Paxil Withdrawal

[Dana1981]

I've tried to get off Paxil recently and had the WORST problems. After researching and talking to people who have gotten off (or tried to get off) of the drug I am horrified that Paxil is still being prescribed. I am also AMAZED that a DOCTOR would actually say that this isn't dangerous, or that it isn't the PAXIL!?!? Are you kidding? How much were you paid to say that? Paxil DID help with my panic attacks. Did not cure or stop them, but helped. Then getting off of it, or trying to was ABSOLUTE HELL! I can't walk because I'm so dizzy I can't keep my balance. My head feels foggy and cloudy. My head also hurts and it feels like someone keeps hammering a nail into my eyes. I cannot read a book or focus on the computer screen. I get confused and do not understand even the simplest of things. I am 27, smart, in shape and fast- paced. When trying to slowly wean off of this drug - I become slow and confused. Also, I become nauseous, the lights around become extremely bright. I cannot stand the lights even in my house. I have to squint and then even cover my eyes. I become emotional -- overly ovely emotional. I become paranoid and scared and start to panic because I see shadows out of the corners of my eyes. Then I try to go to work and I can't correctly hear or understand what people are saying to me. I feel like I'm watching a movie or it is a dream. I start to wonder if I'm losing my mind. I start sweating in my own house (that I always keep at 60 degrees) and have to go outside in the 30 degree weather with a tank top on. That is if I don't fall down the steps from the dizziness or the shocks in my head. I became extremely angry and irratated. So angry that family members suggested that I go to anger management classes. That was before they knew that it was the Paxil. These are just some of the MAIN things I am feeling while slowly slowly weaning off of this drug that was supposed to help me. My doctor that put me on Paxil told me to only stay on it for 1 year. So one year later, this is what's going on. It is happening to everyone trying to wean off of Paxil. If you don't have one symptom, you have the other. And lucky me, I have most of them. I have NO time to take off of work and I worked like this every day until I couldn't take it anymore and went back on Paxil. I read one doctor say that this was a safe drug and there are no withdrawal symptoms and I had to laugh out loud. Please "doctor" try out Paxil for yourself for a year or 2 and then stop taking it. My husband was on Paxil in the army and stopped taking it and got what they call the "Paxil Flu". This is a dangerous drug that has many side effects and many MANY more withdrawal symptoms. You might as well be on heroin and try to get off. If I could go back, I would have never gotten on Paxil. It helped with panic attacks but gave me about 30 other problems. So to sum up.... when on Paxil you get to look forward to gaining weight, making bad decisions and choices that will affect the rest of your life and coming close to death while trying to get off of this drug from HELL!!
P.S. There are documents stating that GSK (the makers of Paxil) knew that there were horrible withdrawal symptoms and hid this fact. So either the doctor's don't know about it or they're lying to us. Either way, this is happening.. it's real and extremely dangerous.

[Paxilpete]

Back on Paxil! Couldn't take side-effects!

[specialmom]

It could be some of the old panic returning.  That is certainly a possibility.  

I hope the weaning continues and in theory---  withdrawel side effects should absolutely lesson over time.  good luck

[Paxiled]

This is an old thread, but I looked because going off Paxil killed me forever.  Rare reaction, lucky me, but I'm not alone on this.  I just wanted to say, try the melatonin at 1mg and see if it works better.  Melatonin works better at lower doses.  They say fish oil helps, too.  About the panic, if it's the same as it was before you went on Paxil, it probably means it's no longer medicated and you didn't cure it in therapy so it's still there.  If it's different -- I have all kinds of problems I got when I went off Paxil I never had before I went on it -- then it's probably the Paxil withdrawal.  Most do get over this, but if you still have the panic disorder Paxil was treating, well, it still needs to be treated.  Good luck.

[Paxilpete]

Well I'm up and it's after 3am. I slept most of the day( this is why I'm up now) my wife gave me 6mg of melatonin and it helped. I almost went to sleep but didn't because I had turned on the tv and started watching a show. I feel good. I have a lot to do tomorrow or today so I'm still in the mind set of not going back to the Paxil. I also took 1mg of Xanax around 4pm today but haven't felt the need to take anymore. My ear ringing is subsiding as well and I'm noticing the head zaps are dissipating too! Maybe I'm on the down side of this? Only time will tell. Once again I will say that I don't recommend trying to stop cold turkey at 20mg.

I do wonder if some of the panic I'm having is coming back and that the Paxil was masking it or I should say doing its job.

I looked in the medicine cabinet and I have 16 month supply of the Paxil left so I didn't take it as subscribed, which I knew I hadn't been, it's mind over matter, all in our head. I've set my mind to getting off this medication. I hope it works.

[specialmom]

I'm also wondering if you can drop by 5 mg (need to get the 10 mg tabs) and that would slow the weaning and help reduce the side effects from clearing out the paxil from our system.  

Lots of luck to you, it isn't easy.

[specialmom]

Do you think any of that could be a reoccurance of your anxiety symptoms that are now untreated?