dry mouth and paxil withdrawl

[Megancita]

i was on paxil for about a year and have been off for two  months. the only side effect i still have is a terribly dry mouth and lips. i have very little saliva, especially at night. i am 24 years old. does this ever go away? any advice?

megan
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[Cheryl]

I had a very hard time getting off Paxil - disoriented, very dizzy, etc.  I weined myself off of it little by little, and after six months, I felt back to normal.

[Tammy]

I began using Paxil in October, 1999.  I had a great deal of stress in my life and the Paxil was a wonderful relief.  Prior to Paxil, I had the shakes, could not sleep and felt like I was about to "lose it".  Since I have been on Paxil, some of the stresses in my life have decreased.  I am afraid to go off of the Paxil because I no longer shake and I am sleeping much better.  However, I have gained 12 pounds and am VERY tired.  All I want to do is sleep.  I am feeling depressed and have been very forgetful.  I have an appointment with a doctor to check my hormones.  I thought that my thyroid might be the problem, but after reading the above comments, I think the Paxil may be to blame.  I am 38 years old and thought that maybe I was going into early menopause because I also have night sweats (only a couple of times).  I have had a hysterectomy but still have my ovaries.  Anyone else with similar problems?  Could Paxil be the root of my depression.  I know the weight gain is a part of it.

[Kiki]

Kim
I also have gained 15 - 20 lbs and have only been on Paxil for 6 months. Have you heard of anyone else who has gained weight? I want to eventually get off it but am a teacher and am worried about the withdrawel effects while I am in the classroom. One benfit of Paxil for me has been the elimination of severe monthly PMS and menstrual cramps. It's the first time in years that I am not having terrible mood swings and bloating and cramps every month. Idon't have any other side effects except the weight gain all around my waist, hips and I am only 5.3.
Anyone else out there gain weight?

[chris]

I was on Paxil for about 2 years after 4 major life events. I have to say that Paxil did initially help but the side effects eventually became my reason for tapering down (10mg to 0 in 2 weeks) and eventually stopping. During my Paxil days(20mg/day)I experienced headaches, loss of memory, dizziness, blurred vision, sexual dysfunction, always feeling tired, restless sleep, popping sounds in my head, etc. I have tapered down a few times to see how I would feel and  even though the side effects were minimized I found myself feeling increasingly anxious and panicky. So I would return to 10mg/day which for a while was a bearable comfort point. After a few days the afore mentioned side effects would reappear. So as of Jan 28th I am Paxil free! My symptoms during withdrawal have been nausea, dizziness, feelings of disassociation, increased anxiety and momentary feelings of panic, (these could occur during the day or after awaking mid-night), 'brain zapping sounds', tiredness, moodswings, heightened emotions, numb lips, aching teeth, frustration, easily moved to anger. It is now Feb 15th and even though many symptoms have lessened I am still experiencing moments of increased anxiety and panic, heightened emotions, tiredness, numb lips and aching teeth. Lack of ability to mentally focus on tasks.(One of my main reasons for discontinuing Paxil is that I am now in school and I could not retain information) If anyone has experienced the numb lips or aching teeth I would like to know anything about that.

[[email protected]]

I have been taking paxil for almost a year and I have tapered myself off for about 2 weeks.  I have been completly off for about a week.  I still feel very dizzy and nausea.  I also gained about 15 to 20 lbs, I'm only 5'1" so you can just imagine how depressing THAT is.  Please tell me I will lose this weight and feel better soon.

thanks, kim

[Megan]

laura,

when i went off paxil my symptoms lasted for about two weeks. They were: a splitting headache for about a week accompanied by blurred vision, nausea, cold sweats and bursts of adrenaline. My digestion was also upset for about two weeks. I felt some muscle weakness and was much more concious of free-floating anxiety.

For me, the withdrawl symptoms were much less disturbing than the side-effects i had when i first started the medication a year ago. so i was able to just talk myself through the first days of the withdrawl symptoms. i think i might have taken some asprin to deal with the constant headache.

I stopped my 20 mg dosage in December, after tapering for about a month. I don't feel as even-tempered as i did on the paxil -- i am much more aware of mood swings and anxiety, but the only persistent side effect is this damn dry mouth.

my advice is try to stick it out for at least another week and let other people know that you are feeling physically ill (because you are!) and, if you want, tell them why. also, rest if you can and maybe try exercise. i found it took some pressure off myself just to let people know why i seemed so distracted and inwardly-turned (monitoring my symptoms at every moment.) they were all understanding.

let me know how you are feeling. my best wishes,

megan
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[Laura]

i was on paxil for about 4 months, and this is my 3rd day w/out taking it.  I feel very nauseated, and dizzy.  did you find that when you stopped taking it you felt this way? if you did when did it go away?

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

Megan,

Dryness of the mouth and lips is a possible side effect of Paxil, but it would be unusual for this to persist two months after you stopped the Paxil. Please discuss your concerns further with your treating physician/psychiatrist.