My Paxil / Seroxat Story Part II - Quitting and Withdrawal

[Davidvideos83]

I started on Wellbutrin, next to Celexa, then it was Effexor, Then from there is was Cymbalta. When I first started on anti-depressants they felt like just what I needed. I felt good, I laughed a lot, I always was in a positive optimistic mood. Believe it or not it all started with just one pill Wellbutrin which was administered just after my coming clean off of street drugs and alcohol addiction. Currently I am on: hydroxiyzine, trazodone, clontidine, and Cymbalta. I feel like killing myself. ☹

[mindnumber9]

@Davidvideos83 isn't that interesting... prescribed drugs seem to have exactly the same effect as street drugs (starts off great, but then reality crashes and one discovers how TOXIC the drugs truly are). it's been 3 weeks since you commented, i hope you're doing / feeling better... but i have to say, from experience: trazodone caused me to feel homicidal. i'm not familiar with the other drugs you're taking but maybe ridding the trazodone could help to alleviate that "killing" feeling.

[xxterrynxx]

I have just got off paxil a week ago. I was on it for about 3 yrs up to 40 mg and gained almost 100 pounds!!! My doctor put me on zoloft because it tricks your body so you will have no or less wthdrawal symptoms, so far just dizzy, feeling low.... I was 5'6 120 pounds and very active healthy physically...It makes you lazy now im a fatty:( I can not wait to get this weight off, I even cancelled my wedding cause of this drug!!! but it did help me very much in the begining.

[RonaldBarone]

MY HERO

[gerardeflow]

...attacks, I can't think straight, I feel like im in a dream state, I cannot stop crying, I am irratable to the extreme, I take everything out on my wife, I have horrible thoughts (suicidal, homicidal, angry thoughts that I never had in my life), I get dizzy, severe depression, insomnia, hallucinations, extreme brain shivers and I just plain feel like I am in Hell. I went to the doctor again to seek psychiactric help and all he did was presribe me more ANTI DEPRESSENTS!!! WTF!!!

[gerardeflow]

I have been taking effexor (venlafaxine) for 6 years and have recently quit using the drug. I had tried quitting cold turkey and was in a state of "hell". Literally, the feelings are worse that anyone could explain in words let alone the thoughts and confusion. I recently began to reduce my dosage per every 3 months to quit. I went from 75mg, to 37mg, to every second day to none... I FEEL TERRIBLE!!! It has been only 3 weeks and I am feeling like I am in a living hell. I have constant panic...

[LMN1968]

You should report these side effects from these drugs to the food and Drug administration.

I agree with you 100% doctors do not know as much as the user does about these medicines.

[ndurepo1]

I have been 17 in been taking it probably 1 in a half years since than have went from a healthy 189 pounds to 310 and have been in football and exercising but was still gaining weight they insisted that i have to exercise and eat right i dont eat much anyways my friends and parents have said such things to these doctors could have killed me.

[416queen]

i can relate i gain over 40 pounds in a year!!!

[happyquails]

So why would she quit cold turkey???????

[spybeach]

Doctors can only know so much. They are just people that deal with thousands of different drugs and people. Sure you can maybe find a good one but most doctors only spend a minute with you out of their schedule. eiikii you are WRONG! Good for you and all but you just have good luck. I was way too thin and gained a ton of weight and actually got fat! Its a true thing!

[eiikii]

why don't you go to the doctor instead of asking each other what to do?? I also take this drug and I am still as skinny as I were. obviously it is different for everyone. A DOCTOR can help you, not internet forums.

[lighthesky1021]

I have been on paxil for almost 2 years. I have noticed that I have gained so much weith. Lots of family and friends say that I look better, cause before I was very skinny. I feel as if I have my life back and I love it. but when I quit taking the meds after about 3 days I start to feel very ill, as if Im loosing my mind or have been on drugs. i came to accept that im either fat and happy, or go back to being skinny and always feeling ill

[mindnumber9]

@lighthesky1021 it's been 2 years... are you still drug dependent? i hope you are doing well, whether on drugs or not.

[samson47]

use to be strung out on zoloft as a teen was HELL getting off. felt intense shocks felt hung over every day for a month or two . im now back at 100% , wish i did the research and see how ssri's make you go psychotic to name a few effects.

[dreamdro]

I was on paxil for 8 years,i stopped cold turkey exactly a year ago i have frequent defacation and urination ,headaches,imsomnia what do i do?

[marktegan]

I am begining to come off the paroxetine now after deciding I've had enough of mental fog, inability to concentrate, massive weight, memory dysfunction, etc. I began by only taking 10mg (1/2 tab) but within 5 days I was nauseated, dizzy, headaches, intense dreams (the only upside)and plain miserable. So I went up to 15mg and that reduced the withdrawl symptoms immediately. So now I'll will reduce the dose by 2mg/week until I'am off. I use a nail file to reduce the tab size by filing it down.

[maggieforce]

Ha ha music fan, lol, sounds like you got away w/ minimal side fx, but ur language is entirely appropriate. I definitely agree w/ you.

[musicfan2421]

i was on paxil and i couldnt even bust nomore even if i had a porn star doggy my brother took it he got fat as a motherfucker those pills are just FOR MONEY

[notsure666]

paxil has enabled me. it's a risk thing. . I have felt similar sideeffects. to vilify a med.4 the negative consequences (when it is mostly negative 2wards younger individuals like myself) is not appropriate. People need & take paxil 4 anxiety (depresives use diff ssri's). Without paxil i would lack my amazing life, career, girlfriend, and most importantly hope, that i currently have. While i'm sorry for what it has done to you, it benefits many more. *& there r alternatives 4 depression).

[sprites14]

hello not sure if you received previous message. I would like to say thankyou for inspiring me to continue with my aim to discontinue my seroxat. I have been reducing it slowly, now on approx 7mg. I too gained 2 stone even though was actve gym member and watch my diet due to colitis. Also suffer with memory problems since on seroxat. Well done for your achievement and thanks again...

[lakevubud]

I have been on it for 8 yrs, gaining weight, sexual side ef. Dr. wrote a pain med but said I can't take paxil with it.

I feel like my old self is coming back, I have more energy and am funny. But I am having severe headaches, vertigo (I feel like my head is on a flying swing) and bizarre/disturbing dreams. Anyone know how long it takes to get out of your system? 4 days and counting!

[madmaxsdp]

Now I get strait A's in college, my major is accounting - which is really hard, and whenever I mess up I don't beat myself up. I channel the energy positively. I lacked the chemical that allowed me to do this before. PAxil gave it to me.

[terrap420]

One thing you'd better know - paxil doesn't work forever. You must have a really good support system in place, as well as some serious therapy to get to the heart of your problems, because it WILL stop working with no warning some day. Could be in 3 years, could be in 10.

These drugs were only tested 12-18 weeks! I'm doing a 2 year taper right now and it's horrific; I fully understand why someone might commit suicide.

Paxil didn't give you any chemicals. They don't know what paxil did.

[madmaxsdp]

if paxil stops working for me then I will continue to run 5-6 miles a day using the endorphins from this activity to fule my happiness and prolong my life.

[madmaxsdp]

in other words my support systme is myself. That way if everfyone i know is dead i can still maintain ina world where you could get your throat slit any moment.

[terrap420]

lol - okay. If your support system is yourself, then the best thing for you to do, the mature and safe thing, would be to get off these experimental, brain altering drugs before the bad side effects start up - you know, things like insomnia, sexual problems, stomach problems, abnormal fear, liver and kidney damage, anxiety, depression, the zaps (you knew those were side effects, right?).

[madmaxsdp]

yes the zaps. I don't have anxiety and depresison but i do have insomnia...but i have had insomnia since I've had my first memories. Walking around the house, hiding under tables at night as a child, imagining figures in the room that werne't there...etc.

[madmaxsdp]

Paxil saved me. When I was a young kid I was on deans list. I never took a single drug. I was suicidal even though i had the best grades in my school. Getting a b was like losing my arm I wanted to slit my wrists and almsot hung myself. Went to college and my depression got worse. My grades dropped. One day i went to a psychologist and he prescribed paxil to me.

[commun08]

That is typical teenager emotional stuff, it's normal...you get lazy when you're in college...I had it, alot of people had it, and do they rely on antidepressants? No. There is no need. I've been prescribed but refused, was prescribed again, and refused. It made the psychiatrist angry and disappointed but I didn't care! I didn't want drugs inside my body because I was feeling a bit sad! Thank Goodness I kept resisting from it! Am no depressed anymore. Counseling helped!!!!

[Cranny71]

I hope you have successfully weaned off. I am weaning off Zoloft now and I am keeping the side-effects down by taking little steps.

I got down from 200 to 75 this way. And I lost weight now!

Maybe it was too quick for you? I had troubles also when I had the vomit virus a while ago...

[chrisjm72]

I am in the process of tappering off paxil. I went on 20 mg of paxil, 3 years ago for sudden panic attacks, social phobia, and sadness. It worked well in the shortterm, but I gained 20lbs, my bloodpressure which used to be 110 systolic increased to 140ish, and I lost my libido.

I have had no problems going down to 5mg so far from 3 years on 20 mg then 2 weeks on 10mg, to the current 5mg which I will take until I run out.

[dirtypaper]

and did you lose any weight yet?

[sappy27]

I'm currently trying to quit Paxil. I'm reducing the dosage. So far I have a lot of migraine but I'm gonna make it!!! People out there on Paxil: Reduce it gradually

[jazzmanEE]

it depends on how you quit seroxat/paxil....quitting slowly might help...

[pattygoat]

You are very right. Tapering is the way of choice of most people withdrawing from Paxil. More people succeed that way. I'd still probably do it cold turkey again, but knowing what I know now, I sure would be more careful and have much more medical support than I did.

[sgsplfan]

pat, my name is steve, I an 30yrs old and have been on paxil for 10 yrs for panic attacks. i stopped taking paxil 8 days ago and I feel like I am losing my mind!! I feel like any moment i could just burst into tears! the biggest mistake I have ever made was getting on paxil.....i just had no idea. this is my fourth time in the past five years I have tried to rid myself of Paxil. People have no idea how strong you are for doing it. thanks for the posts

[katiesopinion]

This is really educational. Thank you