switching from Paxil

[Krissy1816]

I've been on paxil at 40mg for about 7yrs now and i'm trying to get off and switch to somthing that is less addictive and isnt going to give me all the shocks and zingers and make me incredibly depressed when i miss a dose.  My doctor recommended switching to Prozac, but he said to do research on my own of what would be a good alternative.  I've been reading alot of the post and it seems that prozac isnt the right way to go.  What could you recommended?  

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

How do you know you still need any medication? If you feel depressed when you miss a dose it is not a chemical depression you experience because it would not come on that fast, but it is a psychological dependence.

At any rate, there are many substitutes.  The good thing about prozac is it does not have the side effects of weight gain or loss of sexual interest. There are five or six other standard medications, and you can only decide on the right one by trial and error.

[lonelywife]

I have been reading your comments, but I'm on the other side of this problem. My husband is taking paxil. I am so tired of this ****. we have been married over 28 years and I'm ready to walk. I can't take his moods, anger and just plain nastiness any more.are there any suggestions for me? It's so hard to put up with this. He's not the man I know. Also do any of you paxil users notice that you repeat yourselfs ALOT. Or is it just him? And is hair trigger anger a part of this problem? He used to be a nice guy, but I am tired of trying to hold our family together. Our sons think he's an *******, and they used to adore being with him.

[Krissy1816]

The reason i've stayed on the meds for so long is the anxiety.  That was the main reason I started the Paxil.  I take xanax on occasion when I feel an anxiety attack comming on that I dont feel that I can handle, but for the most part I try to just work through each attack as they come.  I started the paxil and it did help for many years I didnt experience but a few attacks in very high stress situations, but the everyday attacks slowly faded.  The reason for the change, is not only the significant weight gain, but the increase in the attacks as well as the increase in the depression.  I dont necessarily want to stop medications all together for fear that all that anxiety will come back double fold but I do want to get off paxil and go to something safer and less habit forming. even possibly natural.  any recommendantions?