If you have taken the Paxil (Paroxetine) or Paxil CR (controlled-release), you know the true power behind this SSRI medication. When I first took it for social anxiety, it worked wonders – I felt so good that I never wanted to come off of it. Eventually the drug stopped working and I fell into a deep depression while still taking Paxil. I had been taking it for about 9 months, and decided that I should probably just get off of the stuff altogether if it was no longer helping. I was young and my general practitioner didn’t explain that it would be advisable to “taper” vs. going “cold turkey.”
Long story short, I had a total mental breakdown, severe anxiety, severe depression, suicidal ideation, and had a very difficult time recovering from the Pax-hell that I was being put through. The withdrawal symptoms were absolutely awful and I felt as though I would never recover. In all honesty, I think it took me several years before I felt “normal” again by my standards. Although my case of an extended withdrawal recovery period is not the norm, many people really struggle coming off of Paxil.
Factors that influence Paxil withdrawal include:
If you have read any of my other articles regarding antidepressants, specifically SSRI’s, you should know that there are a number of factors that play a role in your withdrawal from a medication. It should be noted that Paxil is among the most powerful antidepressants on the market – some research has even compared its effects as being “similar to cocaine.” Whether those claims are scientifically founded is another story. However, anyone that has had experience with this drug knows how hellish the withdrawal can be.
1. Time Span
How long were you prescribed Paxil? Have you only been taking it for a few weeks? Have you been on it for years? Obviously time span plays a huge role in determining how our body’s are going to respond to withdrawal. If you take something away from your body that you have been giving it for an extended period of time, you are going to have a tougher time rebounding compared to someone who was only on it for a couple weeks or months.
2. Dosage
What was the dosage that you were taking? Paxil comes in some standard dosages of 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 60 mg. There is also the Paxil CR version which comes in 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 37.5 mg, etc. Obviously the CR simply means “controlled release” and that the dosage was slowly released over a 24 hour period. With the regular version of Paxil, the drug can get absorbed more quickly or all at once. They end up being very similar once your body gets accustomed to the standard Paxil. Anyways, the greater the dosage of this stuff, the tougher it is going to be to withdraw.
3. Individual physiology
There are rare superhuman individuals that don’t really notice withdrawal from certain medications. How sensitive you are as a person is going to play a major role in determining how Paxil withdrawal feels. Some people may notice that they are back to normal within a matter of weeks, while for others it may take months. And for others, like myself, it took years to feel better again.
4. Cold turkey vs. tapering
With the sheer potency of Paxil, I highly recommend that you do NOT stop cold turkey. Stopping cold turkey is just asking for some major trouble. When I was on this medication, I was only on the 12.5 mg CR version and I stopped cold turkey – huge mistake. I experienced withdrawal symptoms for a long time – and it took me years to feel “normal” again. Tapering is the smart way to go about withdrawal – gradually wean yourself off this medication with the help of your psychiatrist and/or doctor. If you haven’t yet quit the drug, but plan to withdraw soon, be sure to read: “How To Taper off of Paxil Properly.”
Paxil Withdrawal Symptoms: List
There are so many different withdrawal symptoms that people may experience while on this medication. Although you may not experience every symptom on the list below, it is common to experience several of them at the same time.
- Anger – Want to see someone get mad? Have them withdraw from Paxil. Coming off of this medication can make even the most docile human being turn into a raging evil monster.
- Anxiety – The anxiety coming off of Paxil is among the worst many people ever experience in their lives. Not everyone experiences this symptom, but the drop in serotonin levels can contribute to high anxiety coming off of Paxil.
- Blurred vision – Although this sounds somewhat odd to experience, people have reported that their vision seems blurred at times while coming off of Paxil. I had this experience, and my vision is perfectly fine, but something was clearly going on.
- Confusion – You may experience difficulties with thinking and may become easily confused throughout the day. This is normal – just remember that your thinking is temporarily slowed and your brain is trying to recover from the Paxil.
- Crying spells – It is common for people coming off of Paxil to breakdown and start crying – often uncontrollably. Feelings of deep depression and desperation may accompany this crying. Do your best to tough it out and recognize that it’s just the withdrawal.
- Decreased appetite – Coming off of Paxil you’ll experience the opposite of what you felt while on the drug. For most people, Paxil makes them hungry. When they stop, they have a tough time rebuilding their appetite for awhile.
- Dizziness – You may experience an extreme case of vertigo for the first couple weeks coming off of this medication. Just recognize that this is a common withdrawal symptom.
- Electric shocks – You may feel as though you are being electrically shocked or experience what many refer to as “brain zaps.” This can be very distressful in itself, but just realize that they will eventually go away as the drug leaves your system.
- Fatigue – It is very common to experience lethargy or fatigue. You may feel like sleeping all day and not wanting to do anything. Do your best to get through the day and do what you can.
- Flu-like – It isn’t uncommon to experience flu-like symptoms for the first couple weeks while coming off of Paxil – especially if you stopped cold turkey.
- Headaches – It is common to get headaches and/or feel pressure in the head during withdrawal. I had such severe headaches that I actually thought I needed to get an MRI to determine any alternative causes.
- Hot flashes – Many people experience hot flashes for weeks while coming off of Paxil.
- Hypersensitivity – You may be hypersensitive to light, sounds, and motion. I remember that I would freak out at loud noises and or super bright sunlight. This can cause you to go into panic mode.
- Hypochondria – It is pretty common to fear that you are going crazy while withdrawing. I thought I was going to develop schizophrenia, cancer, and/or problems with my hearing and vision. Every little thing made me panic and think disease.
- Insomnia – Can’t fall asleep at night? Since your brain’s serotonin supply is now diminished, you may find yourself unable to sleep or find mental peace. This insomnia will last until your brain finds a way to recalibrate its neurotransmitters.
- Mood swings – The mood swings that you experience may be absolutely crazy. You may go from extreme anger, to extreme sadness, feel aggressive one minute, and be sympathetic the next. Do your best to cope with this.
- Muscle cramps – Your body may ache and feel sore all over. This is because it is getting re-acclimated to experiencing life without Paxil cycling through it.
- Nausea – If every little thing makes you feel nauseated and somewhat sick, it could be a result of the withdrawal.
- Panic attacks – You may find yourself panicking in almost every major situation. Whether you are at work, school, or just out in public, everything may provoke a fear response. Do your best to fight through this feeling of discomfort.
- Poor concentration – Can you focus? Of course not, you’re coming off of Paxil. Most people experience a little cognitive boost while on the medication, and when they come off of it, they are unable to focus.
- Slowed thinking – If you find yourself unable to think quickly, perform well on the job, and/or problem solve, it’s due to the withdrawal.
- Severe depression – The depression that you experience coming off of Paxil may be so severe, that you won’t even know how to make it through life. Do your best to focus on making it through one day at a time. Eventually you will rebound back to 100%.
- Suicidal thoughts – Feel suicidal before you take Paxil? Coming off of it the suicidal thoughts may be 100x worse. Yes you read right, 100x worse. The best thing you can do for yourself is try to think positive and/or do something to distract yourself from the way you are feeling.
- Sweating – It is common to sweat profusely while on Paxil, and you may find yourself sweating a ton while coming off of it.
- Vivid dreams – Many people experience vivid dreams while on this medication, as well as while coming off of it.
Note: It is known that Paxil stays in your system for only 4 to 6 days after your last dose; it has a short-half-life. Â For this reason, many people notice severe discontinuation symptoms within just days of stopping Paxil.
Paxil Withdrawal Symptoms Length of Time: How long will they last?
How long will withdrawal from the drug Paxil last? Like I said, it will totally depend based on individual factors. New research suggests that the withdrawal period actually lasts a lot longer than professionals originally thought. They are finally starting to see the light that these drugs are not something to be taken lightly. Most people have withdrawal symptoms for at least a couple months following discontinuation. A good rule of thumb to go by is give it 90 days to fully recover – most people feel back to themselves after 3 months time.
In the meantime, try to take it one day at a time and don’t freak out at every little symptom. Your brain is likely in panic mode. Make sure you are exercising, eating healthy, and socializing to the best of your ability. A day will come when you will feel 100% and back to normal even if you don’t believe it right now. The process takes time. If you can make it through this withdrawal, you can make it through anything. I am here if you need to share your comments and experiences.
I’m on day two of a cold turkey withdrawal of 40 mg of paxil. I am an all or nothing girl. I have been medicated with Paxil for the last 16 years. I think the biggest part of withdrawal for me will be balancing my relationship within the family. In the past two days my husband has said, “why are you so combative.” Or “you’re so negative.” At the time I thought I was doing really well considering how I was feeling.
I feel like crying all of the time, I have headaches, and just today I’ve thrown way tons of stuff. Looking at past posts I see the best is yet to come. If you’re pregnant and stressing out keep reading: Originally, I was on Prozac but when I became pregnant in 1999 my doctor said it was safer for the baby to be on Paxil. Well, years later we know better but, for all those who worry about their unborn babies don’t be so stressed that you put your life in danger by going off Paxil cold turkey.
I have two beautiful, healthy girls who were on Paxil the whole pregnancy. I nursed with both girls too. Both girls so far seem to be OK. They are above average academically (A/B gifted students), both play instruments and are first chair. As far as emotions go they are balanced. Easy teenagers, they even talk to me. Quite frankly they take after their father but, they are not the same. One is a vivacious, extrovert. The other is a tree hugging introvert. All you moms-to-be don’t stress. Do what you think is right as you go off the Paxil. That’s the best you can do.
I only took paxil for one month. My doctor switched me to lexapro. I have had severe withdrawal symptoms. Fatigue weakness headache, nausea, dizziness, panic attacks, high fever, excessive heart rate, and felt very scared all the time. This stuff is no joke. Never ever take paxil if you have another option.
I’m in my 4th week of paxil withdrawal after tapering for 1 year. I have been on it or prozac for 14 total years. The anger is scary more so than the sadness. I eat organic, and non-GMO and mostly plant based. I take Kratom for daily pain and have been taking Saunas twice a week. I do detox baths several times a week as well. I drink tons of organic green tea, raw honey, and lemon water, and try to get in ACV daily. I meditate and sleep a lot but usually only for an hour or two at a time. I’ve been walking and trying to get as much vitamin D as I can, but I live in the midwest and winter is still in full effect (and we are heading into April). Anything anyone else can suggest? I’m also listening to a lot of classical music and binaural beats for calming.
I’ve been on 40 mg of paxil for 17 yrs for panic/anxiety, yikes did I just say that! Recently I have been drinking a lot and after reading some of the side effects of paxil, alcohol abuse isn’t uncommon. I have decided to quit by tapering off 30 mg for 1 week 20 mg for 1 week and 10 mg for the last. I’m only on day 2 so haven’t felt a lot of the withdrawal symptoms. I do know they are coming though as I have tried to quit multiple times over the last 17 years although I always went back because I couldn’t afford to miss work because of side effects. At first I thought this drug was a life saver as it helped my anxiety and panic. 17 years later I realize I haven’t felt actual emotions my entire adult life and I’m 32. My ex wife used to tell me I’m cold and have no emotions good or bad and I always thought she was the crazy one. Thanks big pharma!
To Carla: Don’t take kratom to help the side effects, please! Kratom is illegal in many countries because it is dangerous. My sister gave me some in January 2015 and I had a cup one evening in July 2015 when I was having a flashback (I was raped and tortured so have complex PTSD).
I woke up at 5 in the morning projectile vomiting. I vomited until my nose bled. I was right by the toilet and couldn’t even turn my head to make it to aim at the toilet. There was so much blood I thought I might be vomiting blood so I went to the ER. It wasn’t internal damage, I’d just had too much pressure on my throat and nose from the vomit. I had vomit and blood coming out of my nose. That was this July.
Now it’s December and I’m pregnant and trying to go cold turkey from paxil. I was 40 mg for 11 months. I know how hard it is, but please don’t take kratom. It really can backfire and you don’t deserve that. I’m sorry for all the pain all of you are going through. It will get better! I’m hearing about protracted withdrawals, but not about never-ending withdrawals. I’m on day 9 of cold turkey.
Hello! I had been on Zoloft for 12 years and quit cold turkey (bad idea). I obviously wasn’t aware of what would happen. Well I went through some horrible side effects and ended up on Paxil as the Zoloft did not work for me anymore. I started off at 10 mg and went all the way up to 60 at some point because every time I’d tell my psychiatrist it wasn’t working he’d up the dosage. 60 mg ended up making me feel physically worse so he put me at 40 mg with a side of Xanax for when the Paxil wasn’t cutting it.
Two tears later and the Paxil didn’t feel like it was doing anything at all so I made the decision to part ways with it. I went to a new psychiatrist and told him I wanted off. He gave me a 9 week plan of tapering off 40 mg of Paxil and gave me the warning that Paxil was one of the hardest drugs to come off of. If I hadn’t done my own research I would have never known what to expect. I was feeling SO good the first three weeks and then the side effects from tapering off started. Nausea and extreme dizziness came onto the scene full steam ahead.
I took ginger pill capsules for the nausea and DiVertigo for the dizziness. It helped as well as exercising. Well most of that has subsided and I have now been Paxil free for a little over one week except now I’m having the suicidal ideation along with depression and depersonalization. This last week has been SO incredibly hard as I feel like I’m going crazy with no hope of feeling “normal”. I am feeling almost every side effect on that list and it’s so overwhelming.
I thought that I’d be feeling 100% like myself at this point, but alas it will take time. I keep having to tell myself that what I’m feeling isn’t me, but an effect from the drug. Also, after 14 years of depending on an SSRI it is going to take my mind and body time to adjust to not having it in my system. It’s all so horrible and the easy thing to do would be to hop back on the med train, but I’ve come too far. After reading this page I feel so much more hopeful and “normal” for what I’m going through. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this information and pray that everyone going through this finds strength to tough it out and get through it.
I’ve been suffering too. It’s a nightmare. I don’t know what to do with myself. I hope every morning I wake up that I will feel better of course it’s not the case. I have 3 children and I feel like I can’t be the mother they need I try and do my best and they love me. I hope to find peace sometime soon.
Thanks for the tips. This is the best symptom list I have read so far. I am a mom, a teacher and a wife. Coming off this medication is brutal and I am only 2 weeks in. I hope, I pray the nightmare ends soon. ~Waiting for the dawn.
Agree with all of these symptoms, and hate it for all of you. Why do I never see stories of anyone that was on 60 mg like I was? It scares me that I almost never see stories of anyone on the highest dose. I was only on 60 mg for a couple of years, my doc just kept increasing and for only minor depression and more anxiety than anything! She advised me to taper 20 mg every two weeks, I did 40 mg for two weeks and felt amazing!
I did 20 for one week then started a new doctor due to not being happy with the current one at the time. When I saw my new doc I had taken 20 mg for one week and she told me to start trying the “every other day” method, then every two, and so on. That’s when hell broke loose. Horrible zaps, the vertigo and nausea were beyond horrible, and I just felt awful. Went back to doc and she had me go to 10 mg for a week then try the every other day for a week, then every two, etc.
Couldn’t do it at first due to the vertigo being so bad and the pure awful sick feeling. So I just kept taking 10 mg up until this very week and now I’m doing the every other day with much less problems in the zap and vomit department, but now it’s the despair I’m having and awful thoughts with little vertigo and zaps. Am I on the right path?
I’m so glad I found this site. I have been of Paxil for about a month and up until now I haven’t been doing to bad. But recently I have been experiencing a lot of these withdrawal symptoms and I was thinking maybe I shouldn’t have gone off, reading this I realize going back wouldn’t help a thing. A lot of what has been going on with me: I just wrote it of on going through menopause but now I’m not so sure. The last month Iv’e been going through things I wouldn’t have thought were withdrawals.
This month I’m going through high anxiety, nausea, ringing in ears, cold and hot flashes, dizziness, not sleeping, head fog, and more. But because this came on a month after I stopped I honestly thought maybe I shouldn’t have stopped. I just wanted to say thank you so much for this site and everyone who wrote in, it sure helped me realize yes I did do the right thing. I’m not saying I’m glad there are other people going through this, but I’m sure glad I’m not alone.
This little part is for Caitlin Dutiel: I am also a Mother of a little one and I can totally relate. They just don’t understand what’s going on. You can’t help being sick and you just want to be the Mom you want to be, not this crazy person. I to believe in God. My thoughts and prayers are with you stay strong.
A drug I thought was my friend cost me 10 YEARS of my life!! You bet I stopped cold turkey & don’t regret it at all! Every brain zap has been worth getting. my life back. I stopped sweating overeating sitting watching life go outside by. My mantra was “I just don’t care.” Insomnia, massive weight gain, I can cry now, I can laugh now. I do still suffer social phobia which is hard, but worth it. My life is coming back into order again. Nausea is a small price to pay.
I’m coming off Paxil. 50 mg. Been on it for a few years now. The withdrawals are horrible. It’s been six weeks and I still feel the same. My anger is out of this world. I snap at the dumbest things. I overreact like no tomorrow. I’m simply miserable. My crying spells come and go throughout the whole entire day. Anything and everything will make me lose it. I tend to get caught up in the moment of how I’m feeling and handle myself in all the wrong ways.
I feel horrible for my children, my husband and my friends. They see me going though this, they probably think I’m crazy. 6 weeks now and no improvement on my end. My vertigo last literally 24 hours a day. My mood swings… The same. Paxil is a horrible old drug. I highly recommend finding something else. Coming off this SSRI you honestly feel like no one would care if you were to actually die. You feel alone and you think everyone is out to get you.
So “nice” to see others with the same experiences! I was on 30mgs for over 10yrs. and came down by 10 mgs every two weeks and now am at zero (day 15) I still have the stiff muscles, dizziness, and hyper mood swings. I’m either in a rage, or crying, sobbing… My 19 year old daughter has seen and heard things out of me I never would have imagined possible.
I have had the body aches. More like soreness to the touch over my entire body. My back muscles have seized and are so tight that my neck is constantly tweaked. I also am dizzy on and off through the day. The moods are getting me now, bad.
I don’t sleep well at all, I don’t have an appetite consistently, but the worst is by far the mood fluctuating from rage to panic to utter sadness in any order at anytime, all day long.
Hello, This website cold not have hit it more on the nose for me. I am not just experiencing some symptoms, I am going through all. I have been on and off paxil since I was 13. Never in the “off” times, do I ever remember hurting this much. It was probably poor timing as it is March, but from my understanding there really never is a “good” time. I am a married 29 year old woman with 2 children (20 months and 4 months). I also and am a very “strong in the lord” christian woman.
With this I feel I am not strong enough to pray for myself. I have been off paxil for 10 days. I began tapering from 20 mg by cutting in half. Within a couple days, the symptoms began. I tapered by taking half another few days and felt worse so I “ripped the bandaid off fast.” I do know this was a mistake, but I cannot turn back now. It was said some people refer to paxil as cocaine. I believe that, except with cocaine, when you withdraw and take it again, it’s an instant fix and paxil would not be.
The mood swings for me are so bad, this is just for my family as it is for me. They don’t understand why mommy cries so much or why I don’t want to hold them. Its one extreme to the next, either I’m super calm and sympathetic, or I’m a raging made maniac who wants to scream and get out of this world. I love my doctor and respect her, but it is hard to respect anyone’s words, knowledge and opinion except for those who have gone through it. This site and the testimonies have given me hope, because right now I’m scared I will never get better and will forever be dependent on a drug just to “get by” in life.
I have been prayed over twice now and have a lot of people praying for me. Just knowing the power of God is stronger than any drug, any doctor or any symptom (physical or mental) also gives me hope. I want to encourage those in the same boat as me, feeling (in a nutshell) sad, mad, scared and alone that there is hope, help, and a better life ahead. And ask those who are stronger than me to keep encouraging me. Thank you for the hope in this website.
I started on Paxil in May. It didn’t help me the doctor raised my dose to 60mgs it didn’t help. I went in the hospital in August my doctor lowered it to 30 mgs then 20mgs all in the same week. I wanted to come off Paxil completely so we lowered it again to 10 mgs Aug 28th. I week later we lowered it again to 10mgs.
I am now off Paxil and going through severe withdrawals. I’ve read everything there is to read I just don’t understand why I feel so bad emotionally, mentally and physically. I need some peace. How long will this last? I feel so weak but I keep holding on everyday. It gets so hard at times. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks Leann
I was taking Paxil 20 mg for 15 years. More depressed, my doc. upped it to 40 mg. I have been off since the end of Oct. I hurt everywhere my neck, the left side of my body.
Every bone in my feet hurt I can barely walk. I thought I may have pancreatitis or something. I have been reading this all morning. Now I know it is the paxil withdrawal. My moods are insane. For me the muscle aches and bone pain is the worse. Anyone else have this?
The muscles in my neck and shoulders have been killing me. You are not alone!
Thank you for the superb article. Been cold turkey from 20mg which I was on for a year. Brain zaps are awful as is the dizziness. Been off work for a week…your post has helped tremendously.
Chris, You just hang in there. We a are with you all way buddy. You can do it, just think every day is one day away from it. If you can meditate, or breathe, or try acupuncture it will help. Or just keep telling yourself it’s only a pill, who needs it?! Really, every day will get better, I promise. Please send out a shout if you need us to give you some confidence. This forum does wonders, we’ve all been where you are. “Forward ever, backward never”.
Hi I’m very glad to come across this website. I have been on Paxil now for a year now and have been on 40 mg. I have decided to quit cold turkey as I am out of my medication and just moved to a different state anyway. I am now on day 4 I believe and it’s tough. I slept almost half the day and my appetite is now decreasing. The worst is how my head is feeling though right now. My eyes feel heavy and my head feels stuffy and its like there’s spinning, but I don’t see any spinning, I’m lightheaded, and feel not right in the head. I only know it will get worse. Last time I tried this I paced around crying wanting to claw myself out of my own head. :(
I was on a very small dosage of paxil for two years and came off of the medication successfully at a very slow taper in August 2014. Starting mid-January 2015, I started having pretty severe anxiety again that hasn’t abated. I am now considering going back on the medication (or something else). Has anyone experienced rebound anxiety months later? I was doing very well prior to this, but it’s been bad recently! Thank you!
PG, You don’t ever want to start taking Paxil again if you can help it. The anxiety you are feeling may be just from dealing with things in a non-drug infused way. I would talk to your doctor before going back on Paxil. Also, as Patty and I have said, acupuncture, rhythmic breathing, and message can help a lot. Do not be afraid to try acupuncture if you have’t tried it before. It is painless and extremely relaxing with NO SIDE EFFECTS. Community clinics will sometimes offer sliding scale fees, and many insurance companies pay for a certain amount of treatments per year. I started on Paxil because of depression and panic/anxiety disorder. Please do yourself and the people that care about you a huge favor and don’t go back to that evil pill. “Forward ever, Backward never!”. Best of luck, we are all here for you. -Paula
Paula, please help! You seem so strong and confident about staying off paxil. I was on 60 mg for at least 15 years. I am now coming up on 4 weeks paxil free. I didn’t get the nausea/dizziness until 4 days ago. I am so close to going back on a small amount to feel better. Not knowing how long this will last is making me feel hopeless!
Please think positive thoughts and know we all went through or are going through the same issues. Use my mantra “Forward ever, Backward never” – it really helps. You have to tell yourself that you are strong and no pill is going to destroy the great person you are. Trust me, it does get better. For me it has been since Jan 1st, so going on 4 months now, but it is easier every day.
Last week I had a full blown crying jag that lasted two days, triggered by a family event. Not for one moment did I want to reach for the Paxil. Two months ago I probably would have. Yes, you will have some bumpy days once in a while, but just remember, emotions prove you are ALIVE, not some drug dependent zombie – which I know I was. Hang in there, Becky, YOU CAN DO THIS!
Thank you GOD! Someone understands and I am not going crazy. The fizzy brain spells six and screaming at my kids are a rare thing for me (really) the headaches and weird feelings I get are wiggin me out and I hate the confusion (thank god for auto correct on the phone) and the dreams… don’t get me started on the dreams? Exotic dreams that include sticks of butter, coconut oil, and hand grenades? Wtf?!? I feel crazier every day and break-down nightly in tears. Luckily I took paxil for only fifteen days and it was only twenty mg’s. But please please please go away.
On January 17, 2015, I had a rare potentially life threatening incident due to PAXIL. I had Paxil induced secretion of anti-direutic hormone causing Acute Hyponetremia, my brain was swollen! After 3 911 calls, Doctors finally discovered I was headed for a coma and death! I had been on 20mg. of Paxil for 15 years. In September prior to my father’s death, I had my GP increase my dose from 20mg. to 30mg. September to January, I had many, many, subtle symptoms, but none significant enough to signal what was to happen.
Symptoms included: headaches, laryngitis, vomiting, bladder retention, blurred vision, all perfectly common seemingly flu like symptoms. Since my ICU hospitalization, my paxil has been reduced from 30-10mg. I will be gradually reducing the Paxil to O. Paxil is a life threatening drug and I am insisting upon weekly visits and a endocrinologist reevaluation in 4 months. We have to be proactive and insist Doctors take our symptoms withdrawal or other symptoms seriously. Good luck to all of us! -Yvonne
Hi all, I tapered and stopped Paroxetine, and am experiencing all of those incredible side effects. The thing to remember is that we are detoxing…we need to get this stuff out of our system and anything we can do to help is going to make us feel better faster. I have been drinking tons of water and detox tea. I have been getting treatments at a community acupuncture clinic, and will get a massage.
Saunas, steams, hot yoga… anything to help us sweat and rid our body of toxins is beneficial. Days 4 and 5 were the worst for me, the vertigo was so intense I was constantly nauseous, and vomited with too much movement (turning my head). I’m on day 8 and feel my true self emerging, feeling better physically, mentally, and emotionally. It will take time to completely detox, but I’ll get there. Good luck everyone!
Hi fellow prisoners of Paxil, it’s been 4 days since I posted above and I am much, much better. I just wanted to let you know each day seemed better than the last. I too started acupuncture like Patty (two days ago) and it was well worth the money. I am going to try a treatment a week for awhile. I also started walking every day and just keep saying “forward ever, backward never.” I really hope some of the other posters are feeling better also. This is a hell no one should have to go through.
Update…last night after a massage was the worst night of “hot flashes” since being off the med. I figured that was good?! The therapist said to think of it like your muscles are sponges holding onto the toxins, they squeeze the sponges to get rid of the yuck. Today I went to a day spa where I could purchase facility time only ($23 for 2 hours) which got me use of steam and dry sauna. I can’t even tell you how incredible it was. I would sweat, then go wash the toxins off…over and over for 2 hours…INCREDIBLE! And Paula…RE: the “horniness”…embrace it sister. I hear that fades just like all the other side effects.
Thank you for explaining the benefits of the intense night and day sweats. Reflecting back on the past 6 1/2 months of these episodes, I am finally “almost” night/day sweat free. Never associated them with my body riding itself of the toxins. Thank you.
Thank you all for this! I thought I had jumped on the crazy train. I’ve been on this $h*t for 24 years @ 30 mg. and going cold turkey (I know, I know) starting Jan 1st (some resolution, eh?)… I cannot believe the way I feel. I am trying to look at the bright side, between major crying jags, like super weight loss regimen after the holidays (i.e. can’t keep anything in, taking a “stay cation”).
I can’t function at my job and deal with those STUPID DUMB PEOPLE at work – my best peeps any other time. Oh, and who does’t need 22 hours of FRICKIN BEAUTY SLEEP a day! But, at least I know I’m not alone, and thanks to this forum I have learned about other withdrawal symptoms I had but didn’t connect to Paxil. I especially like the whoosh sound in my ears that sounds like my email sent alerts on my iPad! I had no way to describe it other than that, but it seems to be the same as people above have mentioned.
I know I can do this with the help of reading these similar horror stories. Now, if I can only get my sudden (sorry for this) HORNINESS under control! I think I’ve been a dead fish for, oh, the last DECADE or so. Haven’t seen that mentioned yet, but I can’t be the first in that department either. Tomorrow is one month, I know it’s going to get better.
I have just stopped taking paxil after 16 years, and I am now experiencing all of the symptoms like everyone else. My main concern is this crazy wooshing wind like sound associated with my dizziness when I turn my eyes to the side. It’s so good to finally read that someone else has experienced the same, well good for me as apparently hearing noises when they are’t really there is bad.
Thank you for mentioning the horniness. My hell. I thought I was alone on that one. I’m on almost 3 weeks and to say it’s hell is an understatement. I like what one person suggested. I’m going to print this page out and keep it on my fridge to remind me that these are symptoms, I’m not THAT crazy, and I’m probably not actually dying.
Hello Paula, I have tapered to 1 mg Paxil, and, like you have hypersexuality that feels totally out of control. I find it very distressing because I was sexually abused, and avoid sex. How long did that symptom last and how did you deal with it? I am frightened to stop the Paxil completely. Thanks.
Paula, Just read your post of January, 2015. You have described my symptoms. I had been on Paxil for 22 years after the death of my son. Went cold turkey about six weeks ago. The flu-like symptoms and aching joints are improving. The whooshing sound has not improved, nor the imbalance issues. I was struck be the horniness comment. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch. Glad I’m not alone on this one. Please tell me that after 2 years you are symptom free and feel like a human again.
It has been a year, things are better but certainly not normal. I took Paxil for fourteen years, 40mg a day. I decided to stop, doctor told me I couldn’t do it. Not sure my decision was a wise one, but will NOT start back. Suicidal thoughts are really strong now. Emotion is at a real low. I am not sure I like me now, my husband has been living with the devil.
I have been trying to get off Paxil now for quite some time. I’m only taking 10 mg so that it would be quite easy. Wrong! I have experienced nausea, flu like symptoms, panic attacks and end up on the couch because I’m so sick. I feel for everyone that is trying to get off this Pax-hell drug! It has ruined me!
Went cold turkey on the 20th Dec 2014 after being on 20mg for a year for social anxiety. Holy cow. I’m a 37 yr old male with no history of any illness till I had a panic attack at a busy shop. TBH I never really believed in mental illness until it happened to me. However paxil/paroxetine left me emotionally numb. No joy, no fear, no nothing. So I just stopped taking it.
Bad idea… I feel dizzy, zaps, insomnia, mood swings, etc. I’m a bit over a month now and apart from a bit of confusion and dizzy spells daily, I’m doing well. Wish you all the best in getting off and if like me your strong minded and accept that the feelings are caused by the drug (or lack of it) you can do it. Don’t blame yourself! (I only went cold turkey due to lack of understanding, I didn’t read up on it until after).
Hi Drew, I went cold turkey too, see my post below. I want to tell you that acupuncture is working wonders for me. I’ve been twice and the difference is unbelievable. I brought a list of all the w/d symptoms with me and that was very helpful to the practitioner. Its been like night and day for me in just 2 weeks.
I know how you feel about feeling emotionally numb. I just stopped 20mg cold turkey last week because we are pregnant! I knew withdrawal would hit hard as I would frequently feel odd if I missed even one dose. Now, I’m a hot mess. I cant sleep, my temper is out of control, I keep having these crazy realistic dreams that scare me to death.
I felt really awful the first three days. Complete fuzz. I couldn’t walk because my head was to fuzzy. It was like everything was switching from slow motion to high speed. I look back over the past year and I simply put a patch on my symptoms and nearly cost me my marriage. I made some pretty poor choices because I felt so numb.
I will always take responsibility for my actions, but I literally turned into something I have grown to hate. It breaks my heart. I think this new baby was the wake up call I needed to get off the medication. I just keep praying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wish I had the chance to step down. It is what it is! Hang in there everyone! We can do it!
Wow, I feel so lucky. I accidentally went into withdrawals for stupid reasons (forgot to take them, then I lost my prescription and ran out and then just put off getting more for like 2 weeks), but I am only getting the least problematic of these symptoms. My biggest problem is the electric shocks and blurred vision. I’ve been feeling anxiety but not really any more than I did before I started on the meds.
Same with depression, though Paxil doesn’t do very much for my depression. For me withdrawal just kinda feels like being on some weird drug that makes my perception a bit warped. And the brain zaps are just… bizarre. I’m glad it’s got a description here, because I previously had absolutely no words to describe it, it’s just so unusual! Today is really the first time its been particularly strong. For the past couple of weeks I’ve not really had any symptoms. Just kinda hit me today, so I forced myself to go get a new prescription.
This is my 3rd week of weaning off 20 mg of Paxil. On it for a little over a year. I was on Zoloft for 10 years and quit cold turkey (wasn’t aware that that was a horrible idea). It took about 6 months for the withdrawal symptoms to kick my butt. It was horrible because I had no idea that what was going on was due to getting off the Zoloft. Anyway, back to the Paxil. I have been amazing until today.
I started feeling the dizziness and nausea. Not to mention the crying outbursts. I started doubting my decision of coming off this med, but talking to family, friends, and reading blogs like this truly helped me put me back in place. The psychiatrist said Paxil is one of the toughest meds to come off of. I hope it doesn’t get much worse, but the light at the end of the tunnel is worth this hell. Much love to everyone out there going through this. We’re going to be OK. :)
I took paxil for 15 years and tapered 10% every 3 weeks… I am feeling horrible, have racing thoughts, sleep 2 a 3 hours a day, have depression, bad anxiety, a strange feeling in my head, etc. I am now paxil free for 2 months and its more than horror! I also fell into depression while still taking it and started my taper! It seems like its never going to end!
Took Paxil for two years to relieve anxiety and depression due to fibromyalgia and IBS. It did little to help and made the IBS worse since it messed up my entire digestive tract. Decided to come off it, after gaining 20 pounds as well and dealing with other Paxil symptoms. Tapered very slowly off a 10mg dose. Took almost two months. Was finally down to dosing just pill dust for a week when I stopped taking any.
I had some intense withdrawal symptoms all through this process and the last three weeks off have been hell. I might have had to come off more slowly or just cold turkey. I can’t know if the withdrawal would have been any worse had I done either. Some effects are not as intense as they were, but there are some days I can’t function at all. Am eating well, doing some moderate exercising and resting when I need to. I am also a staying in touch with my doctor.
But, I am getting discouraged when after a few good days, I have a setback. Like yesterday and today. The fibromyalgia has hit with a vengeance and the hot feverous sweating makes me feel ill. Wondering if I should take a minuscule dose of Paxil to offset the symptoms for a week or so and then try again, or just tough it out. I am managing, but it is taking a toll on my 73 year old body.
Thank you so much for this! I have been on 20mg of Paxil for the past 2 years and have tried three times to come off of it but each time I stopped taking it I lost it: crying, yelling, nightmares, bursts of rage, trouble swallowing, suicidal, I thought it was me, I thought I was insane, I was scaring people, I was scaring myself. My doctor never told me about withdrawals and I came off prozac with no trouble, so I had no idea. I almost gave up on my dream of having children fearing I would never be able to be off this drug. Thank you so much for this, thank you for giving me hope!
I too am trying to wean myself of this drug. I cut down from 30 to 15mg for six months, and now I’m going to cut it down from 15 to 7.5. I am merely cutting the pills in fourths now. I have noticed since I have moved down to 7.5mg that I am starting to experience some of the withdrawal symptoms that are so horrible. My head has been hurting for several days, as well as the pain in my neck, and left arm. This drug is horrible to stop. The doctors should warn you about this drug and what it is like to discontinue use.
Hello everyone I’ve been on paxil for about two years now and have tried getting off many times. Let me say if you have never taken paxil DO NOT START IT. Although it did help me get through some tough times at first I completely regret it. I took it for severe anxiety and now 6 days into my withdrawals my anxiety is worse than it’s ever been. One lady mentioned even cutting the 10mg pills smaller when tapering off this is the only way I’ve been able to stay off of them for more than 3 days without giving in and taking them again to feel better.
I took 5mg for 3 weeks and am now 6 days off. I’m a wreck although when I tried getting off at 10 mg I was much much worse. I’m not even a week in im scared for the next few weeks. Has anyone experienced “bone pain” or kidney pain and throbbing? Especially while anxious and when you get an adrenaline Rush? These two symptoms scare me more than the rest and also affect me more. Luckily this time so far I’ve been OK on those symptoms I’ll keep my fingers crossed. I do have extreme cold sweats at night and severe anxiety every morning I get very very angry for no reason and also cry for no reason.
Head “zaps”, eyes twitching, ears ringing, crazy dreams, skin seems different, heart pounding/racing, on paxil got major chest pain sometimes and still do right now. My blood pressure rises up and down while getting off of them and my mind wonders on negative things like there’s no tomorrow. Someone also mentioned the fear in your mind being worse than that actual withdrawals which I agree. In my head I feel like the world is ending I’m going to die or something is extremely wrong with me. It affects my relationships and school and being that I’m 23 the last thing I need is to ruin the good path I’ve been on.
I will not let myself take them again no matter how hard this gets it’s only made my life a living hell that nobody else can truly understand besides you guys. It eases my mind reading your post and I’m glad I’m not alone. Everyone hang in there!! Go to the lowest dose possible before stopping them is my best advice. We will all get through it but this drug shouldn’t be legal. If only they understood the suffering we go through… Good luck everyone! We got this.
I decided to come off paxil, because I don’t want to live my life on pills. I have PTSD, bipolar ii, anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. I take Abilify for the mood stabilization but the withdrawal symptoms from the Paxil are so bad that the Abilify doesn’t work at all. What is getting me is the electric shocks that rack my body with every move and all I do is cry. I want to feel better but it seems like its never ending. I can’t support my boyfriend who is on the hospital ATM, I snap at him and yell for no reason, he thinks I hate him….paxil is evil.
I was put on 10mg Paxil about February 2008; increased to 15mg four years later; tapered off that slowly all summer and haven’t had any since the end of September. Probably wouldn’t have gotten off at all if it hadn’t been for the side effect of severe cystic acne — my face felt like I’d been frying bacon on it and, at 58, that was absurd. Still feel like poo, with violent rages and night sweats.
My primary care doctor didn’t have a clue but asked me why I’d been put on it to start with… as a sedative, mind you, to cope with depression following the withdrawal from Effexor and a miserable life situation. She doesn’t believe in severely disrupting one’s metabolism for situational depression but had no clue as to how severe the taper would be. And now paroxetene is being pushed to help women cope with normal menopausal symptoms? I hope to feel better in a couple months IF I live long enough…
Fighting the rage over others’ average stupidity takes up a lot of my energy and this morning I woke up with plans for euthanasia, first the dogs, then myself. Spoke to my vet of over a dozen years and promised to call HIM if I felt I’d actually go through with anything extreme that would cause harm to animals. Thanks to all you dear, sweet, wonderful humans for sharing your stories. I’m not myself these days…and now I understand why.
I completely agree with the lady who is cutting her pills into tiny doses :) ! I’m doing exactly the same thing. I’ve been tapering down gradually over the past 4 wks and I’m down to an 1/8 of a 10mg pill. I’m waking up every 2-3 hrs, having night sweats, plugged up sinuses, pounding heart and rapid breathing. THANK GOD no electric shock Zaps – yet :(( hopefully the dose cutting method will work for me. I’ve gone off Paxil before and after the first lower dose I freaked out with every symptom listed in the above posts. Dr’s are friggin sick to prescribe this med to ANYONE! It should be banned and discontinued to new patients so they never have to go through what all of us are having to deal with. Good luck to you all. Definitely try the pill cutting method and taper down by 2.5 mg at a time.
Hello, Thank you all for the information and comments. It is kind of scary to start the withdrawal after reading your comments, but I am going to try and get off the Paxil, AGAIN! I have been on Paxil since 2000. I have attempted to get off Paxil many times in the later years. I have always tried under my Physician’s care.
He has a protocol I am following to taper down slowly. I am looking for your comments on Paxil and alcohol. Has anyone experienced an increase in their alcohol consumption when they were on Paxil? I have also has anyone experienced an increase in any compulsive behavior? I would appreciate any and all feedback. I am also hoping that having a website like this to go to, it will be helpful in my “quest”. Thanks!
Mary, I have definitely noticed an increase in compulsive behavior, in the form of gambling. Unable to stop once started. I didn’t have this before the paxil. Been on it for 30 years. The gambling has cost me almost .5 million.
I started 10mg of Paxil 2 years ago for anxiety attacks and depression. The first year I loved it, thought it was a miracle pill. I felt great. During the second year not so much. I questioned whether I should still be taking it but was afraid to stop. After 2 years I was starting to get really depressed. This was my schedule: work 7am till 1pm, sleep for 1-2 hours, get up and cook/eat/cleanup dinner. Go back to couch, watch TV for a few hours, go back to sleep and sleep all night.
Get up & repeat. Every day same thing, didn’t want to do anything other than sleep. I used to joke the favorite thing in the whole world for me was to sleep. I actually couldn’t wait for bedtime to come, I craved going to bed at night. I finally said I’ve had enough I want “me” back. So I read everything I could get my hands on about weaning off of Paxil and I took my last dose 11/7/14. I followed the advise on another blog and bought a pill cutter from CVS. If you do this get the better one. It cost about $9 and has a shield guard to protect from the razor blade & this little arm that holds the pill in place.
Works really well. Cut my 10mg pill in half, took for 2 weeks, cut the 5mg dose in half took for 2 weeks, cut the 2.5 mg dose in half took for 2 weeks, cut the 1.25 dose in half and took for 2 weeks. I know the last cut sounds crazy that you’re cutting a quarter of a pill in half especially since on that cut you don’t get even pieces so what I did was I cut all the quarters at one time that I would need for the next 2 weeks. I took the larger of the pieces the first week so that the second week was an even smaller dose. Hope this makes sense.
To all of you that are stopping after 10mg my opinion is DON’T DO IT! Even if you break them in half and than break the halves in half is better than stopping at 10mg. You can even wean slower than I did. You can do each dose drop at 3 weeks, 4 weeks, any amount of weeks you want. Point is to go really slow and let your body adjust to each drop in dose. I told everyone closest to me, my husband, my boss and kids, that I was doing this. It was hard because except for my husband no one knew.
I even printed out the withdrawal symptoms and taped them to my bedroom mirror so that every day I would read them to reassure myself what I was going through was withdrawal and that it would pass. I experienced almost every symptom listed above at some point but I would tell myself, like a mantra, this is doable, I can do this, this will pass. I ranted, I cried, I slept a lot, I left work on occasion cause I literally couldn’t think straight. I still have a few symptoms but they are mild.
The way I feel now is I would rather have these mild withdrawal symptoms that I know will one day be gone than feel the way I did on Paxil. Never again. Oh and I also agree with one of the post above that said to get healthy. I’m working on eating better and exercising. I want to feel like a million dollars or at the very least a hundred thousand dollars. LOL
I am were you were three weeks after tapering off. The last week I was taking pill dust and decided to stop taking Paxil at that point. That was three weeks ago. I am on my 4th week and still feeling the fatigue, dizziness and confusion, etc. most days. Although they are becoming less intense. The problem I am having is that the withdrawal has exaggerated my fibromyalgia and IBS which was why I was taking the 10 mg Paxil.
It really only worked for about a year land then these two conditions came back with a vengeance. I am trying to manage with a very limited routine. I am Eating healthy, doing some mild exercise like stretching and my exercise bike. I am not really up to visiting or doing anything stressful. The IB is lessening. My digestion is quite calm now. Where are you at this point from your November posting. What do I have to look forward to?
I’m currently going through withdrawal of paxil… I take 30 mg daily but due to financial issues and insurance I can not afford any more until at least next friday. It’s day one without an I’m so dizzy I feel like I have the beer spins. I’m pushing my wife an kid away from me and they don’t understand. I’d like to get off of it completely but after reading all of your experiences I don’t think I can do it. I work in a mine an the last thing I need is to get someone killed or myself over a god damn pill. If any of you have any suggestions on how to at least calm the dizziness, I would really appreciate it.
I had been on paxil for 8 happy years before it ‘pooped out’ on me. The withdrawals have been horrendous and I am still feeling awful after 16 months but not as bad as the first 12 months of hell. I have been taking sertraline for the past 3 months but this does not seem to stop the withdrawal symptoms apart from helping a bit with anxiety. Hang in there everyone, my thoughts are with you all.
I have been on Paxil almost since the drug was introduced. I have a weight problem and was given it by my PCP initially because Fen-Phen was taken off the market and she thought it might help. Well I started out weighing 190# and I now weigh 270%, have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, borderline diabetes and now I am really depressed. The main reason I haven’t been able to get off of it is when I get down to 10mg daily, (normally take 40mg), I become a high-strung sweaty lunatic and can’t stand it and then start increasing the drug until the withdrawal effects subside.
My doctor has prescribed Trazodone for sleep to help with the withdrawal but even at 50mg, it makes me groggy and dumb the next day and I can’t function at work. Any words of wisdom at this point would be greatly appreciated. I’m down to 20mg now and am just starting into that anxious creepy crawly feeling. I really hope I can whip it this time and feel normal again. Thanks for listening. -Mark
I have 5 days going from 30mg to 20mg after being on Paxil for 3 years. I woke up with a pounding headache, nausea, dizziness, and my body hurts. My dreams have become nightmares – disturbing nightmares. I have been in bed all day. I know it is all due to the difference of Mg’s of my medication, but it is kicking my butt. I started this medication due to my post partum depression after my son was born (3-yrs ago). I decided to get off it because I am better and I don’t want to rely on a pill all my life, but damn the withdraws are bad, and I just started getting tapered off. I have to wait a month then go from 20 to 10, then another month then go from ten to being free, so that just means I am going to go through these bad withdraws again. :(
Hi: I was on paxil for close to 10 years and after it started to change my mood from normal to angry and sad all of the time I asked the doctor to wean me off of it. Well she did it in 3 weeks! I was taking 30mg. I really thought I was going to die!!! Horrible, horrible nausea, head zaps, white noise in my ears continually for months, tired, insomnia, crying, night sweats, day sweats, hives from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, all my skin peeled like I had a sunburn, blurred vision, no desire to watch TV at all, loss of appetite, and then the anger.
Such horrible anger. It scared me! Diarrhea, 2 bladder infections within 6 weeks, 3 sinus infections, hypersensitivity to smells and tastes. Hated the smell of food. It’s been close to 3 months now since my last pill, my hives are just about gone, my skin is back to normal, and the white noise only comes when I have been crying all day, which I do a lot. I go from freezing cold to sweating in a matter of hours.
I had some really good days for awhile when I was around people, but find myself alone a lot now because they just don’t want to deal with me and the way I am now. I don’t have very much support family wise, as they think I am just crazy and don’t want to be around me either. I haven’t been able to work since this all started. I did end up at the hospital one night because I couldn’t stand the nausea anymore. I was literally doubled over in pain. The doctor in emergency gave me a shot of Benadryl and steroids.
The steroids were effective for a week. I slept like a baby that night and the nausea subsided, unfortunately nothing else did. I am still experiencing bad headaches and yes I sometimes wonder if I have a brain tumor. I cry every morning and afternoon, but am feeling a bit better by evening. I get to sleep, but about 4 hours later wake up sweating and shivering. I was getting up early for a few weeks and going outside just to get out, but now find can’t get out of bed because I’m too sad to face the day.
I have pets, and even they make me angry. I yell at them for no reason and then I cry. I am living with my brother because I cant afford my own place as I haven’t a job. Still waiting for help as the doctor put me on sick benefits for 3 months. My savings are gone from giving him rent and trying to keep up with my bills. I just want to be a normal functioning human being again. I’m so tired of feeling so hopeless and so alone. Please help if anyone knows, how long is this going to go on. I will have to find a job within the next few months as my benefits will end. I’m just so scared. How do I work when I’m crying all the time and feeling so terrible?
Hi Lynette, I’m usually a teddy bear and I too am a raving lunatic when I get down to 20mg or below. Just know we are all here for you and we are going through the same thing and hopefully we can get off of this stuff and move on with a healthy happy life. Keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel. -Mark
OMG I have read just a few comments and realize it’s not only me. Been on this crap for about fifteen years. Initially 20mg but only 10mg for past few years. I have ME/CFS, so have fatigue & weak immune issue anyways, as well as anger & the depression that comes with it. A month ago I dropped to 5mg for 5 days & have been on 5mg every other day for past 3 weeks.
In short, I wanna rip everyone’s head off. I get irate for absolutely no reason.my wife & kids get scared. My ears feel like they’re water logged.feels like someone is squeezing my brains in a vice. I get bad night sweats, worse day sweats. Between my bumcheeks is where a massive colony of fungi & bacteria have set up residence. The light seems to hurt my eyes & brain. I can’t sleep more than 5 hours but am so fatigued.
Scary to think that this won’t end once this drug is out of my system, which should be about 4 days from last dose.
A fungus developed on your skin from withdrawal how is that possible??? Why don’t you go down to 2.5mgs everyday rather than 5mg every other day? I have gotten from 30mgs over 10 years to 5mgs in a month and I am just starting to feel tired, mood swings, and very light sensitive.
It’s not the worst I’ve ever felt but it isn’t the best. Hopefully I am one of those people who can quit without much problem.
Lynette, Did you eventually recover?
I took Paxil for 3 years from age 17 until 20. When I ran out I used to feel like I was in a walking nightmare. I would dart my eyes back and forth and hear a really disturbing swishing sound. I drank a lot of alcohol off and on for 2 weeks heavily, (not being a drinker) and it fought the withdrawls. I don’t recommend this for everyone. This was between May of 2000-2003 March.
I tapered off Paxil per my doctor’s instructions after being on 20 mg for 9 years. To say it is pure hell, is an understatement. I have called my doctor and her advice was to just stay still until symptoms subside. I truly do not think health professionals understand the seriousness and severity of the withdrawal of this medication. I am a week into it and still dizzy and getting “zaps”.
I am forcing myself to control my emotions, as I have children. I will go to the bathroom and have my crying spells. When I make it through this, and I will, I am going to make it my mission, to let people know the dangers of this medications. There are alternatives that doctors can prescribe that are less dangerous than Paxil. It is my opinion that pharmaceutical companies refuse to be honest, because it would cut into their bottom line.
And to all of those going through this, the blogger is correct. You will get through this. I am taking it one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. I am just angry enough at my physicians lack of knowledge and the pharmaceutical companies lack of transparency that I refuse to give in.
Hi Kirk! Your post is now 1.5 years old, but I wanted to state that I agree 100% with you: “health professionals do not understand the seriousness and severity of the withdrawal of this medication” and that big Pharma have hidden the true data, plus the short term trials for drug approval did not show the problem! I was very kindly recommended to take this “medication that will help you” (fear of failure at college exams) and that is NOT addictive.
It calmed me down for a while but I could never stop it without breaking into tears and my Doc just kept on prescribing it for 18 years (20mg then 10mg) till it dawned upon me that this stuff was making me tired, apathetic, stoic, disconnected from useful feelings (that we need to process to grow) and real consciousness about life! 2nd quit attempt successful but without being able to work!
The psychiatrist had no idea what time frame was required and tried to convince me I have to take this crap for life. I said no and the WITHDRAWALS were horrendous. That’s when you suddenly realise the drug is really strong!! The 3 months tapper was too fast and I was really hurting more and more over 3-4 months… + I felt so sh*t I wanted to die most days (+ hyper-sexuality for several months – I guess a way for the body to deal with the terrible anxiety & tensions).
After 6 months just hanging in there and getting to feel more human again but without “drive”. Now at 1.2 years I still have depressive symptoms. What kept me going, my loving wife, switching to a doctor who is critical of SSRI’s ’cause he knows the research, sports, supplements and knowing I’m not alone (here)! Courage my friends…
What supplements are you taking? I’ve been taking Paxil for 10 years or so and the withdrawls are horrible. Any tips to make it easier?
I so agree with you on the physicians having no clue about this drug. My mom passed away in 1996. I had my physical due 2 weeks after her burial. Any way long story short I was some what depressed, which is normal right? My doctor prescribes Paxil but never said one word about it being addicting. Also I never asked why would I question my doctor they are supposed to have your best interest in hand.
Have tried to get off it several times no luck….go back on it. Well I took my last pill on June 24, 2016. I have had some down sick days but also some up feel good days. Not sure how long before I can say I feel great and back to my old self… whatever that is, but I know it will come. I appreciate all of your posts and am learning how many of you are coping with the withdrawal and what I can do to help myself get through this.
Very happy to have found this group. One more thing any one having troubling with your taste? I find this to be my worst effect so far. Like a metallic taste.
I was on the high dose for 20 years and stopped June 1, 2016. Am still having problems with sick stomach, terrible taste (almost none, but then again, like my mouth was blistered). Had dry heaves until a week ago… not to mention crying everyday… awful. BUT, this time, I did not go back on Paxil when the withdrawal got back… now, it has been 9 weeks… and most of the time, I don’t have symptoms, except the messed up taste!
I have been taking Paxil for many years, and decided to go off Paxil with the help of my MD. Sadly my MD is not a psychiatrist and did not give me the best advice on getting off paxil. I titrated off for a about two weeks before stopping completely. And then the Pax-hell set it, I have been dizzy, feel like I have vertigo, I am more emotional, want to cry over everything, and I have flu like symptoms. This completely sucks. If you are thinking of going off paxil, go slow and steady. Depending on your dose, I would recommend decreasing in increments of 10 mg or 5mg if you are only 10mg. This is the worst experience I have ever had getting off an antidepressant. I will think long and hard before ever going back on Paxil. Beware!
I have been on 20mg paxil for about 2 years now. I ran out of my prescription 4 days ago and have not had the money to get it refilled. I am currently losing my mind! I feel like a zombie, I cry and scream for no reason. I can’t sleep! I feel sick and dizzy. This is by the worst experience of my life! I wish my doctor would have told me there would be withdrawal effects. If I knew that I would of never began paxil. I need to make it through the rest of the day without killing someone so I can get my prescription tonight. Lord help me!
Whatever you do never miss a pill…like ever. Being tapered off is bad enough. I know I have been on it for 3 yrs due to post-partum depression, I am on my 5th day and I am so sick, but it is the medication. Doctors will not tell you that.
I have taken paxil on and off for several years for major depression. I have tapered off of it starting about three weeks ago. My main symptom that I am certain is related to withdrawal is a strange vertigo/dizzy feeling for lack of a better description. Other factors which may or may not be related: insomnia, nightmares, itchy skin, angry mood swings. A positive note: I have started a fairly well researched supplement and nutrition regime which seems to be helping me considerably.
The most helpful for me has been l-tryptophan. Note: do NOT take this while taking any SSRI including paxil – that is dangerous. And by all means consult your physician first. That being said, your brain uses this amino acid to make serotonin. It has a calming effect that I noticed almost immediately and an extra bonus of improving sleep. Also beneficial for me has been a high quality omega-3 fish oil supplement.
Our brains NEED essential fatty acids for normal, healthy brain function. Again, stay in contact with your physician! I am actually starting to feel almost normal a good part of the time. There is HOPE, and believe me I’ve spent a good portion of my life feeling hopeless. I sincerely hope this helps someone.
Jen, I hope you will read my message. I was wondering how you found a good doctor that helped you with supplements like L-tryptophan. I even bought it, but I’m scared to take it without having doctor’s approval. I took paxil 5 mg for 1 week and 10 mg for another week and had to stop because my anxiety went to the roof and I could not sleep at all. The doctor is taking me off and last week I took 5 mg and this week I’m supposed to stop. When I went down to 5mg I could sleep for about 3 hours for 3 nights, but still a lot of anxiety.
Now that I’m down to 2.5 mg anxiety is worse and sleeping no more than 2 hours per night and having weird dreams. Can you or anybody help me with any comments? First time I took paxil it worked and I took it for about 11 years and came off slowly during a 1 year time frame. I now I should never go back to antidepressant, I had the feeling that it would not be good. I wanted so much taking a natural approach to my moderate depression and mild anxiety. Please, any help with a good doctor in Orlando, Florida?
Hi, have just quit taking this filthy drug after fifteen years on it. From 20mg to 15mg for two months then after another month down to 10mg for yet another month. Read Dr Steve Llardi’s book The depression cure and started taking his recommended list of fish oils and supplements, then I quit completely after the month on 10mg’s. Has been a week so far free of seroxat!
Although I still have some of the symptoms of withdrawal, they haven’t been as severe as when I tried to quit several times over the years. I put this down to my increased fish oil and vitamin intake. Sometimes cry for no real reason,have swishing feelings occasionally, insomnia, nausea, but through this moments of clarity when I can see touches of my old self coming back so I carry on and will never again touch this drug!
Good luck to all of you on this forum. I’m 69 now and hope to have a few years of clear thinking left. If I leave you perhaps again with what I think did help me, and no I am not the author’s agent, the vitamins from the book I mentioned, for me, have been the the greatest help so far! Good luck my friends!
I have taken paxil for 19 years and now can’t afford it due no health insurance and no money and my brother almost died 5 months ago and still is having serious health issues. I truly feel no hope. I am having serious withdrawal symptoms. Not sure if it is worth it.
I can completely relate to that… omg… I’m not alone.
Thank you Jen for the good word. I took paxil for 3 years during a realy tough time in my life and decided that I wanted to quit and be “myself”. That was 8 years ago and I just can’t seem to get over my severe mood swings. I am tempted to take it again so I can have a normal life and be a good mother. I just want to be happy without taking something. I appreciate that there are other people out there to identify with.
The frightening thing to read here is that so many of you say you’d rather be dead than to go through this “heroin-like” addiction withdrawal. That makes tapering off and/or eliminating the SSRI a very dangerous and lonely experience. There has to be a better way!!
Has anyone tried the Fisher Wallace Neuro-Stimulator device? It treats anxiety, depression, insomnia, panic disorder, PTSD, certain types of pain, stress, and other issues. I see where numerous therapists are advising it before meds. I just bought one from their site, but have not used it yet.
I read testimonials from users that it works to restore serotonin even DURING THE TAPER OFF as well as cold turkey stop of an SSRI, and that it is safe to use to assist with that process. (The company still recommends not to go off cold turkey, and to seek physicians advice before stopping your medication.). I paid $700 for the device, which is covered by some insurance companies.
Also, this is not new advice, but exercise (walking, yoga, biking, etc) should help with withdrawal symptoms. Meditation too. My doctor always told me that if you are deprived of sleep, YOU WILL have anxiety…. So developing insomnia as a side effect to withdrawal is feeding the monster; as serotonin, in many cases, might be leaving the brain more each day without the reuptake medication.
So if something like the neurostimulator device helps induce sleep at night, that alone should be worth it. My therapist also said that some people actually maintain the restored serotonin that has been replaced from taking the drug (it is built back to normal levels and stays that way), while others have brain chemistry that constantly drains the necessary levels of serotonin and it will always have to be restored. If the stimulator restores serotonin it could mean a med-free life for millions of people. I will write back to let you know.
A little background- age 63, Paxil or Paroxetine CR non-stop since 1994 in dosages from 25-30, at one point 40 mg. Diagnosis: Major Depression, Anxiety/Panic Disorder. Most recent dosage CR 25 mg (10 yrs). I knew that the CR tabs can’t be cut and taken, so when I decided to taper and go off the drug, I requested to be switched to regular Paxil 20 so I can cut the tabs to taker correctly). I took that dosage for 3 weeks.
I got a pill cutter and cut the pills in half. I started taking a half plus a quarter of a pill (15 mg) 3 days ago. I hope to continue this dosage for another couple of weeks before going to 10 mg. Every time I’ve ever reduced mg, Or even missed one pill I’ve always had the head zaps, and a few times have had stomach symptoms that subsided in a day or so. This time I have terrible sweating and flashing.
Paxil made my life very functional for a very long time, and I had a successful career and full life while taking it. A stressful life and a traumatic past made my world dark and a constant struggle with severe anxiety/panic before SSRI. I’ve always been very active and slender, but gained about 35-37 lbs from the drug over the long term, and also now suffer from tinnitus (a side effect) from the drug as well.
With diabetes in my family, I want to lose the weight, as a music-lover I hope to lose the Tinnitus, and I want to go off the drug before I get other more serious side effects from long term use. Your prayers are greatly appreciated, as I am certainly praying for each and every one of you. Best wishes, strength and courage to you all.
Been on this drug 20 years, going from 30 mg to a 20mg to 10 mg. have been not too bad but, experiencing difficulty, some weeks run smooth and then, bang, back into the dithery brain, feeling unsafe, scared for my family (they just want a cool life) ashamed, wasting my precious life, what the hell, don’t know where to turn next, gods, help me. I just need peace.
Reading this as last Friday was the last tapering day. I went from 40, 20, 10 and nothing. In bed typing this, head zaps are very often and feeling very sick and anxious. Worried that I have been tapered off them to fast. This was over a 3 week period.
Stu, how are you doing. I went off quite quickly my second time and it hit me hard. Took probably 8+ weeks to start feeling better. Lots of dizziness and nausea. Zaps zaps zaps.
I have been on this paxil for 20 years also. A very young psychiatrist has me tapering off. I feel pretty bad. I’m up all night four nights a week talking care of two very ill people. He has dementia and been yelling out all night.
I feel I’m going to jump out of my skin. I’m like a furnace. Headache. Body aches and feel a panic coming on. I have to pay my own bills so I have to work. I just want to sleep. I just realized tonight maybe I feel like this from withdrawals. They never spoke to me of this.
Zoe, I too took Paxil for 20 Years. Dropped down like you did. I’ve been put on Trintellix because obviously Paxil stopped working years ago. My kids don’t talk to me, I got divorced and live by myself.
As I went off Paxil I didn’t realize these withdrawals were going to be this bad. I started having bad hot flashes so what does my APRN do? She gives me Paxil 10 mg because paroxetine is used for hot flashes.
I took one, looked online here and realized it’s a side effect of coming off it. I cry, I’m depressed, I worry about things. I’m nauseous, have headaches, the whole thing.
I wonder if these bad times will go on longer then average because we’ve been on for 20 years? Does anyone out there have any solutions to what will ease these horrible symptoms?
I am going though this as well, I took Paxil for 1 month and couldn’t deal with side effects. I have been off for 6 weeks and crazy train started, have a consent ringing in my ears and bad head aches. My legs and arms ache all the time. I get moods of moderate depression, some real lows. Went to DR.’s they said cant be Paxil withdrawal, but have been dealing with this for 6 weeks. DR wanted me to take Effexor control release. But I said I don’t want any of these chemicals. Can anybody help?
My brain is zapping, I feel like I have narcolepsy. I think my dizziness is from not eating right in addition to the withdrawal. I feel better when I move around and get my heart rate up. No triathlons or anything just a walk around the block. Seems counterintuitive while you are dizzy and have vertigo, but I force myself to move and feel better. Oversleeping is as bad as not enough sleep.
The dreams are so interesting I want to stay asleep and see how they play out. I was on 20mg tapered to 10mg for a month, 5mg for 2 weeks and this last cold turkey is brutal. Not really anxious or depressed. At least I can get an erection and the plumbing works again. I felt like a eunuch and it cost me some smoking hot relationships. I cry when I try to sing a love song or ballad then laugh at myself for being such a puss.
I avoid the ASPCA infomercials. I’ve gotten off Effexor, Citalopram and Zoloft but this is a f#cking monster. Best suggestion I have is to give yourself some structure, chart out a couple months of food, exercise, time off from work, help with daycare, hire landscapers and cleaners and be really good to yourself. Coming out on the other side you may develop some good healthy habits along the way while being distracted by how crappy you feel. IT WILL END.
Hi Gary I have dropped from 40mg to 20 mg and am trusting God to get me through this. I noticed my plumbing has improved. I had no libido on 40mg. I am a bit sore and have a flu feeling. I am waiting 3 months then I am going to drop dose to 10mg and then stop. Thanks for your honesty.
Just wondering how are you doing now? Your comment on the ASPCA commercials got me. Sure can relate to that. Thought I was having a good day yesterday and driving to work I heard ‘Come Sail Away’ by Styxx, started happily singing along, then got caught up by the words in the second verse and cried the rest of the way in to work. Go figure. I just can’t thank you and the others participants in this forum for opening up here. It is a tremendous help realizing we are all feeling the exact same symptoms and will one day come out on the other, better, side of this.
How long does it take to feel normal? I’m a 6’3″ 215lb male and these withdrawal symptoms are insane! I’m dizzy, vomiting all of a sudden, I cry for no reason then laugh at myself like you do. I feel confused, nervous, angry, sad. I’ve quit some of the most addictive street drugs there are and I have to say mentally this is as bad or worse.
Miah I was on Paroxetine 20 mg for a month as well! I’ve been diagnosed with a panic disorder, I have been off this for 8 days now due to it made me shaky & more panicky than ever before even though I was in my comfort zone! I didn’t start noticing withdrawal symptoms until 3 days after I took myself off it! So here’s what I’ve been experiencing so far! I’ve had a major headache non stop since day 3, day 5 I started noticing flu like symptoms & rapid mood swings – I go from happy to mad to crying uncontrollably. I’ve never been really depressed until I came off this stuff! I’ve always had a hard time sleeping so that’s normal! Please tell me you found an answer!
Wow I stopped taking it about two weeks ago it was not really a choice since my insurance is not the greatest and doctor bills are adding up. My husband had a widow maker heart attack two years ago and recently underwent a pre-cancer tumor removal from his rectum. I had several deaths in my family Father, two brothers, two sister in laws, Mother in law, a cousin and my beloved Mother last October 27, 2013.
Guess this might have sent me over the edge, the family has been fighting non stop, anger and hurt seems to be around ever corner. Long story short my last doctor diagnosed me with bipolar and I laughed as I read it! I said to him I am not bipolar I just am depressed due to everything that is going on recently! I changed doctors, we talk about the things that have been going on and his diagnosis is clinically depressed!
I go home and think about what he has said to me and I decide that they really have no idea! So nightmares are constant, I wake up in the middle of the night crying after several hours of trying to go to sleep. Okay so maybe I do have this problem! I go back to the doctor and he starts me on paroxetine (Paxil) After going through a few weeks of being dizzy, nauseated and having headaches this was a low dose of 10mg, I start seeing a small difference in my depression.
So the doctor increases to 20mg I take this a few weeks and things seem to be better so he after a month or two increases my doses to 40mg at this point I feel better but before the 40mg I was still having the nightmares so after the last increase I was feeling so good! I could feel the depression but it was no where near the before feelings. So like I said due to insurance and billing I stopped. The side effects of coming off paroxetine are crazy most of what is listed here I am having. I don’t think I ever want to be put back on this again, the fear of symptoms of coming off are greater then the actual depression to me.
I have been on paxil for nearly 6 months (30mg), dropped to (20mg) about 2 months ago and then to (10mg), I gradually cut down about 3 weeks ago, with 4 days ago been the last dose! However, I have felt shocking for over a week, head zaps and hear like a buzzing, my heart jumps every 2 mins! sweats, shivers, headaches, toilet troubles and nausea..always tired and don’t feel with it at all!!….will these horrendous feelings go completely?? unbearable
Sarah, Your are telling my story. I have been on paxil for 6 months and I am now coming off. I am feeling all the symptoms you have felt. Mostly at bedtime and noon. My pill is pink and wonder if I should be cutting it. I am on 10mg going down slow. Feel foggy, and have similar bathroom issues! -Kat
Hi Kathleen. Hope you are doing well. I have tapered off just recently and going through all the crap side effects including the bathroom issues. How are you now? I figure another 3 weeks. Oops, gotta go. Love.
I have been on paxil for two years and my doctor decided to changed my medicine to wellbutrin. He tried to ween me off for three weeks till I totally stopped it. It’s been almost a week and I feel like hell, I’d rather be dead then go through what I am going through. It’s affecting my husband and kids. I really can’t take this anymore.
I am 78 yrs old and took Paxil for 12 years. I finished tapering off March 2014. I still have some strange feelings and neck and shoulder pain. does this ever go away or is this just part of my aging. I still have anxiety at times also.
Teri, I was put on Paxil 20mg in Aug 2013. Dr. decided to take me off it (b/c I have bipolar and was beginning to show signs of a manic episode. Dr told me that the antidepressant could trigger or worsen a manic episode) Dr. said start taking a 20mg pill every other day for 15 doses (thus 30 days). Took the last 20mg dose on Monday and feel like I’m having the flu. Went to urgent care today and they said it was likely the Paxil withdrawal. Anyway, I am having the neck and shoulder pain you mentioned, so I doubt it’s your age, most likely the Paxil withdrawal. Best of luck and hope your body recovers quickly!
Going through Hell is exactly how I feel. I was on paxil, 40mg, for over 12 years, but I really wanted off. I had tried to go off 7 years ago, followed my doctors instructions, but the withdrawal was horrible. I was going through too much other stress so I went back on. Now I’ve been weaning myself off for 4 years. I went completely off about 10 weeks ago. The insomnia and anxiety are killing me.
I feel like the world is overcast and I’m going to lose everything precious to me. I was starting to feel better, but then something stressful got me started again. The nights are the worst. I take xanax, melatonin, and Benadryl, but I wake in the night and even those things can’t put me back to sleep for an hour or more. Yesterday I decided I couldn’t take it anymore.
I called my Dr. in desperation and said I needed something, PLEASE! But not paxil. He seemed to take it seriously, but… no prescription has been called in! I called back several times today: “It’s in the pile” the front desk says. OMG. Now, reading back over these stories, makes me wonder if that’s for the best.
Maybe I should keep trying to tough it out, even though it feels like the world is going to end tomorrow. Can I make it? Has anyone else decided their depression needed treatment so went on a different med?
I am on week 2 of stopping paxil, was on it for 1 year. I stopped the right way with weaning, as I see a therapist. She said these side effects should be gone but I still have them on and off throught the day, mornings and evening seem to be the worst and at times in the middle of the day…brain zaps, eye movement and wooshing in the ears, irritability, dizziness, feeling flushed sometimes tired but sometimes energy and poor focus – although I have that even at times when I was on the medicine….how long do you think these will last and will they ever go away?
Woneta, there’s no exact science behind “how long” it should take. It took me nearly a full year to feel better after I quit Paxil, but others have recovered at much quicker rates. Try to take it one day at a time and always trust your own experience over what others are telling you “you should feel” etc.
I was told my symptoms should clear up within a few days, but that was prior to researchers even knowing that antidepressants could produce withdrawal syndromes. It will take time and it’s not usually easy, especially coming off of Paxil. In the meantime, focus on doing what you can to improve your situation.
Wish you nothing but the best and a quick recovery.
I am 4 weeks off Paxil after tapering off (I had taken it for 5 years). Your symptoms are exactly what I am going through.
I wish I had never taken this drug. I’m crying as I write this to you. Very unlike me… I’m too scared to go back on it just to taper off slowly. I feel many of the withdrawal effects you listed, and felt them when I would miss just one day of dosage. Paroxetine has only made my life worse since the day I started taking it, I just didn’t know why until I experienced the effects of this drug or a period: 1yr, 40mg.
Well I’m tapering off and I can’t imagine feeling any worse than this. Sorry you have to go through that. I have been crying and mood swings and feeling shocks which effect my speech and it is quite scary. Not loving it!! I hope it gets better for you. But I will say the medication has kept me from having panic attacks and from having seizures. Thank god for science. I was diagnosed at 13 with epilepsy. But at the age of 24 I found out that I have a severe panic disorder that stresses me out so badly that I have seizures.
This medication along with the epilepsy drugs have kept me from having a seizure for 10 years. I am now seizure free and able to get off all medications supervised by my doctor. But the withdrawals are brutal! I am having a really hard time. Again I am sorry you have to threw it alone and I hope you have a support group of family and friends to help you. God bless you. And if you’re not religious then I wish you the best of luck. But remember the effects of the withdrawal are not permanent. Best of luck
Hi, I am currently going through the withdrawal because I found out I’m pregnant and it’s dangerous for my unborn child – I feel horrible I am stressing all the time, I already have a 4 year old and it’s breaking my heart her seeing me like this.
How are you doing? I just found out I am pregnant and had to quit Paxil cold turkey and I feel like garbage. Please tell me it gets better…
Stay strong. I was on 20mg for 12 years and now 1 month free. Almost was commited to hospital. Anger outbursts etc. This drug should not be fit for humans. There is light, stay strong.
Hi I have been on it for 15 years, on & off for first 2/3 years but constantly for at least 10, then it stopped working, tapered off 30 mg 2 years ago, then had to go back on. I have tapered again, under medical supervision (what a joke these psychiatrists have no idea) even though I tapered to 2.5 mg, I am having severe withdrawal, day 4 completely off today & determined not going back! I am on mirtazapine 30 mg, zopiclone from 7.5 for years now 3.75 also 15mg diazepam to help with withdrawal. I want to get off each & every one over time, and try to find out who “me ” is now. I would love to shove these drugs down my psych’s throat for a few years, see what they think then! Just hoping to achieve all of this without losing my mind. -Linda
Amen Linda!!! I have been on every antidepressant known to man and only a few worked. I recently had to transfer from Paxeva to Paxil (generic) because of the high cost of the Paxeva. Was on SSRI’s for close to 28 years total. Approximately 8 weeks my MD had me cut my dose in half because it made me shake so much. Then I read parts of a book “Unstuck”. All about life without psychotic drugs. Great book. I started to taper off until I was down to taking chips. Couple of weeks now without anything. All the side effects (flashing, nausea, dizzy, flashing, flashing, cranky, anger, couple of crying for now real reason spells, sick guts) and I am still determined to get this crap out of my 69 year old body! The book actually indicates it is as addicting as heroin. The kicker is, I WAS NOT DEPRESSED or sick when I was first prescribed these approved poisons. I wish everyone on the planet taking these drugs to get off them and be healthy on every level. Namaste.
I had no idea until yesterday that I have been withdrawing from Paxil on and off for 5 years. I thought I was dying from cancer or something. I recently has my dose up to 20mgs from 10mgs and felt better with less nausea and anger out bust. I knew then something was up. So I asked my doctor and she said yes, it very possibly was withdraw sickness. It cost me a good relationship and time with family. Sucks I didn’t even know!
I was on paxil for 16 years or so. Its been 2 months since the last pill and I’m starting to feel somewhat normal again. The anger and depression have lessened, but am taking melatonin to sleep. The nightmares and insomnia were extremely difficult. I told my doctor that I don’t want any more mind-altering drugs. This is more difficult than I ever anticipated, but have a sense of becoming more real now. I’m finally becoming the person who God originally designed me to be! I’m very grateful that the worst is over.
God bless you. It is nice to hear “become the person God intended me to be”. I was on 30 mg the third time taking Paxil. The first two times I was on 20 mg. the second time I went off Paxil I tapered quickly to 5 and after a week went cold turkey and it was awful. Took months. After a period of time I lost my pet and got so depressed and went immediately to the doctors for a drug. :(
I hated the weight gain on Paxil so he started me on Prozac. 7th day in I almost lost my mind. I thought I could hurt my family and myself. Immediately went back on Paxil but started with 30 because I had a hard time getting over the Prozac attack. After 6 months or so I tapered back to 20 where I had been before. Well it has been a couple years and it stopped working. I started having vertigo and panic attacks? Crazy. Now I am tapering down. Seems like the first couple of weeks I did okay but now I have so much anxiety.
My blood pressure has raised a bit. But I feel like I am dying of something for sure. Lol. It has been so helpful to read other stories. I started on 12.5 yesterday and will go two weeks before I go any lower. I just so badly want off this completely but know that tapering is the better way to go. Been doing a lot of bible study, singing Christian songs and praying. He will give the strength to get through this.
Karen, you are so blessed to do this in 2 months. I am 16 months into withdrawal and still am not happy with how I feel. Thank you for sharing… Julie
Thank you Karen – your story gives me hope. After 10 years on Paxil, I’m on week 4 off this drug. I want to give up on this painful process of withdrawal almost every day, but most people say you need to really try to give it 8 weeks. I’m hanging on and I’m glad to hear that things got better for you around 2 months.
Ten years, 40 MG, two months since quitting cold turkey, had no idea it would be this bad.
Wow. These comments are truly helping me! I was on Paxil for 2 years. I gained so much weight, and was always hungry. I also wanted to not be dependent on a pill to control my happiness and life. I have insomnia and my doctor prescribed me medicine for that. I stopped that as well. So far, it’s been 3 days since I have been off Paxil, and I have experienced no appetite, fatigue, and body aches. For once I feel hopeful and I want to heal naturally and spiritually. Thank you all for your honest comments.
Karen I can relate because I too am a Christian trying to wean off paxil after 8 years. It is encouraging for me to know you are starting to feel normal again! How long did you take to completely wean? What dosage were you on?
Good to see someone else who has been on Paxil almost as long as I have. 21 plus years and my body decided it didn’t like Paxil anymore and I started having severe reactions to the med. My Dr. agreed it was time to get off the stuff. I weaned off slowly and my last dose was a month ago. I am still having side effects that include nausea, dizziness, insomnia, tingling feet, flu like symptoms, and fatigue.
From what I have read I’m hoping the worst part will be over by the end of another month. My body will probably need more time than that to feel normal again but I am hoping to be through the worst in a few weeks. Right now my symptoms are bad enough that I can’t work or do much at all except stay at home and wait for it to go away. Good luck to everyone.
I am 4 weeks off Paxil/cold turkey. The worst 4 weeks of my life. So dizzy, everything makes me angry, brain zaps, exhausted, can’t remember something I read a minute before, can’t sleep and the worst are the hot flashes, out of control. Some improvement with the brain zaps, down to 10-20 a day vs. well over 100 a day in the beginning. I had a good day or 2 (so to speak) this week so I am hopeful.
Hi Rich, Thanks for the encouragement. I was on 20mg for roughly 14 years and tapering off is much more difficult than expected. I took just under 2 weeks to taper off and am now experiencing nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite, uncontrollable crying, and extreme difficulty concentration and remembering things I just heard/read. My acupuncturist is giving me treatments to help, and I’m taking Free & Easy Wanderer chinese herbs to help me through it. How long until your withdrawal symptoms disappeared?
I have taken paxil for 13 years. Have also used herbs. Good to hear that someone else does too.
I am currently going off of paxil. I have been on 20mg for two years and before that it was celexa for a year. I had to go down to 15 mg for a couple of weeks and now I am down to 10 mg. I am very tired, dizzy, brain zaps, irritable and I burst out crying at least once a day right now. I started taking Omega 3s in hopes that this will lessen the effects and symptoms. I really hope everyone from this site is off of them now. Any kind of advice would really help me right now. Thank you.
I am currently in the withdrawal process. I am at the 7-8 week since my last dose. I just now started having the horrible withdrawal symptoms. I had been taking Paxil for 9 years though. This is one SERIOUS drug. I wouldn’t wish this Pax-hell on my worst enemy!! It’s so bad you think you’re going insane.
I pray you do not feel alone. Hang in there!! I know there is light at the end of this tunnel BC before Paxil, I detoxed from KLONOPIN. ???
That was extreme torment. Worse than the Paxil. I know how good I felt during March and April!!! It is worth it in the long run!!
KEEP THE FAITH, STAY ON THE COURSE AND REMEMBER… THIS IS NOT WHO YOU ARE… It is the Paxil!!! It WILL pass!!!
I commented above already. To clarify, I did experience withdrawal symptoms from the Paxil immediately up until now around week 7-8 from my last dose, I had an episode where it felt like my mind was racing, nauseated again really bad, EXTREME dizziness, confusion/forgetfulness/lack of concentration, trouble walking straight, insomnia and decreased appetite.
I feel like I’m not the same me as before withdrawing from Paxil. I guess I did not pay close enough attention to these withdrawal symptoms because one month before my doctor had me withdraw from KLONOPIN!!! Oh my!!!! Pure HELL!!!! I thought I was ready for a straight jacket!!!!! And I’m not even kidding!!!!! I never thought I’d have any type of life ever again during that AWFUL bedridden month of February 2016.
I’m thinking that with Paxil it takes 2-8 weeks for it to build up serotonin in your brain. So does it take 2-8 weeks for all of that excess serotonin to deplete? I’m going to have to say YES!!! I am living it RIGHT NOW!!!! I would not wish this on my worst enemy BC it is torture!!!! I will NEVER take an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety pill EVER again.
I used to think my panic attacks were bad ( and they truly were ) but I will definitely take a normal panic attack over these feelings I’m having from the withdrawal process. So if anyone out there is going through this, know you are NOT alone!!! I know my source of strength comes from above! On the darkest days I have experienced, I know Jesus helped me make it through!! He’s helping me each and every day!!!!
I highly recommend developing a very close walk with God!!! He can do what no earthly doctor can because He is the Great Physician!!! Sometimes in life He doesn’t always see fit to move the mountain in front of us BUT He will give you the strength to climb it!!! Stay strong and know that this too shall pass!
I’m a week and a half off and normally I’m very happy, but I’m losing my sh#t over things that would normally slide off my shoulders.
I was 20 years on 12.5 mg. CR. Went off cold turkey 6 weeks ago, and withdrawal symptoms aren’t yet better. Anger is a problem, but mostly extreme dizziness, nausea, and no appetite. Sort of helps to find others out there are going through the same hell. Are you feeling better?
I also quit paxil for pregnancy and I feel awful (it’s only day 1). Are you feeling any better?
Yes Jackie, there is light at the end of the Paxil tunnel. I see it has been several months. How are you?
I can not imagine stopping cold turkey. I think that I’d rather die than experience that. I tapered the med off in two weeks. I’m starting week 4. I still have slight vertigo. Insomnia, extreme irritability, sometimes moments of confusion but not as bad thank goodness, fear that I’m never going to be myself again there may be more but I get tired of my own complaining. Prayers to you. You will need it.
I have been on Paul for two years now because of my recent medication was making me gain weight. I tried to go off of it because I wanted to be “normal” but I started to experience vertigo, dizziness, flu-like symptoms all of which are listed in the side effects even bursting out crying for no apparent reason!!! This simply ridiculous why would they make such a thing if it does this to people?
Hello everyone. I was on Paxil for about 11 years and I am in week 5 of no medication at all and I took 6 months to taper off the upper end dose of 60. I appreciate reading all the different withdrawal symptoms everyone is having. All I wanted to say is that I am struggling with all the withdrawal and I am shocked that there is no help for patients.
I can’t stress to people how serious these drugs are. It concerns me that patients are not aware of the problems withdrawing. We all need to be informed and educated about this drug and take it only as an absolute last resort. Good luck to you all.
All I can do is literally take one day at a time and hope I can reach the end of this nightmare. I honestly do not think depression in its fullest form was ever as terrifying as this. And the criticism you get from people close to you is nothing short of devastating.
Yes, the critics from family is unbelievable. My niece an RN should know better. You’d think she was going through it. No family support here. My friends are supportive however.
I was on Paxil for 20 years and the maximum dosage the last three years. My doctor did not tell me I would feel this bad and did not offer anything. To cope with. I went to a natural type store for naturopathic stuff. I hope it helps. It’s good to read about how it’s not going to go on forever.
I can completely relate to this. I am in almost the exact same situation except my son is only 3.5. Last night he just kept wanting to take my temperature and stay with me in bed. Poor kid.