For the past few days I have felt like a zombie. I will get a headache that lingers for hours and I feel like I have no emotions or personality. I started taking paxil a week ago and now I feel like all I do is stare out into space.
My thoughts were really bad a few days ago and are a little bit better today, but I still feel really bad. I always have that dizzy/disoriented feeling, but it has got worse. I feel worthless. I can't do anything. Any little task seems difficult to do.
All I can do is sit and stare at the tv. If I get up I feel really lightheaded.
Feel like a zombie
Hi,
tweaky1h is right:). You are having a very common reaction to the SSRI. Actually, what anti-depressants do is to keep you from feeling, and you have to fight the right dose that evens out your feelings so to speak. They are meant to take away the pain of anxious feelings and depression, but often they make you feel less even less joy...they numb you out so to speak and that's why you feel like a zombie without motivation, feelings, etc.
I've seen both scenarios where in one instance the person pushed through the initial zombie feelings and other side effects and felt like it was worth it within a few weeks. I've also seen the other where the person had to try another SSRI or decided that the side effects of anti-depressants weren't worth it for them.
I hope you have a good psychiatrist that will help you figure out if you need to push through or switch. Unfortunately, Paxil has more of the higher side effects for an SSRI. It's because it has a shorter half-life, meaning that if you don't have the right dose, you are more susceptible to withdrawing side effects. Paxil and I are not friends:(. I felt the same way on it as you do, but I was also on xanax so it was hard to tell at the time what was causing what. I wasn't afraid of the Paxil, but within a few days, it caused me not to be able to urinate. I had to wear a catheter for a night for it to get out of my system so I could pee! That was pretty much it for me, and that was many years ago. I tried xanax on its on about ten years ago, and I also was very sensitive to side effects too. Med's probably aren't for me because I am really sensitive to side effects.
I'm not trying to tell you not to take it, but I do want to encourage you that it is the medication that is causing this, it is a common symptom experienced by many who have taken SSRI's, and I think your doctor should help you decide if you should push through on it...I think most say to give it 2 weeks, or if you should switch to another, etc. It is hard to figure out for some people. I have a friend, who just took Paxil, she had no side effects, and that worked for her anxiety so that's why she's still on it. I hope you get the help and support you need, and no matter what, you will not feel this way forever...you will keep pushing through until you feel better, you will switch to another med, or you will forgo meds. You won't get stuck feeling like a zombie, and I think that was the fear I had that made the situation more painful. This isn't forever.
Take care,
luvpiggy
tweaky1h is right:). You are having a very common reaction to the SSRI. Actually, what anti-depressants do is to keep you from feeling, and you have to fight the right dose that evens out your feelings so to speak. They are meant to take away the pain of anxious feelings and depression, but often they make you feel less even less joy...they numb you out so to speak and that's why you feel like a zombie without motivation, feelings, etc.
I've seen both scenarios where in one instance the person pushed through the initial zombie feelings and other side effects and felt like it was worth it within a few weeks. I've also seen the other where the person had to try another SSRI or decided that the side effects of anti-depressants weren't worth it for them.
I hope you have a good psychiatrist that will help you figure out if you need to push through or switch. Unfortunately, Paxil has more of the higher side effects for an SSRI. It's because it has a shorter half-life, meaning that if you don't have the right dose, you are more susceptible to withdrawing side effects. Paxil and I are not friends:(. I felt the same way on it as you do, but I was also on xanax so it was hard to tell at the time what was causing what. I wasn't afraid of the Paxil, but within a few days, it caused me not to be able to urinate. I had to wear a catheter for a night for it to get out of my system so I could pee! That was pretty much it for me, and that was many years ago. I tried xanax on its on about ten years ago, and I also was very sensitive to side effects too. Med's probably aren't for me because I am really sensitive to side effects.
I'm not trying to tell you not to take it, but I do want to encourage you that it is the medication that is causing this, it is a common symptom experienced by many who have taken SSRI's, and I think your doctor should help you decide if you should push through on it...I think most say to give it 2 weeks, or if you should switch to another, etc. It is hard to figure out for some people. I have a friend, who just took Paxil, she had no side effects, and that worked for her anxiety so that's why she's still on it. I hope you get the help and support you need, and no matter what, you will not feel this way forever...you will keep pushing through until you feel better, you will switch to another med, or you will forgo meds. You won't get stuck feeling like a zombie, and I think that was the fear I had that made the situation more painful. This isn't forever.
Take care,
luvpiggy
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clearsky27
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:11 am
From what I know about medication and my personal experience is that you generally can not tell a meds potentil until you give it some time. I was on Paxil for a few years and it worked great, however I gained 40 pound! So I stopped. I was then off meds for awhile.. I am now on Luvox. The first week or two were HELL. I was lightheaded and just felt so disconnected. The doc gave me a few xanax to bring hom to balance it out and make the transition easier. However I think it was worth it. I am way calmer and although I get the thoughts (not as much but still often enough) my reaction and panic to them has got soooo much better. You just got to talk to your doc and tell him how you feel and ask for options. The thing that sucks about meds is that you sometimes need to wait it out to see if it works and sometimes it does and sometimes it doesnt but then you know and move on and find one that is perfect for you. Good Luck. You will get through this. Just say to yourself "I only feel like this because Im starting something new and this will not last" FInd comfort in knowing that you feeling this way is only temporary!!!