Mike8989: paroxetine to Prozac bridge

[Mike8989]

3 months in and just started the prozac bridge.

 

10 Years on paxil- starting on 20mg rising to 50mg.

 

Severe symptoms once i went below 20...

 

Will these symptoms go away at some point? I'm at my wits end of feeling sick, headaches.agitation everyday. 

 

If i was to go back on paxil after a 3 month taper will symptoms disappear?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Erell]

Hello Mike 

 

And welcome on SA. 

 

To help us understand your situation  :

 

- can you fill your signature with your drug history : names/dates on and off/ supplements ?

 

On 9/1/2020 at 5:56 PM, Mike8989 said:

3 months in and just started the prozac bridge

I'm not sure I understand  :

- did you taper Paxil during 3 months?

- when did you introduce Prozac?

Which dosage?

-what are you taking now ?

 

I'm sorry you're struggling : once we understand better your situation and your dose changes we might be able to help you.

 

Take care ☀️

[Mike8989]

I have been on paxil since i was 18 am now 31.

 

18-24- 20mg

24-28- 30mg

28- to now 50mg

 

1st June - 1st july- 50-20mg ( didn't seem to be a problem- no major withdrawal symptoms.

 

Problems started with dropping below 20 to 10

 

1st july- 1st august 10mg- feeling absolutely terrible- nausea everyday since then, chills and sweats, headaches, general flu like symptoms, severe agitation/irritability, anxiety through the roof. 

 

Stupidly continued to 5mg and then 0mg for 1 week whilst i tried the prozac bridge.

 

I decided to stop the prozac because i didnt want 2 drugs in my body and reinstated to 20mg paxil for the past week.

 

Symptoms slightly improved but still there.

 

How long do i give holding at 20 before considering going up?

 

Why do i feel worse now compared to when i first dropped to 20mg form 50?

 

Will these symptoms ever go...... extremely worried for the future after reading previous posts on the internet off prolonged withdrawal

 

Thanks

 

 

[Mike8989]

I recently tried a 3 month taper from 50mg to 0mg.... once it went below 20mg i felt terrible.

 

Could not stand the symptons so jumped back to 20mg but symptons improved but still there ( worse than originally at 20mg first time round).

 

If i go back to 50 mg will symptons completley disaapear..........am totally lost now as to what to do. PLS HELP. Thanks

 

Timeline

 

1st june- 1st july- 50-20mg

1st july-1st august- 10mg

1st august - 16thaugust- 5mg

17th aug- 1st sep= 5mg every other day

2nd sep- 5th- no paxil 

 

6th- to present day- 20mg

[Altostrata]

Hello, Mike.

 

11 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

Could not stand the symptons so jumped back to 20mg but symptons improved but still there ( worse than originally at 20mg first time round).

 

If i go back to 50 mg will symptons completley disaapear..........am totally lost now as to what to do. PLS HELP. Thanks

 

Nobody can predict if taking 50mg again will be more effective than taking 20mg. If 20mg helped, why not stay there? What symptoms are left that did not improve from reinstating 20mg?

[Mike8989]

Hi

 

Since 10mg so early July i have felt sick all day, everyday.

 

Along with crippling anxiety, uncomfortable in my own house. Cannot sit still and getting myself into a state.

 

These are the 2 symptoms I've been left with, everything seems to have subsided.

 

I guess i now just have to pray i stabilize and at some point feel like my old-self...

 

WISH I NEVER TRIED TO TAPER NOW- HAS HALTED MY LIFE

[Mike8989]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry to keep posting but am getting myself into a state.

 

How i felt before was like a walk in the park compared to now.

 

Tapered 50mg to fast over 3 months so have gone back to 20mg because less than that withdrawal symptoms were 10/10 BAD now they are 6/7/10.

 

Any experience off just staying on them for the foreseeable future and NOT continuing to taper?

 

Will my CNS still heal the same way, quicker/longer?

 

Its sooo frustrating that this little poison pill has caused this much misery.

 

 

[Hanna72]

hi @Mike8989

I am sorry to see that you are struggling like this. Keep in mind that you have done a very fast taper and by reinstating the 20 mg you should allow your nervous system to stabilise. 

4 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

These are the 2 symptoms I've been left with, everything seems to have subsided

This is a good indicator that you are stabilising. It takes time. 

Paxil is a drug that many of us here have had hard time tapering, thats why we reccomend a very slow taper, see<

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

You have been hit with the classic withdrawal symptoms

withdrawal symptoms

 

I also want you to know that you will be ok. I know how frustrating and at times scary this process can be, but know this, our bodies have a incredible way of healing itself, and with patience, time and taking good care of ourselves can play a huge role on this journey.

 

If you find yourself wanting to get off this drug someday, there is a great format here called the brassmonkey slide, but it will be up to you if you want to live a drugfree life. And this forum will quide you and support you along the way. 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

From my own experiences of fast tapering in the past and reinstating paxil, I always stabilised, just give it some time.

All the best to you.

[Altostrata]

@Mike8989 -- only one Introductions topic to a member. Please post updates and questions in this topic, and you won't have to repeat your circumstances over and over.

 

8 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

Hi

 

Since 10mg so early July i have felt sick all day, everyday.

 

Along with crippling anxiety, uncomfortable in my own house. Cannot sit still and getting myself into a state.

 

These are the 2 symptoms I've been left with, everything seems to have subsided.

 

I guess i now just have to pray i stabilize and at some point feel like my old-self...

 

WISH I NEVER TRIED TO TAPER NOW- HAS HALTED MY LIFE

 

You have been taking 10mg Paxil since early July? Please add this information to your signature.

 

Are your symptoms worse any particular times of day? Are you taking any other drugs?

 

Please keep daily notes of times of day you take your drugs, their dosages, and your symptoms throughout the day. Post 24 hours of notes at a time in this topic, in a simple list format with time of day on the left and notation (symptom or drug and dosage) on the right. This can show if your symptoms are adverse effects from one of your drugs.

[ChessieCat]

37 minutes ago, Mike8989 said:

Does anyone have/experienced constant nausea as a withdrawal symptom ?

 

-digestive-problems-nausea-diarrhoea-bloating-gerd

 

[Mike8989]

26 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

 

-digestive-problems-nausea-diarrhoea-bloating-gerd

 

Thank you

 

Its the only sympton i have along with the anxiety..............slight relief when i eat then comes straight back after.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Mike8989, please add questions about your condition to your Introductions topic or they'll get lost elsewhere.

[ChessieCat]

Moved posts from Ryguy's Intro to Mike's Intro.

[Mike8989]

UPDATE- BRIDGE was discontinued after a few days on advice off private physc.

 

Back upto 20mg which was a level far less severe than when i dipped under that. Problem was i continued to  taper for a further 2 months to 0mg and had terrible WD symptoms.

 

I had gone from 50 mg from June to July

10mg July to august

5mg- half august/ 5mg every other day to September

 

1st week in September at 0mg and could not function- was close to a mental breakdown.

 

So from about 7th Sep ive gone back to 20mg and thats were i am now.

 

All symptoms have gone apart from constant NAUSEA which i've had since early July

 

Will this ever go away- it dos my nut in- driving a car/ or just sitting at my laptop working it lingers in the background.

 

Some weeks are really bad some better.

 

Anyone been through this experience before with NAUSEA .

 

Thanks in advance.

[Mike8989]

Did you feel sick everyday without being sick? 6 months into a fast taper/ slight increase of dosage to relive the horrid symptoms?

[ChessieCat]

On 11/2/2020 at 2:47 AM, Mike8989 said:

BRIDGE was discontinued after a few days on advice off private physc.

 

Back upto 20mg which was a level far less severe than when i dipped under that. Problem was i continued to  taper for a further 2 months to 0mg and had terrible WD symptoms.

 

I had gone from 50 mg from June to July

10mg July to august

5mg- half august/ 5mg every other day to September

 

1st week in September at 0mg and could not function- was close to a mental breakdown.

 

So from about 7th Sep ive gone back to 20mg and thats were i am now.

 

Please update your drug signature to show the Prozac dates and doses and the last dose you took and the changes to paroxetine doses with dates if you made any reductions/increases.

 

Also, please change the 18-24, 24-28 and 28-31 to dates.  The numbers don't mean anything to us without having to read back through your topic.  The idea of the drug signature is so that your drug history can be seen at a glance.  Thank you.

 

Instructions:  Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

PAROXETINE 

 

20MG- 18-24

30MG- 24-28

50MG- 28-31

[ChessieCat]

 

9 hours ago, Mike8989 said:

Did you feel sick everyday without being sick? 6 months into a fast taper/ slight increase of dosage to relive the horrid symptoms?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

See symptoms numbered 35 to 39.

 

Sometimes we need to be our own detective.  You might find it helpful to keep a food diary to see if there are any foods which might make you feel worse.  Also see if there is any pattern to when you eat and when the nausea is worse.  You might be able to change things so that you can ease the worst of the nausea.

[Mike8989]

Paroxetine HELL! 18 months and still in Withdrawals

 

Hi guys,

 

I'm looking for people's previous experiences on this barbaric drug.

 

Long story short I tapered too hard from 50mg per day to 0mg over a 3 month period.

 

Reinstated to 20mg because I couldn't function and every symptom went, apart from one. CONSTANT NAUSEA. 

 

I have felt sick everyday since July 2020 without a day's break.... the dizziness, vertigo, shaking went but not the above.

 

Do we think that this is still withdrawals or anxiety underneath the surface.

 

I don't feel anxious, but I'm always agitated/irritated in my own skin but not scared on doing things.....

 

The constant prevents me from enjoying anything now and my life is on hold.

 

I'm happy to start taking medication again but as i said i would really relish fellow people's opinions on whether this is withdrawals or anxiety....

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Mike

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[Shep]

@Mike8989Please update your signature with months and years so we know what your history has been and what drugs you are currently taking.

 

Here is information on doing this:

 

How to Summarize Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

Here's a direct link to your signature:

 

Create Your Signature in "Account Settings". 

 

[Altostrata]

Mike, what times o'clock do you take your drugs, with their dosages? How do you feel before and after taking a dose of Paxil?