Ever experienced Paxil withdrawal?

[SsupernovaE]

Just to clarify, I'm back on since 5 p.m. and feel 1000% better. I couldn't post before because I couldn't think cleary enough to make sense. Definitely going to the doctor.

 

[Leros]

I don't have to time to research this right now as I'm about to leave, but there are some herbal-ish things you can take that help quite a bit.

IIRC, the combination is something like Omega 3, Omega 6, and Rose oil. Something like that. There are some paxil hater forums that have some information about how to help with withdrawal.

 

[Soundmanred]

Originally posted by: cdmccool
Wow, I'm surprised to read about this. I was on Paxil for almost a year, and I quit cold turkey because I decided I did't want to be on medication anymore. I didn't experience any type of withdrawal whatsoever.

Same here, I didn't feel anything but the anxiety come back, but it was mild.

 

[Taejin]

Originally posted by: Leros
I don't have to time to research this right now as I'm about to leave, but there are some herbal-ish things you can take that help quite a bit.

IIRC, the combination is something like Omega 3, Omega 6, and Rose oil. Something like that. There are some paxil hater forums that have some information about how to help with withdrawal.

yes..time to start mixing home brew remedies with doctor prescribed drugs...

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Now that you have detoxed, its probaly best you never go back on it.

I'm with Scientology on this one, unless of course you are completely imbalanced to the point you re non-functional.

Gotta learn to cope with the anxiety by other methods than prescription drugs.

Why?

Give me ONE good reason why someone who is more functional on the medication shouldn't take it. It corrects chemical imbalances. Which is better: Imbalanced brains or balanced brains?

Allow a few analogies: Which is better: Blood sugar poisoning or taking insulin? Which is better: heart attacks or taking anti-coagulants? Which is better: Staph infections or taking penicillin?

Let's put it in ATOT-dumbass-friendly terms: Your argument is equivalent to saying "Users of old computers gotta learn to cope with the bloat of Windows Vista by other methods than upgrading their computers from Pentium II's." Sure they can "cope." They can sit around all fucking day waiting for spell check to run.

People with serotonin-related anxiety disorders can "cope," too. They can cut themselves, burn themselves, pull their hair out, develop social phobias, rip their nails off, have panic attacks, commit suicide, etc, etc. Yup, they can cope really well! They're WAY better off than they would be if they gave in to science propaganda and accepted... medical care! (THE HORROR!) :roll:

Come back when you've got your medical degree or ANY experience working as a mental health professional. Until then, shut the fuck up. I am not usually so blunt, but when people like you give out armchair advice that is actually DANGEROUS and could have a significantly negative affect on someone's life (or lead them to end it), I'm going to be blunt as a fucking baseball bat: You have no fucking idea what you are talking about. Read a fucking book. This is not a matter of opinion. This is not a debate. This is established medical necessity, no different than a broken bone.


OP: Yes, Paxil has known withdrawal symptoms, and yours are pretty classic. Your doctor/psychiatrist should have made that clear when you received your prescription, but either he didn't, or you forgot. Going cold turkey is not a good idea, as you found out. Glad to hear you are sorting it out. There's nothing wrong with stopping to re-establish your "baseline," but do it with the supervision and consent of your doctor to make it easier on yourself and make sure he can check on you to make sure you're doing ok.

<--Mental health specialist.

 

[theApp]

I got to enjoy withdraw from morphine/percocet/vicodin about 6 months ago due to a motorcycle wreck and following surgery and rehab. It was fun when I was taking the pills, but when I stopped, those days sucked.

 

[spidey07]

Oh and for reference not only am I fascinated by pharmacology/psychology as a hobby and the son of a wonderful doctor. You don't fuck around with these things. I'm extremely strong mentally - that's not a brag, just a preface.

I was on SSRIs for a few months because well the death of my mom and losing my wife within months of each other kinda threw me for a nasty loop. I didn't want to take the meds because I just don't like taking medication "just because".

What a world of hurt that was. Suicide started to become a real option for me and that scared the shit out of me. Don't fuck around with these drugs, no matter how strong you think you may be. I was 32 at the time of this. Don't fuck around with stopping medications like paxil or others (same class), the warnings are there for a reason.

 

[OUCaptain]

Never had it that bad. I'm on 20mg a day and go 2-3 without a dose every now and then. Any effects I do get are quickly gone a few minutes after a few hits off the pipe. I'll be going off it in a month or two after being on it for 6 months. The long term side effects being on it are worse than the short term getting off it. Pot has always done a better job of controlling the anxiety.

 

[Capt Caveman]

As mentioned already, the proper method of getting off one of these medications is to slowly wean yourself off it over several weeks. Work with your doctor to determine the proper dosages over that time.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: SsupernovaE
So I've been taking Paxil for a couple of years for generalized anxiety disorder and have never gone more than two days without a dose. Last Friday I ran out and didn't bother to pick up my refill thinking that I'd be fine for a few days.

Man, was I wrong. Yesterday, I ended up bedridden with cold sweats, shakes, severe anxiety attacks, feelings of electricity running through my fingertips, racing thoughts, vivid dreams, diarrhea, among other things. I've read that people have had similar experiences and that they were similar to heroine withdrawal.

Anybody else experienced anything like this?

but it's not an addictive drug or anything. :Q

yeh, i'm surprised you weren't told not to go off it cold turkey. you have to wean yourself off it. messing with brain chemicals is a bad thing.

 

[Jeff7]

I was taking Celexa for awhile. For one thing, it didn't really help much. Another, it made me yawn constantly.
I stopped taking it cold-turkey. I had headaches, was dizzy, and my skin felt oddly tingly for about a week before it finally stopped.

I had also been prescribed Wellbutrin. Within the first week, it gave me one hell of a grand-mal style seizure.


No more brain futzing drugs until the medical industry figures out what the hell they're doing.

 

[Aharami]

holy crap. thats some crazy shit

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I was taking Celexa for awhile. For one thing, it didn't really help much. Another, it made me yawn constantly.
I stopped taking it cold-turkey. I had headaches, was dizzy, and my skin felt oddly tingly for about a week before it finally stopped.

I had also been prescribed Wellbutrin. Within the first week, it gave me one hell of a grand-mal style seizure.


No more brain futzing drugs until the medical industry figures out what the hell they're doing.

CRAWLING IN MY SKIN..........

Congratulations, you experienced schizophrenic psychosis. Now take that feeling you had during that week and make it never end.

 

[IGBT]

..nasty crap. I hear fish oil caps have a prozac effect with no side effects and lots of beneficial effects for mind and heart.

 

[heathertre]

I was on it for about a year and decided I was ready to come off of it. My doctor weaned me off of them (after I realized I couldn't just stop taking them). Withdrawal symptoms are the worst. I will NEVER take Paxil again.

 

[lightstar]

it's serotonin withdrawal syndrome. . . .once you restart your meds, it will go away. best of luck

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I was taking Celexa for awhile. For one thing, it didn't really help much. Another, it made me yawn constantly.
I stopped taking it cold-turkey. I had headaches, was dizzy, and my skin felt oddly tingly for about a week before it finally stopped.

I had also been prescribed Wellbutrin. Within the first week, it gave me one hell of a grand-mal style seizure.


No more brain futzing drugs until the medical industry figures out what the hell they're doing.

With Celexa, you stupidly didn't consult your doctor on how to come off the drug.

Wellbutrin in a very minuscule amount of individuals will develop seizures.

Unfortunately, every individual's brain chemical composition varies and the only way to find a medication works is by trial and error.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
ith Celexa, you stupidly didn't consult your doctor on how to come off the drug.

Wellbutrin in a very minuscule amount of individuals will develop seizures.

Unfortunately, every individual's brain chemical composition varies and the only way to find a medication works is by trial and error.

No, he offered two options for stopping: Cold turkey, or gradually going off of it.

Is is not entirely stupid, k?


After the seizure, I wanted to get off of all the stuff as soon as I could. He said quitting cold turkey would cause withdrawal symptoms.
The OP asked "Ever experienced Paxil withdrawal?" I answered. Deal with it.