hi i want to stop paxil and go onto fluoxetine but dont no if to do the straight swap like the doctor wants me to do or to cross taper i have no idea how to cross taper either
I don't believe what you're saying is true. For one, not everyone metabolizes drugs the same -- when I first took Prozac it was like drinking water because my body just didn't metabolize it. That's one reason why some drugs work and some don't. Second, Paxil is a whole lot stronger than Prozac in its affinity for serotonin, so Prozac isn't a substitute, plus it can throw a person back into an earlier state of withdrawal, which it did to me, by blocking the brain's attempts to work normally again. Paxil is just very very hard to stop taking, and if it were that easy for everyone you wouldn't have dozens of websites just devoted to the problems of Paxil withdrawal. Perhaps some people would have the experience you describe, but you state it as a guaranteed result, which there aren't any of in this biz. As for Prozac self-tapering, that's a theory, but many complain of withdrawal of it when it does wear off, but it's just later, so it's possible we just don't know the extent of its withdrawal. I do believe it's much easier to come off of, but I don't know for sure as you'd have to query people a month after quitting, and to my knowledge nobody has. I guess what I'm saying is, what works for some doesn't work for others, but a good long slow taper off the Paxil is what's recommended from the materials I've read by those who specialize in withdrawal problems. Again, it sure didn't work for me, it made it worse.
None of this makes sense... Is your goal stop all meds?
If so, you need a short bridge with Prozac only. Paxil has a short 1/2 life so you will experience withdrawal if you stop abruptly. However, if you stop the paxil now and take 20 mg of Prozac for 3-5 days, you're at steady state then with an SSRI. Then you can just stop prozac because of it's long 1/2 life and it self-tapers. It's the only SSRI that self-tapers. So, no discontinuation syndrome.
If you want to stop Paxil:
1) Stop it.
2) Take prozac 20mg 3-5 days
3) Stop prozac and it will naturally taper you off.
No need for a 3 month protracted withdrawal plan.
Done.