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TheCanuckGal: Cold Turkey off max dose of Paxil


TheCanuckGal

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I went cold turkey off the max dose of paxil five months ago. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt I’m now homeless sleeping in a basement of someone’s home. I still think about suicide daily, I cry daily. I was only warned about not getting pregnant on paxil no one told me about how addicted I’d be, even now. I’m debating going back because I’m going to hurt myself again I know it.  
 

Can I sue GSK. Or the doctor who put me on this? What are my rights? I’m literally dopesick from this drug. 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to TheCanuckGal: Cold Turkey off max dose of Paxil
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Hi @TheCanuckGal,

this sounds horrible. I am so sorry you have been going through all that. I can't advise you on suing or not as I have no such expertise but can help you find some relief, perhaps? 

 

Can you pls post your drug signature with all the changes esp for the last couple of years 

How to List Drug History in Signature - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants 

 

What are your current symptoms?

 

You may be able to reinstate, but if you do so, we recommend that you reinstate a very small amount of the drug as it has been very long since you have been and you may be sensitized to it and in the case of paxil we recommend reinstating prozac or celexa - drugs that are easier to come off of. We can give you more appropriate advice once you fill in your drug signature. 

 

Here is the link to the reinstatement thread if you'd like to read a bit on it. I will post more info once you respond. 

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Hope you feel some respite soon, 

OMW

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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Please take care of yourself and seek help if you feel you are going to hurt yourself.   It looks like people DO recover, there are many stories I have been reading here where this happens in months or a year.  Its surviving through the hopeless period.  Prayers.

Recent 2018 Zoloft 150mg  (20 years taking at various times, no real issues before stopping)

2019 Risperdal one month low dose (forget amount) stopped bad reaction

2019 Remeron 7.5 mg sleep  (discontinued in mid 2019) on for six months (tapered for a few weeks)

Zoloft 100 mg Summer 2020/Zoloft 75 mg Summer 2021

Zoloft 50 mg November 2021/ Zoloft 25 mg First two weeks January 2022: Reinstated 50 mgJanuary Last week)

Crash in February - on and off doses as doctors conflicted over serotonin syndrome/withdrawal - stopped all for two week & resumed:\

Other drugs tried in hospitals (Abilify, 1mg, 1 dose, Zyprexa 1 dose 1mg, Klonopin .25 4 doses in 2 hospitalizations)

March 1 titrated Zoloft up from 0 to 65 from February to Early May

Severe vision problems at 65 mg (improved depression)

Taper to 55 6/15, 45mg 7/15/ 35mg 8/1, 25mg 8/15, 10 mg, 8/31 OFF 9/2022 Omg  Improved with drops from August to September - November crash ONE dose Zoloft 3mg 11/17 - worsened symptoms - Remain off Zoloft

Mirtazapine -3.5 mg six weeks mid march to end april, occasionally for sleep

Supplements: Fish oil, magnesium, lions mane, cytokine suppress, MCT Oil

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On 2/20/2022 at 6:33 PM, TheCanuckGal said:

I went cold turkey off the max dose of paxil five months ago. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt I’m now homeless sleeping in a basement of someone’s home. I still think about suicide daily, I cry daily. I was only warned about not getting pregnant on paxil no one told me about how addicted I’d be, even now. I’m debating going back because I’m going to hurt myself again I know it.  
 

Can I sue GSK. Or the doctor who put me on this? What are my rights? I’m literally dopesick from this drug. 

I  am so sorry you are going through this. I have been thinking about taking my case to court as well but I am too sick to even get out of bed so I think we need to put all our strength in recovery and then worry about taking legal action against doctors or pharmaceutical companies. I am really sorry, I mean it, I am suffering badly as well  from just few weeks of Zoloft and I would definitely be homeless if it wasn’t for my husband proving for me. I ll include you in my prayers for healing, I know it’s not much but that’s the only thing I can do right now to help myself and other AD sufferers. 

Aug. 16-17, 2020, cipralex: went CRAZY! Recovered in 24hrs

Aug.28,2020; 3.5 weeks 25mg sertraline/4.5 weeks taper

Oct. 25: Last dose (4mg)

Symptoms while on zoloft

DPDR/out of my body/soul despair/feeling dead; tinnitus/no appetite; fear, anxiety/panics

4 months OFF: soul despair, anxiety/fear, brain disconnection/ DPDR, brain feels swollen-numb/crazy/bedridden barely functioning, tinnitus, eye lid twitches; face spasms. Feeling slightly better after 10pm.

- sleep & appetite are fine

9 months OFF: hell, no windows, same symptoms as above  (only eye and face twitches have stopped) plus intense arm/shoulder pain and visual issues. Tinnitus replaced by head buzzing. 

10 months-1 year: all above plus Insomnia (out of nowhere), depression, no peace of mind (mental Akathisia); 2.5mg melatonin

14months off: sleep resumed. All rest symptoms remain. Bedridden vegetable all day. DP is relentless. 

1.5 years off: still severely disabled, not much changed except some improvement in vision.

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