seppie - Paxil weaning

[seppie]

Hi all I am new here...I have been on Paxil for 10 years at 15 mg a day...I am sick of it and I am starting the weaning process...I started by cutting it back to 10 mg a day...today is day 4...I seem to be hanging in there....I have some nausa but for the most part seems ok I have the occasional dizzy spell...I am going to stay at this dose for 2 weeks and then reduce again...how where most of your guys first week? I know we are all different and for the most part feeling ok...I have read up on this a lot and got very scared at all the w/d symptoms so I am being very cautious...Thank you

[peggy]

Hey Seppie,

Welcome to the club!

 

You have been on paxil for a very long time and you have just taken a 33% drop in your dose. Most of us here suggest based on our own bad experiences and those of many others who have gone before us, that a 10% reduction is safer to avoid withdrawal symptoms. It appears that your nervous system can become sensitised to withdrawal stress and small reduction spaced out at least 3 weekly seem to be the best way to avoid this stress.

 

you can find some good information here about why tapering slowly is better and how to do this

tapering information

[Hamish]

Hello Seppie, I am also new to this board - this is my first comment. I must say that I absolutely agree with Peggy's comments re 33% reduction. The other thing that is important to understand is there is no fixed length of time for tapering - it varies between individuals. You should not make any further reductions until any/all withdrawal symptoms have completely subsided for at least several weeks - until your brain has readjusted. Important to know that Paxil is considered to be the most potent of all SSRIs. So be patient and be sure you have someone close who knows what you are doing. If you are having significant difficulty you should contact your doctor. It may also be helpful for you to read the book by Dr. Joseph Glenmullen , The Antidepressant Solution.

 

Best Wishes

Hamish

[Jemima]

Seppie,

 

I very strongly recommend that you back up and take no less than 13 mg. for a month, preferably 14 mg. You are tapering way too fast and asking for trouble. While you may be one of the lucky ones who can get off an antidepressant quickly with no problems, there's no point in taking a chance with your central nervous system. I "tapered" off of 10 mg. Lexapro for three and a half months starting in September 2011, and have gone through a year of sickness and emotional upheaval because that was too fast a "taper" - more like falling down the stairs head first rather than gracefully gliding down. Please note that my first week off of Lexapro wasn't bad at all. It took three to four weeks for really bad withdrawal to set in.

 

Antidepressants change the structure of the brain and that is what causes problems in withdrawal if the drug is withdrawn too fast. Getting the drug out of your system as fast as possible is not going to make withdrawal go faster, it will make it worse and longer. Your brain needs the chemical support of that drug - in gradually decreasing amounts - while it gets back to normal. And Paxil is probably the worst of all the antidepressants ever put on the market when it comes to side effects and withdrawal problems.

 

Please stop and consider what you may be doing to yourself and read this: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/300-important-topics-in-the-tapering-forum/

[Jemima]

Hello Seppie, I am also new to this board - this is my first comment. I must say that I absolutely agree with Peggy's comments re 33% reduction. The other thing that is important to understand is there is no fixed length of time for tapering - it varies between individuals. You should not make any further reductions until any/all withdrawal symptoms have completely subsided for at least several weeks - until your brain has readjusted. Important to know that Paxil is considered to be the most potent of all SSRIs. So be patient and be sure you have someone close who knows what you are doing. If you are having significant difficulty you should contact your doctor. It may also be helpful for you to read the book by Dr. Joseph Glenmullen , The Antidepressant Solution.

 

Best Wishes

Hamish

 

Hamish,

 

When you have a chance, please tell us about yourself in the Introduction and updates section.

[strawberry17]

Welcome Seppie, absolutely agree with what the others said, you really need to slow it right down. There is loads of information in the tapering forum here.

[basildev]

Hi Seppie,

 

Welcome to the community.

 

As a fellow citalopram 'addict', I agree 100% with what others have already said. Go slower.

 

The thing about WD symptoms is they are very sneaky;

 

you can feel fine for a while and you may even get to the stage where you think the symptoms have subsided. Then they come back to bite you even worse than before.

 

I wish you all the best.

[Nikki]

Hi Seppie....

 

I took Paxil for nine years a number of years back. It can be for most a difficult drug to get off of.

 

It was the WD from this drug that started two support group websites.

 

There are people who can drop large doses and get off of it with virtually no backlash.

You may be one of them....Bless your heart.

 

However, and here is the big However, most people do suffer with problems. I was unable to get off Paxil and switched over to Lexapro (a whole different Chapter and Verse).

 

You were only on 15mgs. which is great. Most of us were on 40mgs. or more.

 

Paxil can cause WD two weeks after a drop in dose. Soooo, please don't make another cut for a good long time (two months or so).

 

Just don't want to see someone else suffer needlessly

 

Nikki

[seppie]

Hi everyone thank you for all the info...I am feeling fine at the 10 mg. its been 7 days now...I plan to stay right here for at least 3 more weeks I am terrified of the w/d...I haven't had to much in the way of them yet and I don't want to so I will stay at this dose until mid January and then decrease it by very minimal amounts for several weeks at a time...I am just so mad that no one bothered to tell us how bad this crap really is...I really want off asap but I was on it for ten years so taking several months to get off should be fine...I HOPE!

 

maybe from the 10 mg to 7.5 mg but thats hard to guage with pills any advise...no liquid here...thank you all so very much!

[seppie]

I hope i am replying in the right spot im am new here and not to familiar with the postings...

[seppie]

Hi everyone I have been taking Paxil for roughly 10 years....about 10 years ago we lost 8 people in 18 months in my family...it was a very very sad several months needless to say after going to the doc they put me on Paxil...I was originally on 30 mg daily....about five years ago I started taking only a half dose as I felt I didn't need the whole dose...I have been taking 15 mg daily for about 4-5 years now...I hate it and I want off of it! So here I am doing the weaning process...I have started to take 10 mg daily starting last Sunday the 9th of Dec 2012 so far so good I am feeling fine...I have read all the posts and plan to stay at this dose for at least 3 more weeks I am terrified of getting withdrawals....I appreciate all the advise and info here thank you all so very much!

 

Paxil 30mg 5 years

paxil 15 for 5 years

paxil 10 mg since 12/9/12

[Altostrata]

seppie, I merged your new topic with this one. Each person has only one topic in the Intro forum.

 

Please bookmark this topic so you can add to it.

 

We recommend a 10% taper, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

Paxil comes in a liquid with prescription from the pharmacy. This would make tapering easier.

[seppie]

Ok how do I bookmark it? sorry

[Altostrata]

Look up at the top of your browser, click on the Bookmarks menu, click on Bookmark Page (or equivalent choices).

 

I added to my earlier post while you were posting, please read.

[seppie]

Since I have reduced down my paxil from 15 mg to 10 mg 7 days ago my hearing seems to be getting better....I can hear all kinds of things and I have noticed that to much loudness really gets on my nerves....anyone else have any symptoms like this....I do like the clear hearing though!

[Altostrata]

It sounds like your hearing might have become a little hypersensitive.

 

If I were you, I'd taper a little more slowly. If you get very sensitive, sounds will be painful to you.

 

Please add new posts to this topic, your Intro topic. Thank you.

[basildev]

Hi Seppie,

 

Any kind of stimulation makes me agitated, especially at night. I HATE loud noises and especially hate loud music. But I don't think that's a WD side effect, just maybe I'm getting older:)

 

I find especially at night I have to turn the lights right down (no TV) and reduce all stimulation or I get a feeling of agitation/anxiety and just not feeling quite right.

[areyouthere]

My startle response intensifies toward afternoon & I do not like the TV on much at all in the evenings. This is different and a result I think from tapering.