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. 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.
All, I am writing this as a warning of taking this extremely dangerous drug. At my last Dr’s appt I was prescribed Paroxetine or Paxil 20mg daily for the treatment of my menopausal symptoms. At first everything seemed fine and I felt good. Was sleeping better with hardly no night sweats. After about a month I started having adverse reactions.
1. Weight gain (in one week I gained 10 pounds!)
2. Extreme Lethargy. All I wanted to do was sleep. I would get up, go to work and then come back home and got to bed. On the weekends I basically spent my days in bed sleeping.
3. Increased appetite. The feeling of never being full and always hungry.
4. There were more, very fuzzy in the head right now.
After three months I decided to get off of all the vitamins I was told to take from my NP (never had I ever seen a doctor for all my prescribed medications). I also stopped taking the Paxil, cold turkey. The only meds I stayed on were for my high blood pressure and heart palpitations.
This was a little over a week ago. At first I felt nothing.
After a few days I felt high, tons of energy, sleeping regularly and very bubbly and happy almost to the extreme. Then yesterday at work was the crash. I can hardly function. I have most if not all of the symptoms of a major drug withdrawal. I feel absolutely terrible but refuse to go back on this horrible drug. I just hope what I am dealing with wont last very long, don’t know how I will be able to function.
I did go to work today as I have already taken too much time off recently for my lack of energy and sleepy feeling. My husband has to drive me to work as I am very unsteady on my feet and have extreme vertigo and lightheaded. Sleeping very little with horrible and vivid nightmares. Sweating and then cold goose bump flashes. Shaking. Feel like I have the flu, with bouts of nausea.
I’ve been psyching myself out to get through the day. I have a friend here at work and he said his daughter was on it and gained 60lbs! She did get off but went through hell at first. He is going to ask her for me if anything helped. Do not get on this drug and if you are get off! I will be making an appt with another physician as soon as I get through this sh-t!
Hi Theresa, sorry your husband is going through violent withdrawals. Quitting “cold turkey” is not advised but tapering slowly so that the “central nervous system” can adapt to the lowered serotonin levels (that regulate so much in the CNS)! Switching to Prozac and reducing it slowly has been a solution to some.
To answer your question, with high tend anxiety and tension during withdrawal temporary use of calming pills (chemical or herbs) can be a good “crutch” but won’t elevate the depressive symptoms. Social support (family) is also essential. In heart with you.
Took Paxil 10 for 6 days. Prescribed for minor mood fluctuations and tiredness attributed to being premenopausal. Made me feel like a zombie. heart palpitations, erratic breathing anomalies, extreme exhaustion, unable to focus, sexual disfunction, starting sleeping constantly. Yes, only took it for 6 days. Yes it was the lowest dose.
Been off for 18 days now, still have minor breathing anomalies, still do not feel like myself. I am anxious (never was before), depressed (never was before), experiencing extreme highs and lows. I feel like my life is in ruins and prior to taking the drug, things were pretty much fine. Will I ever return to normal again? It certainly does not feel like it.
Oh my! Yes, I experienced similar changes during even the first week of taking it… I couldn’t wake up for the life of me! I think I could have slept for weeks, and excitement or sex? Forget about it! Nothing made me happy or excited & all I wanted to do is sleep! Gained 25lbs in the first 2-3 months too, so talk about not feeling sexy anyway…my poor hubby. If it’s this bad for me, I can’t imagine what he goes through just dealing with me. God love him!
Omg I’m so glad I found this blog. My husband just quit Paxil 20mg cold turkey 4 days ago & has been having crazy symptoms! Everything you all have basically: itching, vertigo, nausea, feeling like he’s going to black out, agitated, moodiness, crying etc- just in the past few days!! He’s already saying he can’t deal with this! He’s prolly going to the ER if it doesn’t get better soon. Did anyone take any meds during the withdrawal side that helped? Not prescription. Anything OTC?
Hi Theresa! Good you found this website with the “withdrawal symptom list” that many doctors are totally ignorant about or “downplay” due to ignorance and knowledge derived mainly from “books” (i.e. the “antidepressant don’t make dependent” rhetoric)! To answer your question; yes I took benzo’s in the worst moments to reduce the anxiety and body tension and pains. They do not lift the depressive symptoms though.
Benzo’s are risky and have their own dangers and can really damage the brain. In the case of your husband it would probably be more wise to go onto a lower dose of Paxil or switch to Prozac (longer half life) as suggested in other posts and reduce from there (basically do a 2nd quit attempt)! When I was through the worst withdrawals I took calming herbs, did sports and got massages.
Now I’m totally “clean” and feeling calm, more happy and sad… slowly discovering what it is like to feel human and sensitive again! I’ll never take an SRRI again! In my experience and opinion, short term SSRI’s may help in a severe crisis, long term they are simply a harmful. On my 2nd quit attempt after 19 years of use (a 3 months tapper) it was “hell” for 6 months (not able to work) and I would not have survived without the help and patience of my wife and sheer determination to go threw the pain of withdrawals listed above!!
Social support is also essential in recovery! Family’s get pulled into the whirlpool of antidepressant use and withdrawals. The film NUMB (http://www.numbdocumentary.com) documents a family going threw the Paxil withdrawal process with great realism… Here a great summary / review on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1788422/. What I like about the film is that it shows how difficult it is to quit and how it inter fears with family life.
The courage of the author to film himself systematically during 3 months, plus the great research and interviews with psychiatrists are compelling. This first quit attempt fails, but we learn from mistakes… at a high price sometimes. Good luck!
P.S.: Theresa… since your husband “can’t deal this” (the severe symptoms) he/you must take this very seriously. One can feel so crappy without the “serotonin boost” of the chemical (Paxil) that it feels so unbearable that one could try to check-out if one has no hope that it will end. On top of it typically SSRIs only work slowly (after 2 weeks till serotonin builds up due the “inhibition of recapture” (recycling prevention)! It will get better if he uses a better method than quitting “cold turkey”!
I’m now 7 weeks off paroxetine after 6 months tapering and 20 years taking it, on and off at first but constantly for the last 13/14. I have commented already but said I would keep posting to give everyone an idea of the time it takes… First 2 weeks are unbearable but if you make it through those, as tough as it still is, you will make it. I have had to deal with feelings that I didn’t even have before paroxetine.
I’ve had paranoia, extreme anxiety, jealousy, anger and every other negative feeling you can (and can’t) imagine. At this point, although still suffering some anxiety, I feel ready to return to work and face the world again. I seem to have so many extra hours to fill in the day because I don’t sleep anywhere near as much or as deeply as I did on the drug. I’m slowly learning to deal with emotions again that have been numbed for so many years.
I find that I’m very sensitive to any other drugs I take such as painkillers which can increase my anxiety so I’m very careful what I take. I’m still hoping this anxiety will eventually disappear as I’m certain it wasn’t something I had before. I think that one of the hardest things is learning to deal with absolutely everything as a whole new person.
I still feel uncomfortable in situations and places where I’ve been perfectly happy before. I’m hoping it’s just a case of re-learning everything and accepting myself as I am today. I will continue to post for as long as I feel changes are happening. Good luck and lots of love to everyone on this hellish journey.
Hi, all. It’s good to find this site with comments from all of you who have withdrawn from Paxil, or are doing so. I have been on Paxil/Paroxetine (generic) for 22 years and recently decided to try life without it. I took my last dose two weeks ago, after gradually cutting down as per my doctor’s instructions. I realize that some people can withdraw from Paxil with no side effects, but I am having some dizziness, nausea, and depression.
Socially, I feel like isolating, as it seems like a big chore to even have a conversation with anyone. I’m wondering how long it will last, and I realize it varies from person to person. I wonder if any of you have found a sort of tie-over, like St. John’s Wort or another supplement, and how you have faired with that? Best to you all.
Hi Todd, Well done on quitting after 22 years. I think ‘how long will this last?’ is the thing we all want to know but few people come back to answer that. I’ve been off paroxetine for 4 weeks now. The first 2 weeks were absolute ‘HELL’ and I really don’t know how I survived them. Things have been improving since then but not nearly as quickly as I’d like.
I’m still suffering with quite severe anxiety and struggling with socialising. Some days are better than others but still nothing like the old me. I intend to keep coming back and commenting to give other people some idea of how long it’s taking for me. Good Luck.
Thanks for your reply. I’ll keep checking back to see your progress.
Hi Todd, Well done for getting this far without giving in to the crappy withdrawals, 20yrs on this drug, it has worked for me but seems to have stopped. I’m down from 50mg to 10 after months of reducing, going through crippling depression, suicidal thoughts, crying etc aches the works. I’m taking well woman, omega 3-6-9 high strength (over 1000mg is best). I’m using the supermarket own brand (as it’s cheaper and has higher strength than the more expensive ones) wellman do the same and has ginseng in (good for stress, however if using ginseng complex which in my view is great for lethargy etc and libido.
It’s advisable to have a break every few weeks so I would stick to wellman) studies have shown omega to be as effective as St. John’s wort in mild depression. In my view try the vitamins and minerals first, vitamin b12 is good for anxiety (studies have sown depleted levels of vitamin B causes low mood, as is low cholesterol interestingly!) Hope this helps good luck and well done!
I want to say that I’m hopeful after reading this, however I am so discouraged and sick. It’s been two months of weaning myself off paxil. I was on 20 mg for probably eight years. Only in the last few weeks have I’ve been having constant headaches. They have turned into migraines and the pain has been unbearable.
I work in the medical field and have had to cancel my patients and I’m unable to write up charts on the computer. I’m losing money as I have a private practice. It just occurred to me that this May be a delayed withdrawal symptom. I also I’m scheduled for a brain MRI. Thank you all for your comments. I’m praying that this will stop.
I am also a long time Paxil user. More than 21 years actually. It was a wonder drug for me after having severe anxiety attacks for years. The Paxil gave me my life back. I did try to get off it about ten years ago but the anxiety came back. Since I wasn’t having any difficulties with Paxil and knew nothing about how bad it could be I went back and and never looked back until last winter…
At that time I noticed I was having brain zaps even though I was regular with my dose. I would get dizzy for no reason and I started having insomnia. Couldn’t figure out what was happening since I hadn’t changed my dose and I was religious about taking it routinely. Then in the spring I had a very bad episode of depression and my Dr. suggested that I up my does temporarily to help.
Well, all the symptoms I was having went absolutely wild within just a couple days of increasing my Paxil. My body was trying to tell me that it would no longer tolerate being on Paxil. We started slowly decreasing my dosage and finally one month ago I took my last dose. I have been off Paxil for one month. I am having brain zaps, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, severe dizziness and flu-like symptoms.
Mostly I stay at home because the dizziness is very bad. I can’t go back on Paxil because of how my body was reacting while I was on it. I have no choice but to continue until my body recovers. It is 2:00am while I am writing this because sleep just won’t come tonight. I have hope that it will get better and I appreciate all you sharing. Good Luck to all.
Hi there, I don’t know if people still comment on this thread I just came across it today. I completely came off paroxetine two months ago after reducing 5mgs every two months. I was originally on 20mgs. When reducing I did suffer some bad withdrawal symptoms but they were manageable until I finished them completely.
The past two months have been in a word horrific. I have had the worst anxiety of my life, depression, dizziness, nausea, upset stomach, loss of appetite and generally been uneasy. It is oddly comforting to know there are other people out there that have been feeling the same and after being on these horrific pills for six years I am glad to be off them but I cannot wait for the day I feel normal again!
Good luck to everyone in the same position as me, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
This thread has been extremely helpful. I’m 32 years old and was prescribed Paxil at 15 years old. I was on 60mg per day for well over 15 years. I thought it was normal. Now looking back, I realize I was severely over medicated and I feel cheated. I started tapering over a year ago when my husband and I decided to start the pregnancy process…
I am now down to 10mg… I felt great for a while but now I feel like I’m going to snap. All of a sudden, the head rushes and dizziness and anxiety and paranoia have set in in the past week. I’m ready to start upping my daily dose. I’m so scared and I wish I had had a crystal ball when I was first prescribed…
I was on 20mg for 20 years, on and off at first but constantly for the past 14 years. I tapered for 6 months using liquid paroxetine so I could cut 1/2 mg at a time which worked well at first but still, once down to the last 1mg the withdrawal hell, which I had been warned about, began. I’ve been off completely for just over 2 weeks now and it’s been worse than I could ever have imagined.
The paranoia has been out of control, I even believed my own children were plotting against me. I’ve been extremely angry, depressed and anxious and suffered a couple of very severe panic attacks where I truly thought I was going to die. It got so bad that my doctor prescribed sertraline to get me through but I have resisted taking these so far.
2 weeks clean seems to have been a turning point although I’m still feeling really anxious and my mood swings are still quite severe, but I’m no longer suicidal and can at least see a light at the end of the tunnel. I wish someone would come back on here and tell us how long it took to feel ‘ok’ again… I guess we have to assume that them not coming back is a good sign and that things do get better.
My doctor put me on paxil for anxiety and depression. I did not know what I was getting into. I was on it for about 3 months (40mg) and I got the flu and stopped taking it. Started feeling better from the flu and thought I didn’t need Paxil anymore cause I felt fine. Had to fly to South Carolina for my job and then the hell came into my life. I didn’t take paxil for 3 days and on that third day I started having, what I now know are, Brain Zaps.
Holy sh*t! Then came on the dizziness, headaches and failure to comprehend anything. I thought, sh*t, Im 2 days from leaving and my medicine was in Houston. So then I went to sleep anytime I wasn’t working and BAM! Bad nightmares, sweating puddles. For 3 days this went on and when I got back to Houston I started taking paxil again.” Never quit cold turkey ” my doctor says.
Here I am 8 months later and I want off of this medicine. Reading all of your comments made me realize that I had to tapper off. I started buy cutting the pill in half (20mg) and done that for 2 weeks. I was fine and didn’t feel much of a change other than my sleep was starting to decrease. Then cutting it in half (10mg) again for 2 weeks. I am one week into that and its hit me again. Insomnia, Brain Zaps and Headaches.
But not as bad as it was when I went cold turkey but it is here and it is messing with me. I think Im going to fast track it and cut it out completely. If I feel real bad I might take 5mg every other day and see if that works. I hear it takes 4-6 days for paxil to leave the body but symptoms still linger on for a while after that. I hope not too long! This drug needs to be taken off the market! I now see why people call it PaxHell!
Ok so here is my story. I was prescribed Aropax (which I have googled and found to be the same as Paxin) about a year ago. My then 11 year old daughter had 2 epileptic seizures which I just could not deal with. I was extremely anxious and could feel the adrenalin pumping through me. So off I went to a psych. I wish I never did but that is neither nor there.
I stopped taking the tabs a week ago cold turkey after my husband said I should stop taking the ‘stuff’. I should perhaps have read all the withdrawal symptoms first because it is still a bad time in my life. I lost my mom 2 months ago from breast cancer. And my dad is really broken. So I am dealing with my loss and trying to help him. Well nevertheless, I have stopped with the tabs.
And yes I am experiencing the withdrawal symptoms!! It is encouraging though reading the above and knowing I am not alone. Please will it end though?? Why do other people out there in the world have it so easy and others have to experience years of turmoil??
Hi all, Been on Paxil 15 years and for the last 6 years on 60mg daily. I decided to wean down as of March 2016 and at present down to 10mg every second day. Will be off in 1 week. Symptoms are terrible but for me the worst is constant itching at night in bed and I’m not sleeping. Sleeping habits have always been poor going to bed at 2am every night and waking up at 930 am.
Now I head to bed at 1am and I’m lying awake for 4 hours before I actually sleep. Don’t want to increase Paxil, but has anyone taken short term sleeping pills to reset their bodies? I was thinking a 2 week course whilst I change sleeping routine. What’s the itching all about? Terrible experience.
Otherwise during the day I’m good and the only noticeable difference is I am more edgy and aggressive not in the violent sense but when I talk I’m very direct and demanding. See the reason why I want to get off Paxil is purely so I can actually feel normal emotions rather than feel numb with either happy or bad emotions. Hate feeling numb hence why it’s time to let it go. Any feedback peeps?
Dear Michael, Feedback: Two posts with 15 years on Paxil, wow, I don’t feel so alone! Your reason to stop was the same as mine after 18 +1 years! Sleeping pills are addictive but I used them “carefully” during withdrawal to cope and avoided all stress, coke, tea & coffee – had to force myself to exercise and get massages to deal with the “paxil fever”, anxiety, muscle tensions, zaps, depression & suicidal ideas that appeared for no reason during hellish withdrawal that included all symptoms listed at top of this page!
Yes, also had very disturbing itching on the body (mainly at night) and it went away after some time! Far worse than the itching will be the real withdrawal because you state that your “symptoms are terrible” already! I believe you should try to “stabilise” on that dosage (10mg) before you diminish Paxil more is my key feedback.
Since you are still on 10mg and plan to be “off” in a week… I would say that is too fast & ambitious after 15 years. Also, taking it every 2nd day is not ideal as the half life of Paxil is 24hrs and you get a “yoyo” effect! To “smooth things out” (I know from my first failed attempt) I would advise you to tapper slower now with daily use at 7 mg for example… take at least 1-3 months to slowly decreases from 10 -> zero progressively (use a cutter or liquid formula).
Please don’t underestimate these chemicals; 10mg is a strong “maintenance” dosage after 15 years! The receptor down regulation of the brain really takes lot’s of time to find a new “equilibrium” after so much long time! I hope this feedback was helpful. Good luck.
I was on Paxil for 15 years. During the last 5 years, I noticed many negative side effects and tried to quit taking it multiple times. The “brain zaps” where so bad that it always deterred me from quitting. About one month ago, I made the decision to quit cold-turkey. I am not advocating drug-use, but Marijuana use curbed the “brain zaps.” I am finally Paxil free and have never felt better. I feel like I was pulled from a darkness that enveloped me over the last 5 years.
How wonderful that you’ve “never felt better”. Don’t you have any residual withdrawal symptoms or functional issues? Do you feel normal & recovered? Amazing after 15 years! We all need to read “success stories” to stay off SSRI’s. “Darkness” Paxil indeed can be! I can identify with your story and used St-John’s Wort to “bridge” the “gap”. I hope you will be Paxil free long-term!
I have just stopped taking Paxil. My biggest issue right now is nausea and being dizzy. Saturday I couldn’t get off the couch due the nausea being so bad. I remember my head swimming the last time I stopped paxil and the crying was ridiculous. It’s only been a week so the crying hasn’t started and I’m not looking forward to it. I was prescribed Paxil for hot flashes and depression. My life is in much better shape and I think once I level out I should be fine. The withdrawals are no joke.
Hi I know just what you are going through. I’m so tired and irritable mood going really down. So desperate. Just hope I can do it without giving in and going back up to 40mg. Currently on 35, was on 50mg a few months ago. Good luck.
Hi I’m a psychiatric nurse been on this drug for 20 yrs. At first it was amazing I was able to go to university never felt anxious had energy etc. I’ve gained over 5 stone in weight I’m more anxious and depressed than ever, I’m suicidal crying all the time, tired all the time, the weight gain makes me sluggish and hungry all the time I never feel full. I never used to drink alcohol before taking the drug now I crave it, just starting (again) to get off this drug.
I’ve experienced every single withdrawal mentioned on this site, crying anger brain zaps the whole lot. I hate how I look and feel but I have to do it. I’m worried my OCD will come back and my confidence will leave me. I loved singing which the only plus of this drug is that I had no social phobia. I’m going to do what I did before which helped is to get down to 20 and then switch to a long half life drug Prozac. It does help and David Healy a well known professor of psychiatry who hates this drug has advised.
I’m also going to top up on vitamin B COMPLEX, omega 3-6-9, and magnesium selenium biotin (well woman do a good multivitamin that have most of these in). I’m also going to rest and avoid contact with as many people I can and not going to drive while coming off. Too dizzy and confused, started to come down from 50mg and now on 35 so far not feeling any different, but I know this is the beginning of the road to hell, but I deserve it and owe it to myself to win.
Good luck everyone who is going through this and one thing is to warn family and friends what you are doing and what they can expect so you don’t end up murdering each other!
I started wearing off 10 mg CR about 6 weeks ago. I took my last dose about 3 weeks ago. The physical withdrawal symptoms – the worst being nightmares, insomnia, and nausea – are subsiding nicely but now the fits of rage are starting. I scared the hell out of my kids the other night with my raving, and I’m afraid I may break down and get in trouble at work.
My doctor suggested seeing a therapist and talking about the things that set me off. It seems like a lot of the anxieties of my past have come back to haunt me. Is a therapist recommended or should I try to ride this out with my meditation and mindfulness practices?
Getting off of Paxil after being on it for about 5 years. Because of weight gain & my dr feeling that since I’m doing well. (I originally was prescribed it after having a baby) she thought that I should give it a try! I was doing well, but now feel anxious, angry, crying! I’m not sure if it’s the withdraw or that I need to stay on Paxil? I am just a ball of nerves. I don’t want to be on meds forever, but I don’t want to be a crabby, bawling, anxious mom & wife. Any advice would be appreciated!
Hi Rachel, Your “dilemma” (on/off) is very understandable. For how long did you decrease the dosage before quitting completely? This has an impact on the severity of withdrawals together with the length of time you took Paxil. Secondly, it is normal to feel anxious angry and crying when withdrawing (as described at top of page in the withdrawal list). The “exaggerated negative feelings” are typical.
When you feel like a “ball of nerves” (like i was for many months) it is wise to consider yourself like a smoker going “crazy” without cigarettes and resist temptation to go back on Paxil. Do things that sooth and please you in any way and avoid coffee, tea & alcohol. Being an “anxious wife” and asking for some empathy and extra TLC for a while is better than being on a mood altering drug for many years to come, no?
Also consider that it is easier to quit after 5 years than 10 years, and less damage and habituation will be done! Perhaps try 5HTP, omega3, more support and calming plants and baths & walks in nature or cycling if you can?! Paxil has an “addictive” nature in itself and withdrawals are usually unpleasant or even horrible to go through.
A good inspiration is Paul’s story who explains his tough withdrawal & successful recovery quite well here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaTUPdnkuYM&spfreload=10
After being put on Paroxetine when 17 for, at the very most, mild depression, with no offer of talking therapies and the “this medicine isn’t addictive” line, I’d finally had enough by last autumn, as once again after having forgotten to take my liquid Paroxetine by six hours from the usual time, I was crazy for the next two days. So after 17 years on 40mg, I decided to come off. Initially I felt so good as I reduced by 10mg/5ml increments every two weeks reaching zero six weeks after I’d started, which was far better than the previous times when I’d tried to reduce or even just switch from the liquid onto the capsules at the same dosage. I was NEVER stable on the medicine for all the years that I took it, and the doctors weren’t interested.
After the initial mild depression completely passed in the spring of 1999, my doctor immediately began to taper the medicine down from 40-30-20mg over two 2 week periods. That was a turbulent and argumentative month!!! However, after leveling at 20 mg for that summer, I was then told to try to taper below 20mg at 10mg increments again. This quickly induced too much instability, and so a 1ml/2mg per week regimen was suggested. I managed to get down to 7ml/14mg before going to University that Autumn, but reduced no further while at Uni due to the instability while reducing, even though I remember an instability all that Autumn anyway.
I suspected that this inherent instability might have contributed to me being thrown into a severe depression after a trigger event that Autumn, leading me to withdraw from University, and from which I’ve been gradually recovering from ever since at my parent’s home. Through the years I would constantly cycle through (at various rates and frequencies, both of which increased the better I got) a pattern whereby if I was feeling a bit better/more, I could get more sensitive, which could make it more likely that I could depress again.
I noticed quite by accident once, after mistakenly taking two doses within a few hours of one another and whence temporarily overdosing, that I could amplify/accelerate this process to speed up getting better after depressing, by deliberately alternating the medicine e.g. taking my next dose 12 hours after the previous dose, instead of the usual 24 hour interval. However doing this the other way round, leaving an interval of 36 hours before returning to the usual dosing interval produced the opposite affect, e.g. it tended to lead to me feeling more depressed/bad rather than less, and whence was never intentionally practiced.
After having improved over the years, this improvement felt like it plateaued from 2008-2012. I felt the most sensitive yet, but I could still depress, sometimes for up to months at a time. Then in the Autumn of 2012, after the GP’s never showed an interest in my depression (having “reviewed” my medicine a handful of times over the years with a simple, “you want to keep taking it, alright then” and there always being another excuse for not referring me onto any other help, they now suddenly wanted to switch me from the liquid to the capsules, something which I knew from the past would not go well.
This is because on at least two previous occasions this had been tried, both of which increased the instability, for exactly the same dosage. In preparation for trying to swap over again, I started to reduce my dose to exactly 20ml/40mg, as inaccurate/lazy dosing measurement in the cup had led me to taking more, perhaps as much as 50mg, for some time. I soon reversed this reduction on the liquid, as it was making me feel different and we were going on holiday so I thought I’d wait until after we came back.
It was when increasing again (not when decreasing) that I felt bad, surprisingly so, like I had done on a handful of previous occasions in the past. This was after having been established on this medicine for a long time, not when first going onto it for the first time as is warned of in the patient information leaflet. After I finally switched to the tablets sometime later that Autumn/early 2013, I was surprised at just how good I felt at first, as this was a reduction as I never did subsequently reduce the liquid again, just as was the case when I started reducing again recently, in other words the opposite of what happened when I increased.
However as I “stabilised”, or not as was in fact the case, at the lower 40mg, the instability notably increased. Here I was taking the tablets, and yet I was never as “stable” as I was on the liquid. There was no longer a +/-3 hour window within which to take the medicine without a notable increase in instability as there was with the liquid. Now it had to be taken at EXACTLY the same time every 24 hours, even with EXACTLY the same food to try to reduce the instability to a minimum.
I couldn’t understand how this could be until I discovered something called bioavailability. A liquid is apparently more consistently bioavailable than a tablet. This suggested potentially significant sensitivity to this medicine! Soon after this happened, and this time with no trigger, I had the greatest increase in depression since the Autumn of 1999. I’m not sure that when I started to come off the Paroxetine in the Autumn of 2015 that I had yet returned to how I felt in the summer of 2012.
This had seemingly happened because of the ANTI-depressant, and if it had happened now, could it have happened before, in fact how much of all of this could be down to the medicine?! After stratospheric instability last December after finally reaching zero dosage (after initially always feeling better on dropping each dosage level), things have only slowly got worse. Initially my appetite collapsed, which with accompanying Gastrointestinal issues that I’d had for a number of years after I’d started to take the Paroxetine (Gastritis since early 2003, recently diagnosed Visceral Hypersensitivity since May 2013) led me to become malnourished, losing a fifth of my body weight in three months, and dumping a lifetime’s worth of accumulated fat, that had built up as I’d always had such a strong appetite on the medicine.
Then the dizziness/vertigo and intolerance to movement began; I could turn my head and it would feel like my head was lagging behind. I had a rash for the first time in my life on my upper chest, where I also had a strange pain just below the surface of the chest, as well as a rash on the sides of my neck and on my upper groin. After never having felt the cold, having sweated a lot of the time I took the Paroxetine, I was now ice cold to the touch in a house heated to 21C, (although recently as I’ve felt at my worst, I’ve started sweating profusely again/feeling really hot).
I started to get numbness in my peripherals and then internally, including in my gums. After never having more than the occasional light tension head ache all my life, now my head felt so thick that I needed to hold it just to release the pressure, and I developed brain fog along with cold/hot patches inside my head. I also developed lower back pain and pain just to either side of the spine. This all along with an on/off racing heart, shimmering vision, particularly noticeable against a brighter background (along with a change to a warmer tint of colours at times) and uncontrollable shivering in the chest when I wasn’t cold.
Oh, and a sickness and at times uncontrollable thirst that led me to drink up to 8 litres of water in my waking hours. A head MRI and abdominal CT scan, as well as a Full Blood Count and liver and kidney tests as well as a blood sugar and Insulin test showed nothing, and I was put on a special medical diet to bring me out of malnourishment, as well as a transfusion of Vitamin B Complex. Little did I know that this was the easy stuff, as just when I was transitioning out of malnourishment and regaining my physical energy, the constant “lower” level of instability now went to levels never before experienced in my life!
A non trigger led to simply unbelievable swings of mood from an inner rage to an anxiety unlike any other. I’ve never been a particularly anxious person all my life. I also felt SO BAD, a bit like I had very occasionally and briefly on the medicine, usually when increasing it, except now it wasn’t abating, except briefly after crying/releasing. This all happened EXACTLY as I regained my energy and also became hypersensitive, with the opposite of brain fog, my head now feeling remarkably clear/pin sharp.
So now I felt the opposite of numb; I physically felt/smelt/heard too much! When taking the medicine, I’d always know when I was feeling better/more as I could smell more, hear more, touch more, as opposed to having a somewhat dulled sense of touch, heavy limbs and the like. Now I was feeling an extreme version of this, and not feeling better but a real gritted teeth psychological pain/distress/anxiety. Then exactly at the same time as I developed a hyper vigilance; jumping at the slightest noise, my heart racing at the slightest thought, my sleep, for the first time in my life, collapsed.
After having slept so much while on the Paroxetine, easily 12+ hours a night and a lot more if feeling worse which then returned to the normal 8 hours a night on coming off the medicine, now I can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, for anything more than a few short hours a night at most, waking every 30 minutes or less, sometimes in a panic with my heart racing. I just feel so awake/so alert, and so can never relax. I’ve spent the last month in my bedroom, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep, with the swings steadily slowing to a depression, after having felt at times so much after I came off the medicine, more than I ever did when on it.
When the swings were at their most extreme, I could depress and then come out of it again completely in as little as two hours, something which could take months in the past, although I would never say that I came out of it completely in the past. Every time I depress, it’s as if the hypersensitivity is trying to push back, and it’s when I’m emerging from a depression that I feel at my worst. When going into a depression, I can get (at least a temporary) relief from the pain/distress/anxiety that I can especially feel when coming out of a depression.
It’s for this reason that I’m terrified to go back onto an anti-depressant (the doctors want me to go onto Fluoxetine 20mg) as when taking the Paroxetine I would always feel at my worst when increasing the dosage, even when already established on it for years, a bit like the opposite of how I felt every time I reduced it. I’ve bizarrely noticed that even an anti-histamine (Cyclizine) that I’d been taking for Gastrointestinal nausea has appeared to make me feel more/make me more irritable. How I would feel transitioning onto an anti-depressant, I have no idea!!!
Some of these symptoms I recognise from the constant instability while on the Paroxetine, just massively exaggerated, but others I have simply never experienced before in my life! I genuinely don’t know if I’m going to make it! The kinds of thoughts that I have everyday are frightening. I’ve imagined so many ways in which I could end it all, as it’s simply unbearable at times!
None of the doctors seem to appreciate the seriousness of it! They all dismiss this as having nothing to do with the Paroxetine, “It’s been too long since you came off it, it must be some underlying issue”, even though I’ve never felt anything like this before in my life, and certainly never did before I was ever on the Paroxetine!!! I’m scared!!!
Hi Peter! It’s good that you expressed your confusions, dilemma’s and suffering here! I can very well understand that you are extremely scared now and that you often think of “ending it” after the awful experience with Paroxetine! I have been there. It is indeed a wicked drug. It is a terrible dilemma to be advised to take another SSRI and to want to stop without really being able to (since you suffer so much from the withdrawals after 17 years on 40mg).
That is a long time and the max dosage allowed. You are right that the doctors don’t really understand the seriousness of the withdrawals and confuse them with returning “symptoms”! They mainly know the theory from books and see some patients successfully stop other SSRI’s when they were not taken for too long. Doctors know how to “start” people on SSRI’s but don’t encourage to discontinue them (so we are returning customers).
They also do not have a clue what these medications really do to the brain and emotions. Receptor sites are immediately down regulated from SSRIs and neurogenesis takes place initially. That’s why they seem to work initially… but this brain “boost” comes at great expense further down the road! So I understand your frustration. I was put on Paxil/20mg for 19 years (for anxiety/stress issues at college). I was leading a more or less normal and successful life till I noticed that Paxil was screwing up my emotions and awareness by being very “numbed” and “detached” from reality!
Of course I was very angry with my doctor for giving it to me so long without telling me the risks. The drug made me very emotionless, so that anger did not come out! Now I am “clean” since 1.5 years on my 2nd quit attempt but felt extremely suicidal during the withdrawal, plus all the withdrawal symptoms listed at the top of this page. They are 100% true!
Worst of all doctors deny the seriousness and reality of these withdrawals – for them SSRi’s don’t make you dependent… and don’t create withdrawals – only an uncomfortable “discontinuation syndrome” as it has been called by the community of psychiatrists prescribing these drugs. It was a terrible fight through the withdrawal hell and reading about other people’s terrible experience helped me understand that I was not alone in the struggle and that I must listen to myself rather than believe everything the doctors say.
Doctors said I must take Paroxetine for life… but I felt how it was making me feel worse and robbed me of my vitality, consciousness, soul and vital feelings! Yet when you stop your feelings don’t return to normal but are totally out of control and dishabilitating (a “spring effect” of the brain that always tried to signal fear but could not due to the drug… so when it’s gone it fires through the roof)! Please hand in there and don’t give up … you must find a way to stabilise naturally or with a chemical. Don’t try to overanalyze the topic… and seek peaceful beautiful little things.
I hope you continue to get your parents / social support and try to believe you can get through the awful pain and get to some peace and contentment further down the road! PS. http://www.numbdocumentary.com – after 10 years of Paxil this film director documented the hell he went through during withdrawals and how his family also suffered. He also refers to the skeptics of SSRI’s like Dr. Healy, Dr. Breggins & Dr. Whitaker that we must thank for their intelligent and courageous work!
What chemicals would you suggest that can aid this process? I ask because I am probably just about to go onto either St John’s Wort or Fluoxetine. I even wondered that if I was to go onto something again, whether it should be the Paroxetine, even though I obviously don’t want to do that!
I’ve always been an introspective person, a perfectionist with OCD tendencies, with an intolerance of failure, so this has been particularly hard as a result. When this is at its worst, which has been most of the time over the last few weeks, I can just get utterly consumed by this and the thoughts generated by it/of it. To be honest, just coming across David Healy’s website terrified me/had a real affect on me!
I had to taper off due to becoming pregnant and I’m feeling horrible. My anger is ridiculous and if I’m not mad I’m crying like a fool. Please tell me these feelings will go away. I’m so afraid.
Hi Lisa, it’s totally normal to go through withdrawals like being angry, crying & feeling very afraid. These feelings can go away after some weeks or months, the timeframe depends on the dosage & length of Paxil use.
It’s important to have favourable social circumstances & support during the “paxil fever” withdrawal during which it is almost impossible to function normally. A hellish experience to come off this “medication” but well worth going into recovery in the long haul.
I’m almost a week off of paxil… feel awful, want to go out and do stuff but can’t – due to all the withdrawal side effects. Reading these comments gives me hope! Because I really just want to give in and take a paxil to feel better but then the process of withdrawal would start all over! Just want to feel life again with out always sleeping…
I am on day seven of withdrawal of 30 mg of Paxil. I have never experienced anything like it. Started cymbalta last week.
I have been on Paxil for about 5 years now. Have just weaned myself off over a period of 3 months. I am experiencing aching joints and muscles. Is this normal?
Jenny, congratulations for weaning off over 3 months. It’s a good question to ask if “joint & muscle aches” are normal during withdrawal because it’s scary to feel so “old” suddenly! Yes, it’s normal and they should disappear after a couple of weeks or months. Hang in there and good luck!
Paroxetine Electrical Withdrawal Zaps THIS HELPS!!! The following has worked wonders for me and I really wish for it to work just as well for you! It has been inspired by the following research: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215002249. Next time when an electrical withdrawal zap starts to zip through your body, cross your fingers as fast as you can (like when you do for luck). It should stop the zap in its tracks. Please let me know whether it worked for you!
I am two weeks coming off of paxil after being on it for 13 years and I am experincing very bad withdrawals such as brain zaps, extreme anger, very bad language, even taking gods name in vain which I never do. That part bothers me the most. I’m having very crazy dreams, palpitations, very bad body aches. wanting to sleep a lot, and headaches. Cannot concentrate good, very hyper, and restless. Is anyone else having similar symptoms? I quit cold turkey because I am on lopressor for high blood pressure and to regulate my heart rhythm. If anyone would like to comment I would be glad to reply back. Who knows maybe it will be good to share feelings.
Dear Rick, It’s courageous to be off Paxil for 2 weeks, but also painful & risky as you noticed. Your withdrawals are very intense and of course aggravated by quitting “cold turkey” after so long. Yes, I have experienced similar withdrawals (more than a decade of paroxetine) during and after tapering down in small steps over 3 months and went through hell all the same (retrospectively 3 months was way to fast).
SSRIs change your brain chemistry and “down regulates” (loss of) serotonin receptors! Our brain’s can’t take such a sudden change and it is very painful & debilitating to quit an SSRI so fast (homeostasis heavily disrupted) in my experience. If you’re feelings stay so awful, I would go back “on” and tapper off slowly when circumstances are favorable.
I hope your doctor will give you good advice with how to deal with the heart medication interaction.
I was on Paxil for over 10 years. Stopped about a month ago and still don’t feel right. I feel a bit better. No more “brain zaps,” and the diarrhea has subsided, but I don’t feel like “me” yet. I feel like I could busy out crying a lot. I hope I feel better soon. It’s really a bummer.
Had Paxil 16 years and stable on 10mg daily dose. Now have to stop because I am pregnant. I am on day 2 and having all of the withdrawal symptoms, very tough life for me now. Can anyone tell me should I keep fighting or go back to a 5mg or 10mg small dose? I don’t want to harm my baby but all these horrible feelings are really killing me.
Jing, very sorry you are going through the Paxil hell after quitting 2 days ago. You wether you should “keep fighting” (all the withdrawal symptoms) because you don’t want to harm your baby, or “go back” to 5mg/10mg!? A great dilemma. You state “the horrible feelings are killing me” and you are experiencing the outrageous effects of the “withdrawal list” (top page).
16 years (10mg) is a long time… and now that you feel so bad you probably suddenly realize that this tiny pill is strong since you are no longer “stable”! What a shock, I know from experience! You are not alone with this experience even though we go through the often very debilitating withdrawals individually. Basically, you will soon know and feel whether you can stand the “cold turkey” withdrawals, or whether you need to get back “on” and then decrease dosages like most of us that have received/took Paxil for a long time [without being aware of the “invisible” but dramatic changes it does to our bodies].
IF the pains, high anxiety, no sleep, strong depression & suicidal thoughts get intense, then this is dangerous for you and the baby, no? THEN your intuition is correct, get stable on 5-8 mg ASP and then try to tapper off over a period of 1-3 months by finishing with “crumbs” or liquid Paxil; even that is a tough/painful challenge in which you will need support and being good to yourself. A more “comfortable” method would probably be to tapper off over a 1 year period… but being pregnant you don’t have that luxury. There is a way to healing so please stay hopeful!
I went on Paroxetine 25mg ER back in march. I was only on for 5 days but felt like hell for four of them. On day 5 the doctor advised me to stop the meds (cold turkey). I haven’t been the same since. I have terrible anxiety/panic attacks depending on which doctor you talk to, diarrhea, fatigue. Not one of the doctors I have talked to associate this with the medication because I was on for a very short time. Can someone please tell me if it is still because of the meds and if there is anything I can do to ease the way I feel and how long it will last???
Nobody can definitively (with 100% accuracy) tell you that what you’re experiencing is because of the Paxil… especially on an online forum. There are too many unknown variables. That said, you can probably figure out this answer for yourself.
If you felt consistently similar prior to taking Paxil, took it for 5 days, stopped cold turkey – but suddenly experienced a myriad of new “symptoms” (that never previously occurred), what is the common denominator? (Hint: Begins with a “P” and ends with an “axil”). Did you make any other major changes other than using Paxil?
If no other changes were made, you may want to consider that, although you only used Paxil for a short 5-day stint, residual effects can occur. A single dose of an SSRI is understood to alter brain connectivity within just a few hours of taking it; this is well documented. Perhaps your neurobiology may require a longer duration than suspected to normalize and/or rebound from the 5-days-of-Paxil.
A healthy diet, exercise, proper sleep, and stress reduction may yield some benefit. However, none of this message can be considered a replacement for medical advice. We don’t know how long your symptoms will last or the ideal interventions to manage your condition. That said, wish you the best of luck en route to recovery.
Loretta, 1 more reply confirming your experience, impressions about doctors and a sign of hope! Sorry for what you are going through at present! Thank God you only took Paxil for 5 days. Personally, I know how strong and hellish Paxil is. I would say that it is quite normal that you feel “anxiety/panic, diarrhea and fatigue” (3/25 withdrawal symptoms) after 5 days of Paroxetine 25mg (that is a serious dosage for your central nervous system).
You state that doctors don’t associate your 3 awful symptoms with this medication! They only know this stuff from books that recommend SSRI’s for all sorts of “pathologies” (anxiety, compulsions, depression etc.) Yet, virtually no doctor knows what these pills really do to our brains, nor the hell we go through to try to quit Paxil – they have not experienced it!
Seeing Paxil on the top of the list for the “discontinuation syndrome” may prompt doctors to admit that it is “uncomfortable” or “difficult”, but they basically have no idea/experience of what they are taking about! So don’t let anyone “downplay” what you think and feel, that you are exaggerating, or that your condition can’t be from the “antidepressant”. What you feel now is probably normal… even though you don’t feel normal ;-).
You are right to think you “are not the same”… it is a scary experience to come off Paroxetine (it changes your brain chemistry and neural activity and structure). It is a biological & psychological ‘trauma’ to experience the effects of quitting Paroxetine! You will invariably remember it, but you can heal & recover from it since it was such a short “exposure”. You can even use it as an experience to improve your life.
Hello! I have read a million comments about the withdrawal from Paxil and even experienced a lot of them on my own, but I wanted to post a message to say that this time around I am currently 10 days Paxil free and I’m doing OK. I went down to 5mg for about 3 months and then stopped taking it while starting vitamins in hopes to start a family in the near future.
It hasn’t been a cakewalk, but it is possible. Not really many details to add, just wanted to add a good story out there since I understand the struggle and the desire to want to get this stuff out of your system. No one understands like those of us who have gone through it!
I have been reading for over an hour, all of the posts. I was on Paxil for about a year. I was put on it because I had an autoimmune problem in my mouth that caused me not be be able to eat and I was losing a lot of weight. I think my doctor put me on Paxil so I would gain weight, which I did. But oh my goodness! Who would have known how it made me feel like a zombie.
Absolutely no emotion one way or another. Had to take an put my pup down and I didn’t shed a tear! I decided to get off. I went from 30 mg to 5 mg within about 6 mos. Finally after being on the 5 mg I quit! Have gone through all of the withdrawal symptoms. I was so angry and mean to my sweet husband. I am so glad he was understanding and just clammed up when I would get like that, except him being quiet made me angrier!
Well it has been almost 4 months now. I still have a few zaps, some anxiety. I have heart palpitations so much of the time. I have found that I cannot tolerate much alcohol as it gives me insomnia and makes my heart race and pound hard. I also have to watch the caffeine for the same reason. I make it a point to get out and do some physical activity, right now I work in my yard.
It really helps. I was hoping I would be pretty much done with the withdrawals, but I think it is going to take a while longer. I do say that life is getting better. God love all of you out there going through this. It is hell! I have a hard time even thinking why a doctor would prescribe this kind of drug! I have been on others and never have had such a terrible time getting off. Take each day and live in the moment.
Quick summary as I have been posting before: I stopped paxil 5 weeks into my pregnancy. I am on my 19th week and am happy to report that I am feeling much better. All the crazy symptoms have almost gone. Sometimes, they come back but I am in much better control of my brain. It was an extremely rough and crazy journey but I am feeling much better. Have not completely healed but definitely not as crazy as before.
I am not sure what my plan is for after my pregnancy. I will update for those who are pregnant and are struggling and also for those who have lost hope. There is hope. Lots of counseling, meditating and keeping yourself super duper busy will make your horrible days pass and eventually you will be as strong as ever.
I’m having a really hard time. The brain is buzzing and I feel confused. I just had an anger episode yesterday like no other. I scared and I’m all by myself. I’m not sure what to do. My friend is on her way over but then she has to go to work. And I can’t get my husband to stay home. I don’t have a car or phone. Any suggestions of what I can do?
I am sitting here crying and feeling somewhat relieved reading people’s posts about coming off of Paxil. I have been on 30 mg of Paxil for about 20 years. It has been a life saver for me in helping me live my like without anxiety. I have been battling the battle of trying to lose weight for years now and began to think that the Paxil was inhibiting my ability to lose the weight.
I thought I was ready to wean of the Paxil. I sought professional help and we talked about doing it slowly. I went from 30mg to 25mg to 20mg over about 2 months and I was doing good until I dropped to 15 mg and ALL the old anxious feeling came back with a vengeance.
I am having trouble with my head feeling heavy, buzzing feeling, headaches, have to run to the bathroom and feeling like I am going to throw up. Focusing is difficult too. I am so frightened and just want to stay on Paxil for life and feel good.
What do I do? I am sitting here crying and feel so alone. I’ve always been sensitive to how I feel – probably why I needed Paxil in the first place. Feeling frightened.
Dear Cathy, I feel with you… it’s normal your frightened now, it’s good to be sensitive – but being overwhelmed by this kind of anxiety/panic is unbearable and paralyzing. It’s also normal when weaning off too quickly (length & dosage dependent – and life circumstance dependent I would add)!
It is so strange how many of us have been pulled into taking Paxil for a long time (even though we are normal human beings) and then see the bad side of it and want “out”. In your case mainly because of the weight gain. I understand your disappointment that did not entirely succeed your first quit attempt, that’s a good lesson learned.
It’s also great that you think your ready to wean of Paxil, I assume your life circumstances are more stable than when you started!? Yet, to take only 2 months from 30-20 is too fast in my humble opinion. If your not too *traumatized* by painful withdrawal experience and still want to quit – then try to plan this “phase out” over a much longer period of 1-2 years please.
Reducing very gradually by 5% so your brain can adapt and you can learn how to deal with fear again. The fear comes terribly intensely, because the drug “suppressed” and “plastered it” but the brain kicks backs” as we need fear/stress reactions to survive. So that’s my theory on why we feel so ridiculous intensity of fear that we never ever had before! “What do I do”?
Try being stable on enough Paxil to keep you going, and then reduce again when your ready: very very slowly and with social support, rest, good food, exercise, massages against the muscles pains.. yep, it’s much worse than stopping smoking, but it can be done!
I look forward to reading about your future progress! Doctors Breggin’s book on withdrawal helped me to stay clean even though I had quit to fast (3 months wean). Prayers to you…
Crawl back into bed and pamper yourself until you feel better… that’s what I am going to do… just started coming off after a year and a half. I have been on this roller-coaster ride before and I know it takes time. But it is worth it to get the poison out of our system. I cannot believe I went back on after swearing for years…never again.
Vitamin B’s are very helpful with anxiety… so that may help… takes weeks (6) to really feel the benefits. But taper off the Paxil slowly… My Dr. had me doing 30 one day then 20 the next…to confuse my brain. So when I eventually stopped the 30s I didn’t notice. Perhaps you could do 20 /15 for a few months before dropping down to 15.
Determination and prayer is definitely needed. Unfortunately the longer you are on Paxil the harder it is to come off. What is the alternative? I too gained weight… 30lbs in the 1.5 years I have been on it and it won’t budge. I wanted rid of the anxiety, but not at the cost of being obese, not being able to mourn the death of my father, or feel passion.
It does take time but the withdrawals will eventually pass. Be good to yourself. You cannot expect to go about your life as usual – treat it like the serious condition it is and give yourself time and space to heal. Hang in there Cathy…all of you.
Angela, wise and caring advice… to us all, thanks! In order to contextualize your response and “success story”, how long did you take Paxil for and what dosage please? When you got off were your life circumstances stable (work/ finances, social life, etc.)? Right now I’m considering like going back on an SSRI (fluoxetine) even though this 2nd quit attempt has been lasting 1 year now.
Circumstances are a bit bleak. Can I still attribute the depressive state (headaches, lack of energy & drive, motivation and hope) to withdrawals? The withdrawal were very overwhelming / traumatizing in themselves (the Paxil withdrawal hell some of us know were you are in bed with the “Paxil fever” and wished you didn’t live due to the various pains it brings). It is a shocking thing to go through those withdrawals!
It shows the power of the drug… due to the withdrawals! When your on it you don’t realize your actually “addicted” and that the drug harms you alters your deep sleep, your sex life, your consciousness, feelings & perceptions subtly and insidiously. Once you are aware of that you are motivated to stay “off” even when Dr. says “you must take it for life, like a diabetic must take insulin”. We can heal due to neuroplasticity perhaps… all of you.
I quit cold turkey 2 weeks ago (I wish I had known the withdrawal symptoms) I was on 20mg a day for 5 years to treat my server anxiety and I have gained 40 lbs. I’m tired all the time and I don’t want to do anything as socialize with anyone. I have been feeling extremely ill for the last 2 weeks, I even admitted myself to the ER, because all my muscles are so painful (both arms & legs) I have fever & flu symptoms like.
When will all these symptoms end for me? I am a single mom, I work and I take care of my dementia mother, I also have a pre-teen daughter to deal with. I do not want to kill myself; however, I feel like I’m dying. I don’t know what to do. Can someone please help me?
Dar Annie, Of course “you are feeling like you’re dying” and going “cold turkey” after 5 years of 20mg/ day is not reasonable at all. It’s very dangerous! You probably did not know that you can not just quit Paxil after 5 years (unless you’re a super hero).
Even someone who smokes 5 years can’t easily just quit without experiences huge side-effects. You won’t be symptom from free quick as you have a difficult situation: your a single mum and a mother that is very ill. Go back on 10-20mg and never mind about the weight gain now, this is about feeling suicidal… and you correctly write “I don’t want to kill myself”! Work with your doctor if you can please.
Hi everyone, I was on Paxil 20mg for about 6 months and just went cold turkey about 3 weeks ago. I’m 24 years old and all I can say is the withdraw process has become the worst adversity of my life. Since the cold turkey I’ve gone to the hospital 3 times for having insane panic attacks. They gave me Ativan each time which helped but only for that one day.
I’m hoping and praying this isn’t a long battle but this website has helped me realized I am not alone and gives me hope. I haven’t felt normal since coming off and I met with a doctor cause I’ve felt sick, I was throwing up, and they gave me Xanax to help me but I haven’t been taking them cause I don’t want to go through another withdraw.
I’ve found taking some Benadryl which my doctor recommended has helped a bit especially at night, but it makes me feel sick in the morning. Truly the greatest withdraw symptom is the worsened anxiety. This anxiety I’ve never felt before, I have no reason to feel anxious but I do and it’s just the worst feeling ever. I just want to feel normal again.
I’ve been praying every night hoping to feel normal again, but the temptation to just go back on it is strong because I got married 4 months ago, and my wife is seeing a whole new side of me – and it’s stressing her out immensely. Any feedback or suggestion on how to ease the anxiety! Prayers for everyone on this!!!
Dear Steven, as requested, here some feedback for you:
I have felt exactly what you feel in terms of huge ANXIETY for no reason during withdrawal and beyond. I was on this deceitful drug (PAXIL) very long and free of it since 1.3 years now, but still struggling every day. You are lucky you have only taken it 6 months!
It’s not “you” when your wife see’s this new side of “you”. If your wife loves you need to inform her carefully what is going on without overwhelming her. My wife stuck through the process courageously. Metaphorically the PAXIL “serotonin boost” somehow “pushes down anxiety” and actually stuns these feelings.
Yet life / the brain needs some anxiety (stress) to live, so when you take off the heavy Paxil “lid” (pill) from the “kettle” ( brain) the brain pushes back even stronger! Suggested coping STRATEGY depending on how you feel (empirical):
A) Ideally, try natural relaxing methods as you have; herbs, + sports, massage, baths, a trustworthy psychotherapist with whom you can talk about all your feelings and issues, sleeping more… and NO smoking, coffee, tee, Coca – as they can increase anxiety / stress!!
B) Go back on a Paxil “maintenance” dosage of 10mg (try low entry) and then tapper off slowly (2-4 months increments). That will ease the pain. I recommend not reading to many horror story’s about Paxil, many story’s have multiple causalities and there are sometimes underlying issues that with withdrawals and SSRI damage create feelings of despair. So try not to be too scared about Paxil and be happy that you are aware of wanting to stop so early!! You are aware now that it’s a risky drug and temporary “solution”.
“The Depression Cure” (Dr. Steven Ilardi) also gives healthy life style advice on youtube. Don’t expect miracles, it takes time and luck to be more stable again. Prayers to you too!!
Hi everyone: boy, I had NO idea that a website about the cons of Paxil existed! I’ve been taking 10 or 20mg for 15+ yrs and everytime I missed a few, my brain felt “funny”. But I never realized it was so dangerous. Last week I ran out of my prescription & didn’t realize it. So I called my Dr., only to find out he changed his phone number.
I started to panic, but thought I would wait it out to see how I felt. My life is going much better now, so I don’t need an antidepressant. Well, I have experienced the “brain fog”, the confusion & difficulty concentrating. I also felt like my brain & body weren’t working together. However, I did okay at work, because I forced myself to pay attention…and I actually felt better.
It’s been almost a week, and instead of panicking, I found this website. It made me feel so much better, I wasn’t losing my mind, I wasn’t alone. Thank the people who have made this info public. Because of what I’ve read, I’m going to try to stay off of Paxil. It will be hard, because I liked it.
I have been on Paxil since I was in a car accident four years ago. I have post concussion syndrome which really effects everything you do. I’ve become almost a different person. Anyways I have to do whatever it takes to get healthy again, I’ve tried o many things. I don’t like the side effects from Paxil (I was currently on 40mg) and stopped cold turkey.
I see exactly what you were saying with well everything. When I sleep I feel like I’m almost having an out of body experience it’s so weird but my major concern is the depression, anxiety and anger. I know it’s probably not the best move but I hate drugs and just want my life back. Derek
Coming off paxil 20mg and xanax because I found out I am pregnant! This is the worst thing. The sweats and feelings I am having are a complete nightmare. This is worse than the feeling of pregnancy itself. Mind you all I have 5 kids already. My youngest is 8 and oldest is 20. Talk about shock and now all of this no one said this would be so hard!
Oh I am so happy to find this info about going off Paxil, I have been on it for 5 years and as of Jan 19th decided I wanted off. Cut my dose to 10mg from 20mg. I have been having hot flashes, vertigo, huge tears rolling out of my eyes for no reason, I have a great life! My body feels as if I was hit by a large truck. I have MS and was so worried I was having another attack or that it was just getting worse. Thank you all for the info on going off of this drug! God Bless all!! Happy Easter
I have been on Paxil for 2 1/2 years. After gaining upwards of 40 lbs, with no change in diet and continuing to work out as always… I decided to go off of it. I started with cutting it in half. Brain zaps, body aches, fatigue, sweating, nightmares, very vivid nightmares, dizziness, extreme crabbiness, LOTS of brain zaps!!… my arms ache, my legs ache, especially when climbing stairs, depression… did I mention BRAIN ZAPS??!!
I am on week 2 of 1/2 a pill and am going to cut it down to 1/4 soon. The withdrawal symptoms, to me are worth it. The extreme weight gain for me, was not helping any anxiety or depression issues I was having!! I feel like the symptoms are easing, and then the next day Im flooded with more. I WILL get through this.
I have to. I have a new grandson, my first, and I want to enjoy every minute with him. :) It bothers me a little when I read that I may take 3 months to feel normal again or even start to feel normal. But again, I will push on.
I made a mistake I went cold turkey. I was on Paxil for 6 years. Its been almost 2 weeks now. I feel like a completely different person. My headaches, forehead and eyes are so sensitive. I feel like I have the flu, hot/cold, shakes, shivers, stomach ache. I cry and laugh at a drop of a hat. I felt angry/ violent, just toward myself. Thank goodness I have an understanding fiancee. I hate this. I drink Green Tea, it helps, lemon water too. I close my eyes and take deep breaths. It sucks, but I will never take Paxil again.
Hi. I came across this page when searching aropax withdrawals. I have been on aropax for 3 years and am ready to come off of them. I would take 2 tablets a day and a month ago went to 1 tablet a day. Last week I took it to a half and I am getting headaches, sweating, dizziness, major mood swings and paranoia that everyone hates me. My wife wants me to go back onto 1 tablet but I really just want this out of my system. Any suggestions or ideas as to how long I should expect to feel this way?
Honestly, I am pregnant. Been off it for 2 months now. Waiting for 1 more month to go to feel better. I am pretty miserable. Have crazy panic attacks and intense depression. Please stay strong. If you have decided, that’s great. Keep seeing a counselor and stop this once and for all. Makes me wonder am I really this crazy person or is it really just the meds? I was on it for almost 5 years. Stopped for first pregnancy only and I hope I continue to stay strong for this one, too. Wish us both luck!
Hey guys. So I am in my third week of tapering and I am considering going back on it. I’m a mess!!! I’m angry, sad, hysterical, crying all the time, not sleeping, etc… I know these are the withdraw symptoms, but how do I know if it’s just not my body needing them to be happy and in control? I feel like I could explode.
Was on pax for 2.5 months. Decided to quit cold turkey I just did not feel I needed to be in it any longer. Doc actually proscribed for 3 months. I have extreme fatigue. Could sleep all day. The worst is the headaches. I feel pressure and tension in my head. When will this go away? Been off for about 3 weeks now. Is there a time when the withdrawal symptoms are at their worst? I mean just before they get better and you start feeling yourself again.
I have found that for head zaps taking about 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda in water helps lots. Do not over do it cause can cause problems with blood pressure. My heart truly breaks from reading all comments. Was on Paxil 40 mg for 10 years, stopped cold turkey, at 4 weeks and has been hell. The one thing that helps me is that I am constantly praying, family support and venting like heck on Facebook.
I’ve been on Paxil for 20 years, except during my pregnancies for my 2 boys. 40 mg. I’m almost 35. I’ve had almost all these symptoms. Throughout the years I’ve gone without it for a few weeks till I got a new refill and I have to say the “brain zaps” are horrible. Now it’s been about 2 weeks and I’ve had horrible physical symptoms.
I still get the brain zaps here and there but now it’s mostly emotional. I could cry all day. I hold it in and cry a lot at night. I am absolutely exhausted. The worst part is the sudden anger. I keep it together all day, but when the evening rolls around I sometimes need to go sit alone and chill out. It used to be my favorite part of the day. I love cooking, working on homework with the kids and relaxing after a long day.
The last week or so I have felt anger bubbling up for no reason during this time. I’m also convinced at times that I’m dying from cancer. It’s frustrating because cognitively I know it’s the withdrawal, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Also, the nausea. I’ve worked in Special Ed and as a CNA. I’ve changed more depends than you could imagine.
I was making chicken stock the other day and I touched a chicken foot that had residue on it and I went and threw up. Yesterday I noticed the litter box needed to be changed as I walked by and I had to sit in the laundry room till my stomach settled down, then I ran up the stairs with my eyes closed. So not like me.
Hi Amy, do you have any withdraw symptoms during your pregnancy? I’ve had Paxil for 16 years on 20mg/daily and just find out I am pregnant (3 weeks ago). So I am off the medicine and the horrible symptoms are all coming out and are really tough. Not sure whether to keep fighting or go back to the drugs.
Been on paxil 3 years. 40mg, and the psychiatrist has made me stop cold turkey as he thinks I have bipolar 2. One week in and feeling horrific, off work, the symptoms I have are to long to list. Got to do it though so they can assess my behavior to give correct bipolar meds. Already have a deep brain syndrome called MdDS, which I was talking the paxil for. Feel like I’m in severe hell!
Currently going through the withdraw period. I stopped my Paxil almost one week ago. I was on it for almost 2 years (10mg) and prior to that I got pregnant and was on zoloft, which I quit when I found out I was pregnant. I went on the med for intense environmental induced anxiety and found myself battling with my mind. My environment changed so I made the decision to get off Paxil cold turkey.
Day 3 through 5 have been the hardest. I mainly experienced vertigo, headaches, confusion, light sensitivity, fatigue, and find myself getting mad easily which I work through with the understanding “this too shall pass”. Today is day 6 and I woke up feeling pretty good!! I know it’ll take awhile to get “back to normal” but this med I truly believe gave me GI issues.
I had several tests done with no diagnosis. Day 6 today, and I finally don’t feel like my colon is a big rock in my stomach. I hope to feel normal again soon but I will be patient. A life on prescriptions is just as safe as sticking a needle in my arm, which I don’t, and I’m ready to be healthy again.
I have been on Paxil for 5 years. I had to stop it during my first pregnancy but I barely took it for 3 months so it wasn’t that bad. After I stopped breastfeeding, I started taking it again. It’s been 3 years now. I am pregnant again and I am living HELL!!! Apart from wanting to kill myself, I want to even harm my child.
I am losing it. I cry so much and am depressed out of my brain. I spoke to my psychiatrist and she suggested taking Prozac for a month and then tapering that off. Like seriously, I don’t even know where to run or what to do. Your experiences definitely help but wow this is torture!
It’s so comforting to read e everyone’s experience and read this article. My story is I was given paxil for very frequent panic attacks due to stress and unhappiness at work. Started 20mg and that worked v well to start but then went up to 40mgs because of constant conflict with my chef. Took 40 mgs for 1n half years now and now I no longer work in that terrible environment so… I tapered off by 10 mgs every 3 weeks.
It’s been nearly 3 weeks since taking nothing and the side effects are awfully strong… Anger tantrums for No good reason eg. Doing shopping and a child’s whims made my blood boil until I felt near psychotic… Scary! Shouting at the TV, and also due to my lack of concentration and a million other small things. The zaps are so constant and frequent I’m a bit scared crossing roads in case I don’t notice what I should see normally as the zaps are so strong when moving eyes around from one side to another.
NOW it’s currently 7:00am and have been up since 5am ish because I had a Huge panic attack while asleep. Had to wake up to be able to breath, scary as hell thought I ate something that poisoned me severely…but no thank God I remembered I have alprazolam. Whilst taking paxil I suffered from zero libido, emotional numbness and excess fat around belly and pecs (man boobs).
I am convinced and staying the route to seeing this hell through to the end… I am NOT gonna lose this battle. I have tasted my old self for brief moments during the tapering phase. I AM HUNGRY TO RETURN TO NORMALITY. I deserve better and I dam well will get it! MY DETERMINATION I WISH TO YOU ALL, GOD BLESS !
I experienced HORRIBLE panic attacks after being off for 5 days.
I am grateful I found this website. My husband went on (paroxetine) paxil 20mg about a year and half ago for midlife crisis and anxiety. We couldn’t get a appointment with a psychiatrist so we went to his primary care doctor. My husband decided to go off his meds cold turkey without telling me in the beginning of November sometime 2015.
He had no significant side effects that he really noticed except bad headaches and ringing in the ears occasionally. In January 2016 he started having head and face pressure everyday and a pounding headache on top of his head. He wakes up everyday feeling like he is hungover. He also got a bad cold with this which made it seem worst. We tried acupuncture, fish oil and magnesium.
We went back to the primary care and he says it cant be from paxil withdrawal because he was on a low dose. He sent him for X-rays of his sinuses and head. No bad results shown. Next step is MRI and CAT scan. Has anyone else had these side effects? He has occasional anxiety and headache and head pressure daily. Somedays it gets a little better than other days. He is living on ibuprofen. Any help is appreciated!!!