Coming off of Paxil

jencole · Post by **jencole** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:00 am

YUCK!! I have been slowly coming off of my 37.5 mg of Paxil over the past month. Emotionally I am doing fine...but I HATE coming off of these meds. I am down to take a quarter of the 37.5 mg pill a day....I forgot to take it last night and now I feel "weird" and naseuos and have those biazarre "whooshing" noises in my ears. I am going to go home at lunch and take the pill but am so frustrated with not being able to get off the darn pill!!! Anyone else experience this? Any advice to get me through lunch!!!

Jennifer

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:01 am

I went off Cymbalta in December. Same feelings. I was off six weeks (and hadn't ordered anxiety tapes yet) and ended up back on Paxil recently. Looking forward to getting my tapes and eventually getting of meds again. Those sensations do go away. It took a couple of weeks for my head to quit spinning. Good Luck.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:24 am

Been there and done that! Same thing! It was awful I had wierd sensations that went thru my head. I just had to ride it out and in about 4 wks it quit. Then a yr later I was back on the Paxil again. Just make sure that coming off this pill is what you need to do!!! Hang on!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:40 am

It is very hard and the weird sensations are horrible. I would get so bad I would throw up. I've been off it now for a year. My best advice is to ween off really slow. It does help!

Good luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 6:31 am

Its clear to me and should be clear to you, that you are not alone and what you're feeling is perfectly normal for this type of pill. I took one Paxil pill and had the most horrific response that resulted in me being dizzy for the better part of two weeks, these weird electrical surges up my spine into the back of my head and a sickness like no other. It was terrible, but it went away. One thing these pills (Antidepressant) are known for is the surge of anxiety returning ten fold for a while after you're off. Why I am not a fan of antidepressants I have had some luck in the past with Zoloft and Lexapro. Also a steady dose of St. John's wort has helped. Of course, consult your doctor before beginning any of these.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:58 am

This was my first post on teh list and I have to send a great big thank you to you guys!!! This morning I was feeling very anxious and within a few mintues I had numerous responses! What a cool place!

And ForrestMcKi, thanks for the warning about the anxiety increasing as I come off of the Paxil. I will have my guard up!!

I've successfully come off of the Klonipin and the Trazadone over the past few months and will hang in there until the whiz-bangs in my ears are gone!

Thanks guys!

Jen

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:16 pm

If you don't mind me asking, what dosage of Klonopin are/were you taking and how many times per day were you taking it?

F

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 2:55 pm

I had a horrible time coming off Paxil. I had the "zaps" and weird wooshing almost vertigo. My doctor stepped me down 5 mg per week while slowly ramping up Prozac, then once no Paxil was in my system I tapered off Prozac. talk to you doctor. FLOAT through the sensations. You can do it. Paxil withdrawal can be very hard! Talk to your doctor and be totally up front

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:43 pm

I have been tapering off of 10 mg of Paxil slowly over several months. They make it in liquid form, so if you feel your "steps" are too big, you could talk to your dr. about using a liquid to decrease more gradually. My psychiatrist has me decrease by only 2mg, then I wait 6 weeks. I am pretty sensitive to medications, but even with these 2mg drops, I go through nearly three weeks with some difficulty, then my body adjusts and I feel OK for several weeks before jumping into the next "step down".

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:57 am

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....