paxil withdrawl

[shellybelly55]

Hi, I quit taking Paxil 1 year ago. I was on 30mgs daily for depression and panic attacks. It worked almost right away. I gained 45 pounds in 3 years on Paxil. I had had enough so I tapered off slowly over 5 months with my Dr.s help.
Withdrawl was awful, terrible anger and the ability to feel emotions again was the hardest.
One year later and I am having a difficult time again with depression and Panic.
Two months ago my Dr. gave me Lexapro to take. I have not had one yet. Very scared to be a zombie again and to gain weight.
I have started B6 and Inositol. I am 55 years old and Female. I have also just found out I have a B-12 deficiency and I am going to start injections for this.
I also started to see a therapist.
If anyone has gone the "natural" route successfully, I would love to hear from you, to see if it is at all possible to "live" without these AD"s.
Thanks for any advice or help.

[sooners_niners]

I've been on Paxil since 1994. I was put on it due to panic attacks. I now feel as if I am just a shell of myself, could care less if I lived or died. I find no joy in anything in life and the only reason I am still here is because I couldn't do such a thing to my son & wife. I would go to the pharmacy back in '94 and tell them the side effects I was getting after missing just ONE dose and they looked at me like I was stupid. Now they all have names (i.e., brain zaps etc.). I have tried to get off Paxil with a doctor, the brain zaps I get, they only way I can explain them is they are like your computer, when it blinks for just a second, it's like my brain and CNS zap, and it happens anywhere from every 30 seconds to every couple of minutes. I have to lay down and close my eyes. I don't know what to do. I had one doctor tell me I may just have to be on it for life. What if they stop making it then? If I didn't have a wife and son I would end this madness once and for all, because I wake up each day saying, "Crap, I'm still here" and that's not a life worth living. Payed for a few corporate yachts I imagine, hope they enjoy them. I don't know how they can sleep at night knowing what they have done to so many lives, families etc.
One doctor tried to feed me the crap that the withdrawals don't last that long, on and on and on, I said "Have you ever had a panic attack before?" She answered "no". Just because you study things out of medical journals and books, doesn't mean you even have a clue A) what a panic attack feels like B) what brain zaps feel like withdrawing from Paxil. I would love to meet a doctor that has taken Paxil for a long term use, and discuss his/her reactions to withdrawals and such, but good luck finding one.

[shellybelly55]

Thanks for writing back to me. You were my only response and I am grateful. Since my post I have given up and have started to take Lexapro, starting at 5mgs per day. I just pray it does not put weight on me. Taking the weight off after the paxil was such a wonderful thing. BUT, my depression and severe panic attacks were just too much to deal with and I guess I just "gave in" and reached for help from the Lexapro.
I am getting counselling as well, this time around.
I was soooo afraid to take that first pill, but, you know I do think it is helping already (started last Saturday). My panic just seems "distant" now. Do you know what I mean?
I will post updates on the Lexapro, especially the weight gain--so far I have had none!
I swear with the Paxil I gained with each pill!! lol.
my best to everyone in this mess.  But, alas, SPRING is on its way!

[kg79]

Hi my name is Kendra and i was put on paxil and resperdal over the past summer and gained 30 pounds in 4 months It got better the longer I was off it but now I am dealing with an overeatting problem:( But has got alot better I started taking st johns wart and or Sam-e and had the doctor but me on Ativan I am not going on anything else until this weight comes off for the same very fears.