Bassoonista: quit paroxetine cold turkey for a year

[Bassoonista]

Hi, everyone! My name is Franny, and I don’t know if I’m doing this right, but I need to just type this out. So I just got over the flu and have just been catching no break, but for some reason, after I recovered, I started having anxiety symptoms I’ve never had before such as waking up in the middle of the night with elevated heart, feeling hot, then trembling and just an overall, very terrible feeling every day. (This is just so out of the blue and just so severe that I’m scared).

 

I haven’t taken paroxetine in a year (quit cold turkey) and was doing pretty well. Life is good, I’m surrounded by good people. However, this panic/anxiety has been so bad recently, that I dug out the paroxetine (20 mg) and took one yesterday and the day before (haven’t taken one today yet). This morning when I woke up with this panic attack, I went to the hospital because maybe it was something else, and of course, I just have terrible anxiety so they gave me a lorazepam. (I did notify them I took paroxetine within the past two days). I felt pretty calm from the lorazepam but now I’m kinda getting anxious again.

 

The only time I could get in with a psychologist is 2 weeks from now. In the mean time, I just don’t know what to do. Do I continue taking this 20 mg of paroxetine everyday until then? I just felt so desperate, and I’m just so upset because college is where I thrive and I just don’t know what’s happening; I could just cry right now. 

 

Again, I apologize if I’m not going about this in the right way, but I really appreciate your support and how strong you all are. Thank you.

[Bassoonista]

Medical history: paroxetine for 9 years (began in 6th grade so 2008 ish to late 2017) off of it cold turkey for a year. Mild depression and anxiety but nothing too big. Currently terrible 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Shep]

Hi, Bassoonista.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

Please do not take any more of the 20 mg Paroxetine. That dose is too high for a reinstatement, as your nervous system is now very destabilized and is hyper-reacting to the dose you were previously taking.

 

Please carefully read at least the first post in this thread: 

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

If you decide to reinstate, since you are so far out, try 1 or 2 mg to start and see how you do.  You could do this by making your own liquid or using a scale. Please see: 

 

Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

Using a digital scale

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

For more on withdrawal, please see:

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

Healing from antidepressants. Patterns of recovery video (4 minutes)

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

You may find some helpful information to handle your symptoms here: 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements, as many members report their nervous systems are simply too fragile to handle them. However, magnesium and fish oil tend to be calming to the nervous system and many people report they do help. Please only add in one supplement at a time and at a small dose. For more, please see:

 

 King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

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As you provide more information, we can better guide you in reinstating and provide other information, as well. 

 

[Carmie]

Hi Bassoonista, 

 

How are you doing?💚