I have decided to wean off of Paxil. I went to the dr the other day, and told her how great I have been feeling, and wanted to try going off it. I have also gained 30 pounds since going on it (from 177 to 207) in one year. I feel that it's best for my health to go off of it now. I switched to taking it in the morning, and so far it seems to be helping. I went from 60 mg to 40. I have been taking the 40 for the past 3 days. I feel somewhat more anxious, but I am trying to refocus my attention, and when I feel I need it, taking a Xanax.

Has anyone else had success going off Paxil? And what was it like? Did you lose a lot of weight (the weight is not the sole reason I am going off it...like I said, I have been feeling better).

hi Twizliz, congratulations! I think you are taking control of your life by choosing to not depend on a pill.. I feel very happy for you.

I used to take Paxil and clonozepan to 'treat' my panick attacks (2-3 times a day), anxiety and depression. Weaning off clonozepan was no problem.

Paxil was a little tough for me.. just remember, if you are committed to stop taking it you must follow through. It took me three times to finally leave 'the drug' which had turned into the root of the problem. The first two times I failed because I had not done my homework I did no research in the matter.

I did many things that combined helped me leave all meds... I don't even take aspirin for headaches (no headaches)..

I'll tell you what I did if you are interested.. Good Luck! :)

yes, I'm very interested!

I have started doing yoga which has helped some.

Went off paxil and onto zoloft. Thought I was going crazy when I was going off paxil. Taking the zoloft seemed to help. Good Luck!

I tried weaning off paxil and going onto zoloft a few months ago. The zoloft made me suicidal. I just decied that I wanted to deal with my anxiety drug free... and see how it works.

zoloft and paxil are the same type of med
a gradual taper is generally best for quitting paxil, xanax a valium type med, does help with any paxil problems

hi again twizliz,
So here is my advice... change things in your life.. doing Yoga is excellent (I do hot yoga which helps me sweat more toxins out), exercice, go out and enjoy walking.. take supplements (very important) .. B complex 1000mg is very good, I usually take this with EstherC, multivit, CoralCalcium with Magnesium and Fish Oil. Check out your eating habits...I stopped eating three big meals and split lunch in two and dinner in two, so I eat 5 times a day (smaller meals which is better for digestion).. less sugars (pop, sweets, etc you get the picture) as these might be one of the causes for anxiuosness.. drink lots of water (plain H2o).

Now the weaning-off part is going to be tough.. The doc told me that it took 1 month to wean off it and another month for my body to be 'free' of it. So whatever I felt afterwards would be just 'me'. And let me tell you.. I felt ' alot of me'! LOL -> strong panic attacks and stuff. Now I don't know about the 1 month being free of it.. I think he was just ignorant.. I now know we have to detox our body.

So make a plan with your Doc to wean-off the Paxil (cut dosses, then some days yes, some days no.. you get the pic) and after a month (this is what I did) take St. John's Wort and Camomile Tea at night. (and of course all your other supplements)

See how it goes with St.John's Wort and after a month or so slowly wean-off the St. John's Wort. and there you go! See? It's simple .. but not EASY! LOL

Patience! be very patient and do not rush it.

Sometimes all we need is a change in our lifestyles, eating habits and supplements.

I hope this helps you as it did me
Good Luck! :)

thank you so much for your post.... I have heard a lot about B vitamins, and I'm going to stock up tomorrow on them! LOL

I know the road ahead isn't easy, but things that are important rarely are! :)

Warning: be prepared for your original "disorder" reasserting itself once the Paxil is out of your system. I've been off Paxil for more than 2 years and this is my life - anxiety, panic, depression, anxiety, panic, depression, etc... I'm worse off now than before I started on Paxil! So much so, that I am planning to restart the meds to regain a sense of normalcy.

Please wean yourself down slowly to minimize withdrawal, but be prepared for the possibility of rebound anxiety/depression due to the (lack of) Paxil leaving your brain in a low serotonin state. See if you can manage OK without the med, but go back on if you find you can't.

By the way, weightloss isn't really a problem once you're off. I did Atkins and did manage to lose a lot of weight that way.

The main reason I was on Paxil was anxiety due to a relationship and college. Well I'm out of both of them now. So, hopefully it won't return, since most of the other problems are gone. My dr said that since my anxiety was related to school and the bad relationship I should be okay going off of it.

Happy stories only, please! :)

Teth: (I do hot yoga which helps me sweat more toxins out)

What do you mean by "toxins"?

curiouslearner, a little-bit on sweat (yes, yes 'yuk-yuk)

"..Our skin contains sweat glands and oil glands, both of which help us move things through the skin. Sweat gets rid of water-soluble toxins, and even helps to eliminate toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium. Oil glands help remove oil-soluble toxins such as gasoline, solvents, pesticides and ingredients in toothpaste and personal care products, which the body is not able to dispose of unless heavy sweat is provoked. It is generally thought that the longer the skin is heated, the more oil-soluble toxins are eliminated. Even if one half to one percent of the sweat is carrying out heavy toxins we are greatly assisting the body’s elimination needs.."

NiceguyEddie, you are absolutely right, hope this helps..

After reading so much about the drugs I was taking and seeing the path I was going.. I started weighing the positives and negatives of it.. and I came to this analogy:
"when I almost broke my ankle (sports) they put a cast on and gave me crutches (I was like that for 1 month, it sucked). But the time came when I had to take off the cast and let my body heal. Rehab was painful and my tendons and muscles where killing me. Sure, the cast gave me support and I could not feel pain when I had it, but would I want to continue like that? "

paxil did help me mask off my panic attacks and anxiety but in no way did I see it as a means of healing my body or as a long term alternative. I think everyone has there own time when they decide 'that's enough'.

..I agree, once paxil is out of your system, your body might and most probably will have drug withdrawal symptoms.

So there is two issues to deal with:

1) Drug withdrawl symptoms - what can I say? it will be tough (get support, try to get your mind into doing other things.. help less fortunate people to get your mind off it) it's different for anyone.. took me several tries.

2) Your own anxieties or causes - you have to deal with them. Once the drug is out, guess what.. the stressors are still there. The drug did not fix anything.. it's just numbs you.

It's all about balance. I know that now and I think this is the key.. I thought that the solution was to substitute one thing for another, you must see all aspects of your life and work in those areas that need improvement. It's different for everyone.. In my part I changed many things, so I can't say it was one specific thing that helped me. Put good things into your body and mind (foods, vits+supplem, no sugars,etc).. exercise... help others.. make goals..

:wave:

"when I almost broke my ankle (sports) they put a cast on and gave me crutches (I was like that for 1 month, it sucked). But the time came when I had to take off the cast and let my body heal. Rehab was painful and my tendons and muscles where killing me. Sure, the cast gave me support and I could not feel pain when I had it, but would I want to continue like that? "


:wave:

Wow... that is such an astounding thought... during the difficult times I am going to think about that and that analogy.

I am doing well.. almost two weeks on the 40 and going strong! :)

Liz

I took zoloft for 13 years and tried many times to wean myself off from it. Feeling like I was getting the flu everytime. {REMOVED}

Go on the positive stories, Liz...it can be done--slowly, but successfully. I was on Zoloft 150 mg for 4 years and weaned off of it with no problems at all...stayed med-free for 5 years. Now, I too am on Paxil 20 mg and hoping to soon be weaning...let me know how you are doing---YOU GO GIRL :bouncing: Jitterygal

how is the paxil treating you jittery? any side effects? i am on 10mg and doing very well with that with no side effects

jb

Today is my 12th day on the 40 mg and I am doing well! I have more anxiety at night, which is to be expected since I switched from taking it from night to morning. I have also started Vitamin B and Omega 3... they have been helping as well. I have learned that it will take a while to go off of it, but I will go off of it. I feel like I am being very kind to my body right now.. ridding it of toxins and doing yoga. Oh yeah, and buying those 90 dollar jeans I know I shouldn't ... but still do ;) LOL

I also have lost about 5 pounds since going on a lower dose... I'm not starving myself.. I'm just not eating like a vaccuum anymore! LOL

how great! I am so happy for you yaaay


Beth

I had a very hard time coming of Paxil. Although most doctors will tell you it is the best for anxiety (which it is), I started gaining weight also. I cant give you a good experience, but alot of withdrawals can me made 10 times worse if you think it is going to be bad. My doctor got to the point to tell me to take some days off work and take benadryl and sleep. I am on Zoloft now, and it seems to be working great. Dont feel bad if you have to get back on it. Many people will think they are better cause the meds is working, but in reality they find out there not (it happened to me), however my is herditary, yours was just because of a situation, so I am sure you will be fine. Good luck! :angel:

Today is Day 5 completely off Paxil. I've been weaning off for the past month or so. I was on it for 3 years and I also put on about 30 pounds! I decided I wanted to try going off when it seemed to me that Paxil was not helping anymore or rather, there's no need for it anymore. I'm not depressed anymore. I did notice for the past year that I took Paxil that my suicidal thoughts (orginally something like, "I wish I was dead.") Had started to get more detailed and graphic. This concerned me since there is some literature on these drugs that incidate an increase in suicidal ideation.

Also there was the weight gain. I am also a diabetic so I need to really watch my weight. I was beginning to feel like a serotonin junky! I wanna eat this, drink this, smoke this and feel good ALL THE TIME! Hence, the weight gain...

I have a friend who is an acupuncturist and another friend who is an herbalist so I have been utilizing their services to make the transition off Paxil smoother.

The things I've noticed are light-headedness, tiredness (but not truly fatigue) and a weird buzzing in my brain that last for about 1-2 seconds.

So, best wishes to all of us who are trying a life without these drugs. I do not judge either way. To each their own, I just hope it's the happiest situation imaginable!!!

Teth -

Did you find that your anxiety and/or depression got better over time post meds? When I quit taking Paxil, I was under the impression that eventually the brain will return to normal by itself and would take time to adjust to functioning without the med. So I decided to wait it out, but I just found that my problems were becoming chronic - getting worse over time. I think that you are right that when you are off the meds you have to take active steps to deal with your disorders, but I didn't really have the energy or resources to do this, so I just recently decided to try taking Lexapro to see if it will help. I'm on day 3 so far...but I don't feel all that different yet.

sunshine: thank you so much for sharing your sucess with us! You're lucky to have friends that can help out! :) Luckily my cousin is a massuse (SP?) so it makes it a lot easier getting massages often! I really notice the difference when I don't take the b vitamins... I forgot yesterday and today I was a mess! I didn't realize how much they helped me.

I have noticed that I have the electrical jolts, as well as very vivid, lifelike dreams, also some stomach problems... but it's worth it to get off of it! :)

I have decided to wean off of Paxil. I went to the dr the other day, and told her how great I have been feeling, and wanted to try going off it. I have also gained 30 pounds since going on it (from 177 to 207) in one year. I feel that it's best for my health to go off of it now. I switched to taking it in the morning, and so far it seems to be helping. I went from 60 mg to 40. I have been taking the 40 for the past 3 days. I feel somewhat more anxious, but I am trying to refocus my attention, and when I feel I need it, taking a Xanax.

Has anyone else had success going off Paxil? And what was it like? Did you lose a lot of weight (the weight is not the sole reason I am going off it...like I said, I have been feeling better).

Hi twizliz :) I haven't read all of this thread but I wanted to share my experience with you. When I was 25 (33 now) I went on paxil because I was having about 20 to 30 panic attacks a day suffered from every phobia known to man (I still have claustrophopia). Anyhow, I was 25 could not go outside because everytime I did I would panic, I lived in a cocoon :(. So after my umpteenth time running to emergency thinking I was dying a doctor suggested that I had a panic disorder. He hooked me up with a great doctor but I struggled with the idea of going on pills but at that time I could not function (not at all). So I decided to give the pills a try, they put me on Paxil...for 5 days I thought I was dying, my mom sat at the bedside and cried I felt awful till the fifth day I woke up and thought I had died...hahaha! I was so calm it felt unnatural. Well, paxil worked! I took it religiously for 1 year 1/2 and then decided that I didn't want to be on medication anymore and decided to come off of it...huge mistake!!! I went back to having panic attacks and almost had a another nervous breakdown. :( So I went back on Paxil and started to take better care of myself. Started yoga, meditation, eating properly, making sure I got enough sleep, I just did everything that would help me have a better transition when I was ready to stop taking Paxil. Another 1 year 1/2 I was ready to get off the meds and I had no after effects at all. I think that I prepared myself so well, learned about my body and it's stress' to have had a better result the second time round. I have been off Paxil for 5 years now and even though I still get anxiety during those "times of duress" I can mentally pull me through. I do at times take travl pills to travel though because I still have a form of claustrophobia, but I will be battleing that pretty darn soon.

Paxil was a godsend for me, but like everything else too much of a good thing can be bad..My advice, take your time, prepare yourself mentally and physically...try yoga it helped me immensly. Good Luck!! *hug* :)

Two words: BE CAREFUL!!

I recently weaned off Paxil, since it wasn't doing much for me anymore. I started taking Lexapro at the same time. Paxil withdrawal was HORRIBLE. It lasted over a month, and I was depressed, had headaches, flu symptoms, dizziness, and mild nausea. I lost tons of weight - TOO much weight. I had no appetite and no energy. Fortunately I was financially secure and had no regular job, no big responsibilities. I had a bit of a safety net. Once I dragged myself through that horrible ordeal I found out I had other health problems, too, that were exacerbated by the Paxil withdrawal.

This is not an uncommon side effect! They call it "Paxil flu". I've weaned off of Prozac, Zoloft and numerous other meds without that level of fallout. It's something specific to Paxil.

I definitely encourage you to get off of Paxil, but be sure you have a safety net, are being closely monitored by a good psychiatrist, and are living and eating healthy. Hopefully there is nothing traumatic going on in your life right now, such as a death, a breakup, a life change. Proceed with caution!!

I had a simular experiance to yours weaning off paxil.Samthing flu like symptoms,zaps in my head and body,very tired,ugh it was ruff.I was on a low dose too.The worst I think was I couldnt seem to do things on my own like go to the store .I had to have hub or a friend take me or go for me because I felt so bad.I also have taken zoloft and prozac and never had any withdrawls weaning from them either.I dont know what it is about Paxil i will say though it did help me alot when I needed it.I guess some people are not as bad when weaning off .....im sure glad it is over for me

I'm fully prepared for the next few months to be hard, but I'm really focused on taking good care of myself, as well as going off the paxil. I just started a new job, and I love it (I'm the editor of a paper) and I feel a lot less anxious working there than when I worked at a bank (something I didn't enjoy doing). I have been taking dramamine because I have been experiencing some naesea ... nothing I can't deal with though.

Teth -

Did you find that your anxiety and/or depression got better over time post meds? When I quit taking Paxil, I was under the impression that eventually the brain will return to normal by itself and would take time to adjust to functioning without the med. So I decided to wait it out, but I just found that my problems were becoming chronic - getting worse over time. I think that you are right that when you are off the meds you have to take active steps to deal with your disorders, but I didn't really have the energy or resources to do this, so I just recently decided to try taking Lexapro to see if it will help. I'm on day 3 so far...but I don't feel all that different yet.

Yes! I did notice anxiety / depression got better over time... it's not that they stopped from one day to another - they kinda 'diminished'. And one day I remembered I was no longer nervous or anxious, not one bit.
Eddie, for life to change, you must change. I don't want to encourage anyone to leave the meds if they are not ready to do so.
Yet you can start incorporating different things into your life (mix things up). You might want to start with walking and breathing exercises... eat properly, get enough sleep.. (check thill' s threat)

Good Luck! :)