Paxil withdrawl

[marissposa]

hey everyone.  Don't know if this would be the right place to post this.  But I need to hear from others who have gotten off paxil.  I tapered off s....l...o...w...,...... 6 months (was on for about 2 and 1/2 years)    and was never on a very big dose (10 mg and I weigh about 110) I expected emotional fallout  I knew that the reasons I went on the drug in the first place would still be there inside me.  But I learned a lot, paxil gave me a new perspective, and I felt prepared to deal with it.  What I didn't expect (and didn't even associate with withdrawl at first) were the physical symptoms.   I'm still just guessing it is because of the paxil.  I am a dancer (stage  not gogo) and movement is my life.  literally the thing that makes me want to live..... and  now I get the weirdest electrical lightning bolts in my spine when I move.  It is scary.  Painful. and disorienting.   I thought I had a serious spinal injury.  I got a catscan.  This has been  6 months now!  Anyone else been through paxil withrawl?  How long does this go on? Earlier tonight I was reading about paxil withrawl and read something about hyper joint mobility?!  I am a dancer--- what I do is push my body to the extreme... and usually I can trust my body will know it's limits,  but now I don't know, is paxil withrawl going to trick me into thinking my body can take more than it can?  Or am I just having some sort of total anxiety meltdown.    I'm feeling totally freaked out here.    I can't stand to have my body fail me!  Dance is all I have!  
Anyone been through this?

[jt808]

hey honestly i dont kno what that is but i just wanted to tell u that u r def in the rite place its a lil late but hang in there the people on here are very helpful and really care about others so someone will b along to help k. sorry i couldnt of been more help but if u just wana talk or whatever im around,k. me im 25 yrs old addicated to norcos 10/325 take 50+ a day everyday for 7 yrs been tryn to quite for last like 2 yrs this place has helped sooooo much. so good luck and like i said there will be help sorry that ur feeling this way i know the symptoms vary but the physical usualy last like 7 days if u c/t if u taper like u did than a lil longer just not as severe but after the physical the emotiol is very bad as well. god bless and like i said if u just want someone to talk to im here

[marissposa]

Thanks for the support!

[Jester2005]

hi sweetie... I understand the lightning bolts effect. My BF takes paxil as well, for his anxiety and panic attacks. I've been with him for 5yrs and a few times have run out of meds. He gets "flashes" behind his eyes, or more like electric shocks. And my mom, too, when she was on them. I don't remember if she still is (we don't talk much, unfortunately). The thing with paxil, as far as I understand, is that it's very addictive to the body and you need to taper very slowly. When my BF's DR retired he gave him a 'scrpit for a year but it was 20mg CR (controlled release) instead of his usual non-CR (he used to break them in 1/2 and only take 10mg; it was cheaper than the 10mg - weird, eh?) so now his body needs to take 20mg/day. I'm so happy for you that you were able to address the issue behind having to take paxil. Not everyone needs meds for a lifetime (though some of us do; I have BP so I'll ALWAYS need to be on some sort of med)... If you're worried about the side-effects, I would recommend you go to your DR about this ASAP, and if you don't have one and find walk-in clinics too long, try calling a pharmacist. Mine is wonderful; always helpful :)  ...there's also a forum section here to "Ask A Doctor" and they answer pretty quickly. When my BF gets up, I'll ask him again what his side-effects are when he doesn't take his paxil... but keep in mind that everyone's different.


Jester2005

[marissposa]

Thanks.  I'm just wondering if anyone knows how long these things can last.  I tapered.  And I haven't had ANY paxil for 6 months and I still get these electrical shocks.   Tests don't find any other cause.  It triggers my anxiety, but it is not caused by emotional stress.  It is caused by certain physical movements.  Does it last forever?

[Jester2005]

hello again... I asked my boyfriend what other symptoms he gets and the only other thing he remembers is seeing black shadows from the corner of his eyes, kinda like mini-hallucinations. As far how long it lasts, he says he has no clue... sorry :(

But if you haven't had paxil in 6 months and STILL have electric shocks, I would book an appointment with your DR RIGHT AWAY if you have one. If not, call your pharmacist... if you'd like, I can call mine tonight  :)

[ejwilson]

Hi. I just read your post and I was on Paxil for a couple of years. I too tapered off very slowly and I started having the sensations you're talking about. But because my spine had worsened so quickly I assumed it was related to spinal problems. I told my doctor and he had never heard of what I was talking about. He thought this feeling could be caused by the base of my neck.  I searched on Google for months, typing in what I was experiencing and I finally found a word that tied it all together. What your feeling is called the zaps. Go to Google and type in zaps paxil, and you will then learn about paxil's dirty secret.
I have been off paxil for over 5 years and I still get them "the zaps", usually more often in the afternoon after I've had a busy day. I was put on Prozac after my first spine surgery 4 years ago and a year ago my doctors added cymbalta too. But till this day I still get them and I know of many others too that still suffer with this. Out of the blue I will get zapped, feelings of electricity shoots out of my head, tip of my tongue, thru the spine and around my ankles. It use to be with almost all quick movements, but maybe because I'm on the other SSRI's they have dulled some of the feeling. When you Google zaps you will find out many sufferers have to take smaller amounts to much smaller amounts to much much smaller amounts,,,,,, and you can see what I'm saying, until you can finally get off of it.
With you being a dancer I can't imagine what you're feeling along with the other W/Ds that go with it. If you have any questions write me back. I am so sorry you have been going through this. elaine

[mtgoat911]

their called brain zaps, started paxil at 14yrs of age and quit at 29yrs of age, this symptom is legitament and will not show up on any test, i would hope that you would have gotten over these after 6 months, how many times a day or month are you getting the zaps? is it getting better?

[marissposa]

Hi everyone.  Thank you so much for your replies.  My doctor swears there is nothing physiologically wrong with me, but gave me a script for pt/massage anyway.  But I'm pretty darn sure it is the paxil withdrwl.  I'm dead set not to go back on it or anything else, but wow ejwilson  you are still getting these after 5 years!  That is daunting!  Ever heard of anyone recovering completely from Paxil?  
mtgoat911:  They are a bit less frequent,  and only with extreme movement, but as a dancer I do that quite a lot.  thursday I had it maybe about 10 times in a 4 hour rehearsal, but today none at all.  Today I also didn't dance.
Thanks again it just helps to know there is support out there :)

[hrsebz]

Hi I took paxil for about two years been off it for about three years I had the same symptoms they last about eight months after quiting They worried me also but was also determined to not go back and it seemed once i new what they where it was easier for me to just ignor them and then one day i noticed i hadint had them in a while havent had one since..they will go away i think massage will help also i do alot of that it seems to help everything lol good luck just keep thinking they will go away mind over matter i know it sounds crazy but it does work.

[mtgoat911]

thats wonderrful you still dance, i took classical ballet for almost 2 decades, i quit paxil 4yrs ago, but i was also getting clean of other stuff so i am not sure how long i had the zaps, try crazymeds.com, its a forum, i have a friend who uses it, she is on that psyc med roller coaster i was on when i was younger, i cannot vouch for this site, but i do know they have discussions about paxil specifically wd

[marissposa]

hrsebz  Only eight months?!  That's the best I've heard.  There is hope ;)  Thank you!

mtgoat911  thanks for the tip. Great website.

Well, I go back to rehearsal tomorrow we'll see how it goes.  Too bad this choreographer  really likes headbanging movemnts