Getting off Paxil

cubpug · Post by **cubpug** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:20 pm

I have been on Paxil for 8 years (20 mg) for panic attacks. My goal, however, is to someday get off. I'm on session 2 of the program and have also received therapy in the past. However, what scares me to death is when I read about how difficult it is to come off Paxil (especially experiences posted on quitpaxil.org.) Has anyone been successful at coming off Paxil after completing this program?

jessanxious · Post by **jessanxious** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:26 pm

i was on paxil for a year 6 years ago and it really helped my panic attacks. They went away, until they showed their ugly face 1 year ago. I am just starting paxil again now to help, but I didn't have any problems coming off it the first time.

hopehound · Post by **hopehound** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:31 pm

I'm a StressCenter.com veteran and recovered, so...I will tell you this.
Paxil is hard for most people to get off, but you have to do it slowly and you need to stay away from the internet while doing it.
I had a hard time telling if I was going through withdrawal vs. anxiety. I eventually used Xanax to ween.
There is a method to tirating off any drug so you need to be exact and slow and patient.
Thousands have been able to get of all sorts of SSRI's including Paxil.
Make sure you are supported and have a doctor on board.
Remember, like everything ,it takes time.
The program helps and be good to yourself.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:55 pm

I was on paxil for about 10 years and got off it for about 6 months by weaning off. i.e. reducing dosage slowly but surely.

I was fine for about 4 months and then all of the anxiety symtoms started coming back worse than ever.

It was at this point that I finally signed up for this program and went back on the paxil.

Now I am doing really well with the combination.

When I purchased the program, i asked the guy doing the seminar about getting off of paxil eventually and he told me that it was totally possible after going through the program.

He recommended staying on the paxil in increasingly lower doses and to stay on it at the lowest possible dose, i.e. 5 mg. for a year to make sure that i was recovered.

He also noted that 50% of people that go off of ssri's and then go back on find out that the medication does not work the 2nd time around.

I can't speak for anyone else, however, for me the combination of paxil and the Stress program is definately working. I have not had 1 panic attack....I have been able to control anxiety as well as anger and have been far less depressed.

In hindsight, i.e. if I had to do it all over again, i think that i would have never taken any drugs and gone with the Stress program by itself. However, seeing as I did start out with the drugs (I never even knew there was a program 10 years ago) I will do what they suggest and gradually reduce dosage. I currently am on 30 mg./day and will go down to 25 after a month or so, then 20, 15, 10 and finally 5 mg. and hold this for one year.

If I show no signs of panic, depression, anxiety disorder i will then and only then get off the paxil.

Hope this helps and good luck.

hopehound · Post by **hopehound** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:37 pm

I was on paxil for 3 years and got off it. I too read all the terrible things on the internet about getting off of it, and I got rly scared!!! I did have some sideeffects every time I would decrease it by a lil more. I would not be able to sleep for a couple nights, and have this inner shakiness, but it didn't last too long. Other then that, the sideeffects weren't bad for me. I'd advise you to not read all the scary stories about getting off paxil on the internet, becuz its just gonna make you more nervous.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:15 pm

Thank you to all those that replied to my post. Your responses have really helped, and yes, I will stay away from the internet. Because I have a very suggestive personality, I think reading those things will cause me added anxiety. My doctor says I shouldn't fight being on Paxil and I really only do so because of the weight that I put on and that I can't seem to get off. I'm almost 49 and approaching menopause and feel that my weight is just cemented on to me. However, I'm going to try to increase exercise as Lucinda has prescribed in session 2. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:46 pm

I have been weaning off of Paxil for a while now. My psychiatrist actually prescribed Pexeva for me--a little-known form of Paxil that has a different salt compound that makes the drug have a longer half-life in your system. I have been reducing by about 2.5mg a month and have still felt some withdrawal symptoms (physical and emotional) but not nearly as bad as weaning off of regular Paxil. I am now at 7.5mg and hope to get off in the next 4-5 months or so.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:19 pm

If Paxil is preventing your panic attacks why stop? I was panic free with Paxil for 6 years. My psychiatrist asked me if I wanted to gradually lower the dose 2 years ago. I trusted him that chances of relapse were minimal. I should have asked him what the relapse rate was when you stop. He lowered the dose very gradually (2.5mg every 3 months- I was panic free on 20mg). One month after stopping I started having panic attacks again and am now out of work on disability. At my last vist he told me that the chance of relapse is 50% and that if I had stayed on the Paxil I had an 85% chance of being panic free forever. ( 15% chance of tachyphylaxis). If he had volunteered that information 2 years ago I would have stayed on it. If your the 15% that develope a tolerance to it, the dose can be raise if tolerated or you might have to gradually come off it and changed to something else. And in this case you might have some withdrawal symptoms that you've read about on the internet.
There's no right answer but if you go by the percentages I would stay with it. If it's not broken don't fix it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:15 am

I hear ya. I did try to get off twice many years ago and was back on within three months. I guess my biggest complaint is my weight. I'm approaching 50 and no matter what I do I can't seem to lose any of the weight that I put on when I went on Paxil.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:45 am

Okay, I have somewhat of a different perspective on this because I just went through it myself. Having been on 20mg per day for over 10 years I had been tapering for two years and the year before that I can now confidently say the drug was not working (poop out). Unfortunately I was unaware of what I now know to be a good taper and back at the end of January first of February the proverbial SH** hit the fan. Anyway today is day 150 paxil free and I can assure you I wouldn't be here today had I not found quitpaxil and paxilprogress on the internet. Sometimes I believe it was a good thing I didn't know what was going to happen until it did and then it was too late because I'm not for sure I could have been strong enough to go through it. The reason these places helped me so much was because as far as the doctor was concerned he said any problems were just that I needed the drug. Never mentioning it could be the effects of the drug and the fact that it had changed my brain chemistry. Actually going through the paxil withdrawal was how I found Stress Center so something good did come out of it.

Please, please research everything you can about Paxil or SSRI's for that matter. They are NOT and have never intended to be LONG TERM to begin with and although I do believe it might help in the short term there are many risks that should be weighed before you even start down that road. Weight gain is only the tip of the iceberg for side effects. I feel I was one of the lucky ones to have only experienced a few of the side effects during the drug but I know I will never be the same after going through the tapering and withdrawal.

Wishing you the best of luck and if you need someone to tell you that you are not actually crazy if you decide to taper please look me up. Not for sure if anyone could sympathize unless they've been through it themselves.

God Bless