Stress Center Peer Support

I am struggling right now with going off my medicine. My story goes - For as long as I can remember I have been very anxious, perfectionistic, stressed out, a worrier, etc. and have had problems with this. In college I went on 20 mg of Paxil and then went down to 10mg for several years. Well last November 2006 after being on it for several years and after getting married - I went completetly off of it. I did great - however, this past summer - I was really struggling because I was stressed out at work and I was wanting to get pregnant and thought I never would get pregnant - I've heard of all the problems people around me have had trying to get pregnant and thought I never would get there. So I had a melt down and went back on Paxil. I went through Lucinda's 15 week coaching program and was doing very well...so with the help of my doctor in mid-November I weaned my self off for several weeks - going to 10mg and then 5mg and then every other day. I was a little nervous (because I was scared I couldn't do it), but overall I was doing pretty well, but then some things happened at work that got me upset (about a week after I went completely off Paxil). Now, I have been off Paxil for about 2 1/2 weeks and it is so hard for me. The past week - I have had the worst sick feeling in my stonach and I am shaky at times. I have some other strange symptoms, but the stomach is what really is bothering me. I am so scared that I can't beat this - but I so want to be able to get completely off the medicine because I want to start a family soon. It's just a vert trying time because I want to get through this - but I am really struggling. It's the stomach problems - that really have me upset - they are there all the time - as soon as I wake up in the morning. Have people that went off Paxil - struggled, but gotten through it? I need some words of encouragement....

I understand what you are going through. Eventually, you will overcome the fear of coming off of the medicine. I myself had been on tegretols for seizures for over 20 years. I have just been seizure free for 3 years. My biggest fear was that I could not survive with out the medication, because mentally I had stored this in my mind. Regardless, what my physician told me about not needing the medication. I just felt as though I could not function without it. Hey, but I am doing just fine and you will too! I have also, told myself that I do not need sleeping medication to stay to sleep. I wake-up and can not go back to sleep, because mentally I have already planted this in my brain. Know thanks to this program I have been sleeping with out using medication. Belive me if I can overcome all of the medication I have been on I know that you can too! Keep your head up and take control!

i was on paxil for 4 yrs - i tapered off in 4 wks - had feelings of head rushes and a little confusion but tolerable. After being off for a year my anxiety came back, but finally i found the right doc and diagnosed with OCD (more pure O) that causes continual unwanted thoughts - which then causes my anxiety which then causes depression. The paxil make my ocd worse - i just started Prozac because I cant do it on my own - I had too many bad days and I want to LIVE. I will try again to go off once I finish this program.