I can reccommend on the subject and all have helped me through difficult times. Talk to you soon.

Gary

A: The last two nights I've been experiencing nightmares, which has awaken me several times during the course of the night. I'm not sure if it's associated with the Paxil but normally I am a pretty heavy sleeper and rarely does anything wake me up, and I cannot usually remember dreams. As for as with the Paxil, it seems to be helping my panic attacks and social phobia some (which is just mostly a fear of speaking before a group) but hasn't done much for the depression yet. Hopefully, soon. Does anyone know if nightmares are common with the drug or is it just me? Thanks,Gary