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side effects of paxil or just anxiety?

by vg97, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
hello all,

i recently was diagnosed with an anxiety order and i have been taking paxil 10mg for 10 days now and recently i feel like tightness around my stomache like right below my chest and its a real uncomfortable feeling? can this be anxiety or just the paxil side effects?
Member Comments (13)

by Angel13, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
It might be because of the anxiety.  Is your anxiety any better?  It takes a while for the meds. to kick in so maybe give it a little more time and if you are still having the same problems please call your doc.  Anxiety can do a lot of things to our minds and bodies.  Take care.....

Angel

by vg97, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
thanks angel, the anxiety did get a little better now its just more of the discomfort of the tightness around my stomache. Well i'll see how it goes for a couple of more weeks, hopefully everything well be fine.

by suzi-q, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
Yes, it needs time to work and for side effects to work themselves out.  If the discomfort continues, call your doctor...however, if the results are better than the side effects, the doctor will probably say to stay on it.

I take Paxil 10 years now...best to you.

by vg97, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
To: suzi-q
thanks, i should also mention that i was also taking xanax (alprazolam) 0.25 mg for like 8 days straight but just half of the pill maybe it might be withdrawal symptoms from that? but it was only a short period of time that i took xanax, so is it possible to still have the withdrawal symptoms from xanax?

by suzi-q, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
I don't think that you can have withdrawal from 8 days, but I am not sure...check with your doc about the side effects...I think it is from the Paxil and your body needs to get used to it....I am not sure if I had side effects from it because I was in such a bad way when I started the paxil that ANYTHING was an improvement!!!

by vg97, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
To: suzi-q
Thanks alot, so you have been taking paxil for 10 years? my doc. wanted me to stay on it for 6 months but it seems to be working great i feel actually normal again besides the little side effects but i know it will soon past. So taking the paxil for 10 years, do you still have a little anxiety or panic attacks often? I dont get much attacks at all since i was diagnosed with the anxiety disorder about a month ago i would say i had about just 3 attacks but so far so good just little symptoms like heavy in the chest alot of dry mouth like always feeling dehyrated and a little anxious here and there.

by LBSooner, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
I just started 20 mg Paxil on Saturday - Seem worse my hair is standing on edge. I have never taken anything before. I been suffering from anxiety attacks for approx 3 months (severe physical symptoms).

My head seems to be constantly tingling. the blurry vision typical of the anxiety attacks is almost constant now. Can't focus - irritable. Is this normal?? Do these syptoms taper off?

Thanks for the replies!

by tamvt, Apr 30, 2007 12:00AM
To: suzie q
wow 10 yrs of paxil i have been on 10 mg for about 6yrs is it really ok to take the paxil that long thanks

by suzi-q, May 01, 2007 12:00AM
To: tamvt
I hope it is OK!!!  I think the major side effect of the drug has to do with birth defects...which I do not have to worry about (I have a wonderful daughter recently adopted from China..from other fertility issues..not because of the paxil)...and I know that the weaning off of Paxil will be horrible also... for now, I will stay just as I am....if it ain't broke, don't fix it!  Truthfully, I hope to master this anxiety thing one day and when I do, I hope to come off the Paxil...and I will cross that bridge when I come to it.  Let me know if you hear any other things about Paxil.  Thanks!

by vg97, May 01, 2007 12:00AM
To: LBSooner
you will be fine, when you have the attacks just try to stay calm. I had about 3 attacks so far since last month, but i took xanax for like a week and it help calm me down, maybe you should ask your doc. about getting on xanax until the paxil kicks in. This is my second week on paxil 10mg and it seems to be working fine but you should be ok, just hang in there.

by LBSooner, May 01, 2007 12:00AM
To: vg97
VG,
It is not the attacks as much as I am having constant effects.

I am concerned that maybe I did not need to be taking 20mg right of the bat. I notice everyone here is taking 10mg's.

I guess my other concern is that I am not sure whether the Paxil is causing this or if I am just in overload.

Does this medicine hit you this hard when you first start it?? Does this taper off??

Tks,
LB

by Beaconden, May 10, 2007 12:00AM
How long do you have to be on paxil for the side effect of weight gain to occur

by crazyjake22, May 11, 2007 12:00AM
yea i've had drug induced anxiety attacks for about 6 years now.. the most horrible thing i could have gotten myself into.. hah but ive been clean eversince and have changed my life around. but i was on the Paxil for about 6 months at first.. but i chose to get off because i felt that i could maybe overcome it without the meds..plus it made my heart beat really hard when first taking it in the mornings..and if i missed a day it would make me feel really bad..so i tried splitting it into halves..like 10mg and that was alot better.. but i ended up just getting off it..and i slowly got better from the anxiety for the most part... but recently i have been really having trouble with my symtoms and im undergoing new test to make sure its nothing still...my past symtoms of anxiety use to be..clammy hands/going numb eventualy in my whole body,depending on how long it lasted../tensed up hands and aches all over/ very fast heart beat/ shortness of breath/ untill i would get to the point of just letting the Lord take me away..and then it would get better by the time i was at full experience of death... but i don't get that kind of anxiety anymore really unless certain events take place..like long drives or just serious scarces...

but my new anxiety symptoms. if it is anxiety is..  my vision is almost like im tripping on acid very lightly though.. almost like im lightheaded or woozy..but its really weird..almost like my body just wants to drop out and shut off.. at nights i get really bad..my legs usualy go cold/numb like. my mouth feels dry even though i can feel that i have plenty of saliva and shouldn't be thirsty..ive been drinking alot of liquids and potassium stuff.. sometimes i feel like im almost choking like my throat is closed off or tightend.my heart rate seems good when i check it..and my blood pressure is good...but this is horrible and i don't want to live like this the rest of my life..im 22 years old (male)

if it is anxiety..its like my mind is making a total new nightmare for me to overcome once again..but if it is anxiety i will have to get past tihs again..and hopefully there is no more this time once past it..

good luck everyone =]
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