Paxil Question

[mkvd1968]

I have panic attacks.  Finally went to the doctor.  She prescribed Paxil and Xanax.  I used Xanax once before and am comfortable with it.  However, I started Paxil 2 days ago.  I took 2 doses.  Each 12.5 milligrams.  I have vommitted, had tremors, panic attacks, dizziness, and frankly feel like I am stoned.  I hate it.  I talked to my doc and she said ok to just stop it.  I have as of today...day 3.  When will these side effects go away?  They are driving me nuts.  I would rather have panic attacks.  Should I expect to feel better within a day of not taking the med?  Again, I only took 2 doses at 12.5 Milligrams,. but obviously this doesn't agree with me.

Thanks

[SAC93]

I found your posts as I was looking to see if the side affects I am having will eventually subside. I had been on Wellbutrin 75mg for the last few years when I recently started going back to feeling overly tired and stressed again. Numb is a good description as well. I had no change in moods, no ups or downs, more insomnia and night sweats and I was starting to become uninterested in everyday enjoyments or chores I was usually on top of. My doctor then doubled my dose but even after a month or so there was no change. She has now put me on Paxil, 20mg. I started taking that in the evenings. Right away I got very jittery, my insomnia became worse as well as my night sweats. I had hot flashes daily, bad migraines almost constantly, slurred speach at times. Feelings of depression coming back or like I was going crazy at times. Suicidal thoughts entering my mind although I don't think I would have gone that far. My sex drive has gone. Three weeks later, some side affects are gone so I am either assuming I was having withdrawals from coming off wellbutrin or its the Paxil. I'm not sure. I did change the time of day I take it, now in the mornings. I still have some insomnia but I am starting to sleep a little deeper and longer. My headaches are just as bad..everyday. They are getting rather intolerable. Sex drive still gone. Still have night sweats. My OCD has come back. I have boosts of evergy where I feel like I can't get the cleaning or other things done fast enough. Which can be a good thing considering I was losing interest altogether before I switched meds. I still feel those crazy feelings, usually before I take my medication in the morning. I forgot to mention earlier I lost weight on Paxil, it kind of makes me nautious(sp?) when I over eat. I get bouts of depression and social anxiety too. So what I was getting at with all this, now that I have told most of my story, was the question about side affects. Will these headaches and things go away eventually or do you think I need to find something else. I am to the point where I am going to bed with a heating pad on my neck it aches so much. I like the energy boosts on this med but if the headaches to go away I need to stop taking this!

[scaredycat1]

hey lost in info,

I share your pain, I went off my lexapro for 5 months to try to have a baby and was terrified that I wouldn't be able to endure a pregnancy with out it, now back on after horrendous panic, been back on for about 3 and a half weeks and though better not quite 100 percent but better and I know it takes time.  I also worry about crazy stuff that I know when I am "normal"  i can put in a much better perspective, such as the changes that happen in a marriage after a baby and if I will be a good mom and be able to do it again, I have a 13 year old and divorced from her verbally abusive father, am remarried now and really wanting to have a baby, was really excited but in this crazy state of mind, everything scares me what a horrid feeling.  maybe try switching, I have heard that sometimes the meds stop working after a while.  and there are some that are safe during pregnancy,  there is a really good site at healingwell.com, I am there alot if you need to talk

take care of you

scaredycat

[lost in info]

Help!  I am SCARED to death!!!  I am a 27 year old woman and I have been on 20mg of Paxil for 5 years, initially for depression and severe anxiety.  I recently started feeling very down again and was afraid I might be getting depressed again.  This time, instead of squashing down all of the things that might be contibuting to my depression and anxiety, I decided to see a psychologist.  I shared with her that my husband and I would like to have children in the next 3 or so years and that I have heard horrible things about birth defects babies of mothers on Paxil.  She right away said that "Obviously the Paxil is no longer working" and that I needed to see my family doctor about starting a different anti-depressent.  This where the scary part for me comes in!!!

I survived a horrible accident at age 16 and suffered from PTSD and severe anxiety, which later turned into good old depression!  Yippee!  YES-- Paxil did help me pull through a very difficult time, but now I am terrified of what it has done to me.  About three years ago, I had absent mindedly forgotten to fill my script over the weekend....only 3 days I went without Paxil....they were three of the most horrible days of my life.  I was so dizzy and lightheaded that I could not get out of bed, I cried 24/7 and rambled to my husband, who was then my fiance about how he didn't understand me...he watched in horror!  I had horrible "zaps" that I have now read so much about and I felt like my brain was moving at a snail's pace.  I started my Paxil again and boom..back to my numb self in a few days.  I am TERRIFIED of going through this again--for a much longer period of time!!!  I am a health care professional and work in the field of neurobehavioral diagnostics (how's that for irony).  I have to be on top of my game everyday, functioning at 100%.  I am worried that weaning from my Paxil will hinder my ability to perform my job.  I cannot imagine going through this while trying to work.  I feel like maybe I should tell my boss what's going on so that he doesn't think Ive had a stroke, or worse want to fire me for acting like a complete freak!  Basically, I am scared to death!!!  I'm thinking of starting another anti-depressent during my weaning, but am I just replacing one evil with another?  I am prone to depression anyhow and can't imagine going through this experience without anther antidepressent!  It's comforting to know that other have felt what I have felt but, damn it, I'm still scared as hell and worried about what Paxil has done to me and will do to me!

Scared and confused in IN

[Angel71470]

I am sorry to hear that so many people have had problems with Paxil. I guess I am a rare case. i had some of the same side effects as far as feeling "High", but I just kept close contact with my doctor through it and after about a week I was fine. Unlike so many others I actually lost weight when I began taking it. I don't eat when I am stressed or anxious, so I began eating as I felt better and lost weight as a result. I have been on it for almost nine years now. started taking 10mg a day, got up too as much as 40mg a day and now have lowered that to 20mg a day. I also sought DBT (Dialectic Behavioral Therapy) and that seemed to really put the finishing touch on things. Keep in mind that I suffered the anxiety, depression, eating disorder, etc. for 7 long years before I finally got some help. I sincerely hope they leave enough on the shelf for me.

[thinkingclear]

It has been interesting reading everyone else's experiences with Paxil.  I can relate to what a lot of you are saying.  I have been taking Paxil for the last 10 years.  It was working well for me up until the last year.  That's when I started to feel anxious and panicky while taking it.  I had read about all of the horrible side effects of Paxil and thought it would be good to slowly stop taking it and try to treat my anxiety in other ways.  I started to decrease my dose by half (under dr's care) and initially began to feel great.  As I decreased my dose I felt calm and more peaceful.  But, about 2 weeks after decreasing my dosage I began to feel awful.  Headaches, dizziness, and panic started all over again.  Right now I'm taking a low dosage of Paxil because I just want to be off of it completely.  Some days I feel great and others are horrible.  Fortunately, I am able to work full-time but am worried that my withdrawal symptoms will soon effect my job.  Sometimes I am afraid to drive because I get so dizzy.  And, I really think it has to do with withdrawal symptoms from Paxil.  But, I really believe in the long run that it will be worth it to be off of this drug.

[cfer21]

Thanks for your comments. I have been stressing about this. My therapist recommended wellbutrin, effexor or lexapro. what is your take on those meds? do any of them work? I have heard effexor makes u gain weight too? I am supposed to up my dose of paxil, but I really don't want to do that. I wish I could just stop. When u are off paxil does it make u gain more weight to stop too? I've heard all types of things. It's confusing.
Thanks again for your response. I appreciate it.

[finallyoff]

THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE LADY WHO IS ON PAXIL AND GAINING WEIGHT,I GAINED 30 POUNDS ON IT,I WAS ON IT FOR 11 YEARS,NOW I AM GOIN ON EFFEXOR AND THE WEIGHT IS SLOWLY WORKIN ITSELF OFF,IT IS THE PAXIL AND U WILL GAIN MORE WEIGHT THE HIGHER THE DOSE,IT IN A SENSE PUTS UR METABOLISM TO SLEEP

[cfer21]

I've been on paxil for about four months and I've gained 10 pounds. It is really annoying. I felt better, but now I'm stressed about gaining weight. It has to be the meds b/c I eat fairly well and try to exercise. they want to increase my dose from 20 to 40 mg. I assume I'll gain even more weight. I don't know if it's really worth it.

[finallyoff]

I have been on paxil for 10 years,I was on 60mg daily.The paxil quit workin for me 6 months ago.My dr.put me on prozac and I wanted to commit suicide. Having young children I was scared to go back off the paxil again for the same reason. I recently read all the posts that have been written about paxil and I was scared as hell.My dr.wanted me to try effexor.I started slowly weaning myself off the paxil while takin the effexor.I started out with a bad migraine,was sick to my stomache,had just bad withdrawals from it.I am finally in my third week on the effexor and the 4th day off the paxil.My withdrawal symptoms are still there a little and my dr. is keepin me on the 75mg of eff.So far so good. I am having some problems with anxiety attacks and stuff,but as my effexor will go up in about a month,those should disappear. I just wanted to give hope to all who have been on this addictive drug paxil and want to get off.I have heard from so many that it should be taken off the market becuz of its withdrawal symptoms,I agree. I got alot of strength reading about others who had the same problems and I hope somone can read this and it will have the same affect.There is hope to get off this stuff.Just do it slowly!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You should stop having any effect from Paxil within another day or so.

[mkvd1968]

Thanks for the comments...

Doc is probably off today, but I would appreciate a response to the question when this stuff will be out of my system and I will not feel any of the effects of this drug.

Thurs - 3:30 P.M. 12.5 MG
Fri - 4:40 P.M. 12.5 MG
Sat - None
Sun - None  

Although today the side effects are milder, I am still experiencing a strange sensation in my head like a weight in my head and I am getting hot flashes and some nausea.  I can not believe two pills can have this effect.  Wish I never tried this junk.  Like I said, I have always been sensitive to medication even things like cough syrup.

[Jimmy1965]

Sorry to read about your panic attacks! I hope you get better. I also tried Paxil and couldn't take it. It made my anxiety worse plus I felt spaced out when I was on it. I would suggest that you talk to your doctor about another med. Supposedly there are newer meds out there with less side effects.

Good luck!
Jimmy

[anya77]

I'm so sorry to hear about what you are going through. I am not a doctor to tell you what to do with the medicines, probably in your situation you need a professional advice.

I just can share with you my experience with panic attacks. After i had them for a year, i finally went to the doctor to get a treatment. However, my gp (God bless him) told me that he does not want to prescribe me anything since it will anyway help only temporarily, and that i should go directly to the mental health department in our clinics to get therapy together with possible medications. So, i went to a psychiatrist which prescribed to me antidepressants, and psychologist for cognitive therapy. After being in the therapy for 3 months and taking prozac for a year, i stopped having panic attacks maybe two weeks after starting the treatment. Now, a year later, i'm in the process of going off from prozac (i was on 20mg per day) and taking only 5mg per day. Things go smoothly and i am very optimistic about my recovery, even though a year ago i thought it would be impossible to feel good and optimistic ever again.

After this experience, i can tell you that without cognitive therapy and learning about panic attacks it would be impossible for me to recover. Moreover, i believe, that with the right therapist, good diet and maybe some natural supplements, relaxation exercises, yoga, and positive thinking, panic attacks can be treated without medication.

I am sure you will get well and will have less worries, just take care of yourself and find help from a professional and also do not forget to learn as much as possible from the web, friends, about what you are going through. It helped me - i really hope it can help you too.