# beware of paxil, paroxetine



## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

beware of paxil, paroxetine, aropax and other names in other countries

its been heavily promoted to docs as a cure for SA but really, IMO its just another prozac type med, but it does have a reputation of being unusually difficult to eventually quit for some.

google 'paxil discontinuation syndrome' and read all about it :nw 

this paxil for SA advertising blitz has helped by making docs more aware of SA, and this is a help, but IMO generic prozac would be safer and work just as well


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## mbs (Aug 27, 2007)

oh that's great news seeing as I just started on paxil a few weeks ago...


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

paxil cannot cure SA,so does other types.


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

what does IMO means?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

michaelyuan said:


> what does IMO means?


in my opinion


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## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

I hate Paxil


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

i like paxil


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

Noca said:


> michaelyuan said:
> 
> 
> > what does IMO means?
> ...


oh,thank you !noca


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## Maslow (Dec 24, 2003)

> Common paroxetine withdrawal symptoms include repeated electrical shock sensations of the brain and body (see "brain zaps"), vertigo and hot flashes.


I missed three days a few months ago and started getting a little shaky. I've been thinking about getting off it completely and reduced my dosage by only taking 1/2 a 30mg pill instead of a whole pill every evening and didn't experience any side effects. When I decide to quit completely, I'll go down to 1/4 of a pill for a few weeks first so the symptoms aren't so bad.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

arthur56 said:


> it does have a reputation of being unusually difficult to eventually quit for some.
> 
> google 'paxil discontinuation syndrome' and read all about it :nw


My doctor prescribed paxil for my anxiety. By sheer coincidence, the previous day, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service in the US) ran a documentary on the ill effects of Paxil and its addictive nature. So I decided not to take it. I did not want to replace my SA with my addiction. In one of the posts, Maslow - if I recall correctly - said that paxil has had no impact on his SA but has improved his sleep.


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

I think any doc that prescribes paxil is getting his meds info from drug co sales reps and no one else


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

arthur56 said:


> I think any doc that prescribes paxil is getting his meds info from drug co sales reps and no one else


i asked mine for paxil


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

I used Paxil successfully for many years. It is a powerful drug and it works, giving you a break to work on your social skills. It's not for everyone. But I was so far gone I needed it. It also allowed me to sleep soundly.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

arthur56 said:


> beware of paxil, paroxetine, aropax and other names in other countries
> 
> google 'paxil discontinuation syndrome' and read all about it :nw


How is this news? This has been known for years


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

the many docs who continue to prescribe it presumably dont know, or perhaps dont care


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## Cerberus (Feb 13, 2005)

Paxil works, but it made me feel like a zombie. And, yes, it sucks getting off of paxil. I tapered off of paxil and I almost killed myself due to extreme depression.


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## Speak Easy (Jun 27, 2006)

If you wean off, you won't have withdrawal most of the time. The discontinuation syndrome will only take effect in a minority of users, first of all, and secondly, if they wean off incorrectly or too quickly. Same thing with Effexor. People just need to let their reason overpower their impulse when quitting meds. Whenever you get that feeling, "Oh wow! I'm doing so well! I don't need meds anymore! I'm done with this Effexor!", and you flush your pills down the toilet (I've done this many times with many of my meds), you need to stop and think about what you're doing. You feel good BECAUSE you take the meds. If you stop, you will not only return to your normal state (hypothetically), but you will also feel worse from the withdrawal. Always wean off and you'll be fine. I think many of the statistics regarding the Paxil withdrawal syndrome fail to take into account HOW someone gets off of the Paxil. It's obvious that if someone quits cold-turkey, that there is a much higher chance for withdrawal symptoms


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

paxil treating SA is the greatest lie of the world.


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## TomB (Nov 5, 2006)

gained a lot of weight when taking paxil which just made my depression that much worse. stay away from it.

tom b


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## winnipegjets (Oct 1, 2007)

Paxil's overrated.

It definitely helped with my SA and panic attacks, but it constantly made me feel "jittery" and more anxious in general. I also was more high strung. Nardil is a much better drug for SA.


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## Zarklus (Aug 5, 2007)

sdf


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

up


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## scotthallkevinnash (Dec 19, 2006)

I was on Paxil, Lexapro, and Zoloft. None of these SSRI's worked for me. 

The first med they put me on was the Paxil CR version. I believe I went up to 37.5mg which is the highest they make. 

Paxil made me constipated and very lethargic. It also did nothing to change my anxiety levels. 

Paxil does work for some people however. My friend was on it and he got the same side effects as I did but it actually did work for him. 

As for the withdrawl (discontinuation syndrome is just another term for withdrawl) I never experienced withdrawl from Paxil because I went right on to Lexopro and then Zoloft. 

Zoloft withdrawl was very bad for me. I slowly lowered my dose and did everything they recommend to avoid withdrawl. I still had the "brain shocks", a weird eye movement type twitch, and a general feeling of sh*t for around 3 months after I took my last Zoloft pill.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I am on it right now. Othern than the weight gain, it works for me :?.


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## CoconutHolder (Oct 13, 2007)

I had a HORRIBLE reaction to Paxil when my doc tried to put me on it about 10 years ago. It seriously made me FREAK OUT big time! I went nuts. It scared the crap out of me because it made me feel a ton of rage. I actually punched a hole in the wall. I felt like I could go outside and rip someone alive with my bare hands. It was HORRIBLE. I stopped after one day. Never again.

I heart Lexapro!!!


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## Were (Oct 16, 2006)

CoconutHolder said:


> I had a HORRIBLE reaction to Paxil when my doc tried to put me on it about 10 years ago. It seriously made me FREAK OUT big time! I went nuts. It scared the crap out of me because it made me feel a ton of rage. I actually punched a hole in the wall. I felt like I could go outside and rip someone alive with my bare hands. It was HORRIBLE. I stopped after one day. Never again.
> 
> I heart Lexapro!!!


i punched my brother in the face while on paxil. paxil didn't help me with my sa or depression but it gave me rage and hatred .i continued it for 3 months , 60 mg. than quit it cold turkey with no problem .


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## trekster (Jul 16, 2007)

I took paxil for the first weeks, a few years ago and it seemed to work a bit. I stopped taking it and I had horrible withdrawal effects like migraine headaches. I stopped taking medication for about a year, and i went back to the shrink and she gave me again paxil due to my aspergers and social anxiety. I was going through some depression as well. I start taking paxil again, but it didn't work at all. I would have a broken sleep pattern, I would have crying spells and my anxiety made me worse. So, they switched me to 50mg of zoloft and now im up at 200mg and it seems to work, even though I feel anxious at times.


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## winnipegjets (Oct 1, 2007)

scotthallkevinnash said:


> I was on Paxil, Lexapro, and Zoloft. None of these SSRI's worked for me.


That's the problem with the SSRI's you take one of them, you've pretty much taken them all.


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

klonopin + deanxit = SA being cured.


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## WRATH (Oct 2, 2007)

winnipegjets said:


> scotthallkevinnash said:
> 
> 
> > I was on Paxil, Lexapro, and Zoloft. None of these SSRI's worked for me.
> ...


Thats not correct. Different SSRIs target different 5-HT receptors, which all have different actions.

I've tried paroxetine a few times - it calmed me but gave me hypersomnia (more than I already have!). Didn't help my SA or motivation at all. Every person I've 'known' that took paroxetine for SA found it did the same thing. Of all the SSRIs I think citalopram seems best - I witnessed someone get cured from his symptoms with a 'Nardil-like' effect.

Seems that for a med to be 'really' good for SA it needs to motivate & be anxiolytic. Bring in the med combos! My current combo is Marplan + Klonopin (isocarboxazid + clonazepam). I've only just started the Marplan. Did very well on Nardil, untill it pooped-out - augmentation didn't help in the long run. Still, Nardil is the best drug (solo) I've used for SA/APD so far.


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## winnipegjets (Oct 1, 2007)

tecknohed said:


> Seems that for a med to be 'really' good for SA it needs to motivate & be anxiolytic. Bring in the med combos! My current combo is Marplan + Klonopin (isocarboxazid + clonazepam). I've only just started the Marplan. Did very well on Nardil, untill it pooped-out - augmentation didn't help in the long run. Still, Nardil is the best drug (solo) I've used for SA/APD so far.


Marplan, wow that must be hard to get.


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## Joy (Feb 22, 2007)

I was forced to take paxil from *about* the ages from 14-16 after being sent to a psychiatrist. I told the psychiatrist that kids at school were making fun of me and he suggested that I buy new clothes, get a hair cut, lost some weight, etc. Then he told me that people make fun of him too because of his race. :/ But anyway, he put me on Paxil and Serzone. I was a zombie according to my mom, and I ended up gaining about 60lbs. I ballooned from around 130ish to 203lbs, and i'm only 5,3". 

Discontinuation is horrible, but it helps if you gradually lower your dose over an extended period of time. Yeah, I'd rather take benzos that actually work, even if they're addictive (technically, so is paxil).


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## winnipegjets (Oct 1, 2007)

Joy said:


> Discontinuation is horrible, but it helps if you gradually lower your dose over an extended period of time. Yeah, I'd rather take benzos that actually work, even if they're addictive (technically, so is paxil).


Actually Paxil has no addictive properties.


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## mcnabj (May 21, 2005)

winnipegjets said:


> Joy said:
> 
> 
> > Discontinuation is horrible, but it helps if you gradually lower your dose over an extended period of time. Yeah, I'd rather take benzos that actually work, even if they're addictive (technically, so is paxil).
> ...


Well they claim that. I was on paxil for 3 years and came off. The withdrawal was horrible. Much worse than when I quite smoking.


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## MapleLeaf (Nov 7, 2007)

I have been on Paxil and hated it. It made me jumpy and angry and gave me headaches. I felt like crazy when i was on that... however i did not experience withdrawal, but i was on it only for a few moths.


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## MapleLeaf (Nov 7, 2007)

and Paxil may cause cancer: http://www.yourhealthbase.com/breast_ca ... ctors.html

"However, when evaluating the data in detail the researchers discovered that women who had used tricyclic antidepressants for 25 months or more had twice the risk of developing breast cancer as had women who had not used these antidepressants. They also noted that women who had used the SSRI antidepressant paroxetine (Paxil) for more than two weeks had a seven times greater risk of breast cancer even when other possible risk factors were fully accounted for. The researchers caution that the number of women using paroxetine was quite small and recommend larger trials to confirm their initial finding. They do point out though that paroxetine stimulates prolactin secretion and is a potent inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme, both factors in an increased breast cancer risk."


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

i love paxil better than other SSRI's ive tried.


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## njodis (Nov 8, 2006)

I tried it for about 5 days and gave up. I couldn't deal with the side effects.


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## Bandit6 (Oct 20, 2007)

Last week, my doc. clearly diagnosed me with anxiety disorders(I have pretty much each ones: OCD, SA, panic attacks, etc..). I may get a little depressed sometimes but only last a couple of days. He told me CBT is clearly the way to go but meds(SSRIs) will help do 50% of the work. He gave me paroxetine prescribed at very low dose(5-10mg) and want to reach 20(for anxiety, major depression would be 40-60).

I've been looking at the bottle for a couple of days because of all those crazy stories on the internet instead of starting it. But that's enough now, if I don't try anything, nothing will happen(good or bad). Since I'm on such a low dose, never had any problem with addiction and withdrawal with anything in the past, a minority of cases have real problems(20-25%) and, like many things else, people with bad opinions are more prone to tell about it than those with good ones(opinion polls are a good example).

Gee, my disorder is even trying to prevent me from getting the treatment... :sigh


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

i think im on the highest dose of paxil on this board. 80mgs


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## jamie4418 (Nov 11, 2007)

I agree. Don't ever ever use paxil or other antidepressants. Do your internet research FIRST.

I wish I knew when I started this drug.


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## jamie4418 (Nov 11, 2007)

For more paxil stories, go to paxilprogress.org


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## jamie4418 (Nov 11, 2007)

For the first couple years, paxil worked good. However, the effects decrease over time.

For all the paxil fans on here, try coming off it after 5 years on it, and you'll know what I mean. You'll wish you had never ever started.


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## vivian (Apr 27, 2009)

*HM*



Bandit6 said:


> Last week, my doc. clearly diagnosed me with anxiety disorders(I have pretty much each ones: OCD, SA, panic attacks, etc..). I may get a little depressed sometimes but only last a couple of days. He told me CBT is clearly the way to go but meds(SSRIs) will help do 50% of the work. He gave me paroxetine prescribed at very low dose(5-10mg) and want to reach 20(for anxiety, major depression would be 40-60).
> 
> I've been looking at the bottle for a couple of days because of all those crazy stories on the internet instead of starting it. But that's enough now, if I don't try anything, nothing will happen(good or bad). Since I'm on such a low dose, never had any problem with addiction and withdrawal with anything in the past, a minority of cases have real problems(20-25%) and, like many things else, people with bad opinions are more prone to tell about it than those with good ones(opinion polls are a good example).
> 
> Gee, my disorder is even trying to prevent me from getting the treatment... :sigh


Wow Im like you,just came from doc with a script for paxtine and am reading all the terrible side effects that go with it and addiction,dont like what Im reading.
I feal scarred from some medical issues that are apparently neck related and for last couple of days have had heart pulpitations ,which freaked me out,so now I need this?
Its medical things that give me anxiety,I always tend to think I have something.Is this anxiety?
DO i try these tabs?


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## mud (Apr 12, 2009)

I think some people here are over reacting. Different people react differently to drugs. If it doesn't work for you that does not mean it is a bad drug, just that it doesn't work for you. And I think many of you don't understand the definition of addiction. Difficulting coming off a drug is NOT a sign of addiction per se. Cravings for the drug when you don't need it would be addiction, but Paxil does not do that. 

Also remember that Paxil is primarily intended to treat depression. Treating SA is a secondary function. I have been taking Paxil (50mg) for years now for major depression and it works extremely well for that. It does help with SA but to a much smaller degree.

When a drug doesn't work for you, please don't go ranting to everone about what a terrible drug it is. You may end up stopping someone from taking a drug that would be helped by it. It's fine to say "for me it doesn't work for this and has these side effects", but don't just condemn the drug for everyone.


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## downbutnotout (Mar 19, 2009)

Paroxetine had little effect on me. 

And it was hard to stop them. 

I finished them too quick and had bad withdrawal symptoms.


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## Phibes (Mar 8, 2009)

I've been taking paxil for a few months now.

I never had any side-affects from the drug. People talk about lowered sex drive and all this other crap... s**t never happened to me.

F**k it, we'll all die soon enough.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Paxil can have severe side-effects in some, as can other SSRIs. That doesn't mean depression and anxiety disorders are a better choice to live with though.

However, nowadays there are several drugs on the market to offset SSRI side-effects, and in my opinion, it's totally stupid that they aren't used in the majority of patients. Why experience side-effects when it's not necessary? I mean, mirtazapine, trazodone, pindolol and benzos are pretty effective for this purpose, as are other drugs.

Personally, I'm going for a combo of sertraline + mirtazapine + bupropion, well eventually anyway.


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## shylady (Oct 20, 2008)

Yes I know what you mean when I went through withdrawls I felt as though I was getting off of crack the symptoms were just that horrific.:|


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## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

The scary thing about Paxil withdrawal is its duration. @paxilprogress.org, some who have been on Paxil for 5, 10 years experience withdrawal symptoms even a year after quitting, even having done a gradual taper. I wouldn't take notice if it were just one or two testimonials, but they have 250,000+ posts there... it's hard to ignore that number.

I think that when Paxil & other SSRIs have been around for a few more decades and people have to come off them after multiple decades on them, we will hear some pretty awful stories.

I may go back on Paxil if I determine that's the only way to achieve a good quality of life, but it's a last resort and i've promised myself I need to be off of it for 4 months to evaluate if I really need it before going back on it. If I do go back on it, it will probably be for life.

Anyways, caution is advised. Paxil is a potent antidepressant and really helped me out when I needed it. I think the best use of Paxil are cases of acute depression/anxiety for short durations (< 1 year). Just my honest opinion.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Yeah, I agee, it's a very powerful drug. I took Paxil for a couple of years at 40mg and still experienced brain zaps 6yrs after I quit cold turkey. Strangely, they only occurred when I'd look to the right...and more so when I was tired. I also developed diffuse muscle twitching all throughout my body, primarily on the left side, in addition to spiraling into a deep depression. I'd thought I had developed "Benign Fasciculation Syndrome" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_fasciculation_syndrome, due to my anxiety, however, it was when I got back on Paxil (10mg) and some of the symptoms subsided (the brains zaps went totally way) that I put two and two together and realized that maybe Paxil caused some brain damage. Even with that, I'm still on it, because it does help with my anxiety...I liken it to selling my soul to the devil so I can have a life. So, for those of you who are particularly sensitive to drugs, word to the wise - Paxil can really mess you up!


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## MissMay1977 (Oct 25, 2008)

Paxil has been a wonder drug for me. I went from being introverted and shy to speaking what is on my mind. I just blurt things out now. Sometimes that is good and sometimes that is bad.


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## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

Phoebus --
Brain zaps 6 yrs after quitting - wow! That's terrible and I'm sorry to hear it. So you are on 10 mg of Paxil now? How long have you been back on it and how is it working out for you? Are the side effects any different this time around? Have you ever noticed concentration/cognitive/memory issues from Paxil?


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Any medication can be dangerous. I know I want to get off Clonazepam; I think I've been having negative side effects from it. My doctor won't budge, though...he wants me on it.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

WintersTale said:


> Any medication can be dangerous. I know I want to get off Clonazepam; I think I've been having negative side effects from it. My doctor won't budge, though...he wants me on it.


You own your body, not your doctor. Try explaining the side-effects and if he still won't switch you to something else, ask to be referred to someone that will.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

gordonjohnson008 said:


> Phoebus --
> Brain zaps 6 yrs after quitting - wow! That's terrible and I'm sorry to hear it. So you are on 10 mg of Paxil now? How long have you been back on it and how is it working out for you? Are the side effects any different this time around? Have you ever noticed concentration/cognitive/memory issues from Paxil?


Fortunately, the zaps were very mild compared to the ones I used to get, when I was actively taking the drug, and skipped a day. And they weren't daily, but mostly when I was really tired, which is why I didn't make the connection with Paxil. Seems so obvious now, but I thought it was related to my BFS or that I had Lyme disease...or maybe MS. I tested negative for Lyme and my neurological exams were normal, though I had no advanced testing, like an EMG or MRI. I haven't mentioned the resolution of "the brain zaps" to my doc, simply because (being uninsured), I can't afford to go through more testing. ( On a side note- I did have private insurance for a while, in anticipation that I had a more serious problem like MS, but after being dicked around by so many doctors, I grew disgusted, and cancelled it, because the damn deductible was so high, and I wasn't getting anywhere.) So, for now, I continue to play Russian roulette with my brain.

Thus far, I've been on it for a year. My doc prescribed 20mg, however, I've been splitting the pills. Given my sensitivity, I'm afraid to go any higher. It has really helped with my anxiety, and depression, however, I'm pretty sure I've suffered some cognitive and memory impairment...I'm definitely not as sharp as I used to be, and it can be difficult to find words at times. It could also be that some of my problems are the cumulative effect of years of stress and depression. Who knows? :sigh


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

Medication, including Paxil, has never had a strong effect on me. I currently take 112 mg of Paxil daily, plus four other drugs. Other meds have given me brain zaps, but Paxil has had no negative side effects that I can tell.



Phoebus said:


> I'm definitely not as sharp as I used to be, and it can be difficult to find words at times. It could also be that some of my problems are the cumulative effect of years of stress and depression. Who knows? :sigh


:hug


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Mercurochrome said:


> Medication, including Paxil, has never had a strong effect on me. I currently take 112 mg of Paxil daily, plus four other drugs. Other meds have given me brain zaps, but Paxil has had no negative side effects that I can tell.
> 
> :hug


Yikes, I thought the cut off dose was 60! Let's hope you don't develop problems...most of my symptoms manifested when I got off.

Thanks for the hug, btw.


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## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

Phoebus -- has your memory/cognition deteriorated noticably in the past year (i.e. does it correlate to going back on Paxil)?

Depression itself can be harmful to your memory, along with the fact that you're probably doing less healthly things and probably getting less out of life in general while you are depressed.

Are there meds besides Paxil you are on or have been on that could have affected your memory? Since you were off it for 6 years, i'm really curious to know if you think Paxil is at fault for this.


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## Anxiety75 (Feb 10, 2004)

michaelyuan said:


> klonopin + deanxit = SA being cured.


What is deanxit?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

It's a fix combination of the antipsychotic Flupentixol and the tricyclic antidepressant Melitracen. It's sometimes still used in Europe.


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## BrianM (Jul 23, 2011)

From my experience there isn't much difference. Zoloft I've read works better for women. Prozac is the best of the SSRI's in my case. About 30% effective.


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

yes paxil withdrawl is straight outta hell.


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## stephh (Mar 16, 2011)

For people talking so badly about Paxil... for some of us it worked, and it may not have worked for you, but that doesn't mean it doesn't work for anyone! It helped with my SAD and depression, but it did cause me terrible withdrawals if I missed a dose, and it was very difficult for me to get off of, even with tapering.


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## 7four7 (Mar 15, 2013)

*paxil side effects worse than advertised*

I started taking paxil in 2002 and discontinued in 2010 cold turkey. During that time I gained 55 lbs, had zero libido, developed sleep apnea, my cholesterol readings went through the roof, high blood pressure and topped it off with a bad case of diverticulitis.

After struggling with all of these issues I decided it was time to try life without Paxil. This is when things started to change radically.

The withdrawal symptoms were numerous a took 2 months to settle down.

Immediately I had what is best described as brain sparking. It felt like small amounts of voltages would shoot through my head and cause dizziness. This lasted for about 1 month. Frequent in the beginning than tapering off to small infrequent than to nothing.

Than I had frequent urinating that all of a sudden looked like it had blood in it. This caused a lot of concern for my doctor, so off to lab tests I go. Through these tests we found blisters on my kidneys, kidney stones and the reason why I had intestinal pain, diverticulitis.

The good news was that my blood pressure was going down and I was loosing weight, rapidly. Bad news is that I had 5 kidney stones that were going to kick my but.

I stuck with the plan to quit, threw the kidney stones (ouch), lowered my BP 25 %, got rid of the diverticulitis, remedied my sleep apnea, got my labido back and lost 40 lbs fast.

Paxil is not good for you physically and should possibly only be used on a temporary basis. There are too many side effects that can be very expensive to your life.


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