Question, Help

[MexicanDr]

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I know this place is not for actual medical advice, but I am sure you guys can give me some direction.

My cousin has been taking paxil 40mg for close to two yrs, has tried to tapper of several times, using different methods unsuccessful. I read online that switching to prozac is best to tapper off since prozac's half life is longer than paxil.

I accompanied him to see his PCP, the Dr. Agree with the above idea and said to my cousin to stop taking prozac (40mg) the next day.

We asked if he had to start at a lower dose of prozac or tapper off paxil while increasing prozac from a lower dose and he said no, that it would be ok.

I asked another doctor at the clinic and said he wasnt sure? WTF???

So now, I am coming here for advice, what do you guys think?

Both are SSRIs, but since they have different mechanisms, will there be a problem just stopping paxil and starting with the prozac?

Or should he be doing something else?

P.S. The reason he wants to leave AntiDeps is because he has been doing well, attending therapy and feels that he is ok now.

Thanks

 

[Winged Scapula]

Sorry, but despite your "disclaimer" in the first paragraph, this post is asking for medical advice which neither SDN or it's users are equipped to provide you with

If you and your cousin are not happy with the medical care he has received, then please ask the PCP for a referral to another physician.

BTW, if the other physician in the clinic wasn't familiar with management of anti-depressants it would not be unusual not to know how to change medications. You have the common belief, prevalent amongst the lay public, that all doctors know everything about every field of medicine. Once you specialize, you lose the breadth of knowledge you had. It is very possible this other physician simply does not manage depression, so this is not a "WTF" moment as you describe.