Paxil Withdrawal symptom

[soldatbizzare]

Wondering if anyone has dealt with long term paxil withdrawal symptoms. Came off of paxil - tapered down to 10mg from 40 mg before stopping. This was the plan from the doc, and I didn't realize at the time what a beast paxil can be and that sometimes you can taper down with the liquid version super slowly. Also took 20mg prozac as a bridge to help with withdrawal. Started to have small anxiety episodes during sleep; these kept getting worse until I was having full on panic attacks while I slept and eventually during the day as well. Peaked at week 6-7 off Paxil and ended up doing to the ER a couple times thinking I was having a heart attack or something. I see a doc at the VA hospital, and they can be impossible to reach and wouldn't get back to me. Thinking I might even be having seratonin syndrome (I had started having bad tremors, dizziness, and just weird physical stuff) took myself off everything. Definitely don't think thats what it was, but couldn't get any answers and VA wasn't getting back to me. Was only taking prozac which supposedly isn't as bad to stop abruptly so figured it was worth a try. Didn't notice much difference. Had been prescribed trazadone for sleep and had taken it only once or twice because of the sedation the next day, but started taking it just to try and get some more sleep, so that is the only thing I'm currently taking. Over the last week definitely have improved, having less panic but still have a lot of weird pressure in my head, especially forehead. Sometimes feels like stress headache, sometimes just feels like weird pressure or buzzing along with some minor nausea. Anyone else have long term paxil withdrawals like this? Finally heard from the doc and they think I might need to restart paxil and taper down super super slow, but I've come so far I'm wondering if I can gut it out; I've heard withdrawals can last months (although seems there is a dearth of research on withdrawals and most people say different things). Any advice or insight would be appreciated, sorry for the long post, thanks.

[Barb135]

Unfortunately, there can be some long term withdrawal from Paxil.  We had a member who was very experienced with this, but he’s no longer on the forum.  

I was prescribed Paxil, at one point… my doctor insisted that because I was tired, I had to be depressed.  I wasn’t - years later, it turned out to be Vitamin B-12 deficiency, but I only took the Paxil for a couple of weeks.  It made me a whole more tired than I’d been before… I’d take it before I left for work in the morning and by the time I arrived at the office, I was SO tired, I simply couldn’t stay awake.  

It sounds like you have some of the withdrawal symptoms and I hope someone chimes in about eliminating them.   Good luck.

[specialmom]

What is really hard to determine is that some are having extended withdrawal and some are actually having a return of symptoms. Each day, each and every day, the withdrawal should get better. Paxil can work really well and does for a lot of people but going off takes work. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to be effective with transient, start up side effects in that process that generally do go away so, one should think of it in terms of going the other way. It takes a while to readjust to the lack of it's presence in your system. If you think you can gut it out, do so. If you just aren't functioning, then you can retaper.

Exercise is one of the best things to do during the withdrawal. It helps with natural chemicals to counteract things. And watch your nutrition and GI tract. Keep yourself regular and hydrate. Lots of sleep when you can.

Do you do therapy?  Learning how to breath through a panic attack can help.

Let us know how you are doing.