Paxil long term use

[petenick]

Hello, I have been on Paxil 20mg daily since June of '09 and I feel great. My doctor asked me if I wanted to stop its use. Last month I began to cut each pill in half every morning. I noticed that I still felt good but that my old chronic dry cough started up again. My doctor had told me previously that it should have nothing to do with a cough but as soon as I went back (after 2 weeks) to the full daily 20mg pill the cough disappeared again. Has anything like this ever been reported I wonder? I am a 63 year old male, retired. Thank you. Peter.  

[Paxiled]

Why do you want to quit (forget about the doctor -- you make this decision, not him)?  Are you better?  Why are you taking it?  Is the problem solved?  I ask, because this drug is perhaps the hardest in the entire mental health pharmacopia to stop taking, and if you really want to do it the process should be slow, as slow as you need, not some generalized schedule.  But my own opinion is, if nothing's broke, nothing needs fixing.

[remar]

I completely agree with Paxiled. If you're feeling good on this medication then why stop taking it? It's hard to say what withdrawal side effects a person may have but I don't think your cough was a side effect because you had it before you started this med. You know what's best for you and if this med is working then don't let your Dr try to take you off of it. That's just my opinion.