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☼ Matthew914: Generic vs brand name Paxil


Matthew914

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I never had any GI issues but I had extremely horrible withdrawal effects. They were awful. I think that is why I was able to get down to a smidge or 2.5mg of Paxil with no bad side effects because the GC pills were taking over with the Paxil left off. I do believe they increase the serotonin levels and the amount I was taking was ridiculous. Now I am suffering from not taking them anymore and I hope I haven't damaged myself from not taking them.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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I hate this head pain. Think I need to get on checked out by a doc. It's just weird how it comes and goes but when it's on it's almost paralyzing.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Administrator

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.

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I read the windows and waves link. However, this pAin has been occurring for the last four months on and off. It comes and goes pretty frequently. I just want to make sure it's nothing serious which it probably isn't but I don't know. It's begging to s are me as it just on the right side of my head.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Administrator

How much magnesium are you taking, and when? Magnesium can help with head pain.

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.

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I take magnesium citrate. 160mg. I just started taking 2 a day. This pain is nothing I have ever experienced in the whole time I have taken Paxil. It's numbing, paralyzing, and just very unpleasant and comes and goes. I'm very afraid and have a gut feeling that this is more than Paxil related. It's really scaring me.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Administrator

Perhaps you should have a neurologist check it out.

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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi everyone. Just thought I would post an update. I'm still holding at 10mg of Paxil. My head pain has somewhat subsided but is still there on some occasions. I feel that when I take another magnesium citrate and fish oil during the day the pain seems to go away. I'm still moving on and trying to get back to normal. I just hope nothing seriously is wrong with my brain.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hi everyone. I'm back. It's been almost 3 months since my last post. I have been feeling ok getting back to normal. I'm still at 10mg. But lately within the last couple of weeks I have had many days of brain fog, weird thoughts, headaches, loss on concentration, memory loss, even etc. my question is DO YOU THINK IM POOPED OUT ON PAXIL? OR AM I GETTING THE PAXIL OUT OF MY SYSTEM? I would appreciate any comments.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • 10 months later...

Hello Everyone. I thought I would check in to inform all of you of my progress and to give you an update on my health. I completely stopped taking Paxil on April 24th and have felt somewhat OK with a some tolerable withdrawal symptoms. From my last post in September, I was at 10mg and slowly reduced down to around 2mg  during the next seven months and just decided to just go off.  I am still bothered with this RIGHT side head pain that comes and goes and sometimes I can feel my heart beat in the same spot. I went to a holistic doctor and he performs a whole blood test along with an MRI and guess what....NOTHING WAS FOUND. Everything was 100% fine just like all the other stories I have read on this site. We all seem to go get checked out and BAM! nothing is usually wrong. In addition to the head pain, I have experienced some night sweats, insomnia, irritability, depression, muscle aches, vision problems, lack of creativity and motivation, intrusive thoughts, and exhaustion. I can cope with some of these symptoms, but would much better if i could get rid of the head pain along with the down in the dumps attitude. In addition, I have been working out 5 days a week for the past month and that seems to be my NEW drug of choice and helps me very much stay focused on my goal. I have eliminated bread (Gluten) from my diet and tried to really watch what I eat. As for supplements, I was taking Magnesium Citrate 160mg, B12 500mg, Vitamin E 400iu, Zinc 50mg, Omega 3 Fish Oil EPA 735mg, DHA 165mg, Ester C - 500mg. I added a B6 Stress Complex and i was taking one Tryptophan 500mg, BUT I have stopped taking these supplements and I have felt they were not doing anything for me. Finally the only Pharma Drug I am taking is my Metoprolo 25mg for High Blood Pressure. I dont know what advice any of you will give me given my current situation and what I have read on this site over the past couple of months. I value each and everyone of you and pray everyday that we all will get over this crap put on us by Big Pharma. I just want to get back to somewhat of a normal life without prescription medication. I look forward to your comments and advice. Stay Strong Everyone.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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Hello Everyone. I thought I would check in to inform all of you of my progress and give you an update on my health. You might remember me from an original post on Garcinia Cambogia.  Anyway, I completely stopped taking Paxil on April 24th and have felt somewhat OK with some tolerable withdrawal symptoms. From my last post in September 2015, I was on 10mg and slowly reduced down to around 2mg or less during the next seven months and just decided to go off. I really feel that during this time I was in a "poop-out" phase with various minimal withdrawal symptons (paxil flu, headaches, right side brain pain. brain fog, vision problems, irritability, etc). To this day I am still bothered by RIGHT side head pain which comes and goes and sometimes I can feel my heart beat with this pain in my head.

 

I went to a local holistic doctor and he performed a complete blood test and ordered an MRI for my head and as usual with all of us, NOTHING was found. Blood work was OK and MRI showed nothing.

 

In addition to the head pain, I am or have experienced the following symptoms.....night sweats, insomnia (just a few days), irritability, depression, muscle aches, vision problems, lack of creativity, brain fog, fatigue, gloom and doom attitude, and minor anxiety. I can cope with most of these, just wishing I could get rid of the right side head pain and the depressive down attitude. I am pretty much calm and collective and sometimes I feel like I just smoked a big fat joint as I am mellow most of the time.

 

I have been working out 5 days a week which has become my new drug as it helps me stay focused on my goal of being MED free! I have eliminated bread (GLUTEN) from my diet and try to really watch what I eat. I have even decreases my alcohol consumption to just once a week if that.  As for supplements, I was taking MAG Citrate 160mg, B12 500mg, Vit E 400iu, Zinc 50mg, Omega 3 Fish Oil EPA735/DHA 165mg, Ester-C 500mg.  I added a B6 Stress Complex and I did try Tryptophan 500mg a couple days.but now I have stopped taking these supplements and as I have felt they were not doing anything for me. The only other drug that goes into my system regularly is Metoprolol 25mg for High Blood Pressure.

 

I don't know what advice or comments I will get from any of you, but wanted to share my story. Staying focused and staying positive and praying a lot is what keeps me going. Along with the fact that I own my own company and have the ability to work from home allows me to get through these symptoms. I just want to get back to somewhat of a normal life without being a prisoner to BIG PHARMA and these DRUGS which for me was Paxil.

Edited by scallywag
moved from standalone topic in Introductions forum

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Matthew -- congratulations on the completion of your Paxil taper! Well done!

 

I've moved a post you made in a separate topic here to your introduction thread.

 

Although it may not feel like it, the fact that medical tests indicate that your symptoms are "only" (?!?) withdrawal is good news -- compared to the other possibilities. I'm sorry that you are still having symptoms, though. :(

 

The only advice I have for you is to enjoy all symptom-free or symptom-light times even if they're brief.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Thanks Silver Star. I am trying to stay positive and just work through these come and go symptoms. The biggest one that I can't stand is the sharp right side head pain.  If i that would just go away, I would feel 100% better and could live and tolerate the other things. My sleep patterns are going good with me averaging about 6-7 hrs a sleep per night. I just hope I can continue to keep moving forward with minimal to slight withdrawal symptoms.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hello Everyone, I just thought I would give an update. I am now 4 months into my withdrawal of Paxil. It's been sort of a small roller coaster of withdrawal symptoms. The head pain I had on the right side of my head is gone, but now I just feel numb most of the time and now I have loss all sexual functions. It's liked a switched was turned off. Small bouts of depression, and some insomnia, but besides that I am still moving forward. I am not about to let this drug beat me. I have tried various supplements to help with symptoms but can't determine which ones work the best. I just want my life back and somewhat normalcy again. Something has to have been affected with my serotonin since stopping Paxil. I just don't know why there isn't something natural to help counteract the withdrawals. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Matthew - the symptoms you describe are part of the continuing healing of your CNS (central nervous system). You decreased dosage from 10 mg to 2 mg over 7 months, somewhat faster than what we recommend. You then continued with large dose cuts (25%, 33% and 50%) once you were under 1 mg to get to 0. That appears to have been too fast for your CNS.
 
This topic has a helpful description of what is happening as your CNS responds to lower doses or going completely off an SSRI like Paxil.
How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"

Also, it may be helpful to re-read The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to make a post in the hopes someone will respond and continue to give me the support I need to push forward. I am 5 months off Paxil and it seems as each month goes by, a new phase of withdrawal syndrome hits me. I have experienced so many different symptoms that I feel like they are on a grocery list and I am checking them off as I go through each month. I am back to experiencing my RIGHT SIDE ONLY head pains, anxiety, depression, agitation, hopelessness, flatness, non motivated, just basically living like a zombie. I know there are so many people that probably have or had the same feelings that I am going through right now, but I am really debating on whether or not to reinstate paxil or not. i have tried various supplements to try and ease some of these symptoms. ie. Omega 3 fish oil, magnesium citrate, vitamin 3, b-complex vitamin, CoQ10, and L-trypothan.  Nothing seems to help that is why I am struggling with myself. I look back and seem to have felt better on these damn poison meds, than i do now. Was this worth it to get off and go through this constant hell? i realize this is probably an real bad wave, but i am at my wits end. Any thoughts of encouragement from anyone?

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Matthew -- did you get a chance to read the link I posted earlier this month about "Brain remodeling"? Your symptoms are your CNS (central nervous system) healing. 

 

The only known remedy for withdrawal symptoms is reinstating a very small dose of the drug you were taking. In your case, this is Paxil. You can read more here:

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

At this point reinstating Paxil is a gamble: it may ease your symptoms to the point of being tolerable; it may not. Reinstatement is more effective when done sooner after the last dose than after. There are people who have done well reinstating after many more months that you would be and some folks who can't do it even within the "optimal window."

 

If you choose not to test a reinstatement, develop non-drug coping skills and be patient.

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

Scallywag - I have read through both links you have provided. I truly feel like I have had some type of "re-programming" of my brain and it just came out of the blue around mid-august which would have been around the 4th month off of paxil. Its like all my feelings, strengths, emotions, have just "died". I know I have read other posts with other sufferers asking about success stories and there just aren't very many to speak of. To me that makes me wonder if this will ever go away and/or i will ever be the same again. It seems like there is nothing out there that can help dissolve these symptoms.  No matter how many supplements one takes, that never seems to fix the problems. From what I have read, watched, and researched, these drugs damage our brains and CNS's to the point of no return.  Its truly frustrating that these pharma companies continue to lie about the real affects of these drugs and the doctors who prescribe are so damn ignorant. The bottom line is all about MONEY!!!! In going back and reading all of these different posts on various topics, i would really like to know just how some of these people are really doing. Some of these posts go back 4 and 5 years or more. I guess we just have to move forward with our new found disability.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • 2 months later...

Hello Everyone, I thought I would provide you with an update on my status. I just surpassed 7 MONTHS on being PAXIL FREE however this comes with really no excitement or joy but with anger and resentment. I am trying to find a good reason as to why I stopped this medication other than the fact that I am no longer being controlled by big pharma drugs. I have read and/or visited almost every website, blog, post etc regarding paxil withdrawal and basically nothing is concrete with what a person goes through when doing this.

 

None of my symptoms actually started until I hit the FOUR month mark. Then the discontinuation symptoms started to increase as the days/weeks/months went by. I am feeling worse now than I did when I was actually  coming down from taking my paxil. As I look back, I should have just stayed on this crap. I have lost all feelings both mental and sexual, I am afraid to be alone, no motivation, no drive, no excitement, no nothing. No wonder why there is NO ACTUAL SUCCESS stories coming off these damn drugs. As soon as we take those first couple of pills, our lives are screwed FOREVER! I just don't know what else to do.

 

Again, I have read everything about every topic and it just seems like my life from here on out will be messed up for life. Thanks PAXIL and BIG PHARMA.

Edited by scallywag
paragraph breaks

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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paxil was rhe lastdrug I took and I'm afraid I will never be the same again...but I also had some advers reactions when I was on it.

will everyone really recover? I feel worse than ever 2.5 + years off.

went on Prozac 1994-99,60mg.poopout ct  back on 2001-2002,prozac weekly 2002,not working,Effexor 75 mg.?2003-mar.2004 gaining weight 8wk. taper,wellbutrin 150 mg.mar. -may 2004 ctmedfree til july 2005 back to Prozac gaining weight again,back on wellbutrin jan.2006150-300 mg.bad constipation.also was taking aygestin(hormone)perimenopausal irregular bleeding.back on Prozac around sept,?2006,hysterectomy jan30.2007(adenomyosis)off&on Prozac til 2009,citalopram about 1 mo, April 2010 no effect,Effexor again may -mar, 2011.ct,Prozac aug,-dec, 2011 &sept-nov 2012,paroxetine oct,23 2013-may 4 2014 20 mgs.tapered 6 wks.-failed RI in Oct.2014-in protracted WD.started 10 mgs. Fluoxetine May 25 2021 .Stopped fluoxetine May 2022 at 5 mgs.

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Direstraits. Have you ever considered going back on?

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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How long did you take it. What reactions did you have

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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no way in h*ll  would I ever go back on paxil, or any other AD at this point...I was on paxil about 6 mos. altogether after 20 yrs on and off of several ADs...I started getting light sensitivity and eye tics on it...was sleeping til noon...never did that!

 

I tapered off in about 7 weeks,way too fast I know now....haven't been right since.

 

paxil is one of the worst to come off of...many DR.s won't prescribe it anymore.

 

sorry for your suffering.

went on Prozac 1994-99,60mg.poopout ct  back on 2001-2002,prozac weekly 2002,not working,Effexor 75 mg.?2003-mar.2004 gaining weight 8wk. taper,wellbutrin 150 mg.mar. -may 2004 ctmedfree til july 2005 back to Prozac gaining weight again,back on wellbutrin jan.2006150-300 mg.bad constipation.also was taking aygestin(hormone)perimenopausal irregular bleeding.back on Prozac around sept,?2006,hysterectomy jan30.2007(adenomyosis)off&on Prozac til 2009,citalopram about 1 mo, April 2010 no effect,Effexor again may -mar, 2011.ct,Prozac aug,-dec, 2011 &sept-nov 2012,paroxetine oct,23 2013-may 4 2014 20 mgs.tapered 6 wks.-failed RI in Oct.2014-in protracted WD.started 10 mgs. Fluoxetine May 25 2021 .Stopped fluoxetine May 2022 at 5 mgs.

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So I guess we are all damaged forever???

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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Would any moderator on this site recommend me reinstating Paxil to help get me back on track?

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Can you please update your signature so we can see what changes you've made recently and therefore give a more informed opinion?  Thanks.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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My signature is up to date. I have been off Paxil since 4/24/16.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I see where I went wrong - your signature is written with the most recent info at the top, whereas most sigs are written the other way around with the most recent info at their bottom. 

 

A reinstatement would have to be your decision, as so far out from your last dose there are no guarantees.  However some members have had success even so.  When you look back over the last 7 or so months, have their been any improvements in any areas?  If there have been I'd tend to suggest not reinstating.  If it has been the case that things have either worsened or remained the same then you could consider it. 

 

As you can see it's unlikely anyone will recommend either option, as the outcomes are so unknown. 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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KarenB I would say that my symptoms have gradually gotten worse the further out I go. The first couple of months I felt great. Then around August I started to feel disconnected from life. I've lost interest in sex, my motivation has gone, I feel completely numb. Over the past month or so, I have become more anxious along with the fear of being alone. It's hard for me to go anywhere or be by myself. I'm afraid of my company being in jeopardy as the lack of motivation and the willingness to succeed falling. I am getting more headaches and head pressure. I wake up consistently at 4 am everyday. It's almost like everything is backwards with my situation. I would have expected this at to happen right away in the beginning of me stopping Paxil but for me it's happening the further I get out from not taking it. I'm really struggling to either stay off or go back on. I just don't know what to do.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Administrator

Hello, Matthew. 
 
Have you tried taking fish oil and magnesium?
 
Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker
 
King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)
 
I would not take Paxil again, if I were you. It's been such a long time and Paxil is such a horrible drug. If you feel you must try another SSRI, I would try a very small amount, perhaps 1mg to start, of Prozac. Prozac comes in a liquid or you can make your own to take a very small dose, see Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

I would try fish oil and magnesium first. Believe it or not, they can help enough to get you started on healing.

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.

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Altostrata, first of all THANK YOU for commenting on my post. I greatly appreciate EVERYONE'S thoughts and advice. As for your advice on the supplements, here is what I was taking but have changed. 

 

As for supplements, I was taking MAG Citrate 160mg, B12 500mg, Vit E 400iu, Zinc 50mg, Omega 3 Fish Oil EPA735/DHA 165mg, Ester-C 500mg.  I added a B6 Stress Complex and I did try Tryptophan 500mg a couple days.but now I have stopped taking these supplements and as I have felt they were not doing anything for me.

 

I took some magnesium and Omega 3 yesterday and felt somewhat better, but I am still struggling with this weirdness in my head. Its not vertigo, but kind of mimics it. I also get brain fog, pressure, etc from time to time.

 

I did try something new to help try and get rid of the toxins in my body by trying CUPPING. Has anyone else tried this with success? The person who gave me my treatment said I had a lot of toxins that came to the surface the most she has ever seen. She has informed me that as i do more treatments, the toxins will eventually come out of my body.

 

I realize that I may sound like a broken record but I am just hoping that what I am doing will someday get me back to normal. We all need success in our lives from being dealt this crap from our doctors and all we seek is normalcy.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Some good info on cleansing toxins from the body during w/d:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1963-liver-cleansing-enemas-fasting-and-other-purification-methods/ Especially the posts by Alto - detoxifying is not generally recommended, as you put your body under even further stress. 

 

I understand why you did it though - the need to heal our bodies is huge during w/d.  Being gentle with our bodies is even more important. 

 

Keep going with the fish oil and magnesuim.  Sometimes we can't feel their effect, but they are important building blocks.  It's good to take vitamin E when taking fish oil.  Also, it's good you cut out the B vitamins - they can be activating during w/d. 

 

You'll heal Matthew, but it's going to be in a slow and gentle way.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year. I am approaching 9 months being off Paxil. So far it's a day by day thing. My question though today is....can Paxil withdrawal cause an increase in high blood pressure?

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

It seems that it can:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2215-cholesterol-high-blood-pressure-antidepressants/  This link also has good tips for reducing blood pressure.

 

One day I did some thorough reading of the small print on the leaflet inside my box of effexor.  It recommends regular testing of blood pressure by a doctor.  That was news to me - I'd been on it for years and my doctor had never bothered. 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok I went to the my doctor today for a blood pressure check up. It was 142/100. I am already taking metoprolol 50mg and now my dr wants to add valsartin and reduce me metoprolol to 25mg. I am afraid of trying yet another hp medication to get my blood pressure to be normal. I alswYs used to be around 135/85 while on Paxil and metoprolol 25mg. Since I quit Paxil my BP has increased and now I am on a higher dose of metoprolol. Any thoughts from anyone? Should I do this change as prescribed by my doctor? Need advice.

April 2016 cut .25 in half and took until April 24, 2016 when i stopped.

March 2016 tapered to .25 until April 2016

Feb 2016 tapered to .50 until March 2016

Jan 16 - tapered to .75 until Feb 2016

Updosed to 10mg Mid May until Dec 2015

Updosed to 7.5mg Mid-April to first of May

Dropped to 5mg in February until mid April

Reupped Paxil to 10mg in Sept 2014 until February 2015.

Started with 3/4 of a pill...to half a pill to 1/4 of a pill by January 2014

Mid summer of 2013 started cutting 10mg. Started to tapper off paxil CR in fall of 2012. Went from 25mg - 12.5mg. January 2013 12.5mg - 10mg of regular paxill.

Prescribed paxil CR 25mg in 2008. Tried to quit cold turkey in fall of 2009. Almost killed me. Back on paxil CR 25mg

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Do any of the tips for reducing blood pressure in the link I gave above seem worth trying?  (I haven't read through them closely, but it may be worth a look before adding further medication). 

 

I don't know enough about blood pressure to be able to advise you. 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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