Question:
Having my yearly check up with regular doctor tomorrow not surgeon

Have been on paxil fir 3 years can it stop working? I feel like ut is not working really feeling down and no energy having panic attacks. Please anyone who has taken this post op please help need toknow if any one else had problems with paxil my Doctor thinks this is a mircle drug and can it cause wieght gain or stop us from losing wieght Thank you Christine Glover    — christine G. (posted on November 5, 2003)

November 5, 2003
Christine, I haven't been on anti-depressants since my WLS, but before that, I was on them for ten years. At a couple of points, what I was using just seemed to quit working for no reason, and I had to be put on something else. Your questions about side effects pertaining to weight loss, and possible malabsorption, should be answered to your satisfaction, but I just wanted to toss out there another possibility, that the drug just isn't the right one for you anymore. Of course, there's also the issue of our hormones being affected by massive, relatively fast weight loss. And, have you had your labs done lately? You may want to be checked to be sure you're not running low on iron, or B-12, or something else, which could also cause some of your current symptoms (albeit not the panic attacks, I wouldn't think). Good luck!
   — Suzy C.

November 5, 2003
Part of the problem might be that the pill is a time release formula. After RNY time release doesnt work anymore.
   — Wendy D P.

November 5, 2003
Christine, I take Celexa and my psychiatrist just increased it last week because I was definitely not doing as well as I had the first 6 months after surgery and before surgery and have been more irritable etc. the past 3 months. We are wondering if I am not absorbing all of it, so we are trying 20mg more. Now I'm on a huge dose, but if it works, so be it. Mine is not time release, but since we malabsorb most things it is logical to assume we might malabsorb some of our depression meds. All I know is that mentally my WLS process has been pretty darn good till the last few months and before surgery my depression had been under great control for over 3 years. <p>Sorry I don't know much about Paxil, but it sure seems like you would need more based on what you describe. Maybe you would do okay with adding a different drug to help with the panic attacks instead of increasing the Paxil if indeed it causes weight gain. I don't know about that. All I know is I tried Paxil about 5 years ago and it made my mental health situation way worse, so it's not a miracle drug for everybody. Maybe before surgery it was for you but now something else needs to be tried. If your regular doctor won't listen and try something then ask for a referral to a psychiatrist as they are the mental health drug experts anyways. I know my internist would never prescribe me the dose I am on and will freak when he sees it at my physical in a few weeks. He always thought my previous dose was very high, wait till he sees it's 20 mg higher. Talk to your doc and make him/her understand. Good Luck!
   — zoedogcbr

November 6, 2003
Christine, Unfortunately, SSRI's can and do stop working without warning. Upping the dose per your DOCTOR'S ORDERS could be the answer (or lowering it, or switching meds altogether). If your doctor seems to have a "blind spot" as far as seeing any other choices for you, you might consider a different doc.
   — Soosan