Paroxetina: could it be paroxetine and not withdrawal?

[Paroxetina]

Hello forum!

 

Female, 33, Sweden. Have been on Paroxetine, 20mg, for more than 5 years.

 

In April 2017 I had my first major panic attack and ended up in the ER. My life completely changed and I developed panic disorder along with some GAD. Though the GAD may have been the underlying cause of panic, I don't really know. Since September 2017 I have been reducing my dose of Paroxetine, and am now on 10mg. Somewhere in December I got down to 10mg and thought I'd wait until I'm stable at this dose before continuing my taper.

 

I have been using the Claire Weekes-method of trying to completely relax in the face of panic, and I seem to only have smaller attacks now. Palpitations have lessened, and I am less startled by my nervous system signaling panic.

 

I have lately been feeling very off-balance/dizzy and sometimes theres an intense feeling of anxiety and dread in my body. Feels like there are bugs crawling around inside. Weird buzzing nerves?

 

Dizziness is so bad I have to lie down sometimes. Last night I was holding on to the walls when moving around in my house. Feels like I'm losing my balance all the time, even when sitting on the toilet, but I can stand on one leg and walk in a straight line. So it seems to be some sort of misinterpretation happening in my brain, rather than an actual problem with my balance.

 

Now to my question: 

 

When I wake up in the morning I usually feel perfectly fine. It is after taking Paroxetine that all of the horrible sensations start, and they seem to calm down slightly in the evening. Is this normal during withdrawal? Or does it sound more like I'm having actual adverse reactions to Paroxetine?

 

They sort of worked until I developed panic disorder. But I clearly remember growing increasingly fearful and illogical during several months before I had that massive panic attack.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Paroxetina.

 

8 hours ago, Paroxetina said:

I have lately been feeling very off-balance/dizzy and sometimes theres an intense feeling of anxiety and dread in my body. Feels like there are bugs crawling around inside. Weird buzzing nerves?

 

Dizziness is so bad I have to lie down sometimes.

 

When was the last time you reduced paroxetine? When did these symptoms start? Have they gotten better or worse since you've been taking only 10mg paroxetine?

 

What time of day do you take paroxetine? What time of day do these symptoms start? Do you take any other drugs?

 

Dizziness is a very common withdrawal symptom.

[Paroxetina]

My last reduction must have been around 23 Dec 2017. The dizziness started somewhere in February, possibly early March. During that time I was also studying, and noticed that prolonged exposure to my computer screen made me dizzy and anxious.

 

The dizziness seems to have gotten worse, and I have since completed my course, so no more sitting in front of the computer for a while. I expect to continue my studies in June, but am dreading the added stress it will produce. Some days are a bit better than others, although the trend is that it is becoming increasingly debilitating. I might add that I am also easily irritated and startled. (Had a weird impulse to hit my partner in the back of the head one day when he was doing the dishes... This was extremely scary!)

 

I take my pill at around 8 o'clock every morning. My only drug apart from Paroxetine is Asacol (mesalasine) for my Ulcerative colitis.

 

I have tried Hydroxyzine for the acute anxiety symptoms, but have ruled out this medicine as an option. It does reduce my anxiety, but it has started to give me a weird "hangover" which leaves me dazed, nauseous and sort of zombified.

 

How long do you think I should stay on this 10 mg dose before tapering further? Should I wait for these symptoms to subside? I worry about protracted withdrawal symptoms, which it seems I have fallen victim to already... 😞

[Altostrata]

Hi, Paroxetina. Sounds like you have withdrawal symptoms from the last reduction of paroxetine. Did you go from 20mg to 10mg?

 

If I were you, I'd go up to 10.5mg. A small increase can make a big difference. This topic explains how to take a small amount Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

After you stabilize, which can take some months, you can taper again -- but I would go very, very slowly. See Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Let us know how you're doing.

[Paroxetina]

I went down by 2mg or so cutting and "shaving" my pills. Reducing every two or three weeks until I was down to 10mg.

 

Thank you Altostrata! I will get through this. Heaps of resources here ❤️

[Paroxetina]

I'm not trying to bump my topic, but I want to write something about the state of mind I am in. For myself as a document of what is happening. Hopefully one day I can look back at all this and be like "Wow, that sucked! But I made it!".

 

Don't know if the onset of panic disorder was due to Paroxetine pooping out, but it is highly probable that this contributed. And I am probably kidding myself in thinking that I actually did combat it by not combating it. In actuality I might be completely at the mercy of my messed up brain chemistry.

 

Having read about "exponential decay" and looked at the charts for Paroxetine I am scared as hell of what my life is going to be like. If I proceed with my taper at 10% it will take me about 4 years to go from 10mg to 0mg... I'll be 38 years old. And having struggled with depression and antidepressants since before my brain was fully developed... Jesus help me.

 

I went on Paroxetine voluntarily, desperate for relief from something that time would have been perfectly able to heal. What a costly mistake that has turned out to be.

 

The sensation of fainting, being pulled to the ground or falling over is causing waves of panic. I'm gonna go out now and do some shopping. Number one on my list is a syringe so that I can start administering Paroxetine in more exact and progressively smaller doses.

 

Hugs for anyone who needs them 🐇

[Songbird]

On 5/4/2018 at 6:41 AM, Paroxetina said:

I went down by 2mg or so cutting and "shaving" my pills. Reducing every two or three weeks until I was down to 10mg.

 

 

Hi Paroxetina.  Your taper was a bit too fast, but actually not bad compared with many way-too-fast tapers we see here.  You have probably prevented worse problems by gradually tapering your dose down over months.  Did you try a small updose as Alto suggested? 

 

Please try not to scare yourself with thoughts of how long tapering could take or what symptoms might be like.  I've been tapering a long time and have had to learn not to put my whole life on hold waiting to get off meds.  By tapering slowly, symptoms are generally milder and quality of life is better.  Many of us are able to live fairly normal lives while tapering.  The key is to keep things as stable as possible and only make very small changes.

For more information see this topic: the rule of 3kis keep it simple keep it slow keep it stable

 

It's a good time to learn some self care techniques.  It's great that you've had some success with Claire Weekes's techniques for anxiety.  Have you tried any relaxation techniques for calming the nervous system?  Progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, gentle yoga - there are many options.

See this topic for more info: guided meditations calming videos sleep hypnosis

 

Sending you hugs as well.

[miT]

38 minutes ago, Songbird said:

Please try not to scare yourself with thoughts of how long tapering could take or what symptoms might be like.  I've been tapering a long time and have had to learn not to put my whole life on hold waiting to get off meds.  By tapering slowly, symptoms are generally milder and quality of life is better.  Many of us are able to live fairly normal lives while tapering.  The key is to keep things as stable as possible and only make very small changes.

 

Totally agree. I’m on 2.9mg right now and still might be tapering for several long years. I don’t really care. The most important thing is to heal the nervous system. Slow wins the race.

[Paroxetina]

Songbird, yes I tried the small updose, but I am not sure it had an effect. Was less dizzy the day after but the following days it seemed to be back to normal. But it also is aggravated by stress and it may be because of that.

 

I haven't been meditating lately. So there's something I have to start doing daily again. Have some good stuff on YouTube. But I am scared of the hypnosis ones, because they actually work. I can never let the countdown finish, I have to stop before it does. I get scared...

 

Songbird + miT, you are totally right. I was too eager to get down to 10mg, so I will consider this all a warning from my nervous system. Will not mess with it again.

 

 

[SkyBlue]

8 hours ago, Paroxetina said:

I haven't been meditating lately. So there's something I have to start doing daily again. Have some good stuff on YouTube. But I am scared of the hypnosis ones, because they actually work. I can never let the countdown finish, I have to stop before it does. I get scared...

 

I was too eager to get down to 10mg, so I will consider this all a warning from my nervous system. Will not mess with it again

 

 

The fact that you are listening to your nervous system is a wonderful thing and will serve you very well, moving forward. 

 

Also, I encourage you to find a meditation that works for you -- there's no need to try to stick with one that makes you feel scared. You might want to search for mindfulness meditation, or even "ambient noise"/background noise that is relaxing. 

 

You said that you tried a small updose -- what dose of Paxil are you taking now? 

[Paroxetina]

SkyBlue, I'll try a few with background noise and see how it feels.

 

Been taking 10,5mg as per Altos instructions. But the dose may not have been exact since I was cutting and shaving my pill. Today is a bit better so far, even though I had to lay down for a bit. But I went shopping and barely felt dizzy even while standing at the checkout.  ☺️

[Centime]

Hi Paroxetina (good name!),

 

I’m tapering off Paxil too (third try). Both times before, I went too fast (doc didn’t know about the problem) and it was rough. This time I’m going very slowly. I’ve been following your situation and wish you good luck. This site is amazing—really good and knowledgable people here. Nice to know we’re not alone. Centime

[Paroxetina]

Update: I'm alive and on 10mg of Paroxetine. Haven't dared to taper further. My panic syndrome is improving, but I still suffer panic attacks occasionally. Emotionally numb, but working on connecting with my emotions!

 

Since last writing on this forum I have rushed to the ER once or twice thinking I was dying. But generally I can calm myself down before it escalates to where I start behaving totally irrational. 3 weeks ago I had the full works: racing heart, sweating, feeling faint and almost shitting myself... I just prayed to God for the entirety of the attack. And I'm not even totally convinced of God 

 

Gonna force my doctor to give me liquid Paroxetine, because dissolving the pills is not working for me. The distribution of particles is so uneven in the water there is no way I'm gonna be able to do the 10% taper.

 

I'm trying to stay strong and will most likely return to this forum when the going gets tough again.

 

(I've managed to complete 2 more of my missing courses, biology and geography. I got a C and a B, which I am really happy about. And I start a new course today. So at least things are moving forward.)

 

To anyone struggling: we are all in this together. Don't ever give up hope!

[ChessieCat]

Hi Paroxetina,

 

That's great news about completing the 2 courses.  Well done.

It also sounds like you are learning to deal with the panic attacks.  I'll provide some information which might be helpful in the next two posts.

 

In order to get what you need from the doctor, you might find it helpful to write a script and rehearse what you are going to say.  Be calm, gentle but assertive.  You are the customer, it is your body.  Use words like I'd like to try this, or I'd prefer to do it this way.  If a suggestion is made that you don't want to follow, say I'd like to think about it before making a decision.

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

[ChessieCat]

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

During any taper, there will be times of discomfort.  We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[Paroxetina]

Thank you, Chessie!

 

I need to become better at accepting these sensations. I love Claire Weekes method and have applied it, successfully even. But sometimes I forget what's going on and I resort to feeding my panic with more fear.

 

Down to 9 mg now. Dissolving my pills in water and then adding baby food to make it hold the particles in place. My doctor won't go through the trouble of ordering liquid paroxetine (it's not on the market in my country).

 

How I long for the day I no longer have to combat these chemically induced symptoms. I want my old anxiety back. It was much more tolerable ☺️

 

 

[Paroxetina]

I´m in need of some help guys. Been continuing my taper, but it appears I´ve been doing it too quickly and I am really suffering at the moment. Went from 2,25mg to 2mg on December 8th. One week later, on December 15th, I woke up with a horrible panic attack that had me going to the ER. It seems like ever since I have serious trouble sleeping, it´s like a switch has been thrown in my brain! I have never had difficulties sleeping, usually fall asleep quickly and I´ve been told I am not easy to wake up.

 

Every night when I fall asleep, I wake up about 1 hour later and my heartrate is elevated, and sometimes I get a full blown panic attack... Sometimes I manage to fall asleep following one of these episodes, but I only sleep for 3 or 4 hours. It´s alarming that I have not slept one whole night through, except for on 2 occasions when I have resorted to using Hydroxyzine (Atarax) (which I am deathly afraid of taking because I obsess over the risk of QT-prolongation). I´ve been to the emergency room twice. At the psychiatric emergency room I was begging for them to take me in and let me spend the night, but they wouldn´t let me. I am starting to lose my mind. If this was "only" panic disorder, then to me there would not be such a set pattern. I´d at least have some nights of blissful sleep, right?

 

(I am diagnosed with panic disorder and am going to a CBT therapist for this atm. He told me up front yesterday that my insomina is alarming and he wants me to talk to one of his colleagues.)

 

I can´t help but think that this insomnia with constant panic coincides with making that stupidly large drop from 2,25mg to 2mg. Why didn´t I updose? I don´t know. I wasn´t thinking straight. I was frightened and panicked. I´m thinking the only option now is to hold at 2mg and ride it out...? I am so worried about my health.

 

Kind regards,

Ingrid

 

[Paroxetina]

Another 3 nights of falling asleep only to wake up with palpitations 1-3 hours later. Again and again. This has been going on for more than 6 weeks and sometimes I panic thinking I have permanently destroyed my brain. 

 

@Altostrata Should I try to updose slightly or is it too late?

[pinciukas]

2 hours ago, Paroxetina said:

Another 3 nights of falling asleep only to wake up with palpitations 1-3 hours later. Again and again. This has been going on for more than 6 weeks and sometimes I panic thinking I have permanently destroyed my brain. 

 

@Altostrata Should I try to updose slightly or is it too late?

I got the same when I was on 5.5 mg tappered very long down there. For me those things got worse until I reached state of 3-5 panic attacks daily and 24/7 anxiety. But I hope in your case you will improve! For me updose was helpful but I did in first 4 weeks so difference story than yours.

[Paroxetina]

8 minutes ago, pinciukas said:

I got the same when I was on 5.5 mg tappered very long down there. For me those things got worse until I reached state of 3-5 panic attacks daily and 24/7 anxiety. But I hope in your case you will improve! For me updose was helpful but I did in first 4 weeks so difference story than yours.

Thank you for replying. I have slightly less anxiety (on some days) than I had one month ago, but it's still very hard to deal with. Don't have panic attacks every day, but I will watch for an increase in frequency. Realistically, I may be in for a worse time, since I haven't even gone 3 months since my last drop. I pray that it doesn't get much worse.

 

Have updosed slightly, by less than 25% of what my drop was (dropped by 0,25mg, so it is less than 0,0625). Is it too small an updose you think?

 

[pinciukas]

3 hours ago, Paroxetina said:

Thank you for replying. I have slightly less anxiety (on some days) than I had one month ago, but it's still very hard to deal with. Don't have panic attacks every day, but I will watch for an increase in frequency. Realistically, I may be in for a worse time, since I haven't even gone 3 months since my last drop. I pray that it doesn't get much worse.

 

Have updosed slightly, by less than 25% of what my drop was (dropped by 0,25mg, so it is less than 0,0625). Is it too small an updose you think?

 

I don’t know everyone is different usually mods recommend to updose 1mg and watch how do you feel after.  My updose was 1.5mg fist one which helped but not enough then i updosed after 2 weeks 2 mg more and that was for now enough. I don’t have panic attacks and anxiety very low and not frequent maybe 1 hour per day but not everyday. I hope i will improve with the time more.

[Gridley]

6 hours ago, Paroxetina said:

 

Have updosed slightly, by less than 25% of what my drop was (dropped by 0,25mg, so it is less than 0,0625). Is it too small an updose you think?

 

It might be just right. When did you updose?  It takes a bit over a week for the updose to reach full state in your blood.  It's a good idea to keep daily notes on paper to track how the updose is doing.

 

How are you feeling now?  Any different?

 

 

[Paroxetina]

11 minutes ago, Gridley said:

 

It might be just right. When did you updose?  It takes a bit over a week for the updose to reach full state in your blood.  It's a good idea to keep daily notes on paper to track how the updose is doing.

 

How are you feeling now?  Any different?

 

 

 

Hey. Thanks for replying.

 

I updosed 7 hours ago, late this morning. I was sweating quite a bit 2 hours later, but I feel slightly calmer somehow today. I am desperate for some sleep, so I am hoping this will help. I gotta admit that I am very scared as I do not know what my brain has been doing during these almost 7 weeks. Figured I'd try the 0,0625mg increase first as I do not want any more chaos.

 

This is a harrowing experience! Do you have any insight into what my brain is doing when it wakes me with palpitations? And how long something like this can typically go on?

[Gridley]

6 minutes ago, Paroxetina said:

Figured I'd try the 0,0625mg increase first as I do not want any more chaos.

 

 

It is very wise to start with a very small updose.

6 minutes ago, Paroxetina said:

Do you have any insight into what my brain is doing when it wakes me with palpitations? And how long something like this can typically go on?

 

Palpitations are a common withdrawal symptom.  Your brain is working to heal I think you will find that symptoms come and go.  

It's impossible to predict a time frame.  These will give you a rough idea what's going on in your brain:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

   On 8/30/2011 at 2:28 PM,  Rhiannon said: 

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

   On 12/3/2015 at 10:41 AM,  apace41 said: 

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[Paroxetina]

Thanks. I'll try to stay calm and record what happens. I am so thankful for this forum.

[Altostrata]

Paroxetine can be very difficult to go off. You may wish to consider a switch to Prozac, see The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac

[Paroxetina]

2 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Paroxetine can be very difficult to go off. You may wish to consider a switch to Prozac, see The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac

 

Thank you for your reply. I will look into it. Do you think my suffering now is a preview of what is to come if I continue on Paroxetine and make it to 0?

 

Will start devouring information about Prozac.

[Altostrata]

We've had a number of people who got stuck at low doses of paroxetine. This seems to be characteristic of paroxetine tapering difficulties.

 

I cannot predict the future, but it seems paroxetine might continue to cause trouble for you. We have others considering this choice right now.

[rola]

@Paroxetina

Hey, I'm in the same situation as you . I found it difficult to wean myself off. I arrived at a1, 58mg and went up to 1.65 mg but unfortunately I did not manage to stabilize myself. things are getting worse . so I went straight to prozac. I'm at 4 weeks and for now I'm only going to help them with paxil. on the other hand prozac for the moment does not cover the anxiety . but I can handle it . I think paxil is no anxious than prozac . I wanted to give you my opinion . good luck

[Paroxetina]

@Altostrata For the time being, I must wait and see though? I know there is never a "right" time, but if I become unable to function before the end of May I will fail my studies. This is adding to the stress.

 

@rola Thank you. I will look at your topic to see what you are going through. I hope you will be able to feel better soon and that we will beat this monster.

[Paroxetina]

In september 2019, 3 months prior to my mega-hell starting on Dec 15th, I was all out of my regular brand of Paroxetine. I used 2 (!) other brands while waiting to get my regular brand refilled. Did this for one week I think. Contributing factor mayhaps.

 

Also, I need to document something scary that happened shortly before reaching out again here on this forum on Feb 4th. I was feeling super anxious one night and was going to watch a movie at home. As I sat down on my couch and looked up at the TV-screen I had what I can only describe as a brain seizure. My entire brain felt like it was being forcibly "pulled" and/or electrocuted for about 1-2 seconds. It was unlike any brain zap I've ever experienced. No words can adequately describe this horrible sensation. Never had this happen before.

 

Sometimes when I am talking to people, and especially if I feel awkward or need to be assertive/aggressive, I feel like the back of my head is being jolted or frozen briefly. I get tingly sensations in my legs, palpitations and sometimes feel slightly faint when this happens.

 

Also, I've been experiencing another form of panic attack that is more like pure terror. My entire body is shaking and I seem to have some gastrointestinal distress when this happens. Last time it happened my heart wasn't even racing, which it typically does. Instead I just lay there shaking, feeling like I was in the process of dying, calling out to God.

 

None of this is my "original condition". I had never felt panic or terror before in my life.

[pinciukas]

2 minutes ago, Paroxetina said:

In september 2019, 3 months prior to my mega-hell starting on Dec 15th, I was all out of my regular brand of Paroxetine. I used 2 (!) other brands while waiting to get my regular brand refilled. Did this for one week I think. Contributing factor mayhaps.

 

Also, I need to document something scary that happened shortly before reaching out again here on this forum on Feb 4th. I was feeling super anxious one night and was going to watch a movie at home. As I sat down on my couch and looked up at the TV-screen I had what I can only describe as a brain seizure. My entire brain felt like it was being forcibly "pulled" and/or electrocuted for about 1-1,5 seconds. It was unlike any brain zap I've ever experienced. No words can adequately describe this horrible sensation. Never had this happen before.

 

Sometimes when I am talking to people, and especially if I feel awkward or need to be assertive/aggressive, I feel like the back of my head is being jolted or frozen briefly. I get tingly sensations in my legs, palpitations and sometimes feel slightly faint when this happens.

 

Also, I've been experiencing another form of panic attack that is more like pure terror. My entire body is shaking and I seem to have some gastrointestinal distress when this happens. Last time it happened my heart wasn't even racing, which it typically does. Instead I just lay there shaking, feeling like I was in the process of dying, calling out to God.

 

None of this is my "original condition". I had never felt panic or terror before in my life.

I am shaking if i have panic attack but for me it is just a regular adrenalin release then my muscles of the end of attack shaking mostly in the legs. But probably yours are different. Also during panic attack i have muscles tension. But i had this before antidepresants so nothing unusual.

[Paroxetina]

15 minutes ago, pinciukas said:

I am shaking if i have panic attack but for me it is just a regular adrenalin release then my muscles of the end of attack shaking mostly in the legs. But probably yours are different. Also during panic attack i have muscles tension. But i had this before antidepresants so nothing unusual.

 

It's so hard to know what is regular heightened anxiety and what is from this damn withdrawal. Could be both.

[Andie]

Hi There 

 

I switched to a Prozac recently as I couldn’t come off my medication. It has really helped the withdrawal. You would only need to take a very small amount of Prozac. 

[Paroxetina]

40 minutes ago, Andie said:

Hi There 

 

I switched to a Prozac recently as I couldn’t come off my medication. It has really helped the withdrawal. You would only need to take a very small amount of Prozac. 

 

Hello. Have you felt any side effects from the Prozac?