Coming off paxil.....

[cnote]

So I've been on 10mg of Paxil for about 4 weeks now.

I'm having a sexual side effect. It stinks. Just wondering if I will have any problems coming off Paxil?

It hasn't really made me feel that much better.

Of course I'm not going to go off this without consulting my Dr., and I see him in 4 days. (Monday the 28th)

He told me a month ago that he wanted to start me on 10mg then up me to 20mg on my next visit. If I'm having a sexual side effect already on 10mg... why would I want to go up to 10mg?

I'm going to have him check out my throat and stomach thorouly, to rule out anything... and if it is just a symptom of anxiety... then I will consider possibly another anti-depressant. But I may not. I may just try taking my ativan when needed... and still doing my therapy sessions.

The reason why I really think I dont need to be on an anti-depressant is b/c my Dr. last year had me on 5mg of Lexapro and then I went down to 2.5mg..... he told me this year that that was just child dosage... .and probably wasnt even doing anything to me... and during those times... I OVERCAME ANXIETY several times b/c I thought the Lexapro was working...

So if I was just taking a child dosage.... and I was coming out of my anxiety funks.... why would I need an anti-depressant?

I honestly think my Dr. is misdiagnosing me.... I really think my stomach issues with digestion and appetite and my tight throat/gag reflex is due to GERD..... even though he hasnt tested me for this at all... I really think there is a big possibility.

I'm not having a nervous stomach or anything... so why would I have a tight throat, and digestion problems?

I'm not saying I have a bad doctor or anything... b/c he is good! He calls me all the time to see how I'm doing! He even called me on Easter this last year just to see how I was feeling! And he told me I could have him paged any time I need him... and just about 2 weeks ago I was having a REALLY hard time breathing... and had him paged... and sure enough he called me at 11pm at night! What a good guy.

But, I am gonna be stern on Monday and demand tests.... I don't want to over-due it like a hypochondriac.

But what I'm gonna tell him is, "treat me like a patient that doesnt have anxiety... and is having throat tightness, sensitive gag reflex, and stomach digestion issues..." and I'll see what he says.

Thanks for listening guys.

[cnote]

The thing is though my wife and I are trying to have a baby and the paxil is making that nearly impossible for me. It *****. I'm not saying I won't try something else, but what I am saying is that I'm still having the stomach and diarhea issue. Even when I feel good. And my dr just tells me everything is anxiety. Which he may be right... But he hasn't done one test to rule out anything else... Except a blood test.

[nursegirl6572]

I honestly don't think you'll have much of an issue at all...with the low dose and brief time you've been on it.  Most of these meds take upwards of 6 weeks to really be effective anyway.

If I were you...I would think long and hard about what you want to do with meds.  None of my advice to come is meant to be critical...I'm just being totally honest here...

You make decisions about meds very quickly, very impulsively.  Watching you on both courses of Lexapro...you weren't ready to give it a chance and came off of it quickly both times.  After the first time you went off it...it didn't take long before you were back with more anxiety issues.  To be TOTALLY honest...I think one of your biggest problems is that you still have not accepted that you INDEED have an anxiety problem.  You minimize your anxiety...even down to the terminology...you call your anxiety "mini spells", and so forth.  Also, with your latest physical symptoms...you become obssessive about finding an answer for every little sensation you have...SO desperately trying to prove that it is ANYTHING but anxiety (not that we dont all wish we didn't have anxiety).

My own personal opinion...I think you have an anxiety disorder and think you need to concentrate on treating it full steam ahead.  That means perhaps choosing a med and STICKING with it for more than a month or two.  If the med is working (which it did work for you, very well)....then WHY feel the need to stop taking it?  Even if you have to take it forever?  ONE thing I have learned from having anxiety ALL of my life (since I was a kid)...is...it will come back and rear it's ugly head over and over...no matter WHAT we've convinced ourselves.  IF, however...we hit it head on...with meds and therapy...or therapy alone for those totally against meds...then at least we have the TOOLS to cope with it and handle it.

I've gone from being pretty much housebound to totally free of anxiety for years...when like sooo many people..decide I dont "need" the meds anymore.  EVERY blasted time I took myself off of an SSRI, the anxiety would be back...usually within 6 months.

Maybe not for every soul out there, but MY experience is...anxiety is for life.  The better we handle it, and learn how to deal with it, the better equipped we are.

[cnote]

Thank you for the responce. But again I can imagine bad withdrawl from 50mg. But I've only been on 10mg for about a month. Should I have an issue tapering?

[konalove]

Coming off Paxil is hard... so I recommend doing it while you're still on a low dose. Paxil, I've heard, is the most addictive anti-depressant you can use.  I just recently went cold turkey off 50mg/day and it was really rough.  I got sweats and a TERRIBLE headache, I couldn't think straight for a couple days.   ( I went off Paxil because the pharmacist refused to give me my prescriptions... fortunately I had more of everythign else I need.)

I also had bad sexual side effects from the Paxil... seems to be a common occurance.  Meaningless to say, now taht I am off, I am not going back on it, due to the sexual side effects... I am going to simply tell my doctor to try me on someting different.

Good luck.

<3

[cnote]

I can understand being on it for 10 years having issues coming off... but I've only been on it for about a month... so will I have issues you think only being on 10mg?

[nutty46ca]

Hello to all who have tried to come off paxil.  I'v2 e been on it for about ten years.  I have tried three times now to come off it.  The last time, just recently, I weaned myself good and still had terrible effects.  The zaps, my head sloshing when I turn it, bowel problems, nausea, pain in the legs, and HIGH PRESURE.  I'm talking 184/114 and that's with medication.  After a talk with my Dr. I decided to go back on it.  I have no side effects from Paxil as long as I stay on it.  My. Dr. says that Paxil masks anxiety, it doesn't cure it.