weaning off Paxil 'CR' - Mental Health

by HOTROD327, Dec 21, 2002 12:00AM

I was on 225 mg of Effexor. I have been taking this for over two years and the doctor has put me on Wellbutrin SR 150 mg. I had to take the wellbutrin 150 with the effexor 3 75 mg tabs for 1 week then wellbutrin 150 with effexor 2 75 mg tabs for 2 weeks then wellbutrin 150 with 1 75 mg tabs for 2 weeks then wellbutrin 150 alone no effexor. I have had the worse case of withdrawls in my life, dizziness, lost feeling, cant think, weird strange dissconnected feeling.Effexor is not supposed to be addictive but ot gives you these f***ed up feelings. It feels like back when I was addicted to Xanex and I came off them which is a true narcottic which wasn't near this bad. I wish the medical department and the gov. would get their stuff straight. I can smoke pot for years and have the same effects and better controll of my life than on this medicine but the gov. wants to have controll over us. Also you can quit pot and not have all these withdrawls!!!!!!

by joyce45, Dec 22, 2002 12:00AM

I have weaned from regular Paxil over many weeks time, and it was dove very gradually. However, on the extended release medications it is much more difficult to withdraw. One possibility that some Psychiatrists have come up with is having their patients put on 10 mgs of Prozac daily [which has a longer half life] and then have their patient wean down on Paxil [slow release], then the patient can slowly wean off the Prozac after being off the Paxil comfortably at least a week. I don't like any of the extended release antidepressants. Paxil just came out with it as a way to lengthen their Paxil patent....with no regard for people who can't withdraw from it. Good luck.

by peas, Dec 28, 2002 12:00AM

http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:Xwy9WWelf8cC:www.du.edu/~pyesawic/Paxil%2520Business%2520Legal%2520Paper.doc+seizures+paxil+2002&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Extract:

"....These reactions are unexpected to the victims and even their physicians because SKB has deliberately or recklessly failed to properly warn of these. Some of the common complaints and side effects of Paxil included jolting electric zaps, dizziness, motor instability, extreme nausea, vomiting, high fever, abdominal discomfort, flu-like symptoms, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, aggression, nightmares, suicidal ideation, akathisia, tremor, *****seizures,***** and confusion."......

"....The first area in which the issue lies in within the area of fraud and deceit. The judge openly recognized that hands down SKB *****knowingly mischaracterized, and miscoded withdrawal syndromes occurring during clinical trials, and failed to alert the medical community that a significant number of individuals experienced.***** That SKB knowingly and continues to misrepresent and actively updated both patients, physicians, and the medical community abroad the side effects associated with Paxil...."

by pupa, Jan 27, 2003 12:00AM

my dr. is dosing my 7 year old daughter off of paxil. She was on 10 mg for 9 months due to anxiety. After reading all of the side effects of paxil we decided to take her off immediatly. He dropped her to 5mg for 7 days then went to 5 mg every other day for a week now she is at 5 mg every two days off one day on for a week. she is experiencing some dizziness, terrors, anger, a lot of nonsense crying bouts, and just very irratic behavior.
I'm concerned about sending her to school,especially since at this time she is hating everything including school and school work. Not to mention in less than a week she'll be at 5 mg 3 days off one day on for about two more 1/2 pills. Wow, what to do, I need to decide now if I'm going to stick with it or give in to it. I don't know how to help my own child. It hurts to see her suffer a pain I have never felt or can begin to imagine.

by dawne, Mar 27, 2003 12:00AM

i've been on paxil cr for 9 wks 25mg. has anyone experienced severe muscle tightening or constant muscle contraction with this? my doc says unlikely. i'm in terrible pain in major muscle groups. as a weightlifter, i'm not used to this type of chronic pain after exercise. i'm talking almost paralysis of major muscles for days. doc says to stop taking for 2wks to see if the med is causing this. that wasn't smart. about 72 hrs later i was having blackout feelings and felt in general like i had been on a week long drunk.

any suggestions? please help i'm desperate for relief.

by STARLA GRRRL, Apr 03, 2003 12:00AM

To: pupa

I'm so sorry about these hard times for your daughter. Shame on the maniac doctor who put a CHILD on this drug! I don't think many conditions a child can get (if any) merit the use of paxil-like drugs. I am 21 and I just weaned myself off of paxil...and it was sheer hell. I can't imagine what that would be like for a child.
My advice to you is to wait it out. There is also a great website called quitpaxi.org you can check it out, there is a plethora of information about withdrawl and how to make it easier on there.
Other than that, please get a NEW doctor. It's absolutely criminal how these people hand this stuff out like candy, and fail to tell the whole story. You are not alone.
God bless.

by STARLA GRRRL, Apr 03, 2003 12:00AM

To: Dawne

Listen to me, please. First of all, I think you should stop taking this drug. You are not alone. You are one of the hundreds of people who are put on drugs every year (half of them don't even need these drugs) only to find out that they were not given the whole story. I'm sure this is very difficult for you, and I totally understand.
Not only is your doctor irresponsible (for suggesting to just stop taking them like he did---you should sue his *** for that) But he is also just one of the probably thousands of "professionals" who prescribe this poison only to get a pitch from the big companies that produce them. Yes, medication does help SOME people...but nobody can deny how discustingly overprescribed this stuff is.
Next thing, your doctor is probably going to tell you to take some other strange drug, to combat your withdrawl symptoms...and then the cycle will probably repeat itself again. Get a NEW doctor, because this one is no good. And, try alternative routes other than meds, which only offer a temporary solution. And if meds is what is right for you, then PLEASE research what they are trying to give you. Go to websites where people actually talk about their experiences on these psych drugs. It could make the difference between a good life and a life in living hell.
Blessings.

by MISS CARRIE, May 23, 2003 12:00AM

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE PAIN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE GOING THRU.
AFTER NUMEROUS DOCTOR VISITS AND ER TRIPS (ADVICE FROM THEM-SEE A COO-COO DOCTOR AND INCREASE MY EVIL PILL DOSAGE)I WENT TO A WELL BALANCED LIVING DOCTOR.SHE IS GOING TO HELP ME W/WITHDRAW.
FIRST WE ARE GOING TO CLEANSE MY BODY W/NATURAL HEALTHY MEDS,THEN GO THRU THE PROCESS.SHE SAYS GET RID OF THE MUD PUDDLE IN MY BODY.YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY THIS.GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS.
IF YOU WANT TO E-MAIL ME FEEL FREE.
***@****
MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU

by MISS CARRIE, May 23, 2003 12:00AM

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE PAIN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE GOING THRU.
AFTER NUMEROUS DOCTOR VISITS AND ER TRIPS (ADVICE FROM THEM-SEE A COO-COO DOCTOR AND INCREASE MY EVIL PILL DOSAGE)I WENT TO A WELL BALANCED LIVING DOCTOR.SHE IS GOING TO HELP ME W/WITHDRAW.
FIRST WE ARE GOING TO CLEANSE MY BODY W/NATURAL HEALTHY MEDS,THEN GO THRU THE PROCESS.SHE SAYS GET RID OF THE MUD PUDDLE IN MY BODY.YOU MIGHT WANT TO TRY THIS.GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS.
IF YOU WANT TO E-MAIL ME FEEL FREE.
***@****
MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.

by CherylS, May 24, 2003 12:00AM

I'm in the process of discontinuing Paxil CR usage and it has literally been hell. I was taking 25mg for a number of months with no real problems and wanted to try increasing to 37.5 to see if I'd do better. I only took the increase for 6 days and have been a mess for over a week without much noticable improvement. It was a nightmare just getting the doctor to understand the problem and it took a trip to the hospital due to fear of a stroke when my arm and head were tingling and feeling numb to finally convey that it was serious. The hospital was the worst when I had to convince at least 5 different people that it wasn't stress, etc. I was extremely weak in the muscles in my arms and legs and dizzy and couldn't function for even half a day work. The doctor first gave me another medication because even though I told him the lack of energy was not a problem before, he was trying to blame that on depression too. After one day of that I was at the hospital and now he's taken me off all medication until it clears out and I can't work or drive. I'm sure that it must be withdrawal symptoms now too because the dizziness is a big problem now but it's all kind of run together from what I consider an overdose to withdrawal.
I can barely manage to leave the house for other than short trips, my head's spinning and ears ringing and kind of that tingling feeling in my head that's hard to describe. The state I've been in has me depressed which I don't think has anything to do with withdrawal but just hopelessness about this although I don't even feel like I can trust my thoughts all the time now. I'm an adult and called someone in tears because I was exhausted and the person I was with had to run a few errands before we could get home and even staying in the car was tiring. It's scary because it feels like no one understands or can help. It's not like being sick and I can go to a doctor and get something to help. The hospital couldn't even help me and all I can do is rely on the psychiatrists advice because there is nowhere else to turn where I feel anyone understands what these drugs can do. To sum that up, I know I'm in worse shape because I/we didn't really feel we could take the time to wean me off so if it's at all possible, I think it's important with Paxil.



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