Depression Blog.com

I have been taking paxil cr for about two months now. I was told that I would not feel anything for about a week. Within 30 minutes after taking it I was really really high. This went on for three days. After that the next two nights I was up puking. Then after that passed I started having really bad dreams. Yes it did help with my stress and panic. But it seems like as soon as one syptom is over another starts. Now after reading this I want to stop taking it asap. I will talk to my doctor cuase i would rather be nervous then not be me.

I took paxil for over 2 years. I was numb for 2 years. I didn't care about anything, I couldn't feel any emotion (good or bad) and I had absolutely no sex drive. I was severely depressed the last 6 months I was on the drug. I quit it cold turkey which was a big mistake. My skin felt like it was crawling and I felt a shocking sensation almost continuously for about a week. After that, I started taking 10mg for several days to wein myself off it. On about the 3rd day of that I attempted suicide. Needless to say, I'm off paxil now. My dr. now has me taking effexor xr and has just started me on wellbutrin as well. So far this has worked out well for me. The wellbutrin makes my skin itch and I have terrible hot flashes but the depression is under control and the mood swings are at a minimum.

Sorry to hear about the bad experiences you all had with Paxil. I started taken the drug when I became pregnant with my second child. I was one human being that no one wanted to be around, to sum it up I could have killed someone. I was also to help with my OCD. I will tell you that Paxil was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I did suffer with insomnia and a few nightmares, but those soon resided. The only thing that I hadn't realized, that what this wonderful drug was doing for me was making me gain weight. If I had known that from the beginning I would have only taken it through my pregnancy and that's it. I have been weaning myself off from paxil for about four months now and I am still having side effects. The worst is the swooshing sounds and the headaches. They suck, but I refuse to put myself back on paxil. What I would like to know is how long it takes for this drug to leave your system? when will start feeling better? Or will I. I thought myself to be a pretty normal person, but I really don't feel that way now that I am no longer on the drug. My hand washing has gotten worse, but I don't care. I'd rather wash my hands then get FAT!!!!!!! You would have thought that my doctor would have been concerned knowing that I have been though all the weight issue scenarios, anorexia, bulimia, exlax, etc., why would she put me on paxil? I have heard that a multi vitamin can help with the seritonin levels and also help you lose the weight that you have gained from this hellish drug. These which include: 5 hydroxy tryptophan vitanutrient, n-acetyl tyrosine, St. john's wort, s-adenosyl methionine (SAMe). YOU cannot take these if you take HRT. Medications that make you gain weight are: anafranil, prozac, luvoxx, zoloft and celexa. My only advice if you want to get off this drug is to wean slowly. Take the meds three time a week instead of seven. Work yourself down to twice a week after about a month, than once a week after two months. you'll eventually get yourself off paxil, with less side effects and hopefully they will disapear in due time. Sorry if I rambled and some may not make sense, but I'm sure I got my point acrossed.
Truly Yours,
Rhonda

I have been on paxil for about 8 years since it was released to treat panic-anxiety disorder. At first it wired me up, couldn't sleep. So i was given Klonopin to help me get to sleep, and for quicker relief of panic attacks. I soon noticed I became semi-manic. I also was slightly compulsive, as i began to shoplift! (I got a real rush from it) that began to level off after some time, and I'm back in control as far as that goes.
When i started paxil, at 175 lbs. within 2 years i was around 250 lbs. I also noticed if i missed a dose, even for one day, I would have that 'shock' sensation.

So, move up to about 2 years ago, Panic attacks started creeping back, my weight is up around 265lbs, and I am told i have built a tolerence to the drug, time to switch. Sounded good. So I begin to wean myself off from 20Mg. to 15Mg, for the first week,I had a bit of that "Shock" sensation. about ten days in, I get sweats, nausea, shaking, a real spaced out feeling, diarhea, and extreme panic attacks. My Blood sugar was also severly effected and dropped very low. I was told at the hospital it couldnt be the paxil (Once they hear Panic Disorder, they seem to shrug you off as some loon) so i went Home, and went Back up on my Paxil to 20Mg. after about a week of severe symptoms, they seemed to subside.
found some great sites such as this one and www.quitpaxil info and have found getting off paxil is no easy task. I was also using the message boards at WebMD, but many of my posts were being censored (Big sponser of WebMD is GlaxoSmith Kline, makers of Paxil) I am ready to try to get off the paxil again, but have been told by numerous people prepare for months, up to 6 or more, of hell to do it.

I decided after reding these feedbacks that I will not go on Paxil. I went to the doctor for a headache and dizziness. I have NO depression. NO anxiety attacks. I am always upbeat and outgoing. I just can't understand why he gave me a Paxil prescription. He also wanted to give me zanex. I think because I am in sales he thinks I am stressed out. I have been in sales for years and have had no problems and nothing has changed. I think these doctors are gettin kickbacks from the makers of these drugs!!

I just started to go off Paxil and I have been very dizzy and a bit crazy and very very angry.. help..
[moderator response: if you are noticing adverse side effects right off the start then you should talk to your doctor and get him to change your prescription.]

I had a brain injury two years ago - about 9 months ago the doctor put me on Paxil, I noticed no difference on Paxil or before I took it. I have a pretty mellow personality. However, I have been off of Paxil for a month (weaned off slowly) and I do not like who I am. When I get angry I get very angry, unreasonably so. I laugh longer than I should and I cry pretty easily.
Am somewhat anxious at times.

I had none of these symptoms before I took Paxil or while I was on it. Is there something in the drug that would bring these things out when not on it. I have no intention of going back on but wondered if anyone else had ever heard of this?

In January 2000, I started taking Paxil because my panic attacks were happening on a daily basis - sometimes 3-4 times a day. A few weeks after I started taking it, things improved rapidly! In fact, I had never felt so happy and so free from worry in my life. I was full of energy and woke up early (and with a smile!) every day. I got involved with several volunteer organizations and was constantly over-booking my social calendar. I became the carefree person I had always wanted to be. Needless to say, the panic attacks had decreased. I still had them on occasion, but they weren't a big deal. My therapist said I should be the "poster child" for Paxil... things were going so well. In the beginning, I think I started out on 20 mg, but whenever I started to feel "less than wonderful," my doctor upped the dosage. Three years later, I was up to 60 mg and still feeling fine. In October of 2003 I got married. Because we are planning to start a family, I decided to stop taking Paxil.
I discussed this with my doctor, and he assured me that it would be okay to stay on Paxil during pregnancy and that he had treated many women who had successful pregnancies and healthy babies. I insisted that I would rather "try" it without any chemicals, just in case. I would never forgive myself if something happened to my baby because of my taking Paxil. In December 2003, I slowly lessened my dosage and eventually weaned off of Paxil. The day after I took my last pill I was shopping with a friend and started feeling dizzy. We sat down and had lunch, and I had trouble focusing or trying to contribute to conversation. I felt nauseous and numb, and I had to cut our outing short. I figured it was a withdrawal symptom, as the doctor told me I might have "slight" withdrawals. Well, little did I know that it was the beginning of 3 weeks of total hell for me. I felt dizzy all the time, I had those awful electric shock feelings constantly, sometimes I would shake uncontrollably. My doctor suggested going back on the Paxil, but I knew that I would never go back to it, and why prolong the withdrawal? The doctor kept telling me that he had never seen this severe of a withdrawal, and that it should subside soon. Well, it ended up taking 3 weeks for the withdrawal symptoms to subside. And now, it's 6 months later, and this is where I am: I have panic attacks every day, I develop new fears all the time - I'm afraid to fly, to drive by myself, of storms, of roller-coasters, of being out of the country, of being on a boat, of going through the car wash, elevators, and I'm sure there are many more. With the exception of flying, none of these things used to bother me. In fact, I used to love storms and roller-coasters! Unfortunately, my first few months of marriage has been horrible. I am extremely moody and hard to get along with. I'm not the same person my husband fell in love with. Anyway, I found this site because I did a search on "Life after Paxil." I have been seeing a naturopathic doctor for a couple months now, and she put my on calcarea carbonica, as well as a nutritional plan. I hope it helps, but it is not the instant fix that Paxil provided... I sometimes think about going back on Paxil, just to make the panic attacks go away. If I do, though, I have decided that I cannot get pregnant. There are so many kids waiting to be adopted, but it's just that I will never experience my own pregnancy... And then, what if Paxil doesn't work this time? I can't bear to go through the withdrawals again! I wonder what my life would be like if I had never found Paxil. Thanks for letting me vent...

I came across this site desperately looking for answers of why my life and my husband's life had turned into a living HELL.
After reading some of the stories posted I decided to write about our experience with paxil.
My husband and I had a heavy loss in the stock market about 3.5 years ago. He went into a depression..so the Doctor put him on wellbutrin which kept him up at night. Then they changed it to paxil. Yes, he was depressed but that was only the beginning of our hell.
I am a mother of three children ages 13, 6, 2. I also have sezuires and lupus. I have helped my husband run his business for the past 6.5 years. The ambisous, caring, loving, well built, nicely dressed with slacks and shirt and tie daily, weighing about 200lb..turned into someone who didn't care about his appearence or his family, his business, his life or anything else. He gained about 60 lbs. Has gone through 3 addictions- beer, tabacco, drugs. Two dui's within 5 months..which most straight level headed person would not have put themselves into a position to get the second one. He have had numerous side effects such as: high blood pressure, weight gain, sleepless nights, sweats, hyperthyroid, gi problems, anxiety, irritable, fatigue, tremors, panic attacks, binge drinking, binge eating, low blood sugar, can't focus, nightmares, heart palpations, loss of sex drive, memory loss, orgasm problems, hallcinations, paranoid thoughts, more depressed than before, didn't care about anything, well I could go on and on. We had know idea that all of this was coming from the paxil. I kept telling him that he needed to go to stress and anger classes / therapy. He even saw doctors for the symptons above and nobody picked up on the paxil being the problem.
This medicine has turned my husband into a person that I didn't know and most of the time didn't like. I would look at him and say to myself were did my husband go? I was now pulling the load of mother, wife, friend, office manager, scheduler, book keeper, and father. I just can't keep this up! I love my husband very much and would do anything to help him get better, but I feel like he is dragging us down with him ( the kids and I ). I just want my husband back the way he was before all of this happened. I feel like this medicine has taken away 3.5 years of my families life with him.
Well the HELL is not over yet. He is determined to take his life back. He started coming down off the paxil. Now he has the zaps, anger outburst, headaches, gi problem, nightmares, frustration, sweats, sleepless nights, etc... So the ride isn't over yet but at least he is trying to work out everyday. The side effects are getting less but it is taking along time...it has been about 4 weeks. Of course we still have the 2 dui's to deal with...
My husband and I have been fighting frequently over the last 3.5 years. We have almost seprerated several times. This medicine has taken over my husband's mind and body. It turned him into a non caring more depressed person. He actually told me and the kids to leave numerous times. (half the time he doesn't even remember what he said). I see a little bit of light at the end of this tunnel...I just hope that we as a family can make it through this. I just don't really know at this point...I just take one day at a time. I hope this may help whoever may read this. Please write or talk about your experience ..it is the best way to heal when bad things happen. I also think more people need to be aware of what this medicine can do. We sure can't depend on the drug manufacture to tell us everything or our doctor's.
FDA- please report to them.
Drug Manufacture- Glaxo-Smith Kline.

Just weaned myself off of Paxil over a 3 mo. period of time - haven't taken in 2 weeks.

I'm getting a Field Grade Article 15 for Assault and 2 counts of Drunk and Disorderly behavior.

1.) Prior to joining the Army/being on Paxil, I've never gotten so drunk to be completely incapacitated nor have I ever gotten violent or hit anyone - drunk or not drunk

I'm so depressed about the whole thing. All these
people think I'm this crazy girl that gets drunk and hits people.

I'm enrolled in this freakin' asap program starting in July.

I'm worried about getting an OTH discharge and having problems finding work.

I just can't freakin' win.

I've had anxiety/depression my whole life, but have pretty much dealt with it (swept under rug), managed to get by. Get through Basic training and AIT and start taking Paxil at first duty station. Paxil causes me to drink excessively, out of control, and then I turn into a psycho and black out for hours remembering
nothing of my rampage. So I take medicine to help me and now it's getting me kicked out of the Army.

It just never ends. Always one thing after the other.

Trying to find evidence in medical journals of SSRI's and correlation to alcohol craving (increased levels of serotonin in brain/alcohol/violence)and some people not being able to metabolize seratonin thus leading to
excessive behavior- violent outbursts, out of
character.

Doctor named "Peter Breggin" has written some articles on subject.

woe is i, woe is me

know anyone else who has had same problem -
taking an SSRI and acting out of character and/or
drinking excessively?

Dear All
I suffered with bad panic and anxiety attacks 7 yrs ago ,my dr put me on seroxat from then on i was in and out of hospital with attacks couldnt find anything wrong just kept treating my asthma and sending me home.
headaches ,sweats ,etc etc
put on 3 stone ,then my stomach started playing up couldnt tolerate certain foods paid private to see an allery dr asked me what med. i was on and when i told him i was on paxil he said thats the causes of all the symptoms im getting their not helping their destroying my system ,it felt like my bodily organs were closing down thats how i can describe it ,i came off paxil dec 28th 2003 have lost one and a half stone but having trouble with esophagus and breathing and head zapps never had trouble before i went on the tabs its now july 30th 2004 and i still get head zapps dont know whether its still withdrawing as i was on them for so long or anxiety.
kind regards
michaela
good luck everyone
p.s we need a petition to stop glaxo from ruining more and more lives

My name is Mike. I recently started taking paxil again. Now I know why I stopped taking it. My girlfriend ,and I broke up after 4 years. Iwas okay with that. I started having sleepless nights again, and thats when I consulted my doctor again. At 37 years of age, I found myself weeping to my mother. I was out of control once the drug took effect. I finally stopped about a month ago. Now all I think about is suicide. I think about it every day. I wonder to myself if taking the drug has made me worse. My answer is yes. I hate being anxious all the time. I have also been paranoid. I hate feeling this way. I am now going into tears just writting this email. I hope that I can make it, because I am afraid to drive my car now. I decided to stop taking the drug, and now my world is upside down. I dont wish paxil on no one.

Mike- Forgive me if you know this already but I just wanted to suggest that you try some of the other SSRIs rather than give up now. There are also other meds like the combination of SSRIs with Geodon. Geodon is an atypical antipyschotic developed for schizophrenia but researcher's have recently found it effective for depression at low doses combined with SSRIs. It hasn't developed long track record but it might be worth exploring with your doc. Are you seeing a psychopharmicologist? Make sure you see someone who really knows about medications not just any old shrink or general practitioner. I'm not a doc. I just have been through the mill for fifty some years and have learned a little bit. Good luck!

Thank you marc for the info. I really have had a hard time. I assumed that these drugs were working. Paxil has consumed my life. I hate life right now. My son came to visit me for a week,and all that I could think about is keeping it together. I have never felt so unasure of my life.My Doctor seemed to be a good doctor.I just wonder why he is always pushing paxil. I am a purchasing agent, and a couple of years ago my employer filed chapter 11. I couldnt sleep at night, and so I just paced the floor. We had contracts to build barges, and with no money the buyers had to locate material through unconventional means. It was very streeful, but all that I wanted was something to put me to sleep. He prescribed Paxil. Then In April of this year, I went to him again. Because I was having trouble sleeping . Again Paxil. If I missed a day I was a nut case. I look at the calender somedays, and wonder will I make through this day, or that day. Suicide is a bad thing, and I have always been a strong person, but this is all that I think Of. I posted my last notice on august the 4th.

Thank you marc for the info. I really have had a hard time. I assumed that these drugs were working. Paxil has consumed my life. I hate life right now. My son came to visit me for a week,and all that I could think about is keeping it together. I have never felt so unasure of my life.My Doctor seemed to be a good doctor.I just wonder why he is always pushing paxil. I am a purchasing agent, and a couple of years ago my employer filed chapter 11. I couldnt sleep at night, and so I just paced the floor. We had contracts to build barges, and with no money the buyers had to locate material through unconventional means. It was very streeful, but all that I wanted was something to put me to sleep. He prescribed Paxil. Then In April of this year, I went to him again. Because I was having trouble sleeping . Again Paxil. If I missed a day I was a nut case. I look at the calender somedays, and wonder will I make through this day, or that day. Suicide is a bad thing, and I have always been a strong person, but this is all that I think Of. I posted my last notice on august the 4th.

This drug should be pulled from the market and banned world wide IMMEDIATELY. This is a mind altering drug which is the cause of many uncomfortable neurological adverse events. My experience with Paxil had been my worst nightmare. I had taken 20 mg daily of Paxil for a full year when I could NO longer stand any of the awful side effects that are all very well explained in the above posts! I decided that it was time to quit taking Paxil with the help of my physician. The withdrawals experienced coming off of the product was enough to keep me home from work on many occasions and I felt as if I should have been in a drug rehab. I have NEVER experimented with any sort of chemical drugs or alcohol! Yet, the horror stories shared by recovering drug/alcoholics sound similar to the agony I experienced when weaning myself from the Paxil. I could not function properly at all. This company should be sued for every blessed cent of profit that they make considering the many lives they have interrupted and destroyed by the use of this medication. As a wife, mother and person responsible for the care of my elder parents (along with being a full time employee at a job that I find amazingly rewarding)I do not have time for such disruption. Most of us don't have time nor do we ask for such problems when seeking medicinal therapies for depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. In my situation, I was having mood swings associated mainly with my menstrual cycle. In an effort to get those mood swings under control, my doctor and I agreed to Paxil first because my insurance company did not cover name brand Prozac (generic fluoxetine was not yet available). The suffering that I have endured for simply trying to find an answer to this common problem was unbelievable.

Having had these experiences, I would urge you to think long and hard about using Paxil. Discuss other options with your doctor and find out if medicinal therapy is right for you. This class of drug in general (SSRIs) has serious side effects that can be harmful or even fatal if given to the wrong person. Do yourself a big favor and investigate fully your options!

What exactly were my side effects during therapy? Extreme night sweats, vivid nightmares which interrupted sleep, shakiness all day every day, nervousness, twitching, sinusitis, irritable bowel, nausea, sexual dysfunction, hypersensitivity to heat and cold, ZAPS (felt like electrical shock waves), etc. Withdrawal symptoms were all of those stated above only intensified by a million! Add to that migraine, vomiting and fainting, and you are better able to get the big picture.

If the FDA truly has our best interests at heart, this product should be pulled from drug stores immediately! I am quite certain that the results of any safety and tolerability studies done by this company had to be falsified! DIG DEEP AND GET TO THE BOTTOM OF PAXIL!

I have been taking 40 mg of Paxil since Mars. I started it because I had feelings of overwhelming anxiety and had boughts of severe panic attacks. It was my first year of college as well. Although, this wasn't the first time I was prescribed Paxil. I had been diagnosed, by my family Medical Doctor at 12, with depression and Paxil was my second or third medication we had experimented with. I remember, vividly, that with Paxil and Prozac I experienced adverse effects. With Paxil, I was extremely suicidal and felt as if I were going "mad". I crawled into a corner in the bathroom and cried.
Last Novembre (2005), after describing my symptoms to the Nurse Practitioner, she prescribed Paxil, once again. I was reluctant to take any antidepressants but wanted to anxiety to be subdued by finals. I also felt that I was older and could possibly feel differently on Paxil. The first month I felt completely fatigued and nauseated. I didn't notice (neither did my family) any positive reactions to the medication. I continued the 20mg for the next several months. After, I was advised to increase my dosage to 40mg and did so. I still felt nothing but severe nausea and fatigue.
In the beginning of Avril, I took it upon myself to ween myself off of Paxil. After several days without Paxil I started to experience "road-rage" and was in an accident. Two days after the accident, I was arrested for shoplifting. During these two events I felt irritable and a numbness throughout my body. My thoughts were racing, about nothing in particular and I had mania and flu like symptoms.
I told the nurse practitioner about the symptoms. She preceded to ask me about the mania and after two minutes of explaining my symptoms she diagnosed me with Bipolar and gave me a prescription for Zyprexa (5mg). I have not began my medication and have strong intentions of seeking a second opinion from a psychiatrist.
My Paxil withdrawal has costed me hundreds of dollars and has given me a RECORD. In my opinion, I believe that any mental illness should not be diagnosed lightly and should NOT be diagnosed by a Nurse Practitioner or Medical Doctor, but by a Psychologist or Psychiatrist. I plan to major in Psychology in college and have no intention of taking these illnesses lightly myself.
Thank You!

I was prescribed Paxil by my doctor 4 years ago for depression. Prior to that I had been taking effexor for two yers. I have been taking 30 mg per day until 4 days ago.

The most sever side effects for me were sexual dysfunction, blurred vision, and sleepiness.

Since I stopped taking the drug I noticed an improvement in sexual performance within 48 hours. My vision has also improved.

Oh, I don't know where to begin about my negative feedback from paxil cr. My husband hates me...and so do I. I crave alcohol...I crave food...I have gained lots of weight. I can't seem to wean myself off of this drug. I have been on other anti-depressants before, but none have affected me like this one has!!! i feel like i might kill myself

I found this website because I was looking for advice on how to ween myself off of paxil. I have been taking 40mg of Paxil for about 6 years now. I tried Zoloft then Prozac then Paxil; and that was the pill for me. I was diagnosed with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Fortunately I have mostly had great experiences with Paxil, the only time things went bad is if I forgot to take a couple of doses, which usually kicked in by day 2, you know the nausea, irritability, fatigue and the zaps. I tried to ween myself off once before by just cutting my dosage in half; back to the nausea, zaps etc. So I went back up to my 40mg and decided to do a little research, and so far 5mg is what I have come up with; that is I cut my dosage down by 5mg every 7days. I am down to 30mg going down to 25mg's in a few days. So far, so good. No side effects at all; when I get down the 5mg for 7days I then plan on doing 5mg's every other day for 7days then maybe 5mg's every two days, it depends on how I am feeling. I have read all the comments so far and I am concerned for everyone involved. Like I said Paxil was my 3rd try at an antidepressant and I think it is very important to talk to your doctor, tell them Paxil isnt working for you tell them lets try something different. I also believe it is EXTREMELY important for the doctor to not push certain drugs, schedule a follow up visit or phone call with their patient to make sure they are responding as hoped; overall it is the doctors responsibility to "help" not to "hinder" but patients need to realize and accept their responsibilities too: get a second opinion, do some research, if your spouse doesnt like the way your acting on a drug then tell them to help you, make phone calls, read up on the latest available info, ask questions, then ask more questions. Not satisfied? ASK MORE QUESTIONS! If you come across a doctor that doesnt have the time to answer, doesnt care to answer, or doesnt know the answer? Well then, find a new doctor. It seems that a lot of people tend to get misdiagnosed with mental disorders and general practitioners (which we all mostly go to) seem to use drugs like paxil, prozac, zoloft etc. like a blanket and they hope it will cover everything and obviously by the comments on this website we see thats not true. People given a medication, especially one that doesnt work should keep in mind that there is a reason why there are so many different types of antidepressant drugs; for the same reason there are so many different types of antibiotics, they all (for the most part) have different goals and targets in the body. I know how difficult it is to be so full of anxiety that a stupid ring around the toliet can set your world into a tailspin and my heart aches for all of us that just want to feel 'normal' all the time-to tell you all the truth I am very scared of letting go of my paxil but I want a baby and after some research I am finding that Paxil could cause heart defects in the fetus. I tell you what, there arent enough antidepressants in the wide world that would make me feel better knowing I took paxil and ended up harming my child. Well in any case I hope my suggestion about cutting the pills down by 5mg every week helps someone; ya know whats funny is that just last week my health care provider told me "oh just cut your pill down to 15mgs..." I told her nope, I was gonna do it by 5's and she said "well if you really think thats necessary..." I realized then that this nurse practitioner (not my reg Dr.) is obviously not aware of nor experienced the lightning and the thunder of PAXIL. So I just calmly said "Yes, yes I do feel that it is absolutley necessary...

Hello all~ I wanted to update everyone on my "weening off the Paxil" process...down to 20mgs from 40mgs (see above blog~from Dawn) and so far so good. I am convinced cutting your dosage by 5mgs every 7 days is the way to go...good luck to all...I will keep you posted. Thanks. :)

Well where do I even begin. Paxil has ruined me and I hope I can get that back. I am a healthy outgoing 25 year old male who loves weight training and martial arts. I started taking paxil for OCD, (obsessive compulsive disorder)and WOW! Let me tell you how crazy this stuff makes you feel. I have had many altercations with family members and people I have never met, and I'm talking about nasty altercations to where I have hit people for dumb things. The anger rage paxil gave me was unbeleivable. I felt like I couldn't be stopped by anybody. I snap at the drop of a hat, and that's just not me. I also have some of the worst dreams you would ever imagine, and I'm talking very real and scary dreams. Now I have had enough of it and have finally opened my eyes and am able to see what other people could see, and am currently trying to come down off of it. This would pose to be the hardest task of all. The vomitting, sleeplessness, dizziness, flashes, racing heartbeat. It's like I'm coming down off of heroine or something. I would not recommend paxil to anyone. It will ruin your life. I hope I could go on and on but to some it up I would rather live with OCD, then to take that garbage. Please don't ruin yourself stay away.

Thanks,
Barry

Reading all of these stories about the devasataion that GSK and Paxil has wrought in the lives of these individuals is so sad.

It is hard to believe that the FDA does not address this issue.

I began taking Paxil in 2001 for Anxiety attacks brought on by the deployment of my youngest son in Iraq following the WTC terrorist attack. I was really having a hard time dealing with the day-to-day issues that all of us face and felt I was going crazy.

The DR first prescribed Adavan which turned me into a Zombie almost immediately.I researched it only to find out one of the uses was for patients prior to surgery to slow brain functio. Just what a person trying to work for a living needs.

My next visit I was changed to Paxil. I thought I had found nirvana. I was started on 10mg a day and felt the effects within hours of my first pill. After a week the DR told me it was time to move up to 20mg/day which was concidered a proper maintenance dosage.

I was on Paxil at that level for 4 years.

After the third year I tried to determine with my Primary Care Physician if there was some way they could determine if Paxil was necessary. Was there a test? No there are no tests but if it was helping me that was all that mattered.

He assured me that there would be no problem in taking Paxil for the rest of my life, if it was helping. He said if I wanted to begin lessening the dosage that would probably be okay.

I did not begin the weaning process and continued with the 20mg/day.

Into year 4 I began having some really weird symptoms. I was becoming delusional and felt disconected further and further from reality. I had become convinced that I was not human and had very little in common with normal human beings. I honestly began feeling as if I was and alien in this world.

I began to feel as though whatever decision I made was justified no matter how bizarre. It was as though I felt I was creating my own reality as things progressed hour-to-hour, day-to-day. My breaking point was one day on break after a particularly stressful completion of an assigned project at work.

When I had come back to work only to find someone else parked in my parking space at work. I went to find another space and then returned to my own and thought;"That SOB has no business in my space". "Who does he think he is", BTW it was a new full-size truck. I then proceeded to back into the front end of this poor guys truck, 5 times to be exact. While I was in the process of doing this I was yelling out the window of my own truck at the lot security guard that there seemed to be some problem, that I was unable to get into my space. I faced the angry truck owner and told him it was his fault, I faced the police and insisted that it was his fault. I rationalized my behavior to any and all who asked or saw the incident. I had caused $10,000 damage to this poor guys truck and felt justified.

You might think that I was institutionalized by this time. No I was still commuting 200 miles a day and working my 10-12 hours.

About a week later I was in shock that I could have carried on so bizarrely, I called my sister to try to determine just where my family had gotten me. I did not think I was human.

I again inquired about Paxil from my DR. He just didn't seem to care. I suppose it had a lot to do with my inability to verbalize these issues to him, I didn't want to end up in the State hospital.

2 weeks later I decided I could not go on like that any longer. I had read the warnings about the risks of stopping Paxil "Cold Turkey" but felt I had no other choice. I decided I would ride out the withdrawl and take my chances. I took my last Paxil on that day.

It was 3 weeks in Hell, I felt all of the symptoms that everyone described. It got so bad at times I would lock the door to my office and turn out the lights, laying there quietly, not sleeping but just trying to survive.

That was almost 2 years ago and I am grateful everyday I took the step. There are times that I am sad, life is that way. When sad things happen, people feel sad. The other side of the coin is "When happy things happen you are free to be happy"

I am convinced that the poor state of our Medical system almost cost me my life. How Dr's can treat individuals like cattle is amazing but that is how our HMO/PPO world is these days. Unless you can get everything out in the 6 minutes that are allotted to you to speak to your Dr., forget it.

I feel that I needed some help back in 2001. But that was a temporary situation that did not need to have a lifetime prescription solution.

I thank all those who went before me on www forums to voice the truth about Paxil.

I hope and pray that all of you who are questioning your need for a drug solution find a Dr. who will spend the time to diagnose you correctly and not just throw samples at you and see if they help.

Good luck to all those in pain, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I was 16 when my first panic attack hit. I was sent to the ER as if I were having a heart attack. The results were negative and the docs told me it was a large release of addrenaline. Five years and a zillion of medical tests later, I now know it isn't my heart, diabetes, or cancer. It's anxiety/Panic disorder. Doc put me on Prozac. BAD Stuff, so I swtitched to Paxil. Thought it was great until the side-effects hit. Now they are the every-day effects. Headeaches from Hell, jolting nerves, weak muscles, nausia, vertigo, unable to focus my eyes, and all the other ones everyone else suffers from. I am so concerned with death. I think I am dying 24 hours a day. I sit around waiting for it to happen. I guess I am extremely paranoid. The problem is I have a 14 month old little girl to support so I somehow make it to my job every day of the week. I sit at my desk praying I am not dying. My hands are sweaty and my head is numb and dizzy as I try to do the accounting work my boss gives me. All I know is that before taking this demon drug I had the occasional panic attack, took a adivan, and went too sleep. Now, nothing helps. I am trapped in the sticky, poisonous web of paxil. Oh, and trying to wein off is ridiculous and torcherous. I can't bring myself to try to wein again. Anyhow, that's my story. If anyone wants to sue the company, if I am still alive, you have my support.

I get the same thing zapp of electric shock thru my body! It sucks Its annoying uncomfortable, scary , brings on my anxiety till there gone I want to know what it is and why it happens and what it affects!

Also I want to know if the other drugs can make them more severe?

I get the same thing zapp of electric shock thru my body! It sucks Its annoying uncomfortable, scary , brings on my anxiety till there gone I want to know what it is and why it happens and what it affects!

Also I want to know if the other drugs can make them more severe?

I get the same thing zapp of electric shock thru my body! It sucks Its annoying uncomfortable, scary , brings on my anxiety till there gone I want to know what it is and why it happens and what it affects!

Also I want to know if the other drugs can make them more severe?

5 years ago paxil saved my life !I had anxiety/depression and dibilitating panic attacks constantly. i was at the end of my rope and starting to hallucinate! I was so scared i finally got on paxil and within a week i felt like a new person and never so happy.I'll never forget wanting to kiss my doctor as i told him of my amazing and complete recovery!! I still take it though i have been off of it several times.Dont ever quit cold turkey,I felt so bad i became suicidal for the first time ever or since. I just didnt want to live if it had to be that way.ths symptoms were just as bad as ever almost,I was so lost.As for weaning off,well you must go slowly starting with every other day especially if you feel withdraw symptoms.I too got the strange zaps in my head and when i moved my eyes a certain way. My doctor said he had never heard of that as a withdraw symptom but i have read many posts that have convinced me that is a very common side effect even from missing 1 or 2 doses.Paxil is my mirical and curse!

my mother is 88 and has been taking paxil about 7yrs.and wants to get off it because she said it keeps her from crying.she was put on paxil for being parnoid and depressed.she is very mean when she isn't taking it.how is the best way to come off it without a dr.to monitor it as i know she will not go to a dr.far this.thank you

my husband started paxil since last 4 years.since last 9 months sexual side effects are worse.if someone can give me helpful information about how to improve or what can we do.because i am totally clueless & need help

I am on paxil. My Dr. insist that I stay on it. I have been on it for more than a year and a half. I notice when I forget to take it for a day or two,i feel dizzy,lost,confused,and some weird feeling (possibly zapping) when I move around,or take a shower. The water on my skin feels like a million pins and needles. I am currently trying to ween myself off this drug. The only thing is my Dr. informs me to be careful,i could have seizures while I go threw this. All I know is I want off. I know I have certain medical issues that cause me to have to have something like paxil,but I wonder if there is something out there other than paxil to help me out. I was prescribed this pill because of my OCD,and panic attacks.
Any suggestions????

Is it possible that 3 years stopping Paxil that I could feel effects again. I have started a weightloss program and wonder if that stuff is stored in my fat cells. I feel as if I am going through withdrawal again!!!!!

i too felt the immediate high the first days of paxil. just broke up with my partner of 12 years and couldn't handle it. i drank before paxil but found i drank everyday on paxil. weened off after one year and it seemed to go ok. now 6 years later i developed hyperthyroid had radiation and soon found myself crying all the time for no good reason. back on paxil 20mg. i immediatly quit crying but if i missed a day i cried over nothing. been taking 10mg for the last week and going to 5mg tomorrow. this round of paxil use has been a short one thank god. been dizzy, zapping, and had headaches. also gained 30lbs but assumed it was because i had no thyroid. i'm so glad i came across this web site.

Been on paxil 20mg for many many years...
Never gained weight (well a little bit but not
due to the Paxil, more from the beer)
I drink with it and do whatver else with no problems

Did go off of them a couple of times and YES it sucks to go off of it... even missing a dose 1 day will cause massive shock sensations (wierd to describe) but it does go away...

the only side effect from taking them I would say is that I can sleep whenever or whereever... (sort of tired but not... hard to explain)

I caution anyone that starts taking it the first time that to stay at home when you take the 1st pill because when I took my first one 2 hours later when I was driving to my friends house I almost crashed the car because a sudden wierd feeling hit me like a bomb and I was going to puke... made it back home and after a few days the side effects went away... takes 4-6 weeks to start feeling the good effects of the drug though...

I have been on Paxil for 6 years and I am a prisoner to this pill. The withdrawels are horendous if you try and wean down off of it. Dizziness, nausea, ears ringing, world spins, fatigue, anger, and the worst is the neck shocking sensations that ZAP you. If I run out or skip a day or two due to insurance or financial issues I immediately return to symptoms listed above. I am a prisoner. I feel I don't need Paxil anymore, my life is much calmer and happier but i have tried tapering down several times and in all different ways as listed below by others. I absolutely cannot handle how i feel when I try tapering off. I'de rather not be living when i get those symptoms, seriously. My husband knows all about it and sees what I go through when I tried getting off. I do not ever suggest cold turkey withdrawel it is dangerous and should be monitored by your MD. I will have insurance again now that i am married but I tell you I'm scared to death to ask Doctors to taper me off and put me on something else during the tapering because I don't know who I will be. I do have days of mania and grand behaviors where i feel i could conquer the world and then I also have days that I feel nothing. My sex life sucks, NO sex drive at all. I am prisoner! My advise never start.