All,

My boyfriend of 6 months shared with me that he has been on Paxil for 7 years. He is on a 10 mg dose now which he made the decision on his own to do. I am scared because he has been on it for so long. He did go to therapy right after his former marriage broke up but, from what I gather it was focused on bringing closure to the marriage and accepting that his 4 yr old daughter would now have 2 households.

I adore him but, I guess I am worried about the long term effects of using the Paxil. My Dad pointed out that I may not know the real guy right now. Also, even though he says differently, his actions show me his libido is not very high. He has talked about wanting to get off of it but, also has said that his Doctor says that if it is working, there is no need to get off of it.

Trust me, I am not trying to control his life choices but, at the same time, I am trying to understand so, I can be supportive or make a decison to not continue in the relationship.

I personally was on both Prozac and Effexor for short stints but, am trying my hardest to deal with my issues naturally and also, have realized I need to go for therapy periodically.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense to some of you and APPRECIATE any and all input/experience!

Thanks and I hope you are at peace right now!

Hi,

My name is Samantha and I have been on paxil for 2 years now. I am on it for anxiety. I take 50mg a day. I think u have nothing to worrie about with your boyfriend. He might just be trying to deal with the fact that his daughter is not with him all the time. Or it could be work or any little thing. I wount worrie about him taking that little amount. He might even have some sort of anxiety that developed after his split from his wife. Scared of being alone or something. I hoped this helped u even a little bit. If u have any ?'s please feel free to ask me. Good luck with everything!

My Dad pointed out that I may not know the real guy right now.


That's quite an exaggeration. Paxil is not like LSD that makes people into something they aren't. All it does is reduce anxiety in high anxiety situations.

And at 10mg a day, i would say he's probably not even being affected by the medication. That kind of dosage is more often used for weening off of Paxil than as a treatment.

Hi,

My name is Samantha and I have been on paxil for 2 years now. I am on it for anxiety. I take 50mg a day. I think u have nothing to worrie about with your boyfriend. He might just be trying to deal with the fact that his daughter is not with him all the time. Or it could be work or any little thing. I wount worrie about him taking that little amount. He might even have some sort of anxiety that developed after his split from his wife. Scared of being alone or something. I hoped this helped u even a little bit. If u have any ?'s please feel free to ask me. Good luck with everything!

Thanks for your help!

That's quite an exaggeration. Paxil is not like LSD that makes people into something they aren't. All it does is reduce anxiety in high anxiety situations.

And at 10mg a day, i would say he's probably not even being affected by the medication. That kind of dosage is more often used for weening off of Paxil than as a treatment.

Thanks for what you shared!

I'm not on Paxil, but I'm on a similar medication called "Celexa", which is essentially the same kind of medication. I haven't been on it for long, only a month, but since I've been taking it I've noticed a vast improvement in my motivation to do things, I'm more calm and not anxious and I no longer suffer an uncontrolable itch, and I am also feeling happier. My libideau has declined somewhat but not majorly. Today my doctor said that he has noticed a change in my personality (for the better) in the last month. I've had similar statements made by co-workers as well. I'm not so stressed out; I'm not so anxious or frustrated; I'm happier and more bubbly...like my old self that I lost somewhere along the lines. My doctor wants me to stay on Celexa indefinitly and I'm more than happy to comply with that. I enjoy feeling well :)

I venture a good guess that the guy you are involved with is just fine. He's probably on enough Paxil to keep the "bad chemicals" at bay and let his normal self show through. There is no need to be afraid of someone who takes Paxil. I'm sure you would be surprised to find out who in your life takes a medication of that sort. Most people don't mention them or are ashamed to talk about it because of the stigma associated with it IE: Whacko/Psycho etc. And that's pure fiction.

We live in a society that creates so much stress for us these days. Some handle stress better than others. Sometimes some of us need a little bit of help in that department, that doesn't make us nuts.


All,

My boyfriend of 6 months shared with me that he has been on Paxil for 7 years. He is on a 10 mg dose now which he made the decision on his own to do. I am scared because he has been on it for so long. He did go to therapy right after his former marriage broke up but, from what I gather it was focused on bringing closure to the marriage and accepting that his 4 yr old daughter would now have 2 households.

I adore him but, I guess I am worried about the long term effects of using the Paxil. My Dad pointed out that I may not know the real guy right now. Also, even though he says differently, his actions show me his libido is not very high. He has talked about wanting to get off of it but, also has said that his Doctor says that if it is working, there is no need to get off of it.

Trust me, I am not trying to control his life choices but, at the same time, I am trying to understand so, I can be supportive or make a decison to not continue in the relationship.

I personally was on both Prozac and Effexor for short stints but, am trying my hardest to deal with my issues naturally and also, have realized I need to go for therapy periodically.

Anyway, I hope this makes sense to some of you and APPRECIATE any and all input/experience!

Thanks and I hope you are at peace right now!

Anti-depressants are not a cover up medicine. They do not cover up the person we are. They help us level out, more than anything. Maybe your dad needs to read up on depression, because it sounds like his view of the meds for it is like he's on an illegal drug and High from it.
These meds to not make us HIGH. They do not make us feel like we are floating on clouds. They DO help us deal with life in a much more logical way, without all the negative thoughts & fears.
I have been on anti-depressants for 7 years myself & I would be highly insulted if anyone in my family thought I was "someone" different because of the meds. Yes, I am someone different. someone who can enjoy life. Without the meds, I would become a total hermit, hiding in my house, my bed & have no motivation to get out of bed. I hate the stigma that taking an AD has put on any of us. If you took some yourself, you must know that they do not make you a different person. At 10mg, it is probably more of a placebo affect for him now anyway, he may be mentally relying on it and in reality it may not be doing much for him after 7 years and that low dosage. I will say, along with the meds, most of us have learned many coping skills to use along with the meds, whether we've been in therapy or not, you do learn to cope with anxiety, stress, panic & depression as the meds can only do so much for you.

I'm not on Paxil, but I'm on a similar medication called "Celexa", which is essentially the same kind of medication. I haven't been on it for long, only a month, but since I've been taking it I've noticed a vast improvement in my motivation to do things, I'm more calm and not anxious and I no longer suffer an uncontrolable itch, and I am also feeling happier. My libideau has declined somewhat but not majorly. Today my doctor said that he has noticed a change in my personality (for the better) in the last month. I've had similar statements made by co-workers as well. I'm not so stressed out; I'm not so anxious or frustrated; I'm happier and more bubbly...like my old self that I lost somewhere along the lines. My doctor wants me to stay on Celexa indefinitly and I'm more than happy to comply with that. I enjoy feeling well :)

I venture a good guess that the guy you are involved with is just fine. He's probably on enough Paxil to keep the "bad chemicals" at bay and let his normal self show through. There is no need to be afraid of someone who takes Paxil. I'm sure you would be surprised to find out who in your life takes a medication of that sort. Most people don't mention them or are ashamed to talk about it because of the stigma associated with it IE: Whacko/Psycho etc. And that's pure fiction.

We live in a society that creates so much stress for us these days. Some handle stress better than others. Sometimes some of us need a little bit of help in that department, that doesn't make us nuts.

Well said, Katyana. :)