Paxil Withdrawal

[Cathy]

How long is withdrawal from Paxil supposed to take?  I have been off it for 5 days now and still feel the ocean-like, electrical shock-like, cymbal-crashing feeling in my head.  Can I expect this to end anytime soon?

[Pam]

I'm going through all of the above now!  This is my second attempt at stopping Paxil.  I was on 50mg at maximum, and I was able to taper down to 10mg with only mild vesions of the symptoms described.  I went from 50 to 40 to 30 to 20 (you can go in 5mg increments if you have the right pills --- I only had 40's and 30's available this time), staying on EACH dose for TWO WEEKS.  This makes for a very long withdrawal period, but I was not too uncomfortable.  

After 20mg, I went down to 15mg for 2 weeks, then 10mg for almost 2 weeks.  Next I planned to go to 5mg, then start skipping days.  But around that time I got VERY depressed and my doctor recommended stopping the Paxil altogether immediately and starting a different drug.  Now my physical symptoms are much worse.  Has anyone else started another antidepressant during Paxil withdrawal?

Besides snacking, my suggestions for partial relief of withdrawal symptoms are decongestant (Sudafed) or Dramamine (for motion sickness).  One or the other of these usually helps.

***@****

[Ryan]

I am beginning today to ween myself off Paxil. I am taking a half dose every day for two weeks. ( 5mg/day ) After that I will stop completely. I am experiencing all of the same symptoms.. Nausea, headache, fish-bowl feeling, lack of focus, just an all around fuzzy feeling. I have found that if I take a few small hits off a joint, NOT ENOUGH TO GET HIGH!!! It takes the edge off. I can hardly feel the effects of the marijuana, and the nausea and vertigo seem to subside for about a half an hour. I hope these feelings go away and someday soon I am back to normal....
Good luck to everyone else trying to get off.... Just hang in there. A body without Paxil is MUCH healthier than a body with Paxil.

[buffy]

I stopped taking Paxil a couple of weeks back.  I think my last pill was on a Thursday.  By Saturday night I was experiencing the symptoms everyone described above.  Monday morning I came to work, mistaking the feeling for low blood sugar.  I filled up on Coke and sweets, something I rarely do, and nothing happened.  I began to feel the following:

Detached from my body
Light head
Faint feeling
Tingling in my head
Like if I cut myself I would bleed forever

Those are just some of the symptoms.  I was rushed to the doctor and he mistook the feelings for anxiety since I had stopped the Paxil.  The moment I took the pill again, I began to feel better.  Just yesterday I had stopped taking Paxil, I was out.  Man, the feelings start to come quick.  

One thing I suggest, and one thing I did, taking a Metabolife.  This helps immediately and gets you off of the antidepressants.  Thanks.

[Anne]

Amen!  After 8 months of usage (20 mg/day), I have tried to reduce to 10mg three times/week.  Both times, I have been sick as a dog!  Headaches including the toothaches, electric zaps, vomiting and cramps, diarrhea, even the first yeast infection I have had in my whole (49 yr) life.  Thankfully no dizziness or "disjointed" feeling.  I have taken only 5 mgs twice in the last 2 1/2 weeks and still do not feel well.  I have never reacted like this to any drug, and as far as I'm concerned, this fits my definition of a narcotic.  I hope this ends soon - I am more concerned to continue it than to wait out this hell!

[dead nancy]

hi, everybody.

just wanted to say thanks for the accounts here of paxil withdrawal. if you've read this page this far, you know the drill about the drug and its withdrawal symptoms. it's just nice to know that i don't have the flu, and the brain flashes will go away.

and it really is pretty excellent to enjoy sex again. i'll weather the swimmy feeling.

xox,
dn

[kim]

My doctor said I could quit Paxil cold turkey, with no side effects.  It didn't sound right to me, so I cut from 10 to 5 mg's for a few weeks, then tried to skip a day now and then.  I lay awake from 12:30 to 4am every night, awakened by night sweats.  I feel anxious and nauseated and jittery. I've gone back to 10 mg's for a while, but don't feel as good as I did before.  It sounds like tapering off like I'm doing is a good idea, but the bottom line seems to be that I just have to get off of it and bear what comes my way.  Besides snacking, are there any other helpful ideas?  Supplements?  My email address is ***@****.