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tatjanap: Paxil recovery success story


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So, was prompted to write this by an update email of this website which said to contribute if we have had success.

 

About 5y ago I started having panic attacks which I suspected were from a physical cause but very extensive testing could not find the problem and I relented and they gave me Paxil.

 

6 months in I started tapering off and first of all could not taper any more than 1mg per week, at 20mg that was a very slow taper. When I finished the taper, a few weeks later the insomnia and brain zaps started, and they only happened as I was feeling asleep, jolting me awake.

 

For about 18 months I was a wreck. I wont list all of the things that did not work.

 

In the end I went to a dr in Germany (if its allowed I will add which) who tested everything there is (I mean that) including neurotransmitters (blood urine and spit). I even had a 24h Holter ECG. He told me that I was perfectly fine except that I was borderline for hypothyroid and that I had been borderline when the panic attacks started (old bloodwork) and that the symptoms fit snd that its bad medicine to not put the two together - this should have been treated instead of giving me Paxil.

 

He gave me supplements, diet recommendations and sent me home. I started to gradually get better during the next few months. I had a setback after 2-3 months of really good improvement - some excitement my body saw as stress set me back. I was still not as bad as I had been however. Then I realized that maybe I should see an acupuncturist considering they are trained to see the body as whole and not just one system malfunctioninng. I found one who was also an MD and she gave my case a lot of thought. I was again becoming a lot better.

 

I did acupuncture every day for probably a month or two and then we started tapering - every two days, a few days a week etc. That took probably about 6 months but I was really fully functional now. for about a year or two, whenever I felt slightly off I would go and get 2-3 acupuncture sessions that week. 

The most interesting thing is that in the beginning of visiting the acupuncturist, when I was still sweaty and having panic attacks, when she finished I was instantly better and it didn’t feel like I had taken medication, but quite simply that I was the old me.

 

I still carried emergecy clonazepam around for a few years and had trouble sleeping when I forgot it at home if I travelled, simply because I was still AFRAID of the insomnia. I still hate it when something (say a neighbours party) impedes my sleep but its all just likes and dislikes now - there are no effects left whatsoever. 

 

I think it a medical crime that we can test neurotransmitters now yet we dont and instead just prescribe antidepressants without checking. 

 

Edited by ChessieCat
just spacing, paragraph breaks for ease of reading

2013 march to september / Zoloft with no issues during or after use - 50mg (postnatal depression)

2015 february to september Paxil (for panic attacks) - 20mg

started tapering september 2015, 1mg per week. last dose 1 mg. got to 0 december 2015. 

free of symptoms since end of 2017. 

 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to tatjanap: off Paxil
  • ChessieCat changed the title to tatjanap: Paxil recovery success story
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi tatjanap and "welcome" to SA,

 

For the benefit of the other members, tatjanap has been a member since July 2016 but never made any posts.

 

Thank you for sharing your Success story with SA.

 

And I wish you well in your psychiatric drug free life.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Some information for members who are tapering their drug.

 

tatjanap reduced by 1mg per week and the last dose was 1mg.

 

SA's recommended tapering protocol is to reduce by no more than 10% of the CURRENT dose followed by a hold of at least 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.

 

1mg as the last dose is much higher than SA would recommend.  The lower the dose you jump off at the better.  A last dose to aim for would be about 0.025mg.  Some people can manage a higher jump off dose, and others might need to go lower, and of course the last dose can be dictated by whether you are able to create very low doses.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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@tatjanap thanks for giving us your success story 🙏 as you know it means sooooooo much to all of us ❤️

2021:  started celexa 10mg feb 2nd 

feb 25th took my last 10g; feb 26th 5mg; feb 27th 5mg; feb 28th 2021 cold turkey 

currently taking mag

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how long did it take for you to start feeling better and how long would you say wd lasted? 🙂

2021:  started celexa 10mg feb 2nd 

feb 25th took my last 10g; feb 26th 5mg; feb 27th 5mg; feb 28th 2021 cold turkey 

currently taking mag

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@tatjanap, thanks for coming back to leave your success story, and congratulations on your recovery!

2013 - Jan 4, 2021 - Sertraline 50mg 

Jan 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg (1/4)

Feb 2021 Mar 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg

April 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg, Amitriptyline 2mg (4/20), Clonazepam 2mg

May 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg (5/16 - 0mg), Amitriptyline (5/1 - 1mg, 5/16 - 0mg), Clonazepam 2mg

Aug 2021 - Sertraline 25mg (re 8/20), Clonazepam 2mg 

Sep 2021 - Sertraline 50mg (up 9/3), Clonazepam (9/29 - 1mg), Diazepam (9/29 - 2.5mg)

Oct 2021 - Sertraline 50mg, Clonazepam (10/14 - 0.9mg, 10/24 - 1mg), Diazepam (10/6 - 1.25mg, 10/14 - 0mg), Trazodone (10/03 - 50mg, 10/17 - 25mg, 10/21 - 12.5mg), Mirtazapine (10/17 - 15mg)

Nov 2021 : Current - Sertraline 50mg, Clonazepam (4/22 - 0.975mg, 5/22 - 0.9125mg, co 6/22 - 0.25mg, co 8/22 - 0.5mg, co 1/23 - 0.25mg),

Diazepam (co 6/22 - 12mg, 7/22 - 11mg, co 8/22 - 5mg, 9/22 - 4mg, 10/22 - 3mg, 11/22 - 2mg, 12/22 - 1mg, co 1/23 - 5mg, 2/23 - 4.5mg, 3/23 - 3.5mg, 4/23 - 3mg), Trazodone 12.5mg, Mirtazapine 15mg

 

Supplements: 1/2 Multivitamin, Fish Oil 2000mgProbioticMagnesium Chelate 280mg, Vit C 500mg. Melatonin 5mg/3mgXR

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Thank you for sharing and congratulations. Another Paxil surviver and even from Germany. Did you suffer from fatigue?
Can you PM me the name of the doctor, please?

AD since 2006 (16 years old). Prescribed on Citalopram, Fluoxetin(2x), Opipramol, Paroxetin. All with CT except Paroxetin (fast taper).
Last medication was Paroxetin for 3 years. Tapered fast:
- October 2018: 10mg -> 5mg
- December 2018: 5mg -> 2,5mg
- February 2019: 2,5mg -> 1,25mg
- March 2019: 1,25mg -> 1 mg
Since May 2019: 0 mg

Supplements:
- Omega 3 (2200mg EPA + DHA )                  - Vitamin D 2000 i.u. and Vitamin K2 50 mcg            - Vitamin B12 (100mcg)
- Zinc (4 mg)                                                    - Magnesium-Bisglycinat (100mg elemantal Mg)     
30 months off and improvements but still setbacks.  Link to my introduction: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/21876-malon-14-years-of-ssri-since-youth-last-was-paroxetin/?tab=comments#comment-486450

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thank you for telling your success story.. I'm still on 4 mg of Lexapro and I don't know if the withdrawal symptoms will last or not?  Does a 4 mg dose have withdrawal symptoms?

I don't speak English fluently but I speak to you with google translator

2005-2006:Diversity in taking medications
 2006-2019 Seroxat 20 mg
 2020-2021 Cipralex 15 mg
 Mar 2021 it has decreased from 15 mg to 12.5 mg/Aug 2021 9mg/Sep 12, 2021 8mg/Oct 12, 2021 7mg / Nov 12, 2021 6mg / Dec 12, 2021 5mg / Jan 12, 2022 4.5mg /Feb 12, 2022 4mg/Mar-Apr 3.5mg/May 3mg The beginning of severe withdrawal

/sep 23, 2022 2.5mg

On March 19, 2023, I ended up in the emergency room, with severe palpitations, panic, and severe mental and physical fatigue, then I went back to a dose of 20 milligrams of Seroxat to this day.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for sharing your recovery! I’m so

happy for you. 😊 I’m in Germany too, would you mind sharing the details of the doctor? 

2015-16 - Desvenlafaxine 35.7mg for 10 months, rapid taper without incident.

September 2021 - December 2021 Lorazepam peak 2.5mg, jumped from 0.25mg

October ‘21 - November ‘21 - Milnacipran up to 100mg for 3 weeks, rapid tapered off in one week at my insistence, horrible side efffects on medication, including two days of Akathisia. 
 

November 2nd - November 12th ‘21 - 7.5mg Mirtazapine 

November 13th ‘21 - February 8th ‘22  - Mirtazapine 15mg

2022: 07/02 - 14.7mg 14/02 - 14.33mg 21/02 - 13.97mg 28/02 - 13.63mg 07/03 - 13.29mg 14/03 - 12.96mg 21/03 - 12.64mg 28/03 - 12.3mg 04/04 - 11.99mg 11/04 - 11.63mg 18/04 - 11.28mg 25/04 - 10.94mg 16/05 - 9.98mg 30/05 - 9.09mg 13/06 - 8.82mg 27/06 - 8.3mg 03/07 - 8.05mg 18/07 - 7.5mg 12/08 - 6.75mg 16/10 - 4.85mg 05/12 - 3.5mg // 2023: 02/01 - 2.94mg

// 2024: 12/02 - 0.98mg 20/06 - 0.5mg
Supplements: Magnesium glycinate, Omega-3, Zinc, Lysine, Vitamin D, NAC, Probiotics, Grapeseed extract, Phosphatidylserine 

 

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