PAXIL WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS MIMIC HEROIN WITHDRAWAL!

[Jaime]

I am suffering from Paxil withdrawals.  Below is more information that the doctors won't tell you!!!

Tell your Doctors, and perhaps they will make the connection! How hard has it been for you to wean yourself from Paxil? It's as agonizing as coming off of heroin..and shares most of the same symptoms and long term effects! While researching an answer to all of the awful symptoms I experienced during my Paxil withdrawal, I was unable to find any medical resources listing Paxil as a source of these particular symptoms we all experience. Guess where I kept finding my search results directing me to? Heroin withdrawal. The symptoms associated with heroin withdrawal that are similar to Paxil withdrawal are: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, restlessness, and leg movements, or jerking. While heroin produces muscle and bone pain, insomnia, and cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), which are not identical to Paxil withdrawal, the Paxil symptoms of headache, "electric shocks", dizziness and hot flashes as well as psychotic mental state (violent anger/hopeless depression, unwanted suicidal/homicidal thinking) are similarly debilitating and certainly result in the return to the use of the drug (paxil) in the same way that heroin produces that result! Most experts agree that the major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. I think that most of us (the "experts" on paxil withdrawal!) would agree that, even with careful and lengthy periods of weaning off the drug, at least some of these frightening effects occur and are problematic in our lives for longer than the average heroin withdrawal duration of about a week! Most of us have found that, by the time a week has passed,off Paxil, the terrible sickness we feel has become so great, we are desperate to return to taking the drug again to alleviate the symptoms. And many often do return this way, again and again...simply because we can't afford to lose three weeks or more of work, withdrawing from a medication that Doctors routinely dismiss as not being a cause of such sickness (we all have a really bad case of the flu), or because we are so frightened by the strange, indescribeable physical and mental feelings of disassociation and nervous system "zaps" that we go back to the drug to restore clear thinking, fearing that we are "crazy"...especially since our doctors seem to have no understanding of any of these symptoms as relating to anything they have seen before.   I hope everyone who is serious about finding the truth about the drug Paxil and it's horrible withdrawal symptoms will be sure to notify their health care providers of all of the symptoms experienced with this drug and insist that the details be documented and reported to the manufacturer, distributors, pharmacists and anyone in the medical field who can process this information officially and end the notion that these symptoms are "hearsay", simply because the drug company has not chosen to make them "fact"! And the next time you feel, or someone tells you that withdrawing from Paxil is "not that bad", remember that you are in the throes of a withdrawal so severe. that few others, except heroin addicts, have experienced, and YES, IT IS BAD! But it can be survived!

: Shawn Allen

[Daniel]

To say that the withdraws from Paxil is similar to Heroin is a little extreme. If the side effects are as bad as you say they are, chances are it's one of three things: (1) You're trying to get off of Heroin, too. (2) Something else (other than Heroin or Paxil) is causing these problems (3) You have stopped taking the Paxil suddenly without a gradual decrease (and likely without a doctor's permission, too). I experienced withdraws from Paxil with a gradual decrease in the drug (doctor supervised, of course) and experienced flu-like symptoms for a few days. That's it.

Stating that Paxil's withdrawl effects are similar to Heroin is quite melodramatic. Unless you have a health condition or are on meds that could interfere with Paxil's functioning (or one of the three conditions stated above), a person should not experience such withdrawl symptoms. The temporary side-effects along with the temporary withdrawl symtpoms that accompany some people are worth tolerating if it means being free from depression, social phobia, panic attacks, and/or OCD. Just ask anyone who has had a serious problem with these disorders. Of course, Paxil isn't meant to be a cure for these problems...it's only a treatment that should be accompanied by behavioral therapy. It's not just a matter of getting "the chemicals rebalanced," it is also about reconditioning a person's cognitions that have become dysfunctional due to a panic/anxiety disorder.

[annieb]

Try reading "Your Drug May Be Your Problem:  How and Why To Stop Taking Psychiatric Drugs" by Peter Breggin, MD.  He has done extensive research on this and makes some great points.  He also goes into detail about how to come off of the SSRIs (or any other meds, i.e., Ativan, Klonopin).  You can order this off of Amazon.com.  Good luck!

[ed]

I am currently weaning myself off Paxil.  This is not easy.  I have been taking Paxil for a year and have been taking 40mg.  I am a big person being involved in powerlifting as I have for many years.  Being a large person has not helped in the initial week that I have reduced the level of paxil (with my doctor's consent) from 40mg to 20mg.  I have had some nausea and irritability but the worst side effect has been what I can only describe as dizziness or a feeling like you have before passing out.  I feel angry only because none of this (side effects) were discussed with me prior to this medication being prescribed.  I will update this reply as my withdrawal from the drug continues.  Good luck to everyone!

[Robby]

At my husband's urging I decided to stoptaking Paxil. I was taking 60mg a day, and  found that my life was altered. For starters I gained around 30-40 pounds. I did feel that my moods were elevated, but did not have much of a sex life with my husband. I no longer felt constantly angry. Since I finished the bottle recently, and had no refills left I decided to stop taking Paxil. Since then my life has been like being in hell. I feel as if I am coming apart. I cannot sleep. I am constantly hungry, and thirsty. I have experienced severe dizzy spells, and felt close to passing out on many occasions. Not too fun while you are driving your 4 year old around running errands. I feel as if I am getting sick, but the symptoms don't ever really manifest themsekves. My body temperature feels as if it goes from freezing one minute to boiling the next. I am constantly angry. I feel as if I shake once in a while like a chill running through your body. I feel paranoid as if something bad is emminent. I feel naseaous, without throwing up. My vision is so bad I think I am going blind! I cannot focus on the computer for more than a few minutes. Headaches on a daily basis several times a day. Are these really withdrawl symptoms! I could not believe the stories I have read. I felt as if I had written them. I was ready to go running back to the doctor and start on Paxil again, but now forget it. Does anybody know if St. John's Wort can be beneficial for these symptoms? I would appreciate any info I can get. Email me at robbyrm_65@yahoo,com.

[Karen Swank]

Has anyone experienced what I am having?  The whole time I took paxil I had moderate to severe vision problems.  I was always afraid it as a brain disorder but my doctor convinced me it was the drug and not to worry.  Now I have been off the drug 5 days and still have the vision problems.  My doctor said it should go away in a few days.  Also am have incrdeible dizziness and mood swings.  I just want to know what to expect mostly from the vision stuff.  I don't care how long it lasts as long as it is not a brain tumor or something.  (it did start when I began the paxil)  Just bummed it is not going away?  Anyone experineced the same things?

[sally]

I have been up for 2 days and 2 nights , only taking a cat nap when I new I needed it. My husband was an alcoholic and became sober 2 years ago for the first time since he was a teenager, he is 37 years old now. He found out he has depression and anxiety and mood swings , so his doctor tried a few anti-depressants and added valium, then took that away and added xanax along with paxil. He has been on the paxil for 2 months and decided he didn't like the side effects and thought he would see if he could have a normal life without it. The third day he was off the paxil he was experiencing dizziness, upset stomache , blurred vision headaches and the most terrible feeling in his head. His mood swings became unbearable and so unlike him before he had statred the paxil. By the time he realized it must be withdrawals it was too late , because he had a bad mood swing and was violent, (no I didn't get hurt) but I was scared for him. The neighbors ended up calling the police and now they have put 4 charges on him and he is looking at the max of 42 months in jail. I know my husband very well and Iam a psychology major. This would never have happened if he would have known of the withdrawal problems coming off of paxil. He is now back on Paxil and doesn't really remember what happened to him for the last couple of days that he was off of it. He is back to being his normal self. I have been researching withdrawal symptoms of Paxil and can not believe how many people out there have experienced the same types of problems. My husbands doctor and counsler had no idea about all of the problems coming off of paxil and they told me themselves. Now I havae to post pone finishing my school and try to help my husband get these charges dropped. We are looking for other people that are interested in getting something done about people not knowing the withdrawal problems. I have tried to get authorities and anyone to listen to me about what he went through. The funny thing is that the crisis hotline person told me that he was having paxil withdrawals and get him into the hospital as soon as possible. Please contact me at ***@**** if you can lead me to a direction of research or doctors in any country that will be willing to acknowledge the withdrawal problems. We will be contacting the Beecham company and if needed a lawyer to. I am sure that many people would be interested in getting a lawsuit together about this. I know that we are considering all the problems this has caused our family and the money lost and the time. I don't think anyone should ever have to go through these kinds of physical problems for any reason and the emotional stress the withdrawals bring. Again please feel free to contact me at ***@**** luck to all of you that are on paxil and want to get off of it.