# Getting off Paxil **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493 "2015-01-21T16:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/21 "2015-01-22T16:47:14Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > What’s your diet and exercise like? Diet is good to average. I am strict during the week and eat fairly clean. On the weekends I have some beers and eat pretty much what I want. I play competitive tennis and am on the court at least 10 hours a week. So compared to the normal person, I am in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/22 "2015-01-22T16:55:15Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Diet is good to average. I am strict during the week and eat fairly clean. On the weekends I have some beers and eat pretty much what I want. I play competitive tennis and am on the court at least 10 hours a week. So compared to the normal person, I am in good shape. I should have guessed considering your username. 🙂 I know proper diet and exercise helps with my anxiety issues. I was hoping maybe the same would help with your depression. But if you’re already doing all that though, I don’t anything to offer. Good luck, I hope you find the answers that you need. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/23 "2015-01-22T16:58:34Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Please correct me if I’m mistaken about any of the following points: > > You have been addicted to Paxil for 13 years. Yes, you are completely and utterly wrong. This is not an addiction like the kind that NA handles; this is a physical dependance that needs to be handled by a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. Not a bunch of former drug addicts. \*\* To the OP: \*\* Call your doctor, please. You can taper slowly, and it’s the least painful way to go. I tapered off Effexor before docs really knew how horrible that was – the fast taper was hell. The slow taper, with help of a very, very low dose of Prozac, was easy. My doc also had me use Ativan to help with brain zaps and panic, and to help me sleep. YMMV. Some people get off SSRIs, SNRIs, etc., by cutting the dose miniscule amounts. A liquid version of the med can help this. I’ll post more later – have a meeting to go to. Lunch is over. (But please fill your Paxil and take it until you see your doc!) ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/24 "2015-01-22T17:04:05Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I should have guessed considering your username. 🙂 > > I know proper diet and exercise helps with my anxiety issues. I was hoping maybe the same would help with your depression. But if you’re already doing all that though, I don’t anything to offer. > Good luck, I hope you find the answers that you need. Thanks Shakes. Exercise does help with my depression/anxiety. When I do get off this, I will probably be as active as possible to keep my mind clear. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/25 "2015-01-22T17:06:17Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Yes, you are completely and utterly wrong. This is not an addiction like the kind that NA handles; this is a physical dependance that needs to be handled by a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. Not a bunch of former drug addicts. > \*\* > To the OP: \*\* > > Call your doctor, please. You can taper slowly, and it’s the least painful way to go. I tapered off Effexor before docs really knew how horrible that was – the fast taper was hell. The slow taper, with help of a very, very low dose of Prozac, was easy. My doc also had me use Ativan to help with brain zaps and panic, and to help me sleep. YMMV. > > Some people get off SSRIs, SNRIs, etc., by cutting the dose miniscule amounts. A liquid version of the med can help this. > > I’ll post more later – have a meeting to go to. Lunch is over. > > (But please fill your Paxil and take it until you see your doc!) Thank you for the information. I did fill the script and am taking it again and feel pretty much “normal” again. One question for you. As I mentioned before, I went off Paxil after four years of taking 40 mg a day cold turkey and really only had a mild week of withdrawal. I was lucky. Do you think that means I would have an easier withdrawal this time? Or is it impossible to know? ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/26 "2015-01-22T18:26:31Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Thank you for the information. I did fill the script and am taking it again and feel pretty much “normal” again. One question for you. As I mentioned before, I went off Paxil after four years of taking 40 mg a day cold turkey and really only had a mild week of withdrawal. I was lucky. Do you think that means I would have an easier withdrawal this time? Or is it impossible to know? It’s impossible for me to know. Especially since I’m not a doctor, just someone who’s been off and on antidepressants for various reasons (most recently for chronic pain). I’ve found some are more difficult to taper off. Prozac was really easy for me, but Effexor XR was terrible. I suspect that much depends on the dose you’re taking and your own body chemistry. Do ask your doc about tapering - it makes things much less uncomfortable. I feel like I’m getting the flu, and my balance is affected, and I have awful dreams, so I’m a fan of a slow taper. YMMV. Exercise can help a lot, especially to get you to sleep better. And for a laugh, a few of my blog posts about getting off [Effexor](http://cutthroatslacker.blogspot.com/2008/03/effexor-satans-tic-tacs.html), which I now call “Satan’s Tic-Tacs”. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/27 "2015-01-22T19:10:23Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > It’s impossible for me to know. Especially since I’m not a doctor, just someone who’s been off and on antidepressants for various reasons (most recently for chronic pain). I’ve found some are more difficult to taper off. Prozac was really easy for me, but Effexor XR was terrible. I suspect that much depends on the dose you’re taking and your own body chemistry. > > Do ask your doc about tapering - it makes things much less uncomfortable. I feel like I’m getting the flu, and my balance is affected, and I have awful dreams, so I’m a fan of a slow taper. YMMV. > > Exercise can help a lot, especially to get you to sleep better. > > And for a laugh, a few of my blog posts about getting off [Effexor](http://cutthroatslacker.blogspot.com/2008/03/effexor-satans-tic-tacs.html), which I now call “Satan’s Tic-Tacs”. > > Good luck! Satan’s Tic Tacks, haha! Last weekend when I didn’t take the Paxil, I just remembered I had super vivid dreams. That wasn’t necessarily a bad side effect though. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/28 "2015-01-22T19:44:29Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Please correct me if I’m mistaken about any of the following points: > > You have been addicted to Paxil for 13 years. > > Paxil is a mood altering substance (aka a drug) and anyone who takes it daily for 13 years has a serious addiction. > > Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about Paxil I have no experience with it. > > But, I do have some experience with people trying to terminate a long term addiction and there are a few things I’d like to say to you. > > One of the most important things I can tell anyone who is struggling with terminating a long-term addiction (13 years is definitely a “long term”) is that they will almost certainly need help from someone else. It is very difficult to stay off a drug by yourself. > > In most cities, there are many people who would be glad to help you because someone has helped them and they would like to pass this along if possible. > > There are organizations such as NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and they are listed in the phone book. If you live in a large city, there will almost certainly be meetings held daily near your neighborhood. > > You may think it’s silly to sit down with a group of strangers and talk with them and listen to what they have to say. But, believe it or not, sharing your story with others and listening to their stories is one of the greatest sources of faith, hope and strength you can ever find. > > Damn! I forget the exact wording. There are 3 words that are part of the “N.A. Manifesto” that are known to most every member of NA. It’s just been such a long time since I attended a meeting. > > But if anyone here is a member and knows those words, I sure would appreciate if you would post them here. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can always send a PM to a moderator or to me and I will pass it along by posting it in this thread. > > The very first day that I stopped using my drug (which was Codeine for what it’s worth), some goofy looking guy came into the Addiction Research Facility and told the people there (I was one of those people) that there was a meeting in twenty minutes and everyone who would like to come would be welcome. > > I kind of snickered to myself thinking, “What would a bunch of druggie losers like myself every have to say that would help me?” But attending that meeting, I listened to a few people who talked about what addiction had done to their lives and the lives of their families and I was never the same again. > > There are many ways that you can find help. But I would like to encourage you to attend one of those meetings or anything else you can think of that would put you in touch with some other people. > > Other people can be the greatest source of strength that an addict can ever find. > > If you don’t want to attend a meeting, there are plenty of other ways that you can find strength and hope from other people. > > A great doctor that I knew once told me, "The most important thing that you need to do is to ‘show your face’ to some other people. What he meant was that by telling your story (about how you became addicted and what it has done to you and your family) is one of the most important steps you can take to get yourself on the road to recovery. > > All my best wishes to you and yours. > > Damn! I can’t believe I forgot those three words. I listened to them every day for more than 20 years. Aaaaaaand…_Swing and a miss!_ To the OP: the slower the titration, the better. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/29 "2015-01-22T20:26:49Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > During the worst part of this, which lasted for at least a month (maybe more; it was 12 years ago), I had an experience that I would have called “brain zaps”. But I don’t know if my brain zaps were like Paxil brain zaps. It’s entirely possible. Several years ago I was prescribed a benzodiazepine sleep med (temazepam) for several weeks, and when I stopped taking it I experienced brain zaps for a while. As best I can recall, they were not quite as intense or long-lasting as the ones I got from quitting SSRIs. Some users of MDMA apparently get them too, which I can neither confirm nor deny. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/30 "2015-01-22T20:41:32Z")
“Zaps” = brief moments of dizziness? ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/31 "2015-01-22T20:52:50Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > “Zaps” = brief moments of dizziness? Not really for me. The best way I can describe it is like when you touch something metal and get a shock from it. It’s like that but it’s your brain getting shocked. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/32 "2015-01-22T20:57:09Z")
I wonder if what I describe as my head full of bees was the same as the brain zaps. It sounds similar but not quite the same. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/33 "2015-01-22T21:04:35Z")
Sorry, I feel compelled to add something additional for Mr. Wayne: > [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Please correct me if I’m mistaken about any of the following points: You are very mistaken about your points. Also, quite arrogant in attempting to _diagnose_ an addiction based on an _internet post_ when, to the best of my knowledge, you are not medically trained. We have actual doctors here on the SD who do not do such a thing - probably because they know better. > [@](#): > > You have been addicted to Paxil for 13 years. Please look up the difference between _physical dependence_, which is NOT an addiction, and _addiction_. > [@](#): > > Paxil is a mood altering substance (aka a drug) and anyone who takes it daily for 13 years has a serious addiction. Have you any clue at all between prescribing a medication for a legitimate medical reason (including psychiatric reasons) and drug abuse? It doesn’t sound like it. > [@](#): > > But, I do have some experience with people trying to terminate a long term addiction and there are a few things I’d like to say to you. Are they the sort of people who believe addicts should go off ANY medication whatsoever, even those needed to preserve life and health? Because I have a lot of contempt for that sort. They can do a lot of damage to the chronically ill and I have seen that advice contribute to someone’s death. > [@](#): > > In most cities, there are many people who would be glad to help you because someone has helped them and they would like to pass this along if possible. This coyness is completely unnecessary here. We’ve all heard of AA, NA, Rational Recovery, and so on, no one has yet run screaming from the room at their mention. > [@](#): > > Damn! I forget the exact wording. There are 3 words that are part of the “N.A. Manifesto” that are known to most every member of NA. It’s just been such a long time since I attended a meeting. Ah, I see - you assume everyone else is suffering from YOUR problem. Tell me, do you make a habit of playing doctor. [quote[But if anyone here is a member and knows those words, I sure would appreciate if you would post them here. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can always send a PM to a moderator or to me and I will pass it along by posting it in this thread.[/quote] Seriously??? _Seriously???_ Do you realize _how few_ people here post under their _own name?_ Do you think my name is _actually_ “Broomstick” or something? **We are already anonymous here**. Given the numbers of posters not only in this thread but on the Dope in general who have been brutally honest and forthcoming about their past and/or current addiction struggle I also doubt that overwhelming concern with people not knowing about the problem is an issue here. > [@](#): > > The very first day that I stopped using my drug (which was Codeine for what it’s worth), some goofy looking guy came into the Addiction Research Facility and told the people there (I was one of those people) that there was a meeting in twenty minutes and everyone who would like to come would be welcome. OK, now some of your past posts begin to make a lot more sense. Listen, Mr. Wayne, the odds are the OP is having a different problem than you did. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/34 "2015-01-22T21:09:25Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Not really for me. The best way I can describe it is like when you touch something metal and get a shock from it. It’s like that but it’s your brain getting shocked. Yeah. It can be dizzying/disorienting but more than that, it really does feel like a kind of electric shock. For me they would frequently be bursts of three or more, usually triggered by moving my head or eyes. Sort of like _ **ZAP** _ ZAP ZAP ZAPzapzap The sensation is so odd and distinct that I think it’s one of those “if it happens to you, you’ll know” things. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/35 "2015-01-22T21:30:50Z")
You guys did notice that **Charlie Wayne** backed off, apologized for the bad advice, and thanked OP for setting him straight? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/36 "2015-01-22T21:51:13Z")
What are they supposed to do with the soapbox… put soap in it? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/37 "2015-01-22T22:07:17Z")
> [@Alma](#): > > You guys did notice that **Charlie Wayne** backed off, apologized for the bad advice, and thanked OP for setting him straight? Yeah, yeah, yeah - except this is hardly the first time he’s posted a screed about addiction, and I suspect not the first time he’s practiced some on-line diagnosing without actual credentials. This was even more misplaced than usual. It’s getting tedious. Newsflash: not everyone is an addict. ---
**Author:** ![Sputnikkk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Sputnikkk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sputnikkk)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/38 "2015-01-22T23:31:10Z")
Jast taper really slowly. I don’t know how many milligrams the Paxil pills are but if you are taking 60mg pills and there are 30mg pills, start by by alternating 60mg pill, then 30mg pill, etc… then eventually switch over to 30mg then start alternating that, two days on, one day off etc… until you wean yourself off completely. Go slow. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/39 "2015-01-23T00:42:30Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Paxil is a mood altering substance (aka a drug) and anyone who takes it daily for 13 years has a serious addiction. > > Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about Paxil I have no experience with it. If you don’t know anything about it, then you shouldn’t claimed it was a “mood altering substance”. Yes, I know he apologized. But he flat out admitted he didn’t know anything about said medication – but made the claim anyways. Hello, offering medical advice when you don’t know jackshit about the subject? Jesus Christ. (FWIW, I’m on Paxil to read Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493/40 "2015-01-23T00:54:51Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > …(FWIW, I’m on Paxil to read Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) I didn’t know they were prescribing Paxil for dyslexia now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-off-paxil/710493.md?page=3)