Isabella: Wants to taper generic Paxil, 10mg - started taking on 5/1/17

[Isabella]

Hi all,  

 

Just wanted to introduce myself, I'm a new user and new to SSRIs. I just start Paroxetine on 5/1/17 as part of treatment for PMDD, which has been exacerbated post-partum. My daughter is 16 months and I felt very strongly that it was time to deal with the returning depression that I have had and ignored for 10 years. Being pregnant was the best mood stabilizer I had experienced in a long time and it taught me that I could feel better and be a better version of myself. But now I've started Dr. Kelly Brogan's book "Mind of Our Own" and though I knew that I never wanted to be on an SSRI permanently, I want to begin tapering ASAP. I haven't been on this medication too long and I am so hoping that this makes tapering—albeit slowly—consequence free.  

 

Advice, recommendations, etc. are welcome. 

 

Isabella

 

 

[scallywag]

Isabella -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

It's great that you're gathering information about getting yourself OFF paroxetine (Paxil) before you start reducing the dose or discontinuing. Many doctors do not understand that some people, if not most, need to taper much more slowly than is usually suggested.

 

Our brain and the rest of our CNS (central nervous system) adapt very quickly to these medications. Some people have difficulty discontinuing after only 3 weeks, sadly.  Withdrawal or discontinuation symptoms can be severe and can last a very long time.  Time on a medication *appears* to have a relationship with the intensity and duration of symptoms.  Unfortunately short-term exposure is not a guarantee of an easy taper.

 

To minimize the risk of symptoms, we suggest that people taper by reducing their dose by no more than 10% and make such decreases no more often than 1/month. Please read:

Before you begin tapering -- what you need to know.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?. -- if you're pressed for time, read the first post; it is the most important one.

Also relevant for you: Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

What part of Dr. Brogan's recommendations have you been following?

 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.
   

 

This is YOUR introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.

 

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by scallywag
too many instances of "unfortunately", unfortunately :D

[nz11]

Isabella Wecome

SW gave you some great info. and insight .

 

Any update.

nz11

[Isabella]

Hi, I've added my signature, hopefully it works now. 

 

I've never been part of a community in which someone has checked up on my personal progress. That is pretty cool, thank you NZ11. 

 

I've tapered down from 10mg to 8mg. I did this a little faster than Scallywag recommended but have found no changes in mood or sleep or appetite. I'm still working on my consistency though, I sometimes forget to setup my oral suspension and then have to rush to crush the remainder of the pill which hasn't dissolved or like last night, I just totally forgot to setup the oral suspension during the day so I didn't take it before bed and then I forgot to take it until late morning. I know consistency is key, so this is not great habit-formation. I do feel ok though overall. The slow, conservative approach to getting off of medication is comforting and stabilizing for me. I know I am doing what's best for my body and mind. I'm also improving my diet and extending self care to other parts of my life. I got a massage for the first time from a professional massage therapist after a year of neck and back pain. These actions increase self awareness and help me incorporate reflection into my life in a way that will help me notice any changes as part of tapering and prevent relapse into medication again. I hope at least. 

 

I'm reading Dr. Brogan's book slowly, so I'm not just following her recommendations whole. The chapter on tapering is at the end of the book, so I haven't even gotten to her tapering suggestions, I'm just following the recs here. I am making improvements to my diet, she also recommends removing endocrine disruptors in your household (mostly cleaning and food storage and beauty/body products), which I have started doing and will continue to move towards. 

 

I think the biggest thing I need to work on is the consistency of dosage, forming good habits so that by the time I've cut my dosage in half I take it around the same time and with the same amount every day. 

 

Does this raise any red flags in your experience, NZ11? 

 

Thanks, 

 

Isabella

[Isabella]

Oh, and I will add in response to Scallywag's question, I have never been on any pysch meds before only a prescription multivitamin and (a long, long time ago) birth control. 

[nz11]

Sounds like you got it sorted Isabella.

[Isabella]

Hi all, I think I just felt my first brain zap. Not painful, but different than a brain freeze from eating something cold. I only had one and it's the first time, do I need to change anything about my taper as a result? I messed up last night as I've mentioned I have issues with.... forgot to do my suspension and had to approximate my dosage with shaving down the tablet. I do that with a nail file and then take the tablet. Argh, not sure what the best next step is with this.... just keep going at 8mg? 

[scallywag]

Just keep going at your planned taper dose.  You may have a few symptoms come up because of the day you took paroxetine as a shaved tablet; you may not. If you do, be patient -- those symptoms will pass.

[nz11]

How you doing Isabella any update?

What do you think of the survey?