I’ve been taking Paxil for the past four years for depression and social anxiety disorder. Over the last few months I started feeling pretty good. So good, in fact, that I decided to try going off the medication. My doctor agreed with me, and we came up with a plan for me to gradually taper off the drug.
After a week of cutting down to 10 mg/day – half of my usual dose – I cut back to 5 mg/day. And I feel miserable. I’m shaky, I’m dizzy, I can’t sleep and I’ve been crying almost constantly for the last two days. Unfortunately I still have to go to work, so everyone in the office probably thinks I’m a total basketcase. What’s worse is that I feel all the same depression symptoms coming back.
The NIH Web site says that these are all possible withdrawal symptoms, and that I need to call my doctor (I plan to do that first thing tomorrow). In the meantime I’ll be not sleeping and – I hope – not puking.
Maybe you’ll find some good info there. I have heard of people switching to a drug with a longer halflife like prozac and withdrawing from that instead of paxil with its 15 hour halflife, you can talk to your doctor about that.
Frankly, after having to go through a forced withdrawal of my meds not too long ago, I’d prefer to stay on them, even if I didn’t need them, simply so I wouldn’t have to suffer the agony again. I recommend having a “babysitter” to help you deal with the withdrawals. Best of luck to you.
Paxil user here. I’ve taken it for about 3 1/2 years now, and the difference it’s made to me is wonderful. I don’t care if I take it for the rest of my life.
Just curious – why stop if you feel normal while taking it? Were you having side effects from it?
Thanks to everyone for the info and the good wishes. I really appreciate the support.
MLS, I know … right now I’m cursing myself for going off my meds. I made the decision because I was having a lot of trouble sleeping and I thought this would help. I might ask my doctor to put me back on it. I’m very tempted to call in sick today and just go see her.
I’ve heard that Paxil withdrawal is very much like Ultram withdrawal and that’s horrible. I’ve gone through it with Ultram and even with tapering the meds, it’s hard. I can’t believe you’re working! I was completely incapacitated when I went “cold turkey”.
Call your doctor and see if he will put you back on a lower dose and do a *very * gradual taper. If you’re feeling this bad, the taper wasn’t slow enough, IMO.
I hope you feel better soon. I don’t wish the way you feel on my worst enemy.
Your Doctor should help, several possibilities exist.
From my personal experience, and so not applicable to your situation …
Coming off anti-depressants can be really hard. Go to your Doctor, and see if they think you should try and come off Paxil, and if you should see if they can help you.
I came off Paxil on doctors orders and had a very hard time, I needed to reduce the dose by 1/4 of a dose (1 tablet to 3/4 tablets to 1/2 tablets to 3/8 tablets to 1/4 tablet …) per week and even then the side effects were horrable.
Do not take advice from the web, but from your Doctor instead.
Well, I called my doctor today during a break and left a voicemail with her medical assistant. I was supposed to get a call by the end of the day. I never did. Definitely not good. I’m letting my doctor know about this.
The good news is that I’m feeling a little better today. The mood swings/uncontrollable crying seem to be over, but most of my coworkers are still avoiding me. Right now the worst part is the dizziness. Sometimes I feel like I can’t stand without keeling over. I’m also having a lot of trouble concentrating, which is becoming a problem with a looming deadline.
I can’t believe it either. Unfortunately I don’t have much of a choice, seeing as I’m the only writer for my publication and I have a deadline in six days. It didn’t help that my supervisor told everyone I was just really depressed about turning 30. She’s officially on the list.
I’m sorry to hear that so many of you went through this, too. If you don’t mind me asking, Bippy, how long have you been off Paxil? I’m just curious if it took you a long time to get over the side effects.
I went off Paxil to move onto a different SSRI (Paxil wasn’t working very well and was making me feel ,‘dumbed down’.) The prescribing psychiatrist was moving me from Paxil to Lexapro, and wanted me to come off Paxil completely for a week before starting on the new drug. As soon as I started the new drug the side effects of coming off Paxil weant away, so I cannot tell how long the side effects might have lasted had I not been going to a different drug.
OK WARNING THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE, JUST SOMETHING MY PSYCHIATRIST TOLD ME
My psychiatrist said she was often amazed how many people once their medication started to work propperly would fee they were better and immediately stop taking the medication"because they felt they did not need it any more" when it was that very medication that was making them feel normal at last, and so would lose the benifit that the medication was giving them.
I don’t know whether the Paxil was what made you feel better or not, but I don’t believe you know either. Just because you feel better it doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t need the Paxil, it might mean that the Paxil is now working perfectly for you. So see that doctor (hound him/her to the ends of the earth is he/she isn’t getting back to you on the phone), and good luck.
I don’t understand withdrawl symptons from drugs ( controlled or illegal) at all and I won’t pretend to grasp what you are going through.
That will not stop me from offering YMMV Advice.
I’ve always felt that when I decide to wean myself off of coffee because I become so addicted to it that it is my breakfast and lunch and too many stimulants like that for me with my slight balance issues really make a difference, I’ve noticed. Whooo, run on sentance! To beat the headaches that linger all freaking day from cold turkey coffee bans, I eat more nutritiously and take a horsepill of a multivitamin and some supplements. That way, since my body is in withdrawl from one kind of stimulant, I give it a superdose of Really Good Stuff to work on and keep it busy. Even if it is a placebo, it seems to work. or should I say, " Placebo’s work for me!"
I’m also quickly becoming a juicing fanatic and haven’t had coffee in two days with out any migraine/headache/crankiness. w00t!
Hmm. You brought up a good point. I’ve been taking vitamins and supplements for years and I’ve found them to be extremely helpful. Your post made me wonder – are the vitamins helping me through this? I know I had a really bad week, but after hearing so many withdrawal horror stories I’m starting to realize that it could’ve been much, much worse. I actually feel pretty good today except for the constant dizziness.
Bippy, I know exactly what you mean. I was worried that my symptoms would come back once I went off the Paxil. But I’ve been working on behavior modification a lot over the past few years, so I’m trying to stay positive. And my doctor already told me that she’ll have no problem putting me back on the drug if it turns out to be a chemical imbalance. In the meantime, I’m getting a decent night’s sleep for the first time in years!
You have my sympathy. I quit Paxil about 3 months ago, I was only on 10mg per day. I had taken it for 2 months. I stopped because it was causing me problems with my ability to sleep.
It was horrible. My head constantly felt like I just got off a rollercoaster or an elevator. It was worst for 3 weeks, bad for 3 more, and even noticable after that. I’m glad I didn’t have the crying problem. Just dizzy in the head.
I don’t feel depressed anymore. My doctor said some people only need anti depressants for short periods of time then they’re fine.
My head spins just remembering what it was like. Hang in there.
ladybug, a {very slowly} recovering benzo addict and full-time anti-depressant {Effexor; Paxil turned me into a zombie, but I know mileage varies}taker chiming in here: Halving your dosage does seem awfully fast - I’d really suggest talking to your doctor about a more gradual reduction, if things don’t improve soon. Lots of hugs your way, anyway: I do know what you’re going through - just don’t push it too hard because you have to for work. That’s no way to get better, and I speak from bitter experience.
True! My father is a psychiatrist and this is the bane of his existance. But ladybug said her doctor thought this was a good idea too, so it should be ok. I was on Paxil for a few months for some OCD when I started college. I don’t remember any withdrawl when I stopped, but I got some pretty un-fun side effects from the pill, so I guess I can relate somewhat. Darn drugs making us feel bad when they’re supposed to be making us feel better!
