10mg Paxil, Excessive Yawning? Zombie like? Gag?

[cnote]

So about 2 or 3 days ago, I upped my Paxil from 5mg to 10mg. My Dr. said 5mg wasnt doing anything.
The 1st day I took 10mg Paxil I felt great. The 2nd day, I felt SO tired.. like a zombie.. and yesterday I noticed that I could not stop yawning! Like BIG yawns that make me want to gag almost! lol. I think I remember when I tried Lexapro a long time ago it did this to me, but can't really remember.

Will this eventually wear off in a week or 2? Thanks!

My plan is to get back to the old me without having to take klonopin. I've only been on klonopin 1mg a day for about 3 weeks. I know that's not a lot, but I don't like to stay on benzos too long.

So is this normal SSRI side effect at 1st with Paxil? Thanks!

[Kaet1259]

FYI everyone.

I don't have any health insurance.  I know these meds can be insanely expensive.

Please note:  You do not have to be a member of COSTCO to have a prescription filled.  Lexapro is approximately $278 at Walmart.....COSTCO it's approximately $9.

Please, please pass this on to anyone who cannot afford medicine.  Go to COSTCO!!!

[cnote]

Just called my Dr's office... told the nurse how the Paxil has been making me feel. I just feel stuck! Like I will NOT get out of this one. I'm losing weight... no appetite, can't really relax, I feel spacy, Even a .5mg klonopin before bed isnt helping me sleep the greatest... I wonder if the Paxil I'm taking with it before bed is counteracting with it? I mean I do sleep! Just don't feel rested. I wake up feeling, BLAH... Like I could just lay in bed all day...

I hate feeling like a Zombie on this stuff... and obviously no libido. Who wants that?

My stomach still feels kind of nervous... im still a little jittery at times... but my eyes feel heavy and zombie-fied. And I almost feel emotionless.

My back is achy, like the skin.. like I have the flu, but I don't.

I just feel like CRAP.

So I called to see if this could possibly be the Paxil or just my anxiety?

Praying things get better... I may jump back into therapy, except my insurance doesnt cover the last guy I went to. But my brother informed me of one he goes too that's really good. May give that a try. We'll see... all of this is just so much to take in.

I've got people calling me wanting me to do their weddings (videography) its really blown up in the past few months and I don't even want to do it anymore... the money is fabulous... but I'm afraid the stress of that is not good for me? I dunno....

[cj29]

I think that you are getting great advice from everyone.  As Paxiled said, it can defintely be hard to come off of (I have never been on Paxil).  I have had great success with Zoloft and I know many people that really like Lexapro.  As nursegirl said, it definitely will affect us all differently and it sometimes just depends which one is right for you.  But just keep that open line of communication open with your doctor...keep us posted!

[nursegirl6572]

Definitely keep us updated.  No need for any decisions right this minute...talk to your doc and see what he thinks.  He sounds awesome,  sounds like he'll be honest with you and work with you to find a solution you are comfy with!

[cnote]

haha you are awesome. =) will keep you updated. im sure i'll figure something out.

too bad insurance doesnt cover lexapro anymore... i may ask my Dr. to give me samples again. That's what he did last time, just kept giving me free samples non stop for months. =)

[nursegirl6572]

Well, the way that the on/off approach can increase anxiety is because after discontinuing a med, you can experience rebound anxiety.  For you, when you have been on a med, it has been pretty short term, so you are probably lucky in that regard.  

It's a tale we read here all of the time...and even I have been through it.  A person is on meds, for years and feels great...no anxiety, no depression, nothing.  So, the thought hits us...do I REALLY need this med?  If I'm doing so well, why take a med forever?  Only, to come off and experience a return of the original symptoms....increased in intensity that it makes the original anxiety look like child's play.  I've done this to myself a few times...within 6 months, the anxiety was back with a vengeance!

I agree with your friend who said do what your doc recommends.  You have a great doctor and he seems to know you well.  I just wanted you to consider if maybe a longer term med would keep you from these ups and downs?  It's something to discuss with your doctor.

As for what med?  There are a million people who have had great expereinces with every med out there.  PERSONALLY, I would recommend Zoloft or Lexapro.  Celexa is fine too.  Lexapro is a more "tweaked" version of Celexa that is supposed to be easier to tolerate, side effect wise.  I did great on Zoloft and Lexapro (not at the same time) but tolerated the Zoloft better intitially.  Lexapro gave me more of the jittery initial side effects.  But, that's just me...everyone is different.  Both meds helped me tremendously.

Just some things to think about and discuss with your doctor.  If what you've done has worked pretty well thus far...keep doing it!  

You know we're always here...to help you, support you, and sometimes, even confuse you.  LOL!  What friends, huh?

[cnote]

I was looking back in my journal... and it looks like I took Paxil 10mg September 1st of 2009 and started weaning off October 14th, and had no issues except for some minor brain zaps that didnt scare me.

I havent considered staying on an SSRI long term... I don't know if I want to do that or not... if I do... I don't think I want to be taking Paxil long term... I hear it's the worst of the worst to withdrawal from if you've been on it for a long time.

How can the off/on approach with meds increase anxiety? Just curious.

Thanks so much nursegirl6572

I just want these side effects to leave.
I feel LOWSY, Zombie like, no interest, no libido, sleeping issues still... and dont wanna rely on klonopin to sleep at night.  I feel disconnected... No Appetite, and just down in the dumps kind of. The skin on my back is achy...

So I'm hoping these are just mild side effects from the Paxil, and they will leave. I've only been on 10mg for about 4 or 5 days now. I was taking 5mg for about a week, and felt nothing... but I think I felt better then than I do now?

My friend said, "do what your Dr. says... you'll be feeling better soon."

We'll see.

Nursegirl6572, if I do a long term, what would you suggest for anxiety? besides paxil. Lexapro is no longer covered by my insurance. Someone said Celexa is like the same thing as Lexapro?

[nursegirl6572]

Just keep in mind cnote that when you DO decide to come off the Paxil...you want to do it VERY slowly with your doc's help.  Paxil has helped a lot of people, but, like Paxiled said, it is notoriously rough to come off of, even compared to other SSRI's.  

You may be just fine, and again, the slower the taper, the less severe the side effects will be.

Have you ever considered just STAYING on an SSRI?  I know you've done really well with the coping when your anxiety pops up...but the on/off appraoch to meds can actually increase anxiety in the end.  Just something to think about.  There is no reason you couldn't be on a medication long term.

[cnote]

If it's supposed to work very well and is strong, then I'll stay on this stuff for a while and let the kinks work their selves out... my friend told me I won't feel tired all the time for long, he said I'll feel like the new me in a few weeks. I really hope so. And when I do, I'm going off the stuff and see how I do.

10mg isnt that much to taper off of is it?

[Paxiled]

When I started Paxil it made me very tired -- I couldn't get out of bed and was always coming in late to work.  For me, it lasted a fair amount of time.  But be careful with this drug -- very hard to quit.  If your insurance doesn't cover Lexapro, why not try Celexa, the generic earlier form of Lexapro?  No picnic, but again, Paxil is very strong, it can work well, but can be a very difficult med, so I'd think this one through carefully.  Just my opinion, not necessarily anything that will definitely happen.  Good luck whatever you do.

[cnote]

I have had some positive experiences too, then once I feel like I'm in "CONTROL" again, I wean off. I try not to stay on them any longer than a few months max.

Lexapro is one I've taken on and off in the past... and had some good experiences with it, and some bad...

I was going to go back on it this time, but my insurance didnt cover it this time around, so my Dr. put me on Paxil instead... only $8.00 a bottle with my insurance.

I'll check back in a couple of weeks.

I also have experienced some heightened anxiety at times during the day or evening... I hear SSRI's can do that too at 1st til they level out.

[cj29]

In my experience with SSRIs like Paxil, I tend to notice side effects whenever I start, stop, or adjust the dosage (according to the Doc's orders of course). I believe that it can be two-fold.  One, I believe it does take our bodies a bit to adjust to the medication and two, I also believe that we are much more aware of any symptoms and relate them to the medication's side effects whether they are related or not.  For example, is the yawning due to taking the Paxil? It could be and may not as well.  We also tend to have ups and downs when dealing with the anxiety as well which can make it frustrating if we are already worried about taking a particular medication in my opinion.  The good thing is, you are keeping an open mind about it and for me, I have had positive experiences with SSRIs...keep us posted!

[cnote]

Yeah today hasn't been too bad. My body will just have to adjust for a bit at first.

[tschock]

I did the same thing on Paxil and on Effexor.
Effexor was worse, in that it made me look and sound as if I were drunk.
The Paxil made me yawn, and gave me "twitches" or trembling, esp in my face.
My head would jerk around all the time.
The Paxil will do that for sure...just give it some time. If it doesn't get better after 2 weeks, then your dosage may be too high, or it may not be working for you.