paxiljunkie: OCD & ME: Chronicles of a Paxil junkie

[paxiljunkie]

Hello, my name is Jamie and I have had OCD since I can remember? I have been on numerous meds since I was 17 and am now 47. I have been addicted to paxil though for 20 years now and have not been able to successfully ween off of this med for any great length of time as the addiction to the med is to strong for me to bear. I am not saying that paxil never helped me in the beginning, it seemed to work for me, however as time passed and when I tried to stop taking it, did I really realize how much this med had control over me! Other meds I had taken I could seem to take  and then stop when I wanted, not this paxil, it has never given me the 'green light' to quit its usage. I have had more downs than ups while on this med and even had to be hospitalized twice in 2007 for severe withdrawl due to its abrupt stoppage. My life before this drug was 'not bad', yes I struggled at times with my OCD, but I was more 'functional' in my opinion than I am these current years that have passed by. If I had of known of the roller coaster ride this med would take me on over the last 20 years, I would have never purchased that 'ticket' so to speak! My eventual goal is to be paxil free, a dream of mine, to see how I actually feel without this poison in my system! Cheers! Jamie.

Edited December 28, 2017 by paxiljunkie
grammar

[Gridley]

Hello, paxiljunkie and welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

To start off, we ask all of our members to fill out a signature so that all of your information can be read at a glance.  This helps moderators determine you current situation and we would ask that you follow the instructions at the link below.

 

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At Surviving Antidepressants, it is recommended that a person taper by no more than 10% of their current dose with at least a four week hold in-between decreases.  The 10% taper recommendation is a harm reduction approach to going off psychiatric drugs.  Some people may have to taper at a more conservative rate as they are sensitive to even the smallest drops.  Sorry about your hospitalizations.   Severe withdrawal symptoms are quite often the result of a too-rapid taper.

 

To help you better cope with withdrawal, these techniques in this link should be helpful:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms 

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

To get you familiarized with the protocols followed by SA, I am linking a few topics so that you have a better understanding of what is recommended here. 

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Brain Remodelling

Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)