paxil withdrawals

I'm in the process of withdrawing mself from paxil.  I'm a strong willed person and have decided to go it cold turkey.  Wondering if this is a smart idea but i'm committed to it.  Believe me i didnt feel this weird before i started taking paxil and that was 10 years ago.  I guess i'm in it for the long haul.  Was wondering if anyone knew how long this weirdness was going to last or when it might let up a bit.

[Nikodicreta]

Hey Debbie.
Welcome to the forum
I admire your courage. Are you sure though? make sure  that this is safe to do so.
The withdrawal symptoms- after 10 years of paxil use- are going to challenge you
(and perhaps others!).
Would you consider to gradually reduce the dosage, while substituting with a natural
supplement formula like Amoryl?

From a previous post that I sent recently:

Holistic therapy for depression: 1. Energy Psychology Therapy.
Efficient and with good results.

2.  Amoryn + Seredyn anti- depression (natural) formulas. Purchase 2+1 of each,
free shipping, under $100.00 total and 60 Day money back. Nice incentive!
(I'm not affiliated with the seller-I do Holistic Psychotherapy in Canada)


AMORYN study
More Effective than Paroxetine (Paxil®) for Moderate to Severe Depression (2005) - New
Just recently completed in early 2005 and published in the British Medical Journal, this study1 examining 251 adults with moderate to severe depression again demonstrated the effectiveness of hyperforin-rich Hypericum extract (the main ingredient in AMORYN) for the treatment of depression. Patients were given either 900mg/day Hypericum extract (the dose found in two capsules of AMORYN) or 20mg/day paroxetine (the prescription antidepressant Paxil®) for six weeks. For patients who did not respond quickly, doses were doubled after two weeks. After six weeks, symptoms of depression decreased 57% in the group taking hyperforin-rich Hypericum and only 45% in the group taking paroxetine. Patients taking Hypericum were 42% less likely than patients taking paroxetine to experience negative side effects. The researchers concluded that, "In the treatment of moderate to severe major depression, Hypericum extract... is at least as effective as paroxetine and is better tolerated." The Hypericum extract used in this trial was standardized to 3-5% hyperforin. The extract in AMORYN is also standardized to 3-5% hyperforin, ensuring that AMORYN will be equally or more effective than the Hypericum used in this study. More details and data...

There are more protocols available, however, the 2 suggestions above offer promising
possibilties.
let me know, how you make out.

Please do your own thorough research, or consult with your health care professional
before making any decisions about your health.

Hope this is helpful.
Blessings,
Nikodicreta

[Seattle_sleeping_less_2011]

Could you give more info?  How did the Paxil work for your depression?  You took it for 10 years, so it must have agreed with you some?  Why do you want to stop taking it?  Did it stop helping?  What do you mean by you're in it for the long haul?  What do you mean by "feeling weird?"  If you'd like to go into it more, it can be helpful to talk about the issues.  Depression can have many causes.  Isolation feeds it.
How did the depression progress over the 10 years?  Once in a while you run into people who have endured depression for this long.  Since 1987 here, off and on.  You're definitely in it for the long haul, but just getting by or surviving gets old after that long.  Will power alone may not be enough.
I've heard several success stories of people going cold-turkey off alcohol which sort of surprised me.  People with 10 years or more of sobriety.  That's pretty amazing.  But these depression meds have a much different effect.  

Finding a natural treatment is a possible option as mentioned by the therapist from Canada.  I have to admit it's difficult to get into a routine, but exercise is great therapy.  Martial arts also.  it gets you focused.  Exercising to music especially can create a natural elevated mood with a group of people.  There are a lot of new exercise routines to music these days.

Have some fun--  don't toss all medications...there may be one that could be helpful, but it can take over a month or two to find them.  

You've made it 10 years.  You've got to change "I guess I'm in it" to something to match your strong will--
You write it...
I'll be back to read it--

[debbie1255]

When i started with menopausal symptoms i started on paxil this was 10 years ago.  I dont feel as though I need the medication anymore since all the circumstances that were causing my depression are gone.  I'd like to not take any more medication than I have to as i get older.  The head rushes are starting to subside which is good because it was actually making me dizzy.  I've been off it going on three weeks now.  I have other problems that are causing me to loose sleep such as a herniated disk in my neck which i'm getting fixed this weekend.  so I'm kind of waiting to see how much that fixes when I'm done with the surgery.  Also the paxil was starting to affect me memory wise.  Since I'm a computer programmer i need all the memory i can get without loosing any of it.  I'm not really able to exercise at the moment because of the herniated disk but I'm going to start an exercise routine after it heals.  I know the withdrawal symptoms are rough but its not going to kill me so i know i can make it through.  I kind of look at the vivid dreams I've been having as my own personal movie.