# Whats the difference Paxil and Paxil CR?



## 3fans8 (May 3, 2002)

I know theres a difference, but has anyone tried both? And has found 1 more helpful than the other? My doc put me on paxil CR I took 1 the next day the room was spinning so I havent took any more I go see him again on the 12th so I figured I would just wait. I think I have been suffering from depression or something for over a year now. I thought it was my IBS-d but I cant seem to get better so I guess its something else I even had a colonscopy done and it was normal. I just cant seem to understand how this can happen to a person. And have been on calcium for 4 months with a little help. Good Luck!!


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

CR may stand for 'controlled-release' which means it's released in a steady flow throughout a certain time frame - i.e. over a longer period of time than the 'normal' tablet. Just a thought anyway. I could be wrong! Good luck with finding something suitable,


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## JennyBean (Mar 23, 2002)

Yes, CR means controlled release. The medicine gets released throughout the day instead of just all at once, so the peaks aren't as bad and the side effects aren't as bad, too. The CRs come in different quantities than the regular ones do, which I am not really sure why. They come in 12.5, 25, and so on increments. Paxil comes in 10, 20, etc. If you are having weird side effects (like the room spinning) at first, I would suggest that you take half of the dose the doctor gave you and take them at night right before you go to bed so you do sleep through the side effects, but then if you are on the CRs, the peaks may happen all day since the medicine is released all day. So maybe you should ask your doctor if you should be on the CRs or just the regular kind. I am on the regular Paxil, and when I first started, I was really sleepy and felt out of it all the time, and I would get dizzy and stuff right after I took it, so I decided to take it b4 I went to bed, and I slept through the bad effects. Plus, I only took half the dose, and I realized that 5mg was really helping my stomach, so I just kept taking that. Talk to your doctor though, because I don't know if you can cut the CRs in half. The doctor and the pharmacist did not tell me to cut them in half, but I think it is a vital thing to know when you start taking Paxil, because it really messes you up at first. Hang with it though, and the side effects will most likely go away. If not, there are a lot more SSRIs out there that might work better for you.Good luck!


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## benbch (Dec 4, 2000)

i was on regular paxil for a few days and couldn't stand it. my diarrhea became unbearable and i felt so out of it. same thing happened with zoloft.heard about paxil CR...sounded good... i've been on it one week and have very few side effects. diarrhea isn't any worse than normal. sexual side effects are nonexistent - YES! - and i'm starting to feel more relaxed and positive about things. this is definitely the way to go if you have GI problems.ben


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