Paxil withdrawal

[jakecat]

I have been on 30mg Paxil for over 27 years.  Don't let anyone tell you it isn't addictive.  Unfortunately I didn't know how addictive it is until 2 years ago.  Within the last 3 weeks I have begun the withdrawal process - which, by the way, mimics withdrawal from Heroin.  I am doing o.k. other than the uncontrollable anger, dizziness and debilitating sweats.  

Anyone know of anything natural that I can take to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms?  I am determined to rid myself of this most horrible medication.  And, apparently, as long as you do not express your concerns about Paxil to your doctor the prescriptions will continue.

[Paxiled]

Amish, addiction is addiction, no matter whether it's for a medical condition or not.  Paxil is not technically addictive, because you don't have to take more to get the same result, so you're right on about that, but benzos are addictive no matter how you get them, and so are many painkillers.

[amish1979]

Paxiled,

Yes I could have phrased that better.  Benzos can absolutely be addictive as well as opiates.  I didn't mean that just because something serves a legitimate medical purpose it can't be addictive.

[amish1979]

There is quite a difference between an addiction to a painkiller and the withdrawals we suffer when coming off of an SSRI.  I don't see many back-alley Lexapro dealers.

[Paxiled]

Actually, they exist.  I know it's weird, but they do!  Look at these celebrities with antidepressants and no prescription.  I can't even see why anyone would take benzos to get high, it isn't much of a high, but people do.  Don't ever underestimate the nut factor of humanity.

[Paxiled]

This is getting off the point, but just two amendments to what you said.  The first is that, yes, even medications used for the duration of an illness can be addictive.  Ask the many soldiers who return with devastating injuries; once they recover, they still must detox from the opiates they were on just like any junkie, and many never are able to kick.  Your medications aren't addictive, but they are hard to withdraw from, but that's medically a different condition.  It's a small point, and doesn't matter much to the person who's suffering, but as a writer, I kind of focus on the fact that words do have meaning, and that sometimes people's confusion is the result of their misunderstanding of words.  The second point is, yes, Paxil might be necessary, but any knowledgeable psychiatrist isn't going to prescribe it as the drug of first resort anymore.  It will only be if less troublesome meds haven't worked.  This is often the case in medicine, where the least problematic meds are tried first and the most problematic tried only if necessary.  But I completely agree that the question of addiction isn't the question for someone who needs medication.  If you need a benzo, the fact it's addictive shouldn't stop you, and the same with painkillers, because pain and anxiety and depression are terrible for some people.  I've never solved my problem with therapy, and so I turned to meds, but it would have been nice if I had been forewarned what the consequences might be.  I never was.  You are very informed, but I would venture to guess you got that way by necessity because your physicians weren't giving you the best info.  Peace.

[theotterone]

Ok, so I get coming off Paxil is hard.  I have been on it for almost 10 years now.  And I understand that the effects of coming off can be devistating, but aren't there withdrawal symptoms to ANY antidepressant?  Is insulin addicting because one's body can not produce it and they need to to process glucose?  I'm not trying to stir up trouble, just asking for clarification.