Paxil withdrawal

I have been on Paxil for about 18 months. When I would run out, I would wait until my next Dr. appt to get more. Little did I know nor did my Dr know that the withdrawal is worse than depression ! I have experienced the withdrawal on 6 or 7 occasion and I thought I was going insane.

1. Your head /brain feels intense pressure, and you feel electric like zaps when you move your head.
2. Your head/brain feels like it is squish sqaushing in water each time your move.
3. Mental Confusion, unable to complete a task.
4. Hot/Cold chills
5. Your face feels like it is burning
6. Twitches while trying to sleep !
I was recently switched from Paxil cr 30 mg to regular Paxil 20 mg, and I continue to have brain zaps. This is HELL. Check out Paxil Progress website for support. I quit my job of 6 years after missing a dose ! Something that I would never do. I just walked out on January 28th 2004. I feel trapped, and don't know how to break out.

I know what you mean. I have been taking Paxil for 2 1\2 years and I am on the highest dosage you can get and take 3 of them a day. My head also feels like it is going to explode, I also have the major non care aditude. I cant pay bills because I would rather gamble my money away. I never gambled until Paxil, and it just keeps getting worse. I want to take more and more of Paxil every day. I didnt know this drug would have you feeling no emotions what so ever. I have gone from having a great career to losing everything I own, down to bad credit and bankruptcy. I am in so deep. I dont know what to do anymore. I want to just go away. Far away.

These are powerful drugs, and doctors use whatever is being pushed by the drug companies. I am really unsure about outcomes of treatment. I never experienced such anxiety as when I was taking these drugs. Now that I am off, it was not easy, I am better. 12 step groups can help.

I understand very clearly the need for medications I use to be an RN. But unfortunately the chemists don't do enough research or testing to ensure the compatability with the complex human body because it is so costly, etc. And doctors just write those prescriptions. The system doesn't work that effectively and therefore we have alot of people in dire need of improved health and well being who are in my opinion unnecessarily suffering.

An imbalance has occurred in your body to cause a symptom, and traditional medicine does not know how to restore it. And unfortunately medications provide temporary relief but actually create more of an imbalance chemically. The symptoms that you are describing is your bodies way of trying to compensate or deal with an array of things, some being an accumulation of metabolites, irritation from chemicals, cellular changes etc. As complex as healing can be its no wonder they (docs )seem to give up or resign to the fact that drug he will give you will help. They really didn't learn healing in med school. And you've probably heard, "That's why they call it practicing medicine." We teach them.

Do try to look into alternative methods for relief and you just may find yourself feeling better after awhile and on the road to health. Our organs can take alot of abuse and work tirelessly for us. Your body at this point may not know how to rebalance itself at this point. do a cleanse, flush those chemicals out of your body at the same time replacing and trying herbs for your symptoms before you do that of course, you don't want to have a crisis and require more drugs. do simple measures initially, some of those cleanses cause a health crisis also, too much too fast. At least help the liver, with milk thistle or dandelion root tea for example, and maybe a tincture of sheep sorrel, reasearch flushing the kidneys and liver, but liver especially. And do feed your body atleast the essential omega oils its can not produce itself, the essential fatty acids our body requires us to give it. and lastly for that brain problem I would take some lecithin, it will help, it converts or breaks down to acetycholine and your brain needs that for any electrical connection to be made called synapsis. I have found it especially helps the sheath along the nerves when one has anxiety/panic or a viral attacking your nervous system. Please stop suffering and try to muster up the energy to take your health into your own hands and utilize medicine for support. Good Luck! and hope something I have said helps.

I've been on Zoloft for 10 years. I was on 100 - 150 mgs most of the time. I tried go off of it about 4 years ago, under a doctor's supervision. I still went psycho. I was disoriented, irritable, my family said my eyes looked as if I were insane. I was then put on Prozac and weaned off that to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms of the Zoloft. Since Prozac stays in your system longer than the other SSRI's you are less likely to have what they like to call "antidepressant discontinuation syndrome." Ultimately, I couldn't deal with being off of them so I'm back on Zoloft but down to 50mgs and feel a lot better on less of it than I did when I was on more of it. After reading "Zoloft Backlash" if I had known what to expect I never would've went on this stupid drug in the first place.

I was put on Prozac by my regular doctor for depression, after a few weeks I started thinking about suicide and after my wife left I tried suicide with carbon monoxide poisioning,sitting in my car. After that I was put in a hospital for a few weeks they did not realize it was the Prozac and increased my doseage. I then tried many attempts at getting my wife back to no avail. I then did something so terrible, and spent the next 5 years in prison. Thank G-d she was not hurt. I lost my marriage, my home,my job, and my freedom. I believe all this was caused by the Prozac. I also have read the book Talking back to Prozac and would like to find a local Prozac survivors group in Los Angeles. Thank you Dave, no email links, please.com

Might ass well join in here with the rest of us

Paxil is causing you twice the withdrawal effects ,due to the fact, it probaly shouldnt have been prescribed for you ,in the first place.Paxil is an antianxiety drug not an antidepressant.Unfortunately many doctors will
prescribe it for generalized depression.It prevents the reuptake of serotonin.Serotonin is a neurotransmitter.Failure to have enough in circulation actually can cause depression.[twice the effect ]You also have
been taking it for awhile Im assuming.No type of drug that affects brain
chemistry should be taken on an ongoing basis unless it can be established that your body/brain truly doesnt produce enough or utilize
the chemical on a permanent basis.This requires constant blood tests and
cat scans to accurately determine.Another reson to withdraw from it.
Ill also take a guess that your doctor kept increasing your dose.[They have no clue as to how to use this drug even when its prescribed for the right condition,I discovered that the hard way]
Help for withdrawal
You will be extremely irratable for anywhere from two weeks to two months[roughly]depending on the dosage and lenght of use.Knowing this
can help you cope for its presence.Try warm or hot showers.Chamomile
tea.Try not to ingest to much caffeine.
Zaps survival.Actually what is happening is that serotonin is now being
produced and utilized at more normal levels.Try drinking as much water
as you can stand.This not only flushes out paxil faster it also helps to circulate normal body produced chemicals more efficently.The worse part
of the zaps usually only lasts about a week or so.Be aware that more people whove used paxil for depression get the zaps than do say PTSD
sufferers.I as a PTSD sufferer experienced a different type of withdrawal.
For me it was more like the normal brain chemicals had been enclosed
in a sac or sacs.When the sac would burst and the normal brain chemicals
were released I experienced unusual emotions.
You may want to try a low dose of b12.This will help with tiredness and
help your nervous system to reregulate it self.
DO NOT TAKE PAXIL ANY MORE.

I read these posts and I shudder at how many regular MD's prescribe powerful antidepressants like candy. In talking with several well known psychiatrists about this for a TV program way back in the 90's - these guys explained that they often had to try three, four or five different antidepressants before their patients found one they could tolerate. So I was kind of shocked when my teenage son told his doctor about some trouble sleeping and concerns about school and right away suggests some antidepressant. I was outraged. These drugs are not meant for day-to-day noraml teen issues, he has trouble sleeping because he stays up all night talking to his friends on the phone and on the PC - and now that I put a stop to that he's sleeping fine. All teens worry about school I suspect, and I resent these simple headed doctors throwing pills at my kid when we're all so concerned about our kids taking drugs.

I don't see why doctor's cannot be restricted to only prescribing medications in their field of expertise. IN the case of antidepressants, since the side effects are so wide ranging (and I was told some side effects can just come on like a bulldozer after many months of use with no apparent problem) - it seems to me that only psychiatrists should prescribe these drugs - and if you're so disabled by mental issues that you need this kind of drug, it strikes me that a psychiatric evaluation is warranted anyway.

I also believe that all these TV ads have made these very powerful mind altering drugs appear to be as simple and safe as baby aspirin, when it is quite the opposite. This is all about money and making office visits quick and easy. If doctors dont want to do their jobs properly, then perhaps they should go into a more appropriate field. What I read here in this forum only goes further to make my case.

[quote="sunny"]Paxil is causing you twice the withdrawal effects ,due to the fact, it probaly shouldnt have been prescribed for you ,in the first place.Paxil is an antianxiety drug not an antidepressant.

I beg to differ, not to say that these drugs aren't horrendously over prescribed. Paxil is a classic SSRI antidperessant, with the additional clinical indication that it also lessens anxiety. However, it is not approved by the FDA as an antianxiety medication. It is clearly an antidepressant and it's most effective clinical indications were for non-specific major depression with anxiety.

I still beleive that regular MD's should not be prescribing these powerful drugs, as it seems that psychiatrists know that the first couple of choices prescribed may not be ideal for a particular client, and they must often try different meds to achieve the optimal effect. This is not like antibiotics - brain chemistry varies tremdnously client to client.

I have been on Paxil for 2 years I do not like this drug what so ever, I feel so weak on Paxil! I just will not take it any longer!
Heard to many bad things about it lately!
Robin[/b]

I can completely understand where you are coming from... I thought I was never going to find someone who understood or felt those "electric shocks" in your head when you come off of Paxil. I think my family thought I was nuts! Well, more nuts than I generally am. I finally came to a breaking point and took a bottle of pills with a bottle of booze and ended up in the hospital. Then I was put in lockdown and in there it was decided that the paxil wasn't working so they took me off of it and started giving me Wellbutrin and Zyprexa. Not only was that medication not helping I was having major withdrawals and no one seemed to give a crap. After complaining non stop they gave me some to ween me off like they should've done in the first place!
My sympathy goes out to anyone coming off of Paxil, I feel your pain!




quote="gypsy4u"]I have been on Paxil for about 18 months. When I would run out, I would wait until my next Dr. appt to get more. Little did I know nor did my Dr know that the withdrawal is worse than depression ! I have experienced the withdrawal on 6 or 7 occasion and I thought I was going insane.

1. Your head /brain feels intense pressure, and you feel electric like zaps when you move your head.
2. Your head/brain feels like it is squish sqaushing in water each time your move.
3. Mental Confusion, unable to complete a task.
4. Hot/Cold chills
5. Your face feels like it is burning
6. Twitches while trying to sleep !
I was recently switched from Paxil cr 30 mg to regular Paxil 20 mg, and I continue to have brain zaps. This is HELL. Check out Paxil Progress website for support. I quit my job of 6 years after missing a dose ! Something that I would never do. I just walked out on January 28th 2004. I feel trapped, and don't know how to break out.[/quote]

This drug is just wrong. I would be so happy to be the person I was right before I started taking Paxil. This drug is supposed to HELP people, not make their lives worse. Glaxosmithkline (the maker of Paxil) has been hiding negative effects so that their sales would not be hindered. Making money at the expense of people's health in this way is absolutely disgusting.

Right now, if I reduce my Paxil dosage, I get very bad headaches. Many other symptoms have developed too. I believe I have a good case against Glaxo. I want to sue these bastards for every cent they have.

I am having a problem getting off Celexa (generic name Citalopram) which is pretty close to Paxil. Every time I try to taper my dose down I get really angry and rageful. When I first took them it was like I was in a meadow of purple flowers, but it also turns your concentration to mush which you don't care because you are happy for once. Well, they don't work so good anymore after 3 years and now I feel stuck also. Same with Ultram (for arthritis) , both have effects on the release of Serotonin and I wanted to wean myself off of them (very costly) as slow as possible, but everytime I do, bam, the horrible side effects hit. So I pop pills and I pop pills just to keep from blowing a "head gasket".

Paxil - I have had alot of those same symtoms that the previous person has explained.

My question is what to do if you're taking more than one drug that could be causing the problems? How do you figure it out?

After taking paxil for 4 years, i quit because of extremely severe night sweats and ejaculation problems. I want to help anyone that is thinking of taking this "medicine".DON'T TAKE IT!!!!! Not one pill.Believe me please, i beg you for your own good. The withdrawal is incomprehensible...I can't work, cry at the minutely sadess things shiver have flulike symptoms and zaps to my head that are just crazy. I WARN anyone thinking about taking this drug to consider this: i equate the withdrawal symptoms as torture to my mind and body...I can't work or earn a living with the withdrawl symptoms, it's been about a week after coming off the drug and I feel insane at times , never ever felt this way before...an example for you ...ever here about people when they quit smoking, their mood changes and so....well i quit smoking before and on a scale of 1-100 on the withdrawl smoking was a 10....paxil withdrawal is a 100+...i can't function at all...i just hope that I didn't do any long term damage to myself and that these withdrawal symptoms go away soon.....i never took herion but I here the withdrawal is one of the worst for any drug.. i would say that Paxil is in the same ballpark as far as withdrawal...I am going to pursue a lawsuit against the makers of this drug...It truely is bad news...Please save yourself alot of trouble and DON't take this drug...go to therapy for your issues (anxiety , depression) because drugs like Paxil are dangerous.. and don't put to much faith or trust in you famaily doctor i found out that they as human as me and you and don't know all when it comes to prescribing drugs....do your research online when thinking about putting a pill in you mouth so you have a true idea of what you can expect...i wish I did that ..but I didn't and know I am jobless, and experience insane withdrawl symptoms that are very real. Paxil is no joke..Please learn something from this..
P.S. anyone with good info on a law firm that may help me make the makers of this crap(paxil) pay dearly for what they have done to me and countless others please post.
thanks for your time, Dan

I have been on Paxil and Lamictal {a seizure medication also used to
help with depression} since 2000. Before, I had been on Buspar and
Zoloft which only seemed to keep me stabilized. I never really enjoyed
anything. Then the doctor tried me on serzone. I was working midnights
at the time. That's when I really started gambling. I didn't realize it but
the medication was having an adverse affect on me. I lost from 138 lbs
down to 114 lbs and was on the verge of a breakdown. Finally I called
him and informed him to get me off the medication because I was going
to kill someone else other than myself. He put me back on Buspar and
Zoloft.
During the 8 years I saw this doctor, he wanted me to see his therapist. To begin with it was $90 a visit. Then increased to $100 per
visit. No matter how much talking and crying I did, it never seemed to
help. My psychiatric insurance had paid out on my first visit to the
hospital. I'm afraid to go off my current medication. I only drink because
I need some relief from the 'extra' anxiety the medication doesn't help.

I currently taking paxil along with high blood pressure and hyrocone .With the paxil it makes my whole body feel weird and i have to take them daily and i take 25 mg paxil cr and some time i still have these serve depression symtons.

I feel so bad for those of you that are going what I also went through.I was on that crap for three years and have been Paxil free for almost a year. I felt like I was going crazy trying to get off . But I started cutting down on the pills slowly. When I got to one pill every three days( I was on 25 mg) I just couldn`t get much lower with out feeling scared and like I would explode, I went to my doctor. I told her what I was trying to do and she gave me 5mg of prozac to try to finish weaning me off the paxil. I was afraid I was going from one drug to another, but after one month ( what the prozac prescription was for) I did not take anymore prozac . And I was fine. I still go through some depression, but would rather suffer through that then drug addiction.I have never experienced such a scary drug as Paxil .