Paxil withdrawal?

[newman63]

I was on Paxil CR 12.5 mg/day for about 2 weeks, following 3 weeks on Lexapro, for panic attacks.  

I weaned off Paxil over 2 weeks by going to every other day, and have been off completely for about 10 days.  I noticed symptoms within a day or two of tapering- mainly tingling in arm/foot on one side when I walked. Those tinglings have subsided a bit, but now I find a general tenseness and tightness in my chest and neck, and have begun having at least low-grade anxiety almost every day. (by the way, before taking any meds, I only had a few panic episodes but otherwise felt fine.

I'm feeling jumpy and find that, although relaxation techniques help somewhat, Xanax is the only thing that will shut off rather than lessen the symptoms.

Question is: Is this to be expected from the Paxil withdrawal? I just had a physical, and save for a slightly high BP, everything else was normal...resting EKG, blood and urine work-up, etc.  

I want to believe this is nothing more organic and serious but it's tough when you feel like **** so often.

Thanks!

[MeganK]

I agree if I had known what it was gonna be like coming of Paxil I never would have started. ChrisPanic just wondering how many mg are you taking? This is one of the first forums I have found where people have been on Paxil Cr longer than I have. I've been on it 6yrs. I've yet to find anyone who has been on as high of a dose as myself. I'm at 75mg. I am trying to wean myself off, as my psychiatrist will not listen to me, and I have no health insurance therefore I can not talk to anyone else. ND is a messed up state! They have mental health facilities that are sliding fee basis but no medical facilities. And the mds just push meds down your throat. If I didn't have a supportive boyfriend, and these forums I'm not sure I would make it. Well I am still worried as I am in week 2 day 2 of my  withdrawal process. Like I said I started out at 75mg, I cut back to 37.5 mg, but am wondering if I shouldn't go to 50mg for a bit. I have heard other people mention St. Johns wort and 5-htp, but can you take them and paxil at the same time? Any advice would be great. But I will be keeping everyone posted as to how things are going.

[ChrisPanic]

I have been taking Paxil CR for 8 years now for severe Panic Attack, Anxiety and agoraphobia...and I have tried to get off them but the withdrawal is too great for me.  I feel like a quitter but it is what makes me feel sane.  I can't take off work, I can't take a vacation unless the Paxil corporation wants to pay me 3 months worth of salary.  If I would have know that Paxil was going to do this to me.... I would have never started to take it. I feel cheated

[jon paul@1 hot mail .com]

amen sister i have been on paxil cr for 5 years for panic attacks and i am thinking about  going off of it i have been getting the shocks in my head  and i havent even been off of it yet                   help any advice

[paxilgrrr]

All i know is that the Doc prescribed me 20mg of Paxil for social anxiety, other than that i didnt have any other issues with my mental health. Over the past week since i quit the Paxil i've been feeling pretty unstable, teary, very irritated on top of all the other physical symptoms. Also i was experiencing these weird periods of suddenly feeling extremely scared for no apparent reason...That dream i had also made me feel really traumatised as though i really had been attacked, it was like my mind didn't know the difference between reality and my dream...It's all pretty much the worse thing i have ever experienced. I would not recommend anyone go off Paxil cold turkey anyone considering it DON"T DO IT!!! Unfortunatly you have to take it really slow if you want to save your sanity..

I've decided i think it's important to try to develop a positive attitude about it all and tell yourself you WILL feel better i'm also really trying to avoid stress as much as possible. I've started to meditate now every time i start to feel stress, it helps a lot. Also i tried some dramamine (Travel sickness tablets) for some of the symptoms such as dizziness and nausea and that is helping, but you wouldn't want to take it long term. I'm just going to take it when i need to work or get things done for the time being. Otherwise i'm just resting and taking good care of myself. There's another good website i found www.stresscentre.com she is a really good help because she has been through a lot of this herself. Good Luck everyone :) I reread my post's and i'm starting to feel a lot calmer since then lol that was the worst of it i hope.

If Anyone wants to email me my address is: ***@****

[treetop]

My Dr. prescribed Paxil for me about a year ago for what I described as anxiety. My dosage was only 20 mg. It worked like a charm with all the usual side effects - weight gain, etc. I decided early on that I did not want to stay on this indefinitely. I didn't like the overall feeling of being zoned out all the time, but I can't deny that it does give you a sense of well being. That being said I did my research and worked out a weaning-off schedule for myself that I figured would be about 2 months starting in April '05. I finished in June '05 and thought I was in the clear. I had withdrawal symptoms in about 3 days so I went back on 5 mg and worked out another 2 month weaning schedule. I took my last dose beginning of July and have been fine. Here is my question and I hope someone can back this up - I have been feeling really anxious & depressed the last week or so. To the point of having compulsive thoughts & feelings. Nothing crazy, just thought patterns that I dwell on and feel compelled to work out. I am not OC and don't do any rituals, etc. I am orderly and try to keep my life in order & structured. I guess I need to be reassured that this is the withdrawal talking. Right now I have no desire to do anything and have no joy in life. The best part of my day is when I am asleep because my mind is turned off. I will not go back on Paxil and am sorry I ever took it. I don't want to alienate my friends or family, etc. Has anyone experienced this about a month after stopping? Will it go away? I need to be reassured. It's been like this for almost two weeks and I am sick of feeling this way. I want my life back.

[paxilgrrr]

I would like to know why all i seem to hear is patronsing comments from doctors. Well i think they should take Paxil and then they can just see for themselves cause we don't know we're all "crazy" right...hmm

[paxilgrrr]

Last night i had the most vivid horrible nightmares that someone was breaking into my house and attacking me, i felt like it really did happen and was just the weirdest experience i've ever had. I felt so confused and didnt know for a while what was real and was not real...now the pulsing in my head is accompanied by scraping sounds in my head and only seems to be getting worse. I'm now considering giving in and taking some of the hateful Paxil just so that i can function and go back to work before i lose my job. The scary thing is that doctors seem to be acting like Paxil is some kind of "wonder drug" I know people who have been prescribed it for quitting smoking and any little emotional upset in their lives..I suppose it is my fault for trusting the doctor and taking it in the first place just because i was experiencing some social anxiety..i would love to have to deal with that now instead of this horrible horrible nightmarish experience. I suppose the lesson for me in this is that there is no easy way out when dealing with your emotions and problems in life. You have to face them head on and no little pill is going to make them go away. Well the positive is, if this **** ever ends that is!  i'm sure i can deal with anything life throws at me as long as don't have to live like this anymore

[paxilgrrr]

I meant patronising lol can't concentrate and feeling kind of bitter and twisted. Something has to be done about this we have to do something it's so wrong...

[paxilgrrr]

Oh my god can someone tell me this zapping actually does end? it's driving me crazy :(

[paxilgrrr]

Hello It's me again! I just found an interesting website:  www.i-got-off-paxil.com

[KittyMeghanLeah2]

now I am mad at Forum-M.D.-RG!!  ?? what is wrong w/ him/her?! sheesh! in one thread he/she posted saying it's probably best to get talk therapy and avoid medication.  Now he/she is saying that it's not the paxil?  Oh my gracious, please.. Paxil is hard to get off cuz of withdrawls! SIGH I could just spank Forum-M.D.-RG!! what a bad boy/girl!

ROllling eyes at forum's MD!  By the way "managingstress.com is very Psychiatric oriented view of managing stress"  :(  not good.

Now I would like to know if any of those doctors who give us highly addictive pills would give them to their own children or if they would take them themselves!  That sort of research would be fascinating now wouldn't it?

My Primary care physician said she wud try her hardest to avoid handing out prescriptions that I am already on cuz they are very addictive.  I told her "yes I agree, and I wish I knew that when and I commend you for being cautious w/ what you prescribe."  We need more of those kinds of doctors not those who just take a look and start writing something on a "PRESCRIPTION PAD."

[propaxil]

I have taken Paxil in the past for panic disorder.  I was told by my doctor not to quit this medication cold turkey because of the symtpoms.  I was told instead to decrease the amount I was taking and then start taking them only every other day, and then every two days, etc until I was out of pills.  The first time I had no withdrawal symptoms.  I was off of it for 4 years and have had to go back on it.  I had to quit cold turkey because I ran out of pills and forgot to order more.  I am having vertigo and hot flashes.  I will be going on the medication again until I feel that I can go off of it without getting panic attacks.  I love paxil because it has allowed  me to live my life like a normal human being.  I will just follow the advice of my doctor and slowly wean myself off of it because the withdrawal symptoms are horrible!

[vintonsmom]

I'm so glad I found this forum. Now I know I'm not going crazy or suffering from a terrible disease.
I was on Paxil for more than 2 years for depression and anxiety.  In May of this year, i decided to wean myself from this drug.  I've been taking 40 mg daily so i started by taking it every other day for 1 month and then one every three days for 2 weeks and then once a week and then I stopped.  As soon as i reduced the dose, i started having headaches, dizziness, nausea, aches and pains, insomnia, electric-like sensations (zaps, buzzes)in my brain, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, hot flashes, chills, etc.  I've been suffering  for many weeks now and although I've long suspected that what I'm feeling is Paxil withdrwal, i'm determined to get off this drug so although i still have a bottleful of the drug, I havent taken one since i stopped about a month ago.  But how long do these symptoms last?  I feel sick everyday and right now, I'm lying down  while writing on my laptap because i feel dizzy and unbalanced when I get up. I am nauseaus and actually vomit ever so often. These electric-like sensations are very uncomfortable.  I've been bedridden for many weeks now unable to do household chores or even go to the grocery. Can anyone tell me how long this will last?  Thanks.

[paxilgrrr]

I am very anggrryy how can doctors keep presribing this stupid paxil and saying it dosent do what we all know it is doing? I feel so awful my whole body is twitching and my brain is getting shocked every second. Last night i lay in bed shaking with cold under 6 blankets with my head buzzing my body twitching and when i did sleep i had the most horrific nightmares. Shame on these people that you go to for help i feel like a complete mess. And if another doctor tells me safe Paxil is i'm seriously going to lose it once and for all. Thats all i have to say have to go lay down and kepp my head still so it dosent shock so much.

[KittyMeghanLeah2]

I think it's mentioned in one of the threads above that you can contact the pharmacuial (SP) companies and ask for free paxil so you can wean off it normally.  You can try to ask your doctor to call the manufactor of Paxil, (drug corporation that makes it).  What you're going through is dangerous.  Please take care of yourself.  Hope you get a hold of some soon to wean off of it properly.

[sickievikki!]

I'm glad I found the site.  I ran out of Paxil for about 3 days, because I'm a laid off, single mom of two, who's kids are slipping through the cracks of Michigan's "child support enforcement" system, since their father is self employed and basically pays when he wants and doesn't get in trouble with the law.  
Luckily, I was able to afford my prescription today, and took it a few hours ago but still feel like ****.  Can you imagine?  These docs are giving us "drug addictions", and is there help paying for this stuff?  Nope.  Not without health insurance.  I'd much rather have purchased groceries so my kids and I could have some nice meals, or paid on my mortgage which is now 3 months behind,  but without the Paxil, I'm too sick to take care of what I need to anyways.  I'm too sick without it....worthless.  All I can do is lay on the couch.  Sick to my stomach (BAD pain), diahrrhea, anger, and I'm detached from reality, in a way I can't explain.  Sort of like I'm dreaming ALL THE TIME, and I can't tell what's real and what's not.  Dizzy, depth perception's BAD, and withdrawl makes me a "BAD" driver... dangerous.  I've been on it about 4 years and I CAN'T put my life on hold to "quit".  

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.  They need to stop prescribing this for people, and for those of us who CAN'T quit, they should put us in the hospital and wean us off. They should PAY for all of it, and PAY for our lost work because of it, and PAY for someone to watch our kids while we're detoxing, and PAY for our suffering.  But will anyone do this?  Nope.  They'll continue to let ME PAY for this drug, and let me PAY physically and mentally when I can't get it,  and not buy groceries to feed my kids, or let me try to catch up on my mortgage.  It's rediculous.  Thanks for reading my "venting" session! (and if I don't make much sense, it's because I feel like I am in a pseudo-dream state right now... which was really "appropriate" for the interview I had today.... Yes, the interview for the job I desperately need, was conducted with me on NO PAXIL FOR 4 DAYS!)   :)

[KittyMeghanLeah2]

I believe almost all medication you have to take on a daily basis will have some form of withdrawl symptoms especially those messing with the brain's biochemistry.  There's no way to avoid it and if a psy/dr/anyone says it's not the case then start running cuz I think they're starting to QUACK.

[heatherme]

Hi Folks-
I found this forum...Have been on Paxil 20 mg approx 3 years and am considering tapering off.  I managed to taper off of Effexor a few years ago and that was unpleasant as well.  But it can be done.  The real key is to do it as slowly as possible.  If you are having extreme withdrawl symptoms, you are going too fast.  Invest in a pill splitter and if youre taking 20 mgs, go down to 17 for a while..then 15, then to 10...(usually you probably wont notice too much of a problem until you hit 5)  if you need to approximate 7 for a while, try that.  Also, some things to consider:  Try doing things like increasing your exercise, resting enough, taking care of yourself and explaining to your friends and family as much as possible what could be going on to limit your stress.  Also, I hear there is a liquid form of paxil..if you need to go to 3, or 4 mgs of paxil for 2 weeks or whatever..Sure this may take 6 months or longer, but it CAN be done..worthwhile things like good mental health are worth taking your time and planning out/doing right...Don't let ANYONE rush you...find a new DR if yours wants you to go too fast.  There will be some withdrawl, but if it is debilitating, like I said, youre going too fast.  I employed this technique, like I said, with effexor and was successful in getting off of it completely for two years.  I do wish I had never started taking them again.  But  I also recognize the benefits I feel I gained from it.  Of course these are all just my experiences, your mileage may vary.

[lwquinn]

..WHOOPS, HIT THE WRONG KEY

clearly the price is the same. You are forced into a relationship with your 'dealer', your m.d. who holds the prescription pad over your head. You must be 'monitored' while on this non-addicting medicine. You pay through the nose for the office visits-usually $100 or more and my bcbs private insurance doesn't cover but a fraction of the cost and then there are the meds.
Don't think that having private insurance will get you treated any better than the medicaid patients either. Most doctors are not taking new patients so you have to take what you can get and go jonesing for paxil.
I think buying pot would be easier. I haven't smoked in 20 years but I am thinking of taking it back up. I don't really see a huge difference in the difficulty of getting a bag of weed or a bottle of paxil.

anyway, I  think meclizine helps with the vertigo. its otc.
lwquinn

[lwquinn]

I also have that bizarre eye thing with the horrible dizziness. I have been taking 10 mgs every other day and keeping a symptom journal for the day I find a doctor who takes me seriously. 10 mg seemed to stave off symptoms for 48 hours. I am revising this after this board to try the 5 mgs a day method.

I do not believe that paxil clears your system in 24 hours in every case.If that is so then why does it(and other ssri drugs) take up to three weeks to become effective?

MECLIZINE aka antivert seems to help with the lurching vertigo dizziness. Shockingly I took a ranitidine and felt better although I cannot tell you why.
Meclizine is available over the counter in a 12.5 and 25 mg dose. I go with the low dose because of the drowsiness side effect.

I am almost out of paxil but I dread returning to the doctor. I feel like they treat mental patients like inmates and use bullying methods to try and control patients. In short the have no respect for you. I want off this awful medicine in part so I do not have to deal with them anymore.

I am so angry that I was made an addict. While paxil may not be addictive in the classic form of addiction to drugs that cause euphoric effects, CLEARLY

[lazyfeline]

My psychiatrist refused to take me off Paxil.  Wonder why!  My primary doctor helped me by tapering off 1/4 tab each week.  I was taking 20 mg. and the last week was hell!  I could not handle it, so my doctor prescribed 10 mg. Prozac to lesson the symptoms.  It really helped.  He said, and I had read, that when the withdrawals stop, I could discontinue the Prozac with no problems.  I'm praying that will be true.

Thursday, 7/7 was my last pill.  I was doing fairly well until 7/12 when I was rear-ended by 2 cars on the interstate, the 3rd car charging into me and the one behind me.  I wasn't hurt, but have been aching all over from the jolt, and all the stress has NOT helped me in any way. (The one responsible for the accident had NO insurance!)  I found out about this yesterday and have been losing it left and right.

Tonight, I feel like I'm falling into a black hole and will never get out.  It is really scary.  So I came back to this forum.  I don't even know if I am making sense.

I truly believe that we will all get better, but we must be strong and not give in to it or what anyone else says.  We know our own bodies better than anyone and should follow our own instincts.

Let's all stick together!  God bless you all.

[eugenia]

The 'life-invading' effects of this withdrawal are absolutely astounding.  If I had any inkling that the effects would be of this magnitude, I would NEVER have started taking Paxil.  In retrospect, I suppose it was simple naive trust in the white-coated person, and the casual nature of the prescription.  I was on Paxil CR for about 8 months before switching over to regular Paxil when SGK goofed up.  I have gained weight with Paxil, gotten skin rashes, and brain fog.  Two months ago, I weaned from 20mg to 10mg, and the past 3 weeks down to 5mg.  Cutting to 5 has been hell.  Aren't these debilitating symptoms supposed to decrease??  I called my doctor, and she said (no kidding) that it was really odd that I was having symptoms like I described to her (you know all the biggees -- the head zaps, the vertigo, the nausea, extreme fatige, having to close your eyes to make the world stop spinning...) after being on the drug for such a short time (going on 11 months).  In fact, she repeated this twice in our conversation.  Did she mean to imply that I am not actually experiencing these??  She advised me to continue with 5 mg. for the time being.  I desparately want to get off this substance that I feel has invaded my body, and was hoping to get some solid weaning advice.  Instead, she said to continue.  Needless to say, I am frustrated.   I've been perusing some websites, and have seen people post that they have used Benadryl or Dramamine to help with the withdrawal.  Has anyone used such things to good effect?  Any advice on how to get off these last 5 mgs?

[Starzstuff]

DOCTORS LAMBAST SHIELDS

[Schmat]

Hello
i have been on Celexa for 3 years-and about 4 weeks ago i went off (having weaned off previous to that)
I am STILL having major symtoms of withdrawal-the list is endless-however some include:
-those head zappers
-severe mood swings
-rage
-GI upset
-the list goes on and on

I want to know-HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO LAST? am i ruined for life?
please help