Know Paxil?

Post Reply New Topic

I find that it makes me very drowsy.

This happened to me too. Apparently about 40% of Paxil users have horrible withdrawls when they quit. And everyone builds tolerance to it eventually, so taking it permanently is out of the question. When I was on it, it may have helped a little, but it made me self harm (and oddly I felt no alarm in this). When I tried to go off after a few years, I swear it was like kicking heroine or something. I had never been so sick in my entire life. I became anorexic because food made me heave if I even smelled it. When I wasn't curled up in a ball shaking, I was puking or falling into things because of the dizziness it was causing. After two months of that, I gave up and went back on, and I didn't become brave enough to try again until a year later. My doctor helped me get off by switching me to Prozac during the tapering process, which helped considerably but I was still miserable for a few months. Eventually I traded Prozac for a multi vitamin, fish oil, magnesium and a slightly better diet. I will never go back on an SSRI again for as long as I live.

I won't tell you what to do, but I highly reccomend doing some research on anything you might consider taking that affects the brain, especially if you're not sure if you really need it. The dangers of even possible long term brain damage don't seem worth it if all you want is to treat mild social anxiety or insomnia. I spent years trying to get myself back to the state I was in before the drugs (back when I thought I needed help to begin with). It just wasn't worth it for me, and I can never claim those lost years back. I was one of the luckier ones though, some people are showing long term damage from it, others that had maxed their dose over many years need many years just to taper off safely. Go to PaxilProgress.com and you'll see what I mean. It's a very scary drug and I am appalled that GlaxoSmithKline is still allowed to sell it. The FDA is corrupt. Big Pharma does not want to research cures, they want to sell products. Even if they turn out to be dangerous ones. They are no better than the tobacco Co. IMO. I don't want to scare you, but I feel I need to warn people before they have to learn the hard way like me which is usually the case.

Paxil did absolutely nothing for me except make me feel nauseous all the time.

I take Sertaline!

Well, I started Paxil last night. I researched Zoloft some. It seems that Paxil is more potent and sedating, which may have been best for me based on the symptoms I described to my doctor (physical pain and social anxiety).

Today, I feel a little jittery, drowsy. However, I already feel less anxious.

I hope this works out.

Ok then. Don't say no one warned you. I wish someone had warned me though. I was a clueless teenager expecting it to turn me into a normal social person. It made me more relaxed for a time, but it acually made me a little bit wierder and even a bit more aggressive. It felt good to be on it, but it was like a chemical lobotomy, something was just missing but I was incapable of caring much. Then the unexpected terror and illness that came from trying to quit. You can be sure no one warned me about this one or I would never have gone near a single pill. I'm most likely an Aspie. I'm socially akward and nervous and wierd and fidgety, and I'm fine with that now that I'm pretty sure I know why. I also know there is no drug that can permanently change that, just some that make me care less about things. I'd rather rely on myself, and a little hard work. And yes, Paxil is lot more potent than Zoloft, but Zoloft is bad too. Good luck, and I genuinly hope you fall in the 60% that doesn't suffer from quiting eventully after tolerance inevitably occurs or if you don't like being on it anymore before then.

Taking Paxil made me feel like I was coming off speed, but way worse.

My dad takes Paxil. The only real side effect it has on him is that it makes his leg shake uncontrollably sometimes.

Thanks for the replies so far.

Ironically, this worrying that I have over what medicine to take may be a manifestation of OCD in itself.

But if I am putting a chemical in my body by choice and I have a choice over what chemical it is, based on the given side effects, can not I worry over that?

I had the chance to read on the Internet as well as in several books about Paxil and Zoloft. I also chatted with a friend from college who took Zoloft for a very long time and at a very high dosage and had a very positive experience. Friends and family I am aware of who have been on Zoloft have had good experiences, too.

I, now, have come to some of my own conclusions about Paxil from what I read: it causes the most weight gain, the most sexual side effects, and the most drowsiness. But it may also be the most calming and effective for some people. I have felt very tense before (but no outbursts). Zoloft can make you jittery. These things are all in line with what my doctor said, which makes me feel more confident that he knows what he's talking about.

My mom has already scheduled for a different prescription, for Zoloft, to be sent to the pharmacy for me in a few days.

Now, I am still debating whether to take that second Paxil pill tonight. If I do, I might as well cancel that prescription change my mom scheduled, because I'll have so much of it in my system.

I take 20mg of Paxil a day for OCD and anxiety. The only side effect I've had from taking it has been increased sweating. It definitely helps my OCD and anxiety.

I decided not to take the second dose.

Today, I have experienced from mild withdrawals, but comparable to those I had while getting off St. John's wort, which I had been taking for a couple of months.

I guess Monday I will start the Zoloft.