Paxil Withdrawal

[Robin Mick]

I am writing on behalf of my husband, who has been taking 20 mg of Paxil daily for a little over a year.  He has been reducing his daily dosage in an effort to discontinue taking the medication.  For the first week, he took 10 mg, then halfed those pills, then moved on to every other day, and so on.  He is now in his 4th day with no Paxil whatsoever, and he is really suffering.  He is very sensitive to light and sound, and both worsen the debilitating headhache he is suffering.  He has contacted his doctor, who prescribed a migraine medication to lessen the pain.  He is unable to function in his daily routine with this pain.  

I've read a lot via the internet about this medication and such withdrawal symptoms.  I've also read that some people have only mild reactions.  Please, any suggestions that can be offered to alleviate his discomfort would be welcome.  And how long can we expect this to go on?  

Thank you in advance for your response.

[Brian Scott]

I thought I would add in my own experience as I am still in it.  About a week ago, I went off Paxil, which was prescribed by my psychaitrist for my motor tourettes symptomology.  I don't experience depression, but I guessed having extra insurance against it couldn't hurt as a bonus when he described it to me.  Well, I got a moderate case of the flu about 5 days ago.  A couple of days prior, I was thinking about going off the 10 mg. that I was on and didn't take them for two days.  When I got the flu, I definitely didn't want to put them into an already impossible to tame stomach, so I just stopped.  Well, as the flu began to subside two days ago, I experienced things I'd never felt before, which totally freaked me out.  Specifically, "hot clammy flashes" (even though I didn't have a temperature), incredible aggitation and a feeling like I was going to crawl out of my skin, weird sensitivity to light and difficulty seeing in dim light especially, pounding headache, loss of short term memory, total disorientation...but the most omnipresent and scary of all was the waves of dizziness that literally washed over me in increasingly short intervals.  When they did, I would come a hair's thickness from passing out (which nearly causing me to  crash my car in the middle of town twice to the doctor's).  They began only when I was sitting or standing and every few minutes throughout the day and when I awakened at night.  But today, the intervals shortened to about 5 - 10 seconds and their intensity increased so that I felt a numbing attack throughout not just my head but right down to my fingers.  Well, this literally scared the hell out of me and I went to my family practitioner.  He took blood pressure (which was dangerously low) and drew blood.  He suspected advanced lyme disease (I live in prime lime time CT) at which point neurological damage can be a reality.  But when I thought to tell him about stopping my low dosage of paxil (that I was only on for a month before stopping), he ran out of the room and came back with a 20 mg pill, had me break it in half and swallow it.  It is 3 hours later now and except for a lingering headache, all symptoms are gone, even the dizziness.  They began to subside after an hour.  

Non-disclosure of this magnitude is, in my opinion, irresponsible, extremely dangerous perhaps even  criminally negligent.  Would anyone be interested in joining me in a class action suit if I initiated it against SKB?  After my brush with death in the car today, I am considering it.

[Frank]

I have been taking Paxil and Lithium for 6 years, and it has been a life saver.  I AM concerned with all of the scary withdrawal symptoms that others have talked about here.  it would not change my decision to use Paxil, however; for me it has been a life saver.  Before Paxil, I was on Desipramine for a year, and then on Zoloft for 2 years.  My shrink was totally knowledgeable about "bringing me down easy" before I started the new meds.

I am in NO WAY trying to deny the awful exeriences that many people on this board have had.  I am just saying that depression sucks, and the relief I have had from Zoloft and Paxil, over many years, to me is worth whatever grief awaits me for a few weeks at the end.  (Easy for me to say, right?! :-)

I would even go so far as to say that it sounds like some of the physicians involved in the above cases were maybe NOT properly educated about the medication?

I truly do hope that you all are so much better by the time of this posting . . . and that you are all Staying Alive!

[me]

WOW, I'm trying to get off 20mg of paxil. Been taking it for the last 6 months. I have the eletric shocks in my head that are tied into my eye movements. If I move my eyes up and down quickly I get the shocks. I have headaches more than I usually do and I seem to be able to have erections more often these dasy! Woo hoo!! I feel sick a lot now too. Ive tried to go 1 day without it then take one then 2 days without it and then take one etc etc etc

[Moe]

Wow.  I am so glad to read some of your stories.  As with most of you, I have been trying to get off the 20mg Paxil per day which I have been on for about two years.  I was forced to changed doctors due to a re-location, and I am realizing now that it's the best thing that could have happened.  He suggested that my weight gain is directly related to Paxil intake, and that coming off of it was going to be rough.  He wanted to introduce me gradually to Prozac again (clinical depression), however he wanted me to slowly cut back on my Paxil dosage first.  Half every day, then half every other day... I was taking 1mg of Ativan on the days when I was totally unnerved.  My bottom lip would go numb, I was lethargic and totally spaced out.  Somedays I felt as if I was having a heart attack.  Pulse rate would be high and tight feeling in my chest. I felt like I was running on 1/2 a cylinder.  Funny, the weight gain caused me to be more depressed than before.  I couldn't understand the gain as I was still exercising and eating well.  As for now, things seem to have calmed down.  I am on Prozac now and completely off Paxil.  It's only been a week, but I think I'm ok.  The Ativan was a godsend.  I don't use it at all now.  Hang in there to all who are trying to get off Paxil.  It's worth it if you can just tolerate it.

[Kendra]

I've been on 20mg of paxil for six months for depression.  It did eliminate the depression for awhile but it also eliminated most other feelings and helped me gain 20lbs so I decided to quit.  My doctor told me that there were no withdrawal symptoms, but I know differently.  Cutting the dosage gradually gave me mild side effects that I knew would last for weeks or months until I was off it completely, so I've gone cold turkey.  Side effects include the swooshing in the ears, nausea whenever my eyes move, sweating, chills, crying, insomnia.  I have never felt worse in my life.  However, I have found that taking gravol (travel sickness pills) deals with some of the nausea and is relaxing.  The pharmacist I just called said paxil has a half life of 21 hours so side effects could be gone in a week or two.  I'm on day 5. Isn't this fun? But thanks to everyone for writing in and sharing the information that Smithkline Beecham won't.

[Kevin Murphy]

My 13 yr old daughter was on 5mg/day of Paxil for 1 year.  She tapered very slowly (you can only cut those pills so small.)  Doc told us Paxil is linked to breast cancer!  Bottom line is she has been out of school for 6 weeks.  She has very strong nausea and is suffering teribbly.  Nothing helps her feel better.  We are all so frustrated and angry.