Aropax

Description

Side effects

(Don't be unduly alarmed. All drugs cause side effects for some patients)

Warnings

(These are standard cautions but may not be applicable to your case)

Comments

1. Feeling pins and needles in my fingers.
2. Dizziness.
3. Feelings of anxiety.
4. Extreme tiredness at times and then at other times not being able to sleep.
5. At times very emotional.

While on the medication my wife complained that my personality changed totally and that decisions made by myself were not always rational. I saw two psychologists during the period that I was on the drug but as I was always on a high no positive results were achieved. Faced with the above I have now visited a third psychologist who has confirmed that my depression has not been cured. We have also decided that if any medication is to be used it will be a natural remedy. Chris - Pretoria, South Africa

I have been on Aropax since Feb 99 I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder. I noticed that after 4 weeks that my I was able to carry on life in a normal way without having any signs of Panic Attacks... To me this was a life saver.
Since I have been on these drugs I have noticed that I still have some anxiety symptoms but these were controlled. I have since taking the drug put on 15kg of weight. At the time I was more happy just been normal than noticing I was putting on weight. This all changed last year when family/relatives had noticed how much weight I had put on. I was alway a slim build of 59 kgs most of my adult life than I reached a staggering 74kgs last year... This has affected me to the point where I believe that I would be better off weaning myself off the drugs. Dee - Wagga Wagga, Australia

I have been on Aropax for anxiety and stress since June 2001. Since then I have had terrifying nightmares, massive weight gain (24kg) and panic attacks. I have lost my confidence and become quite afraid of many things. I find the weight very hard to lose and get very depressed about it. I also have a lot of self hatred. My doctor put me on it initially for 3 months then left me on it. When I asked to come off it he said yes but then left the practice. My new doctor left me on it to monitor me (I don't know what for) and I am about to come off it. Guess what - I'm terrified of what will happen to me. IF YOU GET OFFERED IT SAY NO. Christene - Wellington, New Zealand

I see some positive (but mostly negative) feedback concerning Aropax 20. I was diagnosed with severe Anxiety/depression about 3 years ago. I was prescribed Aropax 20 and I don't remember having had any side effects (except a loss of libido). I used the drug for about 8 months and I can't tell how positively it has changed my life - I have my self confidence back (which was down the drain before I started using the drug). I know that this drug does't work positively with everyone but it worked wonders for me. I'm off it now for 2 years and still going strong. Before you condemn this drug - just try it out to see if it works with you or not... keep the faith. Etienne - Cape Town, South Africa

If you get offered this drug don't take it. I have been on this drug since it first came out and, in the last 12 months, I have been trying to get off it. I have severe side effects such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, electric type shocks going through my head and body. My doctor is trying to wean me off them. I take half a tablet for one day then a quarter for six days. That doesn't work and I think I may be stuck with them for the rest of my life. Natalie - Kempsey, Australia

I was prescribed Aropax for depression around 1 year ago. The change in my mood was immediately apparent. It felt like a miracle! At first the side effects seemed trivial - severe constipation, zero libido. After taking the drug for some time I began experiencing incredible night sweats. I would have to change the sheets twice a night - disrupting both my own sleep and my partners. The amount of fluid lost overnight seemed impossibly large - I could literally wring out my pj's! At the time I wasn't sure if it was the drug or something more sinister. My Dr. assured me that Aropax wasn't the culprit, but could offer no reason for the sweats, and in fact was quite unconcerned. I had a colonoscopy, blood tests etc., etc., which revealed nothing.
Eventually, I decided to risk weaning myself off Aropax in order to determine if the drug was responsible. My God! I had no idea how hard this would be! After only 5 mths on the medication I experienced horrible 'electric shocks throughout my body. This doesn't sound so bad, but the constant thrum of this unpleasant sensation was really very difficult to handle. It took a month - from 1 tablet a day to 1/2 a tablet a day to for 2 weeks to 1/4 for 2 weeks. The withdrawal symptons continued for almost 2 weeks after I had my last tablet.
The good news is that I don't need medication for depression anymore, my libido is back, constipation has been alleviated, and... no more night sweats. Through all my research on the web I didn't find any report of the kind of extreme night sweats I experienced, so had almost decided that I had some undiagnosed tumour! I would not hesitate to begin medication again should I become clinically depressed again. However - I would not recommend Aropax! Tracey - Sydney, Australia

I was prescribed Aropax for panic attacks. Not only did it help with the attacks, but it helped with my social phobia and depression. I really like myself and don't have any anxious moments. The only downside is the weight gain. I have days where I don't care, but some days it's a different story.
Because of the weight gain, I wanted to come off aropax. I had all the side effects that comes with it, but after 3 months of my last tablet, I had overwhelming feelings to commit violence against strangers and family. It was a traumatic time in my life. To stop these feelings I took valium, which helped. In the end I asked my doctor to go back on aropax and I have no more episodes. I'm absolutely terrified to get off this drug. Anna - Melbourne, Australia

I have been on Aropax 20mg for a little over a year. It literally saved my life. I was engaged to be married, having a ball and buzzing along just fine when Panic hit me. Fortunately, Aropax worked wonders for me. But this has come at a massive price. I have tried to come off the drug twice now and this is my second attempt. The withdrawals are insane. I don't know how anyone can justify administering a prescription drug with this addiction. I had the usual side affects when I started the drug: nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, ZERO libido (just great when you're about to be married) and a whopping weight gain of 20kg on my small 158cm frame. I have researched withdrawal so so so many times and still, it seems there is not much support for us out there going through this withdrawal. The thing that surprises me the most are the statistics on this drug; apparently only 10% of us experience these nasty withdrawals... I don't believe that. I am on weeks 2 of withdrawals and have only gone from 20mg to 10mg. I am so frightened of what lies ahead of me.
Please educate everyone you can about this drug. There are alternatives. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Good luck out there. Jo - Canberra, ACT, Australia

I recently decided to start weaning myself off of aropax, and came across this website while doing some research. The main reasons for wanting off it are libido and weight gain (25kg in a year), although I have also been having night sweats, which I didn't attribute to the meds.
Yeah, it's a great drug. It has made my life so much easier. Depression, anxiety etc. I wasn't pleasant to be around before I started taking it. However I don't think the side effects are worth it. When you stop giving a damn about others, you know something is wrong.
I'd say, if you're offered it, try get an alternative. Nigel - Sydney, Australia

I have been on Aropax for about 4 years for chronic depression. I started on 20mg and progressively moved up to 50mg. Problems caused by the drug were increased tinnitus, balance upset - to the point where I was diagnosed with vertigo. About 6 months ago I discovered that having taken my 50mg at 08:00 I would have a sudden down period around 15:00 every day. For no reason I would feel like crying.
I told my GP and she suggested I take 30mg in the morning and the balance of 20mg at 14:00. Well, another side effect of Arapox, for me, was forgetfulness, so for about three or four days in a row I didn't take my afternoon dose.
Guess what? No afternoon depression. Since then I have been weaning myself of the damn stuff. I am down to 20mg per day and the vertigo has mostly gone and tinnitus is reduced. I am not looking forward to the next cut back - previously when I ran out of the drug during a holiday weekend I had all the classic withdrawal symptoms, electric shocks - you name it. Currently the only obvious symptom is horrible dreams and restless nights. Barry - Otorohanga, New Zealand

I've been on Aropax for 12 months now and weaned myself off. I had the dizziness, loss of balance, loss of libido and weight gain. Now, 1 month on, I can't sleep, the electric shock feelings are still there and now I have depression. I dont want to go back onto it ever. Shaz - Gauteng, Zambia

I lived with Panic/anxiety for 13 years before I reluctantly agreed to start taking medication following a severe and horrifying episode. During that period I tried Reiki, Bach Flowers, Meditation, I read as much material as I could to inform myself and I became a Natural Therapist in my zeal to get a handle on what was happening to me. Three years ago or so I started taking Aropax and experienced the common side effects that most people have (loss of libido, nausea, dizziness and weight gain). I tried coming off it once and was unsuccessful. The medication really only took the edge off the symptoms, though that helped in the sense that it gave me some space to continue to heal my behavioural patterns. My weight gain led to a diagnosis of Insulin Resistance and I am now being treated for early menopause because my hormone levels were disrupted. I have come off the medication again and am now feeling quite good with some wonky moments. What I am experiencing right now and I attribute to Aropax is terrible reflux which started after coming off the medication. In the early days of coming off the medication I also had strong stomach spasms with vomiting and diarrhoea.

I'm so scared. I have been on Aropax now for 6 months and have become a total monster. When I first went on them I was suffering servere panic attacks. The Aropax stopped this and it was like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders; I even returned to work. Then the side effects kicked in. In 6 months I piled on 20 kg, even though I am exercising more than I ever have in my life. My moods are crazy, I go from extreme highs to the lowest lows. What I wouldn't do to wake up one morning and just feel sane. I'm just about to start weening off Aropax and I'm nervous about what my future holds. I don't know if I can put my family, friends, work and mostly my husband through this all again. My advisc to anbody about to start this tablet is DON'T. There are alternatives. Kate - Miranda, NSW, Australia

I have been on Aropax for 6 months and have weaned off them with doctor's direction, as slow as possible so as not to suffer side effects. What a nightmare! Since cutting down to a quarter and now none, the dizziness is unbearable. Not even Stemitol is working, even though I felt wonderful on them. The vertigo, nausea, crying and fatigue are preventing me from a normal life. I went on them to get on with life, however the feeling is awful. I find hardly anyone can confirm that these are normal side effects, even my doctor thinks its just sinus or a bug; but after reading this site, I know I'm no dying of a brain tumour, nor is my sinus playing up! All I can say is, be careful... Explore alternatives before starting Aropax. Leanne - NSW, Australia

When I first started on Aropax it worked really well and my symptoms of anxiety went away. However after awhile I gained weight and loss of libido, terrible night sweats and a feeling I wanted to do away with myself, so I decided to wean myself off them. At first I started going down to half a tablet which gave me some side effects (nausea, sweating, restlessness - especially at night). Now I have gone off Aropax completely I can't sleep, I am having night sweats, pains in my body, some crying and feeling sick. I feel really good in myself I am full of energy my libido has come back. I will never go back on Aropax and would never recommend it to anyone. I would advise to try every other avenue before ever going on an antidepressant especially Aropax. Louise - Auckland, New Zealand

I am on Aropax and have been for nearly 10 years. By now I feel I know this drug pretty well and finally found a way to come off the drug which is working for me which I would like to share hoping it will help… Whatever dose you are on consider you are taking your dosage three times in a four day period. So on the first day, take the dosage at night, which gives your brain and body time to break it down. Take it again on the second and third day, then skip the fourth day and start all over again. Say you are on 20mg a day you can take the dosage one day then skip the next then go down to 10mg every day starting all over again. I found I could tell if my body was ready for the step down because if I did it too quickly I would brain surges (like electric shocks). I am now down to 20mg from the highest of 60mg and am feeling great. My libido is returning, starting to get an attention span back, energy, no vivid dreams… I actually feel like I am getting smarter. Seth - Australia