Depression Blog.com

I took Paxil for almost a year, 20mg per day. I did feel better, but I had a side effect where I was unable to ejaculate. I finally decided to stop taking it, and I had a very difficult time quitting. It took two months of very gradual dose reduction before I was finally off of it.

i have been on paxil for 3 years.i have taken as
much as 60mg but was mostly on 40mg.i decided to slowly wean my way off did 20mg for about 2 weeks and then 10mg now trying to do every other day.i have periods of nausea and mild headaches.i have experienced the whooshing in my head and hot flashes(probably due to menopause).i
really craved carbs which my doctor adv me about.i decided to go off since i had no sex drive and wanted to feel like my old self.everybody at work said my old fun personality is returning.i only went on because i had just lost my dad and had alot of anxiety.i never realized how this drug effects you.i am actually crying and emotional again.i really missed not feeling anything.i am committed to getting off this drug but its rough.people should now the truth about this drug.it really feels good to hear others talk about what they are going through.we need support group so we can talk to others going through the same.people that have never taken do not i am mean do not understand what we go thru.thanks for letting me speak my mind i really hope i can do it

Different people will have different reactions to most medications. I have been on Paxil for over 12 years due to my Viet-Nam experience and chronic depression. I maintain a maintenance dosage of 20mg and when I enter into my never ending (in & out)depression phase, I up my dosage to 40mg. Have to share with you folks, if you are taking Paxil you should consider taking the natural suppliment, SAM-e. SAM-e is used in Europe in place of Paxil. It is not recognized in the US like it is in Europe. Drug companies can't make any money on a natural suppliment, that's why it's not promoted in the USA. Paxil and Sam-e is a dynamic-duo for depression. 3 to 5 days and you can actually feel the differene. Take it from a LONG time user of Paxil. Adivce, if you want to get off Paxil you have to diminish the dosage very very slowly. 20 mg to 15mg, 15 to 10, 10 to 5 and then even 5 to about 3. Takes awhile but it works. I wish everyone the best when dealing with Paxil. Jack

I have tried on and off everything from trycylics
to more modern meds like paxil and prozac. All left ne feeling spaced out.

Nardil-an old MAO inhbiter basically sved mu life and my sisterslife 18 years ago. It is one of the first Anti-depressants. And it is the best. My sister and I fighting Panic Attacks and Depression for years were basically saved by this med. And no shrink wants to prescribe it because
of interactions with some foods and ALL OTC cold remedies. However, when given an ultimatuum they will prescrbed it, AND OVER THE YEARS ALL ^ SHRINKS TOLD US IT IS REALLY THE BEST OUT THERE.
Nardil provides a scatter shot of all the specific
target meds found in all the new meds. It works fast within days, you will feel a change. 3-4 pills per day(all 15 mg) are a good start. Then drop down in 6mo.s to a year to 2 per day.

PLEASE LOOK UP ON OTHER SITES. I BEG YOU TO TRY IT<Add in a bit of CKlonopine as needed.

Hi im 24 years old, I was molested for mos of my childhood till i was 10 sexualy and physicaly..and I have been diagnosaed with severe ptsd,with phsycotic episodes and ADD and alsop some sort of panic atack dissorder that goes inwith the PTSD somehow...well anyways...all I have to say..is i heard Bi-Polar people shouldnt take Paxil because it makes them angry...well me i do not believe after years of evaluation still that i am bipolar....and I was given paxil on 2 diff occasions when i was about 12 and then again at about 17....i remember taking the druig for maybe 2-3 weeks both times
before stopping it because i found myself wanting to kill everyone around me for no reason.I mean like to thwe point i would fantisize about ripping theyre face off...and i found that since normaly...i am a VERY passive person who isnt really violent,this disturbed me...shure it got rid of the depression...and made me feel phsycoticly homicidal and many other disturbing feelings....well just wanted to share that....and saee if anyone else has expierienced siode effects of incredible rage and animalistic bloodlust while taking that drug.,..causei shure did ..i personaly will never take ANY anti-depressant med of that nature ever again..because Zoloft even gave me that feeling but milder..anyways...thanks -Van

I have been on Paxil for 5 years due to severe PMS symptoms. This past year I have repeatedly tried to get off Paxil, but every time I try, I have debilitating migraine headaches. I have lost more sick days because of this than in my entire life. Paxil is extremely addictive and no one should be using it without being told of all the risks involved. I am currently in my 7th try of trying to kick the Paxil habit and have the worst migraine that has lasted 4 days.My doctor has put me on Wellbutrin now, but I hope that this will improve my headaches. I didn't realize that Paxil would be so extremely addictive.

I have been taking Paxil for 4 months now and my mental life has changed dramatically. I am so happy that I decided on taking it. I started taking it for anxiety purposes, but I must admit it has helped me in so many other areas as well. It has made me such a more optomistic person, a happy person, a less anxious person, a less stressed person and it has helped me with every relatiohship I have with others! I recommend it to anyone who is seeking help in controling their emotions and seeking a happier life.

I thought that I would start having bouts of depression when I stopped taking Paxil but irratability is really bad. Has anyone else had the same problem

I just lived hell with paxil.
i was under prozac the past 5/8 years doing quite well at least with no symptomes. I suffer from chronic depression having hard times with stress/anxiety and also having high energy (working to death sometimes...)
i got fired. i got a job back with another company - i had panic attacks due to this bad experience. i was seing a psychologist to deal with that. i was facing all my fears at work and was going on the right track.
i went to see a generalist doctor who gave me paxil against anxiety in march 2004.
i could stop prozac easily. because i did not have any new prescription, i had to stop right away.
terrible thing to do and i did not know at all this drug.
crazy hallucinations, gain of weight, increased of breast as crazy, restlessness, hyper very hyperactive, mind racing, voices telling me i was going to die young, i associated with all sick people. completly out of control.
my dear doctor did me all tests with finally irm only in november 2004.
all this hell started in june when i stopped promptly. in october one morning i did not go to work - i quit after a terrible nightmare like living the true death of my husband on bike on the road - complete craziness. i spare the details. i had to call him several times a day to check - thought he was jesus...etc never happened before in my life. i spent money more than usual. i was becoming very boulimic more than usual. i did not enjoy really my vacations in july due to hyperactivity, mind racing.
my psychologist and everybody started to wake up only in october. i was going crazy, hopeless.
i was leaving work at lunch going directly to my doctor because i had hallucinations with my computer, i searche all diseases on my computer - sure i was dying. was unable to enjoy present time anymore. had many multiple projects - changed my mind all the times.
i stopped working. i got fired meanwhile (it was a nice company by the way - they do not know the disability program !!!).
they put me back slowly on prozac again. very hard. migraines, heavy migraines - never had that before. it was shown on my irm.
i did not trust my thinking anymore, any choices, any desires i can do. changes of sexual behaviours - had nearly a sexual affair with a stupid massage therapist whereas i never do this type of thing - quite under control. he grasped the opportunity.
i did not bear the noises, the noise generated by too many conversations created by my family - was hyperactive - felt very lost.
today after 1 week and after many press publications in france for example in the newspaper The Monde (look at bmj), I stopped taking prozac. I was with 20mg. I do not trust the medical body and feel very angry against my generalist doctor who is scared about potential complaint i can do. (he mentionned it clearly). i will not do anything - just willing to get better and move on.
i started a fitness program, start to eat vegetables, cut on foods. think about tai chi, relaxation massage.
i got referral to start to go to the hospital each morning to get course on behaviours to handle depression, anxiety. BUT, the psychiatrist when i met her for assessment was starting to talk about putting me under another drug - prozac plus benziam...for the anxiety. i am truly against. my generalist doctor told me if i do not take the medecine, no need to come to bug him - once again a churck...
if you have better heathly solution to live without psy and medicaments, let me know.
by the way, i had a copy of my irm showing in november migraines at unusual locations. is there a way to schan it and show it to you, a doctor to get double advices as very hard to trust the medical body after all of that.
thanks LC.

I STARTED TAKING PAXIL 5 YEARS AGO. I TOOK 10 MILLIGRAMS AT THE TIME, ONCE DAILY (THIS IS BEFORE 12.5 CR WAS AVAILABLE). I WASN'T VERY GOOD WITH TAKING IT EVERYDAY. I'D FORGET OR RUN OUT AND NOT RENEW MY PRESCRIPTION FOR A FEW DAYS UP TO A WEEK. HOWEVER, THE WITHDRAWL FROM THE MEDICATION WOULD REMIND ME TO TAKE MY PILL BY BRINGING ON HEADACHES, DIZZINESS, TUNNEL VISION AND UNFAMILIAR SENSES. I FELT ADDICTED. MY PANNIC ATTACKS DISAPPEARED, BUT DOORS OPENED TO NEW PROBLEMS. IF I TOOK IT, I WAS DIZZY AND TIRED AND IF I STOPPED TAKING IT, I FELT 1000X WORSE. YOU ASK YOUR DOCTOR, "IS THIS ADDICITVE?", THEY SAY, "NO". ARE THEY FOR REAL!!?? I GOT TO HE POINT WHERE I SAID TO MYSELF, "I'D RATHER HAVE THE PANNIC ATTACKS AND NOT TAKE IT THAN FEEL LIKE I'M GOING OUT OF MY MIND AND TAKE IT". LET'S NOT FORGET THE BLURRINESS I EXPEREIENCED EVERYDAY WHILE ON THE MEDICINE AND THE CONSTANT FEELING OF FATIGUE. I STOPPED THE MEDICINE COLD TURKEY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAS I WAS GOING TO CONTINUE FEELING THIS WAY. EITHER WAY, ON IT, OFF IT, ONCE YOU TAKE IT, BE PREPARED FOR A ROAD TO HELL BECAUSE IT'S POISON. YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR BODY IS REJECTING SOMETHING. YOU KNOW WHAT FEELS NATIRAL AND WHAT DOESN'T. I'VE BEEN OFF PAXIL FOR 2 MONTHS AND I STILL GET SIDE EFFECTS HERE AND THERE, BUT IT'S MUCH LESS SEVER THAN FIRST STOPPING THE MEDICATION. GIVE IT TIME. BE STRONG. IT MESSES WITH YOUR MIND AND YOUR BODY. DON'T LET IT CONTROL YOU. CONTROL IT. IT'S SO SO SO HARD, BUT IN THE LONGRUN, IT WILL MAKE YOU A STRONGER PERSON. JUST DO IT!! PAXIL IS POISON!!! AND DOCTORS NEED TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND STOP BEING SO $$ HUNGRY, INSTEAD DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.............PROVIDE THE "RIGHT" MEDICAL ATTENTION AND CARE.

I have been taking Paxil for one year, I started gaining weight right away. In 12 months I have gained 30 pounds. I was not told of that side effect at the time it was prescribed to me.There has been times that I missed taking my paxil 20 mg for about two days this causes me to get dizzy and have horribel headeaches that keeps me from concentrating. It usually messes me up for the rest of the day. Once I get the paxil back into my system then I can function fine. I also have had problems with vision. I went to get glasses but the problem is still there. The problem I had before taking paxil is gone so I am thanking for that.

I've been taking paxil for about 2 years now. At first I felt like hell. Dizzy spells,loss of appitite, headaches. After about two weeks they started to go away. It took about 6 weeks to reach it's full effect and in my opinion it was worth the wait! It's been years since I've felt this great. The biggest difference I've noticed is how confident I am now. I found out that I had Social Anxiety Disorder a few years ago and would avoid social gatherings at all costs. Not any more! It wasn't until about a year ago that I realized the down side to this drug. Such as, don't forget to take your meds! Major headaches and light-headedness.Not to mention the 50 pounds I gained in the first year and a half. I got so frustrated with the weight gain that I decided to enroll in a weight loss program and was given phenermine. I am happy to say the I have lost 26 pounds in the first three months. The phenermine completly eliminated my cravings for carbs. Although I'm sure my doctor would not advise me to take phenermine with paxil I decided to say SCREW IT! That's how desperate I was to get rid of this excess weight(which by the way she called vanity weight, yah right!). I'm not sure how long I'm going to be on this med, I'd like to get off eventually but I'm not looking forward to the side effects at all. Overall rating for this drug; Damned if do, Damned it you don't!

All I can say is...DO NOT get on paxil. It does help with anxiety and depression very well. However, the side effects are not worth it. Neither are the withdrawls. I'm constantly nauseous when I'm on paxil. I have been on it for over 6 years. I've also gained over 30 pounds. As someone else above said, damned if you do, damned if you don't. If I take it I feel naseous and gain weight, if I don't take it the withdrawls are so bad I can't get up. CONSTANTLY crying, nauseous, migraines, the nausea is a million times worse on the withdrawls. I've actually been off work for the last year and a half and I'm hoping to start a new class action suit against GSK for the withdrawls and my inability to work because of the way I feel constantly. Why should I keep paying my money to someone who didn't tell me this drug was SOO addictive? If you know anyone with this problem, being addicted, let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we can all start a case together! Email me at Horseofthesun@aol.com

I took 20mg a day after my horrible experience with my anxiety and depression, after the fifth day i was taking it, i had a really bad depressive feeling that made me feel completely out of this world and that nothing felt worth living, this led to an anxiety attack and eventually throwing up.....i was so scared that i called my doctor and he told me to detox for a week and to come back and see him........i didn't I found a book called "From Panic to Power" by Lucinda Bassett..............it completely transformed my life and I have almost completely recovered, it's been about 3 months now and it's just amazing how powerful your mind can be......I really hope you can go and buy this book and to keep a positive attitude.... i was able to get out of my severe anxiety and depression with this..........please give me some feedback if you do........if your reading this, just like i read everything i could about my condition, you will do it....

I took xanax and zoloft and then finally paxil........20mg a day after my horrible experience with anxiety and depression, after the fifth day i was taking it, i had a really bad depressive feeling that made me feel completely out of this world and that nothing felt worth living, this led to an anxiety attack and eventually throwing up.....i was so scared that i called my doctor and he told me to detox for a week and to come back and see him........i didn't......... I found a book called "From Panic to Power" by Lucinda Bassett..............it completely transformed my life along with seeing a therapist once a month, I have almost completely recovered, it's been about 3 months now and it's just amazing how powerful your mind can be......I really hope you can go and buy this book and to keep a positive attitude.... i was able to get out of my severe anxiety and depression with this..........please give me some feedback if you do........if your reading this, just like i read everything i could about my condition, you will do it....

Drugs that target specific mental problems are a nightmare if they're not right for you and a miracle if they are.

I'm bi-polar with extreme social anxiety and suffered for many years with crippling anxiety.

I was misdiagnosed many times over the years by well-meaning physicians who did their level best to nail down what was wrong with me. I had many years of absolutely horrible experiences with medications, and many disappointments with drugs that worked at first, but soon lost their effectiveness.

For me, Paxil was the magic bullet I'd been searching for. It was hell the first month or so until my body got adjusted, but I'm now enjoying a level of quality of life I haven't experience for many years.

Brain-science is still in its infancy, and researchers, physicians and drug-manufacturers are going their level best with what they have. It's easy to blame them for our troubles, but one has to remember that not many years ago there was no treatment for any of these problems. What we have today is far from perfect, but I'll take what we have now over the practice, which existed until the 1950's, of sticking people like us in assylums.

I take 20 mg of Paroxetine.I want to know if me being very nervous TOO much can be a side effect. I already am hipper active.But I have extreem periods of semi panic ,while driving,and at home. should I make an appointment with my Doc. I have started 3 jobs in 2 months and quit.I can't handle
radid movement. please email me back. Deanna

I dont take paxil but my husband does and I find since he has taken it to be very forgetfull cant remember things that he should be remembering, I swear its the paxil I dont think he notices in fact I dont think he notices a damn thing since he's been on it, that me a good thing for him but as far as I am concerned thats no reality to me its like hes not even here most of the time hes just a blob on the couch and if I do ask for help or even just a response he gets really irate. I myself have just started taking Effexor and I dont find it having these kind of side effects on me, I get really bad hot flashes and sweating but other then not to bad. Any one else have these kind of side effects with paxil?

wow! it's so nice to finally hear that i'm not the only one who is going through this paxil struggle. okay here is my story: I started taking paxil cr 25mg about 3 months after giving birth to my daughter because i had alot of chest pains and my doctor said it was because of stress and panic attacks. about 2 months later, i realized that the chest pains were not going away so i went to the hospital and demanded every test possible to be done to see what it was and in fact it wasn't stress that was causing it...it was 32 gall stones stuck in my gall bladder! i was so pissed i had taken that medicine for no reason! I realized that while on the medicine i felt numb to all of my feelings inside... yes it makes you stop stressing but then again you can't feel any other feelings either like love and happiness! I started feeling like i didn't even love my own daughter or boyfriend! so at that point... enough was enough so i stopped taking it and that was about 2 weeks ago and i still feel terrible nausea, headaches, dizziness, weakness and irritablity!!! I am driving myself and everyone else around me crazy with the grumpiness and it's hard for me to take care of my baby because of the other symptoms but at least i can feel happy and sad feelings again! I figure everyone stresses sometimes and worries sometimes but you can't take a pill for the rest of your life to get rid of it because all your really getting rid of is your true self! try other methods of stress relieving. i fing working out is a great way to clear my mind! I just wanna know one thing...how long do the symptoms last?

I got on paxil 2 years ago after having my first panic attack.. When they first subscribed it to me.. After 2 weeks I was feeling great.. And I was feeling good untill about a year later when I missed like a week of doses due to my doctor.. I got back on my medicine, but it never worked the same.. I was always blurry.. For the last year I my quality life has went to hell.. I never feel like I'm going to ever have a future or one to live for.. But, I didn't realize that it could probally be paxil that is causing this.. First thing I thought it was, was Caffeine because I drink ALOT of cokes a day.. I quit drinking caffeinated.. Nothing.. So, I thought it was my addiction to cigarettes.. It made me feel alot better as far as physically, but the mental problems were still there.. I have been off Paxil for 4 days now with the goal to quit.. I have been off it for 2 weeks max before, but wasn't planning to quit then.. And got back on, because I was being consumed by Depression and had no reason why I was depressed.. After 3 overwhelming suicidal attempts I got back on, I'm going to quit this time.. Wish me luck

hi paxil really made me feel bad to if someone can help me out with a good med sugestion feel free to let me no becase of paxil i am tarafide of any meds prascribed or over the conter please let me no becase time is of the essince i don't think i can suffer much longer email me at sonyahdoor@yahoo.com

Paxil was given to me in 2003 for anxiety. As I had been on another SSIR, and not felt any relief from anxiety, I felt the relief IMMEDIATELY. But, this was before the days of Controlled Release and I could bottom out by 10pm and night, then have a whole night of worrying and not sleeping. I then was put on the CR form of Paxil and am still on it today. Here is what I have given up for relief of anxiety that I could have fixed myself by just "getting out there and walking or some other form of movement." :
Feeling Love, Having any Libido, Feeling no Sadness or Happiness at all, Wanting to control things, so overspending on Ebay, just so I can control "something" in my life, Lackluster of just about everything! So know I am going to try and detox. I am going to a detox center in Virginia, which takes you off the Paxil and takes this very seriously, as abrupt stoppage can cause just about any and all things, what ever shape you might be in. DID YOU KNOW THERE WERE PLACES THAT DEAL WITH PAXIL ADDICTION AND DETOXING OFF OF THE DRUG? I THINK THAT SAYS AS MUCH AS YOU NEED TO KNOW.

I've been on 37.5 of Paxil for a couple years and went cold turkey 18 days ago. I'm so mad I ever went on this crap, I'm totally in all the withdrawl symptoms described in the many blogs on the net. I know all bodies are different in the way they handle this but wonder if anyone can give me some kind of time frame as to when I might start to feeling better again. I'm finding more beneficial things to eat that help diminish the withdrawl symptoms and am exercising more. Shame on my doctor for not telling me of the difficulties of getting off this stuff, more so shame on me for not doing any research before taking this dangerous drug.

I was on Paxil for 2 years when I started weaning off of it (with the help of my Dr). I'm documenting how I feel and how severe my withdrawals are each day. I've started a blog where I'm posting my story. I wanted to invite everyone thats having a hard time with this drug to read my story. I found hope in reading other peoples stories and I hope my story can help someone else. www.ssristory.com