Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted April 21, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 21, 2015 Good decision JLynn. It sounds like you've given it alot of careful consideration , and you're improving since increasing the paroxetine. Give yourself a good long while before tapering. You've had a rough few months since you started tapering , and your brain needs a chance to stabilize. Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted April 21, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 21, 2015 I'm so glad you are starting to get some good relief from symptoms! 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment
Jonesy3 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 So proud of you JLynn! "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" - James 1:5 And it sounds like that's just what you did! Keep your eyes on Him! I know first hand how much this process can shake you to your core. I lived in utter, hourly hell for four years (I had no idea my symptoms were caused by getting off meds cold turkey as my protracted withdrawal took awhile to kick in). I spent countless amount of money and time at tons of different doctors trying to figure out what was wrong with me! All at the age of 24! I was a young married with a new baby! It was horrible. But God never left me and he won't you either! You've got this! I will be praying for your journey! Xoxo, Lindsay *2000: Started Paxil CR 20 mcg at age 13 *Fall 2009: Came off Paxil CR 20 mcg cold-turkey *Summer 2012: Reinstated Paxil CR 20 mcg *April 2015: Started taper from 20mcg *August 2015: Currently on 16mcg Link to comment
Jlynn Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 Update: Wanted to give an update and continue to document my journey Saw my doctor a few days ago and I thought we had a great relationship going and were working through this. She seemed to be listening and caring about my situation. Guess I judged wrong. During my last appointment she had a list of things she thought we needed to do. She was still pushing to get me switched over to Prozac and when I told her I did not want to do that she acted like I was challenging her decisions. Since my stomach has been acting up since I went into withdrawal she wanted me to go though all of these expensive tests because she thinks something else is wrong with it. She also was talking about the symptoms as being possibly mental issues coming back, despite the fact that I have told her I have never had anxiety and panic before in my life. I tried discussing all of the information I had sent to her and about slow tapers and she pretty much admitted she didn't really look at them and had talked to someone from mental health and was taking his advice on what to do. I left her office and I am not going back to her ever. I then made an appointment with a doctor that several people in my small town have said is awesome and I was able to see him the next day. I have worked with him in my profession before and he is really nice to work with so I gave it a try. He has a psychiatric nurse practitioner on his staff and they both sat down with me for almost TWO hours and looked at everything I printed off from here, my symptoms, my medical history and the 10% reduction plan. They were both very supportive and willing to assist me. The NP has had patients take years to come off these drugs and was not surprised by anything I told her. We made a plan to meet again the end of July after giving my brain a break and then talking about starting a taper in August again. On a happier note it took 25-30 days for the reinstatement to kick in but I am happy to report after that period of time I am having very minimal issues from the abrupt withdrawal. Mostly insomnia and neck and shoulder muscle tension. I am happy with the information and knowledge I have learned here and feel much better about the future! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Prestorb Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Good for you JLynn! Sounds like you have a good, solid plan and folks that will support you in your efforts. Hang in there! 2005-2009, Lexapro 10 - 20 mg, CT WD w/severe depression and anxiety: 2010-2015, Paxil, 30 - 40 mg, tapered off at 10 mg/week, moderate anxiety and depression: 2010-2015, Clonozapam 0.25 mg, as needed for anxiety and sleep: 1/10/2015, Zoloft 25 mg, tried to increase to 50 and 75, but nausea and dizziness: 2/13/2015, Paxil 5 mg, added back after 2 weeks at zero to reduce WD: 2/28/2015, Paxil 10 mg, increased from 5 mg to reduce WD, HOLDING: 3/04/2015, Zoloft discontinued (reduced to ~12.5 mg on 2/19, ~6.25 mg on 2/26, then zero): 4/26/2015, Paxil starting 10% taper (no scale so was inadvertently at 20% taper, yikes!): 4/30/2015, Paxil 10 mg, reinstated (WD disappeared between August 2015 and May 2016) 5/02/2016, Started 10% taper, reinstated to 10 mg on 5/11/16: 4/29/2017, Last dose of Paxil (working with holistic psychiatrist, lots of supplements to aid WD): Primary symptoms: apathy, demotivation, anhedonia, fatigue, stress intolerance, moderate social anxiety 7/1/2018 Finally feeling like myself again, success!!! Praise God! Even with the stress of relocating recently, I am feeling pretty good most of the time now. Granted, I eat healthy, I exercise, I don't drink caffeine or alcohol and I try hard find a healthy balance of quiet and social times. Hang in there and keep the faith, you can do it too! Link to comment
Jlynn Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 August will be the first step in my new journey! I am now better informed, educated, and stronger than I was before. It took a month to recover from reinstatement in April and I have been feeling good since then. I have a couple of big events coming up and want to be totally recovered before I begin again. It also helped me realize how much Paxil changed me. Once back to "normal" I was once again feeling like a zombie of no emotions and wanting to eat everything in sight. Now I have the information from all of you and a new doctor who is completely on board. I will be starting with the 10% recommendation with the liquid and adjusting that based on how I feel and my symptoms. I am looking at over two years to get off but I am more than fine with that! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
naturegirl Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Thanks for posting on my thread the other day, Jlynn! I am feeling better and am glad to read that you are stabilizing as well, and have a solid plan in place. We will get through this, and some day it will all be a distant memory. Take care! Approximately 6 years ago, recovered from a horrific multi-year psychiatric med withdrawal including several benzos and antidepressants. Went on to have 2 beautiful babies, fulfilling my dream. Never thought i would be in this situation again.... Started having severe insomnia and anxiety linked to my cycle. Took excessive amounts of melatonin to combat it, I believe this worsened everything. Sought help and was given: April to may 2022- gabapentin 300mg, trazodone 25-75mg x 1 week. Hydroxyzine 50mg 1 dose. Ambien 10mg 2 doses. Doxepin 25mg 1 dose. Seroquel 1 dose. Carbemazepine in ER x 1 dose for tremors from 1 week of gabapentin. May 22-June 23 2022- prozac 3.2mg x 2 weeks, 5mg x 2 weeks, 2.5mg x 1 week, stop. Also mirtazapine 1.87mg-3.75mg x 2 weeks to deal with prozac insomnia. Also 3 doses lorazepam 0.5mg to deal with severe akathisia from prozac. Benzos are a huge no-no for me due to past accidental dependence. Off everything including melatonin supplement as of June 23 2022. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Doctors appointment tomorrow to finalize and discuss new taper commencing in August. Fingers crossed the Dr. is still supportive and has researched like he promised. I will admit I am really terrified to begin tapering again after how poorly things went last time. I know it is an irrational fear since I have great information and a good plan now but still thinking back on how awful the experience was does scare me a bit. I just have to keep remembering to stay focused and positive! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted July 24, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 24, 2015 Hey JLynn - back to a doctor? I thought the Psych NP was taking care of you? Or are you seeing a doctor for something else? Doctors sometimes feel so "exceptional." After all, they did the hard yards of school and internship, and never mind that it's YOUR body....anyhow, how is it going with the new doc? Are you on liquid or tablets now? Are you going back to liquid to taper? The tummy thing is, well, normal in withdrawal. Sad to say, it destroys our digestion, along with mitochondria, and our gut biome suffers, too. You sound ready for August! All planned out and everything? Remember - don't put your body on a schedule - if you need to hold at a certain dose, then hold for another week, 2 weeks, even another month. It's okay to hold, and as you know, better to have fewer symptoms, less crashes, than to get off sooner. Sooner is not better - sometimes it's worse! I love the portrait of your doggy. Beautiful work! "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment
Jlynn Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Thanks Jan! I did see the MD this time. His PNP only works in the office two days a week and I will be talking to her whenever I need to but for the prescription I just saw him. He did agree to the divided doses so he gave me 10 mg pills and the liquid for the taper. I have never had a problem switching between liquid and pills but even with my insurance the cost of the liquid is really high. Got my dosing all figured out for 10% decreases of the current dose and have not really set a time frame other than starting with a month at the first drop and see how that goes. Got a journal too so I can track symptoms and hopefully that will help me with a pattern to know if I need to slow down even more. I am excited and terrified all at the same time lol. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted July 30, 2015 Administrator Share Posted July 30, 2015 Wow, that new doctor and NP seem quite supportive. If you can recommend the office, please post contact information here http://tinyurl.com/7cp8l8v Once consolation: That bottle of liquid probably will last you for more than a month. You may wish to get chiropractic or acupuncture for the muscle tension, be sure that settles down before tapering. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 I spent most of the day talking myself in and out of starting my taper yesterday. Last night when I was taking my other meds I just did it! I made a drop from 20 mg to 18. Whew that was hard. I was so scared to take that first step. I am still nervous about it but at least it is done and I can start charting any symptoms and moving forward. I have a bit of a headache this morning in my frontal lobe but that could also be contributed to dehydration as I just realized an hour ago I have not had that much water. Working on that. My fear right now is just of the unknown. After how bad the withdrawal crash was back in March I just worry that will happen again. Realistically I know the chances of symptoms that bad are minimal with the slow taper, it is still there. I was at a conference this weekend and one of the speakers said something interesting she heard from someone else she has heard speak. "Emotions don't have a brain. They are reactors. They may respond to truth, but they may also respond to lies with the same passion and conviction." 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Three days since my first drop. Overall feeling pretty good. Vivid dreams and a bit of a lingering headache the last couple of days. I noticed yesterday and today I have had some frustration/irritability over small trivial things. I have discovered I am looking closely at everything so it is hard to tell if it is the medication change or just the stress of the day lol. I did discover an app called Optimism that I have been using to track my moods and it will give me a report at the end of the week. It is pretty cool and is handy when I am out and about and what to note a change or emotion. So far so good! Fingers crossed. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 Day 6 since lowering my dose from 20 to 18. Feeling pretty good overall. Headache has eased but I did have some stomach upset today that was out of the norm and a little flu feeling. Reading the book The Antidepressant Solution, and while I don't feel I could taper as fast as he recommends it is full of good information. I would say feeling good overall so far that is a relief for me. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Mentor ang Posted August 15, 2015 Mentor Share Posted August 15, 2015 Hi J lynn just reading through your thread, nice to see you have a solid plan..... I just wondered, you wrote "while you were taking your other meds"......... what other medications are you on besides the paxil? 1992 Dothiepin 375mg 8 weeks, exhaustion/depression. Serotonin syndrome, oh yes! seizures . Fell pregnant, 3rd baby, Nitrous Oxide, 3 weeks mental hospital pp psychosis. zoloft tegretol. Feb 1996 ct tegretol, tapered Zoloft 8 weeks. as (unexpectedly) pregnant. Steven died after 3 days.(Zolft HLHS baby). 98 had run in with Paxil, 2 tablets, 3 weeks taper, survived.2005..menopause? exhausted again. Zyprexa, mad in three days, fallout.... Seroquel, Effexor, tegretol, and 8 years of self destruction. Failed taper.Damn 1/4 valium... nuts again! .fallout, zoloft 100mg seroquol 400mg mirtazapine 45 mg tegretol 400mg. Mid 14 3 month taper. Nov 14 CRASH.Mid 15 .... 75mg seroquel, 3 x 1800mg SJW 2 week window end of December followed by 6 week wave5/2 68mg seroquel, 2.5 x 1800mg SJW::::20/2 61mg seroquel, 2.5 x SJW::: 26/2 54mg seroquel, 2 x SJW::::21/3 43mg seroquel, 1 x 2700SJW :::: 23/4 36mg seroquel 1 x 1800 SJW15/5 33mg seroquel, 1 x SJW:::: 28/5 30mg seroquel, 1 x SJW::::; 18/6 25mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::::, 11/7 21mg seroquel 1/2 SJW::, 26/7 18mg seroquel 1/2 SJW:::, 9/8 12mg seroquel :::, 16/8 6mg seroquel ;;;;, 12/9 0 jump. 23/9 3mg....., 27/9 0mg. Reinstated, 6mg, then 12mg............. LIGHTBULB MOMENT, I have MTHFR 2x mutations. CFS and issues with MOULD in my home. So I left home, and working 150km away during week, loving it. Oh was hard, panic attacks first week, gone now, along with the mould issues. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 Hi Silver, I take a thyroid medication that I have been on for a while and a birth control pill nightly. Have been on both for a long time along with the occasional use of flonase for allergies. I also take a multi-vitamin and fish oil daily. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 Almost two weeks since my drop and seems like almost everything has completely subsided. Do have an occasion of light headed and mild ringing in the ears which goes away within a few minutes. I am curious: I am charting my symptoms daily and wondering if after doing this for a few 10% (current dose) reduction drops every 30 days or so, will this give me a pretty good idea on what to expect for the rest of the taper give or take with symptoms? 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted August 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 22, 2015 Everyone is different Jlynn, so its difficult to know if what you are experiencing now is how it will be for the remainder of your taper. Some people find that as the dose gets lower, symptoms start to occur and the taper needs to slow down, either by making smaller cuts or doing longer holds. Keep good notes and be guided by your body and symptoms and you will be fine. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Jlynn Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Thanks Petunia! Finishing up week 3 of my first drop and so far good overall. I did have two episodes of severe lightheaded issues. If I had to describe it I would say it felt like my brain was trying to get out of my skull. They lasted less than a minute and I really focused on hydrating after that just in case. Also had a couple times of clicking or ringing in my ears. They to subsided quickly and one of the times I realized I had not taken my fish oil for two days. Been feeling a very mild flu like for the last two days, noting it in my symptoms but there is a bad flu bug going around my community as well so time will tell. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 Struggling with figuring out how to dose my next drop. I am on a divided dose of 10mg pill and the rest in liquid. My next drop is supposed to be 16.2 mg. That would be 10 mg pill and 3.1 ml liquid. I have a 1,3,5 ml syringe. The 1 & 3 ml syringes each tick is 0.1. The 5 mg is 0.2. The three is to small for the 3.1 dose and the 5 doesn't measure a .01 like I need. So looking for suggestions. I can only see doing either a drop to 16 mg or a drop to 16.4 unless I am not seeing this correctly. The liquid dose for those that don't know is 2 mg/1 ml. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Tonight will be 30 days since my drop. Symptoms were mild and seemed to have subsided. No real reason not to drop to 16.4 mg other than I am scared! I am sure I will talk myself into it tomorrow. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted September 12, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 12, 2015 I'm sorry you didn't get a response to your request for suggestions. Did you decide to drop to 16.4? That's probably what I would have done, make the cut a little smaller to be on the safe side. How did it go? I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Jlynn Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Yes that is what I decided to do for both convenience and to be safe. Day three and other than feeling a little dizzy and tired all seems to be going okay with this drop so far. I would rather go less than 10% than more at this point in the game! 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
LoveandLight Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Sounds like your doing well . X 2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare! On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect. Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan. Nightmare that could have been avoided! Link to comment
Jlynn Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 Day 12 at 16.4 mg This drop has been a bit rougher than the last one was. Noticeable dizziness and swaying sensation along with the headache. All of that feels like it is coming from the frontal lobe and I would rate it in the high minor to low moderate symptom wise. Insomnia has popped up badly the last week. I have noticed this week whenever my husband is around me I suddenly become very irritated and semi aggressive with him. Nothing he is doing has changed, just something I have started feeling. Has been a very stressful couple of weeks both at work and at home so that might be contributing to it as well. Mostly the dizziness is what bothers me the most. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted September 27, 2015 Author Share Posted September 27, 2015 18 days into the 16.4 drop and I am still struggling with the dizziness and swaying sensation. That and being really low on energy and my main complaints. I am a very visual person so I have created a couple of charts and graphs to track my symptoms and the last week or so the numbers have been all over the place. It has not been so serious that I have had to change my lifestyle and schedule but there enough that it has made it a struggle. Don't remember being this dizzy when I tapered to fast even. Strange things these withdrawal symptoms. I have had insomnia pretty bad the last couple of weeks and have had to take a half tablet of Ambien a few times. I hope this is not contributing to my dizziness? I have taken it as needed for years. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Prestorb Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Hi Jlynn, those symptoms sound pretty normal I think, hang in there! Sometimes, there is no real rhyme or reason to the symptoms each of us experience. We are all different. Which makes it frustrating, but try to accept yours as they are and let them run their course. They will subside eventually, hang in there, seems like you are doing great with taking it slow! :-) 2005-2009, Lexapro 10 - 20 mg, CT WD w/severe depression and anxiety: 2010-2015, Paxil, 30 - 40 mg, tapered off at 10 mg/week, moderate anxiety and depression: 2010-2015, Clonozapam 0.25 mg, as needed for anxiety and sleep: 1/10/2015, Zoloft 25 mg, tried to increase to 50 and 75, but nausea and dizziness: 2/13/2015, Paxil 5 mg, added back after 2 weeks at zero to reduce WD: 2/28/2015, Paxil 10 mg, increased from 5 mg to reduce WD, HOLDING: 3/04/2015, Zoloft discontinued (reduced to ~12.5 mg on 2/19, ~6.25 mg on 2/26, then zero): 4/26/2015, Paxil starting 10% taper (no scale so was inadvertently at 20% taper, yikes!): 4/30/2015, Paxil 10 mg, reinstated (WD disappeared between August 2015 and May 2016) 5/02/2016, Started 10% taper, reinstated to 10 mg on 5/11/16: 4/29/2017, Last dose of Paxil (working with holistic psychiatrist, lots of supplements to aid WD): Primary symptoms: apathy, demotivation, anhedonia, fatigue, stress intolerance, moderate social anxiety 7/1/2018 Finally feeling like myself again, success!!! Praise God! Even with the stress of relocating recently, I am feeling pretty good most of the time now. Granted, I eat healthy, I exercise, I don't drink caffeine or alcohol and I try hard find a healthy balance of quiet and social times. Hang in there and keep the faith, you can do it too! Link to comment
Jlynn Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 This story really bothers me to no end. I can't beleive doctors and big pharma choose to ignore it. http://www.infowars.com/every-mass-shooting-shares-one-thing-in-common-its-not-weapons-2/ 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
quitpaxil2015 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Jlynn, this is quitpaxil2015. I just want to thank you for your support. This morning was rough and so was the afternoon, but I had an okay window when I got home and even enjoyed (this is too strong a word) dinner. I was able to eat without having to choke the food down for the first time in 5 days. I am still hoping to stabilize at 10 mg... I just read your thread and wanted to say I am sorry for all that you suffered. Username: quitpaxil2015 - Started antidepressants sometime in 1990. Misdiagnosed with Bipolar, but later with thyroid disease in1998 (8 years of being on several different psychiatric meds with several psychiatric hospitalizations). Total thyroidectomy in 1999. At the time, was on 85 mg of Paxil. In 2001, tried to get off Paxil and had car crash due to vertigo and w/d symptoms. Given more psychiatric meds including Prozac and Trazodone to treat SEVERE w/d from Paxil - which is the only reason I still take Paxil. Tried to taper off Paxil again in 2004 - from 25 mg to 20 mg (5 mg cuts) - had to go back on 25 mg on the 10th day of the taper due to inability to function (dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, crying spells, depersonalization, etc). Currently on Paxil 25 mg and Trazodone 100 mg. Trying to quit Paxil in 2015. April 22, 2015 - Paxil 22.5 mg. May 13, 2015 Paxil 20 mg. June 3, 2015 - Paxil 17.5 mg. June 24, 2015 - Paxil 15 mg. Don't remember - 12.5 mg. August 5, 2015 - Paxil 10 mg. September 16, 2015 - 7.5 mg (considering going back up - severe anxiety/panic) September 28, 2015 - back up to 10 mg. October 6, 2015 - back up to 15 mg. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted October 3, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 3, 2015 "Emotions don't have a brain. They are reactors. They may respond to truth, but they may also respond to lies with the same passion and conviction." This is SO true! And yet, we let ourselves be buffeted about by the emotions regardless of the rightness or wrongness of the stimulus they are reacting to! I'm greatly relieved at how carefully you are taking this taper. Slow and steady, wins the race! Remember, every taper is different - because this is not your first attempt to get off the drug - it seems that, like yo-yo dieting - successive attempts can be more stressful than the inital ones. You are no longer withdrawal innocent. It's good that you are listening to your body, and your symptoms. Have you found things that help? Do you like to sew or knit or do craft of any sort? Are you active in a church? Can you go to church with your symptoms? What about prayer and meditation? Please share what is working for you - this forum is not just about the drugs - but also about the non-drug things that can help us cope with the difficult times - and even can help us turn around the emotions and personality that drove us to the drugs in the beginning. Look here, to see if anything can help you through to the next taper: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/ PS - these various techniques also help with physical symptoms, too! "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment
quitpaxil2015 Posted October 5, 2015 Share Posted October 5, 2015 Hi Jlynn, Just dropping by to check in with you and offer support..how have you been feeling? How is the dizziness? Hope it is better. Username: quitpaxil2015 - Started antidepressants sometime in 1990. Misdiagnosed with Bipolar, but later with thyroid disease in1998 (8 years of being on several different psychiatric meds with several psychiatric hospitalizations). Total thyroidectomy in 1999. At the time, was on 85 mg of Paxil. In 2001, tried to get off Paxil and had car crash due to vertigo and w/d symptoms. Given more psychiatric meds including Prozac and Trazodone to treat SEVERE w/d from Paxil - which is the only reason I still take Paxil. Tried to taper off Paxil again in 2004 - from 25 mg to 20 mg (5 mg cuts) - had to go back on 25 mg on the 10th day of the taper due to inability to function (dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, crying spells, depersonalization, etc). Currently on Paxil 25 mg and Trazodone 100 mg. Trying to quit Paxil in 2015. April 22, 2015 - Paxil 22.5 mg. May 13, 2015 Paxil 20 mg. June 3, 2015 - Paxil 17.5 mg. June 24, 2015 - Paxil 15 mg. Don't remember - 12.5 mg. August 5, 2015 - Paxil 10 mg. September 16, 2015 - 7.5 mg (considering going back up - severe anxiety/panic) September 28, 2015 - back up to 10 mg. October 6, 2015 - back up to 15 mg. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 Thanks guys! I am doing pretty well. The dizziness is still sticking around but it has eased noticeably over the week. Seems to come on more in the evening. Overall I would say my symptoms for the last couple of days have been 1-2 on the 10 scale. I think as long as they stay this mild I will continue on with my 30 day drop this Friday and see if I can tolerate another drop with the same mild symptoms. I have been using a lot of different things to cope, some of which I learned worked for me during my horrible withdrawal. I walk everyday for at least 2-3 miles if not more. We have a young dog so that gets me up and moving. Three days a week I do crossfit which I believe helps me with the stress build up. I take a multivitamin every morning. My stomach can't tolerate taking vitamin pills so I take a powder that is mixed with water called Isotonix. I take fish oil and pro-biotic every day. Epsom salt baths about three times a week. Melotonin at night unless the insomnia is bad and then I take half an ambien. I do chiropractic adjustments a couple times a month and a massage once a month. I am still having symptoms but they are tolerable and I can still live my life with them. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
quitpaxil2015 Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Hi Jlynn, so glad you are doing better. I am wondering if it might be best until all symptoms are gone before dropping again? Either way, I think you've got a great plan with all that you are doing to get through this. Thank you for your support! Username: quitpaxil2015 - Started antidepressants sometime in 1990. Misdiagnosed with Bipolar, but later with thyroid disease in1998 (8 years of being on several different psychiatric meds with several psychiatric hospitalizations). Total thyroidectomy in 1999. At the time, was on 85 mg of Paxil. In 2001, tried to get off Paxil and had car crash due to vertigo and w/d symptoms. Given more psychiatric meds including Prozac and Trazodone to treat SEVERE w/d from Paxil - which is the only reason I still take Paxil. Tried to taper off Paxil again in 2004 - from 25 mg to 20 mg (5 mg cuts) - had to go back on 25 mg on the 10th day of the taper due to inability to function (dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, crying spells, depersonalization, etc). Currently on Paxil 25 mg and Trazodone 100 mg. Trying to quit Paxil in 2015. April 22, 2015 - Paxil 22.5 mg. May 13, 2015 Paxil 20 mg. June 3, 2015 - Paxil 17.5 mg. June 24, 2015 - Paxil 15 mg. Don't remember - 12.5 mg. August 5, 2015 - Paxil 10 mg. September 16, 2015 - 7.5 mg (considering going back up - severe anxiety/panic) September 28, 2015 - back up to 10 mg. October 6, 2015 - back up to 15 mg. Link to comment
Jlynn Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 Did another drop last night to 15 mg. It was not 10% from 16.4 but it is more like 8% or so. Mostly I did 15 instead of 14.8 for convenience since I can just take 1 and 1/2 tablet instead of any liquid. I actually felt better today than I did the whole time I was on 16.4 with minimal to no dizziness so far, unlike the constant at 16.4. Fingers crossed it stays that way. I have found for sure that I am okay with being more patient and making smaller drops in an effort to avoid the hell I went through as long as I am moving in the direction of getting free of the drug. I don't care how long it takes. 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Jlynn Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 Dizziness seems to be coming on in the evening after 3 pm the last couple of weeks. Fine all day and then suddenly everything is swaying. My husband uses lemon balm for his cold sores and when I was picking it up and the health food store for him I noticed the bottle says "Nervous System-Calming". Any one ever used this and have any feedback? 40 years old and have been on 20 mg of Paxil for the last 19 years. Multiple unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years.01/2015 Was tapering using liquid Paxil. MD has prescribed 1 ml = 2mg taper every two weeks or once withdrawal symptoms at that dose subside. Reduced from 20 to 10 mg using this method and at 10 mg severe withdrawal set in. 1.5 months of pure hell. Found SA, learned what was happening, and reinstated to 20 mg. After a month of severe symptoms recovered with the reinstatement. Fish oil - Multi Vitamin - Pro-biotic, amino-acid/B Vitamin supplement every day. Magnesium as needed.08/09/15 - 18 mg - 09/08/15 - 16.4 mg - 10/10/15 - 15 mg - 01/02/16 - 13.6 mg 02/15/16 - 12.0 mg - Bad symptom flare up 40 days into drop - Dizziness, panic/anxiety, overheating (esp at night), low appetite, headache, insomnia with bizarre dreams, internal shaking. 04/16/16 - 11mg - 7/17/16 - 10 mg holding..... Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 13, 2015 Administrator Share Posted October 13, 2015 How long does the dizziness last? Some people like lemon balm tea. Please use search in the Symptoms forum or, if there's no topic already, do some Googling and tell us what you find out about lemon balm. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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