What to do with Paxil

I was put on Paxil roughly 1 1/2 months ago. The first few weeks, I felt nothing as it was entering my system. However, in the last few weeks I have been displaying very bizzar behavior. My first episode, I was out with friends for a few drinks and woke up infront of my house with the car running and my neighbors pulling me out of the car and dragging me into the house. My second episode I was out with friends for drinks and just remember drinking and drinking and drinking. I have no idea how I got home, and there was hours of my life that I can't remember and I blacked out at the kitched table, made food that I don';t remember making and my mom found me and said i wasn't making any sense. My third episode was a few days later. I found my cravings for alcohol stronger and stronger and couldn't WAIT to get home to have a drink- or 10. I drink rum and soda.. but I will just drink anything I could get my hands on. After a few drinks I lose control and have no filter and I am alert and physically awake, however, there are hours of my life missing. this week I had two episodes- I drove to my sisters after have a few drinks and walked in the door and just passed out- i woke up at 2 am in her guest bedroom no idea how I got there. I never said anything to her about it. Lastly, last night I had a work function where there was alcohol. I remember up until a certain point. Then I have no memory. I woke up at a hotel with a stange man who I didn't even know. I evidently got dropped of there by a manager I work with and proceded to drink and be nasty and say horrible things. I got called into my directors office with another person i report to- and I got suspended from work for a day. They aren't angry- they are concerned. They want me to get help of some sort and take tomorrow to think about my game plan. I just started sobbing. Not becuase I was suspended, but I feel like I am not myself all day long, I shake, I can't sleep at normal times, etc. I was on a webside where others displayed the exact some symptoms and had the same experiences. Alcoholism does run in my family and I do enjoy a drink and usually have a few to unwind from work- but it has got soo strong since I am on this. I've been so scared lately and had anxiety over it, which is why I am on Paxil, but then that makes me want to drink more. Here I was thinking I was an alcoholic and afraid to say anything- but after reading all of this information on the web, I really think I am a normal 26 year old girl having fun with freinds- it's just not mixing with the Paxil. I would rather deal with slight anxiety that what I am feeling now- it almost cost me my job. There should be more warnings about this. I didn't take the paxil today because I was scared, but becuase I got an anxiety attack over the suspention thing- I just took a xanex to calm me down. I haven't even been on the Paxil for 2 months, is it ok to just stop taking it?
Thanks- Amy

[kcdem]

Amy you cant drink on paxil or ssri's. It is that simple, didn't anyone tell you that? You have now gotten a certain amount in your system and it enhances (understatement) the alcohol effect. I have known several people who have done this.

You have to choose which medication you want to treat your depression the paxil or self medicating with alcohol which is a depressant. It is your descision otherwise happy blackouts...I would also wonder if you have a drinking problem? Have you ever had a blackout from drinking before?


kcdem

[Amy11]

I have never ever blacked out from drinking before. I go out with friends a few timesa week- drinks a few beers or mixed drinks. I think if I kept on the track that I am on right now with the meds, that I would have a problem, but currently I don't think that I do. I'm on paxil for slight anxity that I just developed a few months ago, not depression.

[kcdem]

I have a buddy that went through the same thing....he was fired from our company. it does not sound like you had a drinking problem but the paxil effect is very dramatic and from what you have described DANGEROUS. i would not drink until you or off of the paxil, some people have this effect. i know it is a bummer especially if you dont have a drinking problem. i do wonder though after all this drama why did you drink again?

I treated my anxiety and depression with alcolhol and I am an alcoholic, you are probably not but it is clear you have a descision to make. you do not want to be in public blacked out as a women for obvious reasons.

i wish you the best of luck...the meds can really suck they manifest themselves in sooo many differnet ways. you can see that when you read the posts. if i had SLIGHT anxiety and was NOT an alcoholic i would stop the paxil and have fun, but thats just me.


kcdem

[Amy11]

That is what I am going to do, get off Paxil. I kept drinking becuase the medication caused such a strong craving, which I researched happened to many others as well. I was sitting here scared thinking that I actually was turning into an alcoholic, and come to find it's a weird mixture of my meds. I just don't think the resluts of the paxil are worth what happened the last 3 weeks. I have never in my life had such a wild crazing for alcohol as I have in the last month.

[kcdem]

i agree with you. even if you did not have the drinking effect, ssris may not be worth it for SLIGHT anything. i know if any of my problems were slight and had just started i would not take an ssri. the longer you take it the less chance it will work if you need it later in life, lets hope not. i would get a taper schedule from ryan, dont just stop cold turkey especially as sensitive to paxil as you may be. there are many other better ways if it is slight. maybe just going through this and then getting off of it properly will make you feel better.

i hope all goes well for you.


kevin

[kcdem]

just re read your post, watch out mixing xanax w/ alcohol as well. i did not realize you were taking xanax, nasty drug i hope you dont take it very often...gosh i sound like a parent...well i am old.



kcdem