Paxil was the most difficult SSRI for me to discontinue, but I was on a higher dose (60mg). I felt as if I was being electrocuted, then I felt like I had the flu---muscle aches, fatigue, dizziness. It was horrible. So I slowed down the taper. Ask your doc, but you may have to just break off pieces of pills and very gradually go off. Even with a gradual taper, people sometimes have symptoms, they just aren't as bad. When I slowed the taper way down, I still had some "electrocution" feelings but they were much less intense. I also had headaches, so I kept Tylenol and ibuprofen handy. If you really want to come off it, you certainly can, just be prepared to go as slow as you need to and realize that even doing that, you may have some strange symptoms (but they aren't dangerous). I do wish psychiatrists and all docs would make people more aware of how it feels to come off these meds. Again, talk to your doc. If you want to try a new med, sometimes they will overlap the two in small doses (but that has to be done carefully) until you're totally off the old drug. My brother came off an SSRI (he's now doing well on Luvox) and he called me in the middle of the night, very upset and told me he felt like someone was electrocuting his brain. We quickly discerned the problem was SSRI withdrawal (or, as the drug companies say "discontinuation syndrome"). He withdrew slower and was more comfortable. I know people in person and online and the majority of them who have come off an SSRI report this symptom, or symptoms like it. Best wishes.
Questions about Paxil
Thanks for the replies.
It is good to know that I'm not the only one that experinces the shocking jolt feelings in my brain. So far I havent contacted my doctor yet and am still taking the paxil. I think I will consult him though. So those of you who have tapered off of paxil, how long would you estimate that it took?
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