Schmeg82 Paxil withdrawal and taper after 21 years

[Schmeg82]

49 minutes ago, Willy said:

@Schmeg82 sorry you’re dealing with all this madness. I have a lot of the same symptoms and they never go away I just get fluctuations in the intensity of them. Like you, I started to taper while my body was already destabilized from wd. I’m still holding out hope that we feel better as we reduce the dosage. The body needs time to reorganize and get used to lower doses of the meds. We will make it to the other side I promise you!

I feel for you!  I think I’m still experiencing my original withdrawal symptoms from tapering to fast, but when I feel stable enough again I’ll start another very slow slow taper.  I hope we both feel better soon! 🙏🏼

[LostInCanada]

19 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

this taper shows me it’s all withdrawal which is some what settling for my mind.

It is good to get the answers you needed.

20 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

That means I should feel better eventually and then can taper again.

Absolutely. The more stable, the easier the process. 💯

[Schmeg82]

Well I discovered today that I’m not the brightest crayon in the box 😂 I’ve been feeling pretty bad lately (like I did in the beginning of WD) and I realized I’ve been tapering by 10% so NO WONDER 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

so I’m officially at 9mg of Paxil now by accident.  I’m holding this dose because since it’s week 4 now I may as well power through it.  I just really hope I didn’t set myself back 6 more months of healing although I don’t think so! 
 

as long as symptoms don’t get significantly worse I believe I can manage this drop.  

[LostInCanada]

Hey, at least you are at 9 mg. You will definitely level out. Just give it time. 👍

[Schmeg82]

10 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

Hey, at least you are at 9 mg. You will definitely level out. Just give it time. 👍

If my pill is .130 grams wouldn’t 2% be .1274?

 

I’ve been doing this but when shave the pill it looks like much more then 2% 

 

each pill also weighs a different amount weight so I do my calculations based on that anywhere from .130 to .125

 

 

[Catwoman73]

19 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

Well I discovered today that I’m not the brightest crayon in the box 😂 I’ve been feeling pretty bad lately (like I did in the beginning of WD) and I realized I’ve been tapering by 10% so NO WONDER 🤦🏼‍♀️

 

so I’m officially at 9mg of Paxil now by accident.  I’m holding this dose because since it’s week 4 now I may as well power through it.  I just really hope I didn’t set myself back 6 more months of healing although I don’t think so! 
 

as long as symptoms don’t get significantly worse I believe I can manage this drop.  

 

Oh my, @Schmeg82!!!  OOPS!  That explains a lot!  At least you are now fully aware that you are not going to fall into the category of people who can make the 10% cuts without issue.  Live and learn right?  I'm sure just knowing your error will help you feel better cognitively and emotionally, at least!

 

2 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

If my pill is .130 grams wouldn’t 2% be .1274?

 

I’ve been doing this but when shave the pill it looks like much more then 2% 

 

each pill also weighs a different amount weight so I do my calculations based on that anywhere from .130 to .125

 

 

 

This sounds right to me.  Are you weighing each pill individually, or taking an average weight?  Averaging would certainly make your dosing inconsistent. 

[Schmeg82]

1 minute ago, Catwoman73 said:

 

Oh my, @Schmeg82!!!  OOPS!  That explains a lot!  At least you are now fully aware that you are not going to fall into the category of people who can make the 10% cuts without issue.  Live and learn right?  I'm sure just knowing your error will help you feel better cognitively and emotionally, at least!

 

 

This sounds right to me.  Are you weighing each pill individually, or taking an average weight?  Averaging would certainly make your dosing inconsistent. 

I weigh them all individually since they all have a margin of .130 to .125 ish, but when I shave them it looks like wayyyyy more then 2%.  Do you have an email or somewhere I can send a pic?  I don’t think my scale is 100% accurate either, sometimes I weigh the same pill and it gives me 3 different weights but all very close.  
 

I tried to add a pic in here but it won’t let me

[Schmeg82]

24 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

Hey, at least you are at 9 mg. You will definitely level out. Just give it time. 👍

Possibly, didn’t you weigh and shave yours for a while also? Did you have trouble getting different readings on your scale? 

[Catwoman73]

10 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

I weigh them all individually since they all have a margin of .130 to .125 ish, but when I shave them it looks like wayyyyy more then 2%.  Do you have an email or somewhere I can send a pic?  I don’t think my scale is 100% accurate either, sometimes I weigh the same pill and it gives me 3 different weights but all very close.  
 

I tried to add a pic in here but it won’t let me

 

I don't love the weighing option for this reason- it just seems so fussy.  Remind me- you already tried liquid right?

 

Unfortunately, my e-mail addresses are very identifying, containing my full name, which I'm not willing to put out there.  Maybe upload it to some other place online, and post a link here?

[Schmeg82]

Just now, Catwoman73 said:

 

I don't love the weighing option for this reason- it just seems so fussy.  Remind me- you already tried liquid right?

 

Unfortunately, my e-mail addresses are very identifying, containing my full name, which I'm not willing to put out there.  Maybe upload it to some other place online, and post a link here?

That’s what I’m trying to do! 

[LostInCanada]

12 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

didn’t you weigh and shave yours for a while

I still weigh and shave.

So consistency is important. You do not want to weigh each pill and make your dose based on that.

You need to weigh 10 pills together and divide that weight by 10. This will give you the standard weight to use moving forward. It will not change unless you change manufacturer.

My weight is 118.4 mg (.1184 g) for a 10 mg pill. So 118.4 mg is always my base to make calculations.

Yours might be .128 g. Once you have that average weight from 10 pills, I can help you find the right weight.

[LostInCanada]

2% of a pill .130g is .002g so .128g. I rounded up.

That is why you have to use a consistent starting weight moving forward.

[LostInCanada]

34 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

my pill is .130 grams wouldn’t 2% be .1274?

This is 2%. 

[Schmeg82]

6 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

I still weigh and shave.

So consistency is important. You do not want to weigh each pill and make your dose based on that.

You need to weigh 10 pills together and divide that weight by 10. This will give you the standard weight to use moving forward. It will not change unless you change manufacturer.

My weight is 118.4 mg (.1184 g) for a 10 mg pill. So 118.4 mg is always my base to make calculations.

Yours might be .128 g. Once you have that average weight from 10 pills, I can help you find the right weight.

Okay great!  I’ll take the rest of this weeks already made pills and when I get ready to weight 10 of them I’ll make sure I’m doing it correctly!  Thank you!  

[Schmeg82]

1 minute ago, LostInCanada said:

This is 2%. 

Okay so maybe I have been doing it correct.  It just looks like I’m taking a whole lot more off the pill, it won’t let me upload a pic here the file is to big 

[LostInCanada]

For me being consistent really helped with my stability. The government regulations allow for a small margin of error in the pill weigh. Of course they don't factor in sensitivity during withdrawal.

[Schmeg82]

Does anyone know the Sert occupancy of 9.8 mg?  Or have a chart of Paxils sert occupancy?  I had one I can’t find it now.

[Schmeg82]

9 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

For me being consistent really helped with my stability. The government regulations allow for a small margin of error in the pill weigh. Of course they don't factor in sensitivity during withdrawal.

Of course they didn’t!  I’m hoping if I’m off just a small margin as well it won’t affect my healing, like a very minute amount.  

[LostInCanada]

2 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

Sert occupancy of 9.8 mg?  

It's about 62%. This is just one factor. Unfortunately paroxetine has many 

[LostInCanada]

With good reason it is called the sloppy SSRI :

Maudsley Guide page 253 about paroxetine:

 

Description: Paroxetine is a potent and one of the most specific inhibitors of SERT.'” It also has mild action as a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor targeting NET, as well as some affinity for muscarinic cholinergic receptors." It has little affinity for alpha-1, alpha-2 and beta-adrenoceptors, dopamine (D,), 5-HT,-like, S-HT, and histamine (H,) receptors.!

 

Withdrawal effects: Paroxetine is the antidepressant perhaps most implicated in withdrawal effects — in double-blind randomised controlled trials discontinuation produced a withdrawal syndrome (defined as four or more withdrawal symptoms) in 66%? and 100%* of patients, with a mean of 7.8 and 10.1 withdrawal symptoms per patient, respectively. The severity and duration of these symptoms were not measured in these studies.*> In an analysis of the WHO adverse effect database paroxetine emerged as high risk for withdrawal effects compared to other antidepressants, and had a stronger signal for risk of withdrawal than the opioid buprenorphine.®

 

 

 

page 256:

 

Metabolic note Paroxetine is both a metabolic substrate and a potent inhibitor of CYP P450 2D6."8 As the dose is reduced this will lead to reduced inhibition (i.e. induction) of its metabolism thereby leading to a more rapid drop in plasma levels. This may be one reason that paroxetine withdrawal is especially severe and may present a rationale to slow rate of reduction even further, and to consider twice daily dosing at low

er doses.

 

[Dee12h]

@Schmeg82 Are you still taking iron? How’s that going?

[Schmeg82]

1 minute ago, Dee12h said:

@Schmeg82 Are you still taking iron? How’s that going?

I haven’t been taking anything I’ve been in a really bad wave unfortunately!

[Schmeg82]

Last night and this morning were brutal, restless legs, tremors, racing anxiety, burning feet… I had two clients I had to go into the shop for this morning and I was SO worried it would ve an awful experience, but….. it wasn’t.  I did great with my two clients, I even went to the grocery store and got some yogurt and some stuff for my lunch, I did feel off balance and a little dizzy in the store but it wasn’t as bad as it could be and I didn’t panic or run out.  I just got back home and now I can relax until this evening when I go to watch/coach my softball team. 
 

For some reasons evenings and mornings are the worst for me, some evenings have gotten lighter though.

[Catwoman73]

55 minutes ago, Schmeg82 said:

For some reasons evenings and mornings are the worst for me, some evenings have gotten lighter though.

 

This is a good observation- you can plan around that.

 

So sorry it's still so tough, Schmeg.  I wish we could do more to help.  Hugs!

[Willy]

7 hours ago, Schmeg82 said:

I did feel off balance and a little dizzy

This is constant with me I’m almost used to it. Super annoying. Hope your symptoms ease up soon!