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.
I’m a 16 year old female and I’m 95 lbs. A doctor me put on paxil (60mg). I’m currently taking 5mg of it now trying to come off of it. That was way too strong of a dose for me. My withdraws are horrible and I’m having most of them. I’ve already missed a month of school due to hospitalization, so I can’t miss much more. It’s so hard being in class and feeling like crying and freaking out because of everybody around me. My anxiety is high and my body hurts. My experience with paxil has been horrible.
I’m a college student and was on Paxil (20 mg) for about two years. My doctor advised me to stop cold turkey, so I did, and I literally feel terrible. I’m having the most random crying spells ever and I’m dizzy as hell. I just want it to go away.
I’m on Aropax, Paroxetine SSRI, similar if not exactly like Paxil – been about 10 years now… frigging hate it. It doesn’t work anymore and have tried a few times to taper with no success. As I read more stories of others with the same issue I must get of this drug, I don’t feel like me anymore.
I’ll skip a few days and I’ll feel better but then the headaches come, nausea, vertigo, irritability (I get angry and feel a stronger hatred for everyone, even loved ones which is not me). After about 5 days to a week I need to take another pill just so the withdrawal symptoms abate. I’d like to go to the shrink I saw when I started them and kick her in the head.
The doctors never tell you about the side effects or withdrawal symptoms, only that you’ll feel ‘so great’ once you start your regimen… anyway that’s me, hope I can kick this thing… If you can kick coke then why can’t an SSRI be as easy…?
I experienced a terrible side effect that is not listed. I have been on paxil since August, I am an EMT, mom, grandmother, wife. I work long hours and stay extremely stressed and busy. At this moment my vision is so blurry I can not see very well. Back to the beginning of my withdraw, my youngest son is a private in the Army, I had to work long hours and travel 8 hours after working to visit him.
I pushed trying to be tough and do it all, after all I am mom. Moms are suppose to do be tough, well this mom wasn’t as tough as I thought. Approximately a month and half ago I decided to come off paxil, it wasn’t helping I felt more depressed and things in my life was somewhat settling down. I decided to do this myself, as a medical professional for over 25 years, I knew better!
But did that stop me, no, I was determined to come off it. About a week into it I started getting dizzy, head swims, unable to focus if I moved my head to quickly, severe thirst. I just kept pushing and drinking lots of juice, soda, whatever I could get a hold of. Well three weeks in I had almost done myself in. I was working, pushing through another day, this time something I knew was different… my urine smelled sweet – that’s never a good sign.
I tested my glucose, high, yep something defiantly was wrong. I have never been a diabetic, never had problems, always normal readings. I informed work I was going to the emergency room. Upon arrival they also checked it, same reading, so they drew blood. It was 749. That’s crazy! Never been over 120 and I was at 749.
I was placed back in paxil, given metformin. Well now it’s been an additional two weeks and I am still battling levels of 140-300. I am scared. My vision is awful and I am again trying to come off the paxil, directed by the doctor this time. I have researched and only came up with a couple of places it says it will affect glucose. Has anyone else had this experience? Oh and my A1C was an average of 250 for three months. So from the time I started it, my glucose started rising.
Hang in there, I’ve been off that crap since just before Christmas, cold turkey. The worst feeling ever coming off it. It does get better. Rest, exercise as you can. The head shock went away gradually, some days my head is still swimming.
Insomnia, anger, bowel issues slowly getting better. Hopefully you have someone who will support you. Thank god for my wife. Prayers to all who are fighting this beast, as for the drug companies, they can eat dirt.
I had to cold-turkey leave paroxetine a week ago after an 8-year period. My neurosurgeon number 4 brilliantly raised the hypothesis that paroxetine might be affecting my platelet aggregation level after I had a sequence of recurrent chronic subdural hematomas following the implantation of a Sophysa Polaris programmable valve in order to drive an asymptomatic arachnoid cyst to the peritoneal cavity.
As a matter of fact, I made a platelet aggregation test on the same day I took the last 20 mg pill and the result showed a very low level of platelet aggregation. One week later I repeated the same test and the levels of aggregation were back to normal levels. I am still waiting to see how the hematoma will evolve under normal platelet aggregation levels, what may take weeks or months.
In the meantime I am experiencing the terrible withdrawal symptoms of paroxetine. In my case, the benefits for my blood are overriding the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. That’s why I’m doing quite well without the drug so far. Hopefully I will continue to do so for the coming weeks or months.
I have cut my dose from 20mg to 10mg. It has taken me 3 months of slowly reducing it to get there. It has been hell. I feel good right now and plan to stay on 10mg until the end of March. Then I will work down to 5 mg by end of may. This stuff is vicious. My girlfriend thinks I’m a wimp when I tell her about how painful the withdrawals are.
Hi Michael, a slow tapper is very wise. I went from 10mg to zero in 3 months and it was way too fast as I had been taking Paxil for more than a decade! Moreover, it’s normal that your girlfriend thinks you are “wimpy” (a coward) when you complain about the pain it is when trying to get off this horrific drug. In fact no one can possibly imagine the hell and shock to the soul, body and central nervous system this change represents (labelled “discontinuation syndrome”) after the brain chemistry and structure (receptor sites) have been altered by these “serotonin blockers” (SSRI).
Support and compassion from family and loved ones is essential in the recovery process. Therefore I strongly suggest your girlfriend gets informed by a MD or the media about the ordeal getting off “antidepressants” can be! When I took my wife with me to the doctor whilst I was feeling depressed + crying spell during withdrawal, the doctor confirmed that “your husband fell in a serotonin black hole” and that it was normal that I was feeling miserable after a too quick tapper (only 3 months)!
If you can’t see your doc. together, you might want to show her the info. on ‘the council for evidence-based psychiatry’ and the interesting documentary testimonials. Good luck in your tapper, the slower the better in my experience, especially in the last phase (from 5mg -> Omg).
Went cold turkey 12/22/16. Paxil is awful. I was prescribed 20mg daily after meningitis in April 2014. Wish I’d never started and blame myself more than my neurologist. It does get better, I still have not so good day’s, my entire system head to toe is in slowly adjusting. Can finish sexually again. Don’t give up! Insomnia is a struggle. The anger eases up, getting moving still takes effort. Can we sue the drug companies, if only to avoid future victims? I wish this nightmare on no one. Good luck
I am determined to get off meds. I started a lower dose of Paxil two weeks ago. It’s been rough… flu like symptoms, swishy feeling in my head, bad dreams, and yesterday, for no reason, I completely blew up at my wife!! A complete rage… Pray to God it gets better soon.
Hi – I have been on Paxil for 5 years now and have tried to come off the drug numerous times with major fails – pretty much nervous breakdowns. This time I’m doing it extremely slowly – I was down to 1/8 of a tablet but started seeing bad withdrawal symptoms so went back up to 1/4 again as I could not handle the depression and crying and stress as a result of withdrawal.
After reading your article I’m going to ask for the liquid form hoping that will help me a little bit. I am wanting to have a baby in the near future which is why I want to come off it – and feel that my withdrawal symptoms are way worse than the reason I went on it in the first place. I don’t know if I will ever get off this horrible drug.
Dear Sj, I know exactly what you are going through and how bad you feel (worse than when you went on the medication) and indeed the withdrawals are very hard to handle as they can be very debilitating! It is sage to want to get off Paxil before trying to have a baby (due to the known risks for the fetus).
It sounds like you are doubting that “you will ever get off this horrible drug”… a word of encouragement from someone who has been “on” this stuff for 18 years and got off permanently; you must be fully determined to come off, be compassionate and patient with yourself and get all the help you can till you tapper successfully to get through the pain. It’s well worth it to be free of Paxil, good luck!
I have spent 8 years on Paxil and recently had to taper off due to issues obtaining scripts. My vision symptoms are the most persistent for me; and the psychotic break (a VERY real risk off discontinuing this drug!), depression, mania (yes, I’m bipolar), anxiety and other psychological symptoms have been well MANAGED with cannabis. You have a moral issue with evil pot?
Well, there isn’t anything documented in the Federal anti-marijuana propaganda that makes pot anywhere near as dangerous as the potential of pharmaceuticals. I can’t tell anyone else what is right for them, but I do know that marijuana has spared me a trip to the psych ward and a 3 day Thorazine fog.
I have tried cold turkey with 25 mg. Now cold turkey off 12.5 and I completely agree. This is poison for your brain. It’s only day 3 and the vertigo, dizziness and “zaps” are disturbing. Screw this drug.
Hello everybody, I’m 25 and started taking paxil in the middle of May ’16. And no, I was not depressed. It was 30 mg then, and my doctor prescribed taking it for 2 months, then quitting (half a dose for five days, then none, and now that I know more about this drug I’m like WHAT, how could it be considered tapering in any way).
It was hell, I was constantly nauseous, crying for absolutely no reason, had brain zaps and that horrible whooshing in my ears, and sometimes would just walk on all fours around the room cause it was too hard to stand up. So my doctor said I had to start taking it again, and sent me to a therapist. She raised the dose to 45 mg. The brain zaps hadn’t stopped since summer.
In the end of November, I considered further therapy useless, came to a conclusion that paxil was dangerous, and decided to quit on my own. Tapered from 45mg to 0 in about a month (may be still too fast but definitely better than in summer). I also went back to my previous therapist so that someone would keep an eye on me. It’s been 4 days by now and I’ve been feeling like dirt mostly, but it gets better.
At first every little move was hard, I couldn’t sleep after 30 hours awake, and was pretty much sure I might go insane any moment now. I just spent time hoping I would make it through the next several hours. But today is somewhat different. Drinking litres of water, eating a lot of fresh fruit, and, strangely, soaking in a tub for hours helps.
I also started taking Tenoten, which is a brain protein S – 100 antibody, and it’s description promises relief from stress and anxiety. I guess I’m extremely lucky to have been taking paxil for only 9 months. Maybe tapering also helps. I’m experiencing most of the withdrawal symptoms, but they are slowly fading.
Tonight lying down on my bed it actually makes the badness go away, and it’s like “wow, tired me gets some rest!”. And I can get up and do things. Maybe if you can stand, and walk, and make tea, everything’s possible? And I also started to write about this paxil problem, cause there’s still dangerously little information about it in Russian, and I really want to spread the word…
To all of you who are in this battle now: don’t give up, have trust, and care for yourself. Talk to your friends, family and/or therapist. Write, sing, paint about it. Find a way to express your feelings. Note every single small change for the better. Also, take good care of your body. And remember it’s not your fault, and you’re doing your best.
You give me hope, strength and inspiration. I finally feel like I’m not alone in this, and we can cope. Great thanks to all of you and good luck. You are going to win. You’re winning already. Remember: it gets better. Love to all of you, Anya
I took 20 mg of Paxil daily since March 2009, during the first year it worked perfectly in all aspects: I lost weight, became more sociable, happier and even more confident. And it also increased my sex drive, which was nice (the only sexual side effect was taking way more time to ejaculate, not a big problem though). After that period I kept feeling OK, but gained weight and had some anxiety, all manageable.
In October 2015 I decided to stop taking it, so I took a smaller dosage until I eventually stopped. Withdrawal symptoms were not so hard. In December I was so depressed that I had to quit my job because I couldn’t even get out of bed. Started taking it again, until this summer.
In July I started taking less and less Paxil until I stopped again, this time taking St. John’s Wort. The thing is that now I am not on Paxil anymore, but since October I have ZERO sex drive and feel like I am just alive, not living. All the time I was on Paxil I had a normal sex drive and could do everyday things, now somedays I do not want to leave home.
Maybe my brain chemistry is twisted and I need to be on antidepressants to be able to enjoy my life. I am now taking magnesium and vitamin D to try to make my life better, I’ll wait until February to see what happens. Now life sucks.
59 yo male, was given paxil 20mg after viral meningitis in April 2014. 3 days in ICU then 5 months off work because of the meningitis. Prior to being sick I worked 60-70 hours a week. The Paxil helped me get moving again. After almost two years on Paxil I was done.
Quit cold 12/23/16. Could not finish sexually and became disinterested. Thank god my wife has stuck by me. Now the withdrawal zaps, dizzy, insomnia no energy. Pissed off at minor things. Sex is better. Thank all of you for sharing, too bad the medical community has little clue how life changing this horrific drug is.
I’m nuts anyway but was able to keep it mostly to myself. It’s possible some people need these class of drugs to have a productive life but in my case I feel I should not have taken them for my condition. I’m sure I will get better, been through worse but can’t remember when. Gotta push diet and exercise. Thanks again.
I have been on 80mg daily for 9 months. Quit cold turkey 2 weeks ago. Feel like I have gone absolutely crazy.
Hello, I am a 19-year-old student and have been taking 20mg dosage for the past 4 months. I stopped my medication about 2 days because I currently have no proper health insurance nor an American doctor who can prescribe me more. I am freaking out because even though the medication didn’t quite work, I still don’t want to go through the withdrawal period.
Right now my head is heavy and I feel disorientated. I pray that I won’t have a long withdrawal period because I’m currently with my family and I don’t think they’d understand the hell I’m going through.
Reading this website has given me peace of mind that all these things I’m feeling are from withdrawing from the drug. I started taking 10 mg Paxil about a month or so ago, and wasn’t feeling like it was helping. Got bumped up to 20, then 40 and felt that I didn’t need medication, because it wasn’t really helping. As of now I’m 3 days off of it and while it’s certainly not the worst possible thing in the world, it scared me.
I though you know, “Oh, maybe I have like early on cancer, or maybe I have this disease.” Blah blah blah on and on and on until I looked up my antidepressant’s info. Right now I experience what I call body tremors, nausea, and vertigo mainly, as those have been the only real thing that have been abnormal when I stop taking Paxil.
The body tremors and vertigo scare me most, because when I get a body tremor (it feels like a pulse is sent throughout my body – could possibly be the “brain zap” that was mentioned.) It does not hurt, but it is EXTREMELY uncomfortable. I plead to my parents that maybe I should just continue the dose in order to make it stop, but they will call my doc tomorrow and ask about it.
Maybe since I’m young and haven’t taken it for all that long (1-2 months) I won’t have such a long withdrawal but man, this is really killing me.
There was a mix-up between me, the doctor’s office and insurance so my paroxetine refill was delayed. I am expecting it any day in the mail, but meanwhile… My stomach hurts, I cry when I watch the news, brain buzz, sweating, etc. And it’s only been a week.
33 year old female on Paxil 12 years. This is the worst time of my life. Trying to get off so I can have safe pregnancy some day. Got down to 2.5 milligrams over three months but less was too difficult. Doc said no need to taper just switch to zoloft. By day ten I could not function. Zoloft made my life a living nightmare.
Started up Paxil five milligrams again and started nutrition response testing. The practitioner is saying she can get me off. I have a friend who was able to with her. So detoxing heavy metals in my body and trying to stabilize then taper more. It’s this or more drugs and I don’t want that. It’s expensive but hopefully worth it.
She’s detecting underlying issues like pituitary gland, thyroid issues, and even hypothalamus issues and treating those with supplements. Hopefully this will be what I need instead of covering up symptoms with drugs. I’ve also found Tranquility Kare supplements to be helpful for sure. They have somnifera and ashwagandha and do help some.
Mornings are the worst for me, don’t know why. Anyone have to apply for FMLA? How is it possible to work while going through this? Believe it or not I’m a mental health therapist. Lol. I’ve missed over a week of work because of nausea, lack of appetite (lost 23 pounds and all my clothes are falling off), constant crying, nervous system constantly in for our flight mode, and all sorts of diarrhea and IBS.
Pretty hard treating suicidal clients when you can barely function yourself. Praying for hope and for God to help me with my doubt.
I am so glad I decided to look into this today – just to see if maybe I’m far enough through it to not bother going back on it. I seem to be feeling a little bit better (knock on wood). I have read such horror stories here I realize I’ve been LUCKY!! Wow, what was I complaining about?!
I have picked up on a few minor symptoms I hadn’t attributed to withdrawal – no wonder the OTC sinus meds didn’t get rid of the headache. I’ve had bad sinuses most all my life so I thought that was a no-brainer. And the inability to think straight and the stupid mistakes lately, well, just figured the genetic dementia in my family was finally getting me.
I took care of my mother with Parkinson’s (wrongly diagnosed for many years but that runs very high in her family) and as I’ve been getting a lot of those motor symptoms lately (coupled with the dementia aspect of it)… hm-m-m, dare I say “maybe not”? Anyway, people speak of being on 20 mgs of Paxil for a few months to a couple of years… how about 60 mg for not months, not years, but decades!
How come I’m not in a padded cell after being cold-turkey for close to 2 months? I didn’t do this intentionally. I’ve run out of it and couldn’t afford a refill for a while and I never wanted to go through that again. But my doctor now won’t renew any of my meds until I have bloodwork and an exam every 3 months.
I meant to get them, I just have too much important work to do here what with emergency plumbing repairs, emergency fencing after my dogs got out and nearly killed my neighbor’s 2 puppies, a sallyport to build to keep them from sneaking out the gate on the other side of the car (already lost one on the road), there’s a waterfall in my bathroom – and give me a break; I’m 71 yrs old, I have to sit down often so everything takes 3 times as long.
Then the nausea started, the splitting headache, the fatigue over, beyond and a bit different from the life-long (also hereditary) Fibromyalgia (what I started taking the Paxil for in the 1st place) and I just couldn’t get in to get all that done. I’ve got my beloved dogs – I’m a breeder who keeps her retired children – up for sale, breaking my heart (dementia? Parkinson’s? – dare I hope not????). Oh, and yes… bursting into tears; huh. I just want to say that I have more hope than I came here for!
I took paxil for about 5 years – starting at 10mg and ending at 37.5, which I tapered off WAY too fast this past August. I thought I was done with the side effects, but now I can’t stop yawning – it’s the craziest thing in the world. Has anyone else experienced this? It’s like I need to yawn once, but can’t seem to actually do it, so then the urge to yawn is still there and I find myself clenching my face again and again – like when you stifle a yawn, almost.
It’s been weeks now, and is almost like some sort of facial tic, plus my facial muscles are SO sore by the end of the day. Not sure this is the withdrawal, but need to find some sort of explanation. Went to an ENT, who wasn’t able to help at all. Please tell me someone else has experienced this?
I’ve been on Paxil for 6 years. Originally it was 40mg but about 2 years ago I went to 20mg. I was given Paxil for severe panic attacks. I have a 16 year old with Down syndrome and an 18 year old typical child. My doctor gave me 37.5mg of Effexor to help taper off Paxil. I tapered Paxil at 2mg every 2-3 weeks. I’ve been off Paxil 7 days. I have all of the above symptoms except suicide and severe anger although I’m REALLY irritable.
I’m shaky, flu like, dizzy, nauseous and feel horrible. I thought about going back on the 2mg because the symptoms are affecting my driving, ability to think of words and affecting my job. Since I’ve gone the 7 days, should I just fight through it? My doctor wants me to add another Effexor pill in the AM. Each pill is 37.5mg but I don’t want to be back in the same spot I was with the Paxil and trying to get off yet another drug. I can’t wait until this is over.
I was having exactly the same symptoms and I agree that they were horrible but they did go away eventually. When I was tapering the symptoms got worse right after lowering the dose and then slowly, maybe during 2-3 weeks, they decreased again. The worst part was dropping the dose finally to zero and that time the symptoms were stronger. That’s where you’re now.
I also felt like I was going crazy and was really struggling to appear normal and function normally. (I started at a new workplace at that time and must have made a good first impression… sweating, staring, shaking and unable to understand what people were saying to me.) But the symptoms decreased again, slowly but surely.
Remember that it’s the drug causing this, you are not going crazy. You were on it for a long time and the severity and length of the withdrawal depend on that. I was on it for 9 years. Do you have any chance of taking only 1 mg, cutting the pill in half or in quarters? Take your time tapering off if it feels too much to drop the dosage to zero.
My doctor wanted me to go a lot faster but I listened to how I felt and invented my own schedule :). Hang in there! It will get better.
Glenn, I feel for you and know what you are going through with the med. as I took Paxil longer than you. You tapered off Paxil in about 5 months and Paxil is probably the hardest SSRI’s to quit. I tapered in 3 months and it way to fast! So during my Paxil withdrawal I also had irrational anxiety and panic attacks (after 6 months “off”) and was also given Effexor (40mg which is a low dosage) to deal with it.
I was horrified of going back on a similar drug (and to feel it go into the system) because Paxil withdrawal was such hell. Like you, I did not want to be in “the same spot… trying to get off yet another drug”! Effexor did not help very much but at least it was easy it was to quit after 2 months use (to my great surprise) without experiences brain zaps, “paxil fever” and the rest of the horrible symptoms you get from Paxil (see LIST top page)!
So in retrospect, at low dosages I would not be afraid of using Effexor as a crutch if the “benefits” outweigh the “side-effects”. Yet I appreciate how difficult it is to try to work when feeling so horrible due to withdrawal symptoms. My driving and concentration ability was also affected! I went on sick leave (doctors prescription) to “sweat it out” and got through the dark tunnel of Paxil withdrawal, which can take a long time depending on how long you took it.
Now my feelings are ‘alive’ and quite stable, life is more bright without any medications for me and my consciousness is back which is new and scary; all that time lost with Paxil “plaster” and “numbing”. Good luck!
Hi, I was on it for 2 yrs and stopped CR 25 within 15 days by my Shrink advice. According to him this is best tolerated and had least side effects. I sometimes have feelings to go strangle him with loads of paxil. Yes this is true. I lost my job. I cannot do another. Still anxiety and anger takes over me and it’s been nine months.
I lost myself to this drug and nobody has answers. Instead people here took more from me as they know nothing of it. I doubt myself and whether I can have any progress from this… whether I can go on being an engineer… or stay idle. I am only son to earn, but left helpless.
I’d like to know how long others experienced withdrawal symptoms. I’ve been off Paxil for six months now and though the worst (dizziness, nausea, vision problems, fatigue, etc.) is over, I’m very often feeling extremely anxious and scared. Many times without any good reason. I’m having it difficult to relax, my heart is beating too fast and my muscles are getting tense.
My doctor refuses to believe that this would have anything to do with the withdrawal anymore. I want to thank everyone who have written about their Paxil withdrawal, it has been very helpful to see that others have gone through the same hell.
Dear Raija, irrational “extreme anxiety” (GAD) issues can be due to withdrawal symptoms even after half a year of being off of Paxil! It lasted more than a year for me… my doctor also refused to believe it had anything to do with withdrawals… I had never ever ever had such anxiety before and felt it came from taking Paxil so long (19 yrs.)!
Remember doctors have most of their knowledge from books and lectures and scientific studies on withdrawals from Paxil user practically don’t exist! Psychiatrists generally admit to the “discontinuation syndrome” if you are lucky. Hand in there if you can… it gets better if you stay “off” even if that is hard to believe whilst you are in the FOG & hell! Patience, patience patience… one day at a time!
Thank you for answering, Mike. It’s easier to live with these symptoms knowing that someone else has had them this long also. It seems the fight is not over yet, but now I try to focus living one day at a time and be patient like you advised. Warm greetings from cold and snowy Finland :).
I agree with you about the doctors! Mine said it would be no problem to get off and these symptoms are basically in my head. I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for you. I can’t believe it is legal to give this drug out like they do.
I quit Paxil probably in February and it is now November. I had an outburst tonight of anger and it was like the only thing to make me feel better was to continue yelling and sort of spazzing out for like 2 hours while stressing the entire time and just being so mad and frustrated I could scream. Then I realized that I had stopped doing this for awhile and that I had just did it again and I got really sad.
Is this an anger issue from the withdrawal? I never had anger issues before that OR is it something I need to work on bc it could be habits picked out from those around me who are not healthy and do have genuine anger issues? If it could be the withdrawal I would feel a lot better and a lot less hopeless bc it scares me to think this is who I will be forever.
Hi Madison, Your outbursts of anger are withdrawal symptoms in my opinion! I also had impulsive outbursts to a dangerous degree (potentially bad conflicts that could have involved police)! Withdrawal anger issues -> normal! This was a “me” I had never ever experienced… I attribute it to the Paxil withdrawal because they have completely disappeared after 1.5 years of being “off” Paxil. I’m composed and controlled again, the old “me” with more temperament, empathy and character than under Paxil!
I can’t say that I hate Paxil, it helped me through an extremely difficult time when nothing else even touched my symptoms. I was almost to the point of not being able to function. A year and a half after starting the med and reaching a dosage of 30mgs I started having issues. Extrapyramidal symptoms… They were frightening, for a bit it was thought that I had had a stroke. After the process of elimination it was found to be the Paxil.
After a month of tapering I’m down to 15mg’s. I want to put my fist through something while crying uncontrollably. This is awful. I have never felt such irrational and intense anger in my life. My doc halted the taper after I saw her yesterday so that it can level back out. This can’t end quickly enough.
OMG! Pax Hell is accurate. I’m a Navy veteran and have been dealing with major depression disorder. This crap is nasty! I skipped about 4 days worth of meds and thought I was dying! I’ve experienced weight gain, insomnia, nausea, flu like symptoms, hot flashes, and foggy feeling. This stuff is horrible, I’m going to ask the “shrink” to taper me down and off this roller coaster. Thanks guys for sharing.
I had the horrible Paxil withdrawal symptoms above for 3 and a half months, pretty much gone, miraculously, by mid-July, 2016. During the withdrawal, I honestly wished I could die. I knew I wouldn’t commit suicide but I wanted the symptoms to end. When I got the anxiety, it was so bad that I would come out to the couch and lie with my head on my boyfriend’s lap while he lightly tapped the left back of my skull with his fingers and said over and over, “It’s stopping, it’s stopping…” over and over.
NOT “It’s going to stop.” It had to be stopping right now to work. And it took a while for it to subside. Poor guy. He took my anxiety, sobbing, anger, insomnia . . . and was still my friend. My family didn’t understand. My doctor did not understand at first. I went to a neurology psychiatrist and she did nothing! I tried through my insurance to find someone to help with Paxil withdrawal.
Finally, it was this and another website that assured me it would end eventually that helped me endure. I did get better at meditating. I couldn’t stand even the noise of a ticking clock. Had to take out all the batteries. Couldn’t read anything depressing or anxiety-producing. Finally read Louis L’Amour and Miss Pollifax mysteries. I had not ever read them before and was an avid reader of heavy duty novels before, but I couldn’t handle the novels recommended by Oprah or other recommended novels, or even Dick Francis, my favorite mystery writer.
I watched the Marx Brothers’ “Night at the Opera” and a few other comedies. Mostly I just endured second by second of horror. It did end. I still have my chronic depression and anxiety, but I am over Paxil withdrawal. I wanted to write to those who suffer: Do not give up! It will stop. Bless you. I pray for you. And to all others: NEVER TAKE PAXIL.
Hello Caroline! In response to your very very touching words about your negative experience with Seroxat/Paxil (that you took for 17 years) prompts me to answer your question and give you some hope by sharing my similar experience that I got through! I know exactly what you are going through and admire your courage and strength to put up the fight to get off this medication. I received it from my doctor for 19 years (initially against anxiety in a very stressful situation with work and my private life).
Like I weaned off it and on the 2nd. quit attempt pulled it trough by sheer willpower. The symptoms were atrocious and it was hell (extreme anxiety, anger, sleeplessness, too much sleep, pains everywhere, suicidal ideation etc. – see top symptoms list). Like for you decline in cognitive functioning was of course also part of it. All this was traumatizing in itself and my doctors did not know hot to help me and turned away from me. I refused hospitalization in order not to get pills and feel even more “sick”!
After realizing that the medical professions did not know anything about the chemistry of this stuff, withdrawal or the human soul for that matter… I took things in my own hands and concentrated on beautiful stuff in the outer and inner world. The worst part of it took exactly 1 and 1/2 years! Since then it’s been going uphill and I feel human again and alive! :- )
I accepted all the turmoil and feelings with patience and went and let the depression swamp over me! I hope this helps you somewhat! When I was in the “dark” and great pain I thought it would never get better… I hung in there 1 day at a time and the brain readjusted and my life is coming together again; recovery and healing slowly! Love & prayers to all…
Just read the list, I have almost all of them! The worst for me is the nausea, blurred vision and fatigue / insomnia. I don’t know what else to do, but definitely don’t want to take that stuff ever again!
It’s absolutely horrible! I’m living the hell now. I’m scared to drive because of the blurred vision/dizziness and I can’t seem to write a competent email. Paxil should be illegal. I had no idea about this drug when I started it.
I was on Seroxat for 17 years. Prior to taking this, I had little confidence, suffered from panic attacks, depression, social anxiety. This drug seemed to give me the confidence I needed to live a relatively normal life. I never saw much incentive to stop taking it. I still got depressed from time to time, but it was manageable, and it soon passed.
What became more and more frustrating for me though was the fact I never experienced extreme emotions anymore. I always felt detached and too objective. I could be watching a sunset, and I never felt the presence of awe that I remembered feeling before taking it. It made me feel like I wanted to go to an industrial park; then the inertia would be justified.
When I made the decision to stop taking seroxat, I knew I would be in for a bit of troubling time. I often experienced palpitations and head shocks if I didn’t renew my prescription on time. I expected not much more than sensations of that nature but more enhanced. I spent a year weaning myself off. Each time I cut the dose, there was a week or so where I felt disjointed as I adjusted to the new dose. I made the final cut 6 months ago. And it has been, and continues to be, hell.
Initially, I felt myself getting stressed and angry a lot. Then followed a period of intense insomnia. When the insomnia faded, I thought I was over the worst. I was wrong. The issues that I had before I started taking the drug have gradually returned. It’s like they were waiting dormant in my psyche all this time. I no longer feel composed or confident. Any self belief I had garnered whilst being on the drug has now evaporated.
I struggle to compute a coherent thought, and I feel like my cognition is very impaired. I feel scared of people a lot. I have chronic depression. I cry at least 4 times per day, often in the toilets at work. I feel very vulnerable and scared most of the time and recently I’ve felt suicidal. Life just doesn’t seem pleasant any more. I don’t know if this is how I am really or whether my brain is just re-adjusting to not having the drug.
If it’s the latter, I don’t know how long I’ll have to endure this for. As I was on this for 17 years, I may have to endure many more months of this, but it is so unbearable. Has anyone had withdrawal symptoms that have lasted longer than 6 months? What should I do? I’m at a total loss.
I took Paxil a few years ago for about 4-5 months due to a major depression episode and the withdrawal symptoms when I got off weren’t that bad. I had heart palpitations but I was in a very good place that it didn’t freak me out. Recently I have started taking Paxil again for about 3-4 months for GAD and I am trying to get off of it because of the sexual side effects and also knowing you shouldn’t be on it if you are pregnant (I plan to have a family one day).
I tried going cold turkey and I had all the of the symptoms listed above. I went back on it and now I am using the tapering method. Also, my psychiatrist has put me on Buspar for GAD instead of an SSRI. I have gone from 20mg to 10mg and I am already experiencing anxiety and restlessness. I will soon be taking 10mg every other day for a week and than 10mg every three days and than stopping.
Paxil worked great for my anxiety, I wonder if I should really get off of it or if that is just the withdrawal symptoms telling me I shouldn’t. If Buspar works so great for anxiety I’m upset my doctor never told me this before and was quick to put me back on Paxil.
My fiancee just came off of Paxil about a week ago and is on Lexapro now. I’m on Paxil and watching him go through this withdrawal is absolutely horrible. Last night he burst into tears because I couldn’t find something (it wasn’t anything important but it had him hysterical). He also feels dizzy and achy and just plain awful. He’s been on it for I think about 6 months now. I guess his doctor thought Lexapro would help with his withdrawal but it’s not. He’s feeling completely like crap because they took him off Paxil cold turkey and threw Lexapro into the mix.
Hi again. I wrote this summer about tapering off the Paxil and wanted to write an update, to connect and, hopefully, to offer helpful information to anyone reading. I took my last dose in July, after a one-month tapering off period. I had been on 20 mg since I started, 21 years ago. I am still experiencing some depression symptoms, and am concerned it is having a bad effect on my relationships, my business, etc. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as I imagine it is – I know that depression can make things seem magnified, and make you feel like you’re in a spotlight when you’re not.
I’m thinking of options, other than going back on a med (Paxil or not), which I’m treating as a last resort. My doctor recommends B-12 shots, maybe starting once a week, and then eventually going to once a month, to get a good idea of whether they are helping or not. Also, I have heard that 5-HTP can be very helpful. It’s available in the nutrition supplements section at any drug store.
I haven’t gone there yet, but am considering it. Has anyone else tried this? Here’s something else that might be of help: I heard that the worst effects of withdrawal can last from six to eight weeks; I gave myself an eight week deadline before taking further action, and about three days before that 8-week mark, I suddenly started to notice an improvement in my mood. So, hang in there.
The Paxil was a good thing for me in many ways, but eventually, it seemed like I was on the sidelines, observing life rather than really experiencing it. That has definitely improved since the withdrawal, despite ongoing concerns mentioned. Anyway, I hope all are doing well and hanging in there.
I have been off of Paxil for 3 days and I have been so confused and depressed lately. I pray that this gets better!
I can’t wait to get through this. I’m on day 7 of no Paxil after tapering off and am in hell. Friends and family have been no help. They say, “well maybe you need it.” Starting to feel nuts. Can’t identify if this is who I am or just the withdrawals. SHAME on the doctors for this.
Genn (and others who might be reading this and are battling with the same doubt), it definitely is the withdrawals. And knowing that helps immensely when you’re in the middle of it all. I’ve been off Paxil for almost half a year now, after tapering slowly. And looking back now at this journey to hell and back again I can say that it’s not who you are, it is the withdrawals.
Hi Furine! Thanks for sharing your story, no your not alone. To answer your questions: 1. “Does intense depression and consistent thought replays going to get better? Are these withdrawals really, ever going to fade away?” -> That depends because life/humans are complex and we invariably live in a social context. If your life context is good and more or less stable then these symptoms of withdrawals will hopefully get better, providing you go through the “hell” and feelings.
If it not then it will be hard to get through the hell of withdrawals! Example: I was lucky someone put up with me during my own “hell” and I found this site and know I’m not crazy or imagining things… that I must be patient with myself and stop having GUILT feelings about being so depressed, anxious and feeble! These withdrawal symptoms are real and they hurt like Hell for some!!
Nobody can really understand this – only those who have been there! It’s also very hard to admit to! 2. “Is there anything else anyone can tell me that it’s going to get better..” –> See above (1). 3. How long? –> After 3 years of Paxil at 20mg. and what you describe – it could last anything from 6 months to 2 years to feel more or less normal again.
It would also be good to have therapy or counseling to challenge your negative-repetitive thoughts! I also had them!! Now they are gone… and the hell is behind and life is almost great again! ;-) I feel pretty good again even though circumstances are challenging. Good LUCK !
I read you note on paxil hell! I’m going thru it now and it is horrible or worse than that. What did you do to come out of it finally? I’d like to know cause I can’t stand it. I got off cold turkey after 5 years, how did I know, I wish I had known to taper off.
A doctor will help you taper. You can do this. Trust me I’m there now took Prozac 20 years no problems coming off but this a little different. One good day, next bad – off and on. You will get through this, you are not crazy nor is anyone else. Just medication withdrawal. Good luck. Hang in there. God bless.
Hello everybody, Been literally reading up through all the comments (at least quite a few of them) and I have to admit that I am glad I am not alone in this horrible battle…
My Story: I’ve been on Paxil for the last 3 years at 20mg per day. During my 3 year period, I have tried to taper down, but obviously because of all of the withdrawal symptoms, came back up to my original dose of 20mg’s per day.
Right now, I’m at 5mg of Paxil on every second second day and I’ve been at this dosage for about 2 weeks now (was taking 10mg per day prior to this for about 3 months). What am I experiencing? Hell. As plain and simple as I can put it. I feel as if my depression has gotten worse than what it was before I started the Paxil (although anxiety is still at bay) + 20 of those other symptoms listed by everyone (zaps, dizziness, etc).
My mind is constantly running and I’m consistently replaying so many negative thoughts in my mind (even worse than what it used to be before the Paxil). From those with experience:
1. Are these feelings of intense depression and consistent thought replays going to get better? Are these withdrawals really, ever going to fade away?
2. Is there anything else anyone can tell me? It seems like I’ve read the same thing over and over, but with the intensity of these withdrawal symptoms, I guess I just needed someone in my situation (or someone who previously experienced all of this) to tell me that it’s going to get better..
3. How long? Thanks :/
Hi Furine I’m sorry you are going through this. I am too. I’m 16 and 95 lbs. and they put me on 60mg of paxil. I’m now on 5mg and trying to come off of it. The withdraws are horrible and I’m losing so much weight. I used to be 105 lbs. I can hardly eat and my body hurts.
I have bladder inflammation due to the withdrawal. Will this get better with time. Has anyone else experienced this? Plus I have no appetite, and have GI issues.
I have GI issues too. My stomach is constantly upset. Going on 4 weeks. Doctor attributes it to stress. I’m on day 7 of no Paxil and in Paxil hell.
Information and empathy helped me. Thank you! This is truly high on the list of hardest things I’ve gone through. My advice to anyone wanting to stop Paxil: hang in there knowing being off is worth the fight (I say this as I question my dizzy nauseous self just a little bit…). God Bless!
I just started to withdraw from paroxetine after using it for 21 yrs at 20mg. So far, three days out, I am feeling anxious and sleep is being affected. I am trying to do the most conservative taper. I just went down 10% or 2mg. I am planning on going at a 10% reduction of my latest dose over as many months as it takes.
I have experienced withdrawal from other meds, such as Klonopin. I am finding it so difficult to get off of theses medications. I really need paroxetine when I started so long ago, but days turn into months, then years. I hope that people will keep posting stories of success and hope. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Thank you all for this forum and your comments. I am on my 7th week off Paxil and the withdrawals are dreadful. I still don’t know if I have the will to keep going. It is so painful. Reading your comments has given me hope and I thank you all for that. I would give anything for just one good day. I can’t believe that 1 pill a day could produce such horrific withdrawals. I do hope I can get through this. I really feel for anyone out there who is experiencing these feelings. All I can say is keep up the good fight and you are not alone!!
My script ran out and I haven’t been able to afford to see my GP for a refill. Going to her in a week or so. Am on 20mg daily. Have been off for 3 weeks and withdrawal symptoms are just awful. So nauseous and headaches. It makes me question going back on it though seeing the effect this drug has on your body. Although tapering off drug is the right thing to do, I really question how this is going to impact my health long term as these drugs are relatively new. I have been on for at least 15 years. In later life will this medicine have some detrimental affect on my health?
Hi Louise! It is a real “wake up call” when you realize that withdrawals are awful and the effect Paxil has on your health. Going back on you will feel how strong it really is but how much it throws the serotonin system off balance! These med’s were never tested long-term and there are no real studies on the long term effects as they came out in the early 90’s!
I understand you are concerned about long term health effects… (Paxil changes your brain chemistry and serotonin receptor sites “down regulate”)! Therefore the short term consequences are the issue now because it is dangerous to stop the med without giving the brain time to adapt to the big change. If you have been on it for +15 yrs. it will be a fight to get off. I was on 18 and it was the hardest fight of my life… after 1.5 yrs of awful protracted life threatening withdrawals…
I am slowly functioning normally again & discovering the beauty of being vulnerable instead of “anesthetized”! Hang in there and be patient to heal & recover. Slow slow tapering and courage to go through the tunnel of the painful withdrawals this med. leaves most of us with. Taking it for life is very risky – it ceases to work and makes you blunt and tired just to mention a few minor issues!
I have been on this drug for about 9 yrs now, at 20mg. It was prescribed to me back then after having a hellish anxiety attack. About three years ago, I stopped taking Paxil abruptly, and I remember having quite a short withdrawal period in that time. Then, one day, everything was crystal clear again and I felt “normal”, but I short while after that I found myself in a very deep state of depression and couldn’t cope. So, I went back on them.
Here I am now, this time I tapered off them gradually. It’s been about two months now since I’ve been off them and the most common symptoms I am getting from your list above are the: pressure on top of the head, it literally is a real ache, mood swings lesser so – but I am able to get very angry at the slightest of thing. The biggest symptom though, is fatigue and lethargy and having no real interest in anything or anyone. Which is horrible, because I have a beautiful 9 month old baby boy, and an older 5 year old one and I feel detached from them to an extent (and I know this is not me), and it is hurting me to act/feel like this, but I cannot help it.
Everything is foggy, not sharp like it used to be a decade or so ago. I just want to be “normal” again, and be a better, more active father and partner to my deserving family.
Dear Paul, I feel with you and can only recommend being patient… don’t go back on Paxil now that you are off since 2 months and went through the effort and pain of facing withdrawals! The recovery process is slow and long. I also received this drug (20mg) for anxiety (during college) and was “hooked” for 18 yrs +. You took it for a long time (9 yrs) and the withdrawals can be protracted till your nervous system finds some balance (homeostasis).
Some research shows that these med.’s can actually cause depression (it depletes the neurones ability to produce and receive serotonin)! Hence, stick through the withdrawals and the hurt you have to feel like you do. This med. make you ‘numb’ (to help in a crisis) and to be normal again takes time. Your symptoms sound like depression, and that is normal when quitting what you took for 9 yrs!
In 1 year you will feel much better if you keep a healthy lifestyle and if you forgive yourself for not being “you” for a while… the benefits of staying “off” are hard to imagine and will come much later!! Hang in there! Alex.
Thank you Alex.
I last posted in the middle of June 2016, and unfortunately since then things have only gotten considerably worse! Unable to take what I then thought was the horror of the crash, but unwilling to try another SSRI, Fluoxetine, I trialled 5HTP for 3 1/2 weeks. This immediately made the world seem less brutal/cold, and softened some of the hyper vigilance.
However, after a few weeks I started to feel incredibly flat, like I used to on the Paroxetine when really depressed, so stepped down off it again. The warmth quickly drained away again and now my horrific morning anxiety was worse than ever and wasn’t just in the morning. My head was spinning more than it ever had done and I was now getting the worst nightmares of my life, waking up with pulses of energy streaking down my legs.
My horrific chronic insomnia felt worse than ever and yet I was more energetic than ever, wired but not tired. I also developed tinnitus for the first time in my life, as well as having a number of the symptoms that I’d had before I crashed at the end of May, but more intensely. Still however, I was able to leave my bedroom for the first time in two months due to the increased energy, and even start some brisk outdoor walks.
Then I made the biggest mistake since the biggest of my life last autumn when I tapered far too quickly off 17 years of 40mg of Paroxetine in 8 weeks. I tried reinstating. I’d started to suspect that I was becoming super sensitive to medicines. The long time antihistamine that I’d been taking now woke me up, instead of sedating me for example. But still I stupidly tried liquid Paroxetine for just 4 days at 1mg.
The effect was very quick. Immediately the uncontrollable racing thoughts quietened somewhat, the world looked a little less harsh, a bit more like it used to. I also became immediately more lethargic, wanted to do less, just like in the past. The horrific nightmares stopped, I even slept a little more, although still very badly. However, by the fourth day I realised that I’d made a terrible mistake!
I knew it was a risk trying to reinstitute 8 months after I came off, but never did I imagine that this would happen! Since mid April, I’d continually been sensitizing to an unimaginable hyper sensitivity/vigilance. Now after just 4 days, this whole process felt like it was thrown into a dramatic reverse. The first thing I noticed was a dramatically reduced sense of smell, followed by a significantly raised heat and pain threshold, both of which have been low all my life.
A couple of days later, my sense of taste reduced somewhat as well, just as I’d finally regained my appetite while on the 5HTP, which has now also reduced somewhat again. The one thing that I’d been so glad to get back after I came off the Paroxetine last autumn was my libido, to an almost hyper sexual degree at times, which then swung about like everything else. Now, it’s fallen off a cliff like never before. Then my mind was affected.
Even though it’s been a living hell most of this year, especially after I crashed in May, my mind was never really affected, except for a handful of previous occasions. In fact it became razor sharp as I entered this constant fight or flight response in May when my sleep collapsed. Now for the first time in my life I’ve got memory loss, after always having had an excellent memory.
I can’t remember the names of people I’ve watched on TV for years, I can’t remember what I was just doing/about to do. I’m less observant than I’ve long been. I can no longer concentrate on two things at once, one’s a struggle! The latest thing I’ve noticed is a difficulty in hearing words unless they’re really clearly spoken. This cognitive impairment may not come across in this writing, but I can constantly correct/go back and add things that I would previously not have had to.
It takes me far longer to write this now. I notice the difference! I’ve noticed many of these traits develop in my aging mother for years, but this stuff has come on for the first time in my life in just a few weeks! I’ve also started clenching my teeth for the first time ever, and upper gastrointestinal inflammation has increased again after having reduced the most in years before.
However, just like with the effects of the 5HTP, all this new stuff feels like it’s been grafted on top of what was already happening. So the fight or flight is still there, it just feels strangely dampened like everything else. I’m still swinging between hot and cold for example, but barely even notice now, only realising that I’m sweating when I touch the wet clothes.
The fact that all this has happened from so little, just as I was trying to get relief from what was already a living hell, has shocked me no end. It makes me realise that I probably have no pharmaceutical options now. I don’t know how far I’ve set myself back by this horrific second mistake! I really hope that I don’t end up like some of these horror stories that I’ve read about on other websites!
All the years I was under the fog of that poison, thinking that it was the depression when it was most likely the so called medicine, my ever active mind kept me going, constantly playing mental games, testing myself, entertaining myself. For that same process to now constantly throw up mental blocks that I’ve never had before in my life troubles me no end. My constant suicidal thoughts have become ever more intense now as I’ve been actively researching suicide websites, geographic locations.
It will soon be approaching a year since I started reducing far too quickly off a medicine that I always knew I’d been sensitive to. That prior life, like everything else, seems like a different universe now. I so obviously hope that I get back all these things that I hadn’t lost just a few short weeks ago. I’m rapidly losing hope that I’ll survive this.
Dear Peter, Thank you for sharing your story so explicitly! I can relate to every thing you write and it all makes perfect sense, 100%! Depression takes hope and coming off this “med” is very difficult and “hellish” as one is a “living dead”; without Paxil it is as someone has “pulled the plug” and with it you are in a “numb illusion” world and lethargic as it messes with the brain/feelings in the long run.
You must be brave and go through the “dark tunnel” of protracted withdrawals, and that includes the cognitive impairments that you are aware of so painfully now! This takes all hope away and increases depression. See a wise counsellor, mentor or doctor and do soothing things to heal from this terrible experience. It is very scary what happens when you go off and back on this drug!
You can recover but it takes time and to get through the suicidal phase! I was also thinking of suicide every day due to the awful feelings! After 1.5 years I never think about suicide and have energy again and feel more happy. No chemicals; sports and organic food and some social life and hope. Don’t let anyone take your hope not even yourself.
Look at RECOVERY stories… not DEPRESSION horror story’s! My prayers go to you tonight! I know what you are going through… you can get through this as impossible as it now seems, one day at a time and small steps!! Love!
I thank you so much for replying again. I hope that if I make it, I will be able to help others as well. Everyone I see in the medical profession is of course clueless to this, dismissing me out of hand, except bizarrely an Immunologist, who as well as diagnosing autonomic dysfunction said he had seen this before. He suggested I try to take some more Propranolol beta blocker to calm the ever racing and palpitating heart.
I’d taken this before without any problems, but now after this disastrous reinstitution of the Paroxetine, I reacted differently. I immediately slept worse, and a couple of days later lost even more taste and smell! Before the reinstitution I was walking everyday, even on my worse days. Now even on my better days, I rarely leave the house. This reminds me so much more now of my worst, coldest, darkest days on the Paroxetine, just infinitely worse! I fear that I have a long road ahead of me!
The horror stories are of people in recovery, they’re just very long term recoveries, timeframes that I couldn’t possibly imagine! I can’t state enough however how grateful I am for your encouragement in this very dark place that I’m in. It makes me ‘feel’ as if I’m not totally alone in this ever worsening hell. How long did you taper off your dose for, or should I not ask?
I’m absolutely and completely desperate for any help and relief from this God-awful experience. It’s been 9 days since my last dose of 50 mg of Paxil and I’ve been on it roughly 1 yr now. I have been off and on all antidepressants for 15 years now and I have never once experienced and side effects of withdrawal, therefore I think it’s the norm for me to just get off of antidepressants cold turkey with no consequences or effects. Wrong.
I have never experienced anything like this in my life to the point that I’m deathly scared of never going back to normal and being stuck in my sick mind that doesn’t feel like mine. I’m absolutely desperate for any tips,ways,ideas for getting through this as I refuse to continue to suffer like this when I’ve been in a lot worse places. I have almost 6 yrs of sobriety from everything and I never experienced withdrawal like this, and I was addicted to Oxy 80s and any benzo I could find.
I don’t even want to get high, I just want to feel somewhat normal and be able to actually function without looking like a complete basket case. Are there any medications that immediately relieve these symptoms or help with easing the withdrawal? I’ll take any and all suggestions cuz I can’t live like this anymore, and I refuse to live like this anymore. Sorry for the novel, thanks.
I’m so sorry that you’re going through this Porche. Paroxetine withdrawal is Hell on earth! I weaned off over 6 months after 14 years on 20mg. I thought I was going to die…or kill someone! The first 2 weeks were the worst and I think if you can get through them you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. After that it gets better but very slowly!
I’ve been free for almost 9 weeks now and feel very much better but still not myself. I still have some anxiety, which I never suffered with before I went on the drug so I’m hoping it’s still withdrawals and going to subside. In my own desperate search for relief I’ve taken up meditation, there’s a free app called ‘calm’ which is very good, also found an audio app from Barry McDonagh to help with my anxiety, also helpful.
Lots of people suggested taking omega 3 and vitamin E which I did for a few weeks but these didn’t really help me much. I’ve been using vitamin B12 patches since I began weaning and found these really helped most of the time (just not in the first few weeks after I quit completely). My Doctor prescribed sertraline when I was at my most desperate and beta blockers a few weeks later but I resisted taking them and am glad.
I really can’t bear the thought of having to withdraw from anything ever again! In my experience, significant milestones are at 2 weeks, 6 weeks and I’ve read that by 90 days you should be feeling more like your real self. I have my fingers crossed for this milestone as I’m just 28 days away from that.
This is an awful drug and the withdrawal process is ‘hideous’… nobody should ever have to go through this torture! I wish you all the luck in the world and I’m rooting for you and everyone else going through this.
Hayley, A great answer and indeed it is torture that no one should go through but the story’s and evidence from “us” the patients is alarming and real. Most doctors seem to be oblivious to the problem with Paxil unfortunately. I wish hope you can sustain your withdrawal and feel even better in some years! I’m am finally feeling better after a long fight to stay off this dangerous med. Good luck to everyone!
This kills me! I’ve been on regular 20mg Paxil for about 9-10 months. I’m suuuper forgetful, but you can bet your butt I notice about day 2 of forgetting to take this horrible drug! Head zaps, dizziness, migraines, pins & needles everywhere, everything hurts, blurry vision, hearing voices/noises, heart palpitations, night terrors, uncontrollable anxiety AND fatigue (how on earth anxiety & fatigue happen at the same time is beyond me!)…you name it, I experience it!
Then there’s been times I couldn’t take it for 2-3 days, having the flu & not being able to keep anything down, including the Paxil! Gaaawwwwd, what a nightmare! I’m glad I found your articles, and that I’m not the only one. Thank you for sharing your experiences, you may have saved more lives than you know!
I’ve never upped my dosage, even though my doc wanted me to until I reached 60mg/day. I’m glad didn’t… I don’t know how I’d ever function! I just want to feel normal again; I just wonder how long the withdrawal will last when I taper off.
I am currently 10 days paxil free. Never thought it would happen. Took it 23 years ago for anxiety. Tried several times to get off. I tapered so slowly but it was still brutal. I took ativan in the morning and,at night. The dizziness and irritability were the worse. Getting better a little bit each day. So proud I’ve gotten to this point. Never thought I would. I am feeling so much more alive and with it. Please stick with it everyone. What a nightmare but seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Thank you for your post. I’m on day 7 and sick to my stomach and flu like. Really worried about work.
I have been taking (40mg) Paxil for almost a year now. I recently forgot to pick up my refill before the weekend. I urge you to stay on top of your refills. The withdraw symptoms are unlike anything I’ve ever dealt with. I had very frequent crying spells, and dizziness. Confusion unlike normal.
I was too hot and cold at the same time, almost flu like symptoms. I would never recommend trying to suddenly quit on your own. Which was not my case, but I assume these side effects could be worse and maybe harmful to your self.
Psychiatrist told me to cold turkey on Arapax that have been taking for 25 years and to replace with Venlor. Anyone had similar experience?
It’s been 8 days since I stopped paxil cold turkey. I was on it a year @ 20 mgs. I was having brain shocks, flu like symptoms, can’t breathe, can’t sleep, feeling of detachment, etc. I’m pregnant so had to quit it. This is the worst thing I’ve ever been through.