How Long Will This Last?

[ufcfan]

I quit taking Paxil cold turkey more than a month ago and and still feel terrible! I went through the worst withdrawals the first two weeks and I can't imagine going through anything like that again but, it's like some of them just won't go away! I'm so irritable all the time and my temper seems to be so short I feel like I'm going to haul off and slap somebody! I have this terrible headache that I can't ever get rid of all the way and I'm still a little dizzy along with that weird zap that everyone of us who has tried to stop certain SSRIs cold turkey has gone through. I thought that I had gotten through this but, it seems to be taking a lot longer than I thought to fully recover from this. It was a really big mistake to try to quit this without talking to my doctor first and she was really upset with me when I told her what I did. I currently take Wellbutrin and I feel that It helps with my depression and I don't have the sexual effects that I was having with Paxil plus I seem to have a lot more energy. I also take an antiphsycotic called Perphenazine and Lithium. Occasionally I take Calonopin to help with my anxiety. I don't want to start taking the Paxil again! I hate being impotent and feel like It made me numb emotionally. I just wish I knew how long this whole withdrawal process is supposed to last. I'm going to talk to my doctor and see what I should do of course but, I just wanted to hear if anyone else has gone through this and if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm scared that I'll never be the same again! I have a full bottle of Paxil and wonder if I should just take it. Not the whole bottle, just the prescribed dose. I thought that by adding the Wellbutrin to the Paxil I could get back some of my energy and my sex drive but, no such luck. I just fell crazy and not quite in my right mind. I've heard of some kind of serotonin syndrome that happens when people stop taking an SSRI and I wonder if this may be it. Sorry to whine, I just have to get some kind of advise from someone that's been through the whole process. Will I ever be back to normal again? Or at least as close as I someone like me can be.

[ufcfan]

Thanks for the advise on that. I haven't gone back on it since I quit taking it. I have a lot of other problems other than depression and I know that I have to be on medication I just don't want to be on that one! That really is the drug from hell! I'll definitely think that if I have to back on it for any reason that I'll take the advise of you and so many other people and taper off hat crap. The worst part is that I seemed to feel different than I've ever felt before. At one point when I was taking the Paxill along with the laundry list of other medications that I was taking I felt normal. Seemed to be accomplishing things and had energy and drive. Then it all just went away. I felt like my old crazy self again. That's why I just quit taking the medicine. I felt like if the medication wasn't doing what it was supposed to then why should I deal with being impotent? I feel like if I get back on it then I'll never be able to stop. If I have to though then I will. I can't deal with feeling like this for very much longer. For almost a week I got to feel like a normal person. I guess that's better than nothing. You're right about one thing though, I should have never tried to quit cold turkey! That was a lesson that I wish I didn't have to learn the hard way.

[margo1110]

I have been off Paxil for 6 years now...I have heard some people that don't have much of a problem stopping, but I guess I was one of those 'lucky' ones that had a VERY hard time. First off, cold turkey is a defnite no-no,but u already mentioned that.
Tried a couple times to taper down (I was on 40mg) by breaking them in half, wait a week, break the half in half, wait a week. I was horribly sick..brain zaps, vomiting, felt insane, screaming and yelling about anything that ticked me off...went back to taking them.
Of course, see ur doc first, but just thought I'd share my story on how I got off of them.....for good!

I figured out I was trying to get off them too quick..be very patient, and take it SLOW!
Whatever mg ur taking, break it in half on day 1, take a whole one day 2, break in half, day 3..etc....Until u feel NO wd symptoms, even if it takes a couple weeks. Then break in half everyday. Again, keep doing that until no symptoms. Keep breaking them down into smaller pieces, then over time skip a day..next day take the little piece, and skip the day after that. I hope this makes sense..but, it worked for me, with very minimal wd symptoms.

It actually took me 6 months...but, was so relieved when I knew I was done. I personally think Paxil is the drug from h*ll..and the only reason I was on it for so long was because I couldn't quit. ...Wish u luck..u can do it! (just not cold turkey lol)

[ufcfan]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check that out right away and I'll talk to my doctor and see what she thinks so that her and I are on the same page. Some days it's not so bad but others it's just terrible.

[MMahon]

see link below.  Note " Another recommendation is to temporarily switch to fluoxetine, which has a longer half-life and thus decreases the severity of discontinuation syndrome"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxil#Discontinuation_syndrome_.28withdrawal.29

[ufcfan]

I was on Celexa for 3 months or so and then I switched to Paxill and I was on that for close to 9 months. So I guess I've had an SSRI of some kind in my system for a while now. Thanks for the response though. I'll talk to my doctor and see what she thinks might help some of the withdrawals. I guess I should have talked to her in the first place and then maybe I wouldn't be in this mess. I guess I learned my lesson.

[bbaggins]

Quitting cold turkey is never a good idea for any SSRI.

That being said, it usually depends on how long you've been taking it. Even after I leveled off of Effexor, I still had brain zaps, headaches, etc. for a month after I stopped taking them.

And, if I am correct, the serotonin syndrome only occurs if you have too much serotonin.

But, best to talk to your doctor about all of this.