Sezo: Brutally stopped Paroxetine after 12 years

[Sezo]

Hello,

 

Sorry because my level of english is bad, I am frome France, 31 years old and took Paroxetine (20mg) since I’m 18 years old.

 

I would like to share my experience with Paroxetine.

I took paroxetine for 12 years, and had to stop it brutally because of an allergy (Tongue angioedema), I was hospitalized during 5 days, and they said me to stop Paroxetine and found another molecule, and to handle the side effets of stopping Paroxetine they prescribed me Lexomil (Bromazepam) that I still take in case of severe panick attack.

 

I went to see my doctor and told to him that I was good, but I am sad, with lot of panick attack, with extreme fatigue, tachychardia, he said to me that I was very strong and I didn’t need Antidepressant anymore.

 

After 3 months of stopping Paroxetine brutally after 12 years of treatment, I can say to everyone that is possible to end this drug, but it is so hard at the same time, no one died from tapering or stopping brutally an antidepresant even after 10 or 20 years of medication, but I still have a high level of anxiety everyday and panick attack and depersonnalization, and I am fighting against these symptoms naturally, with psychotherapy and sophrology, I can work, yes it is hard but we have to fight like animals !

 

Just to let you know that you are not alone and everything is possible !

 

love

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Sezo

 

You're still taking bromazepam? This is not an antidepressant, it is a benzodiazepine. How often do you take it, at what dosages? This may be related to your spells of anxiety.

 

We know that taking benzodiazepines is one way to partially relieve withdrawal syndrome, especially from paroxetine, which is a very difficult drug to go off. But the cost of this is that benzodiazepines also incur physiological dependency, have many adverse effects, and cause withdrawal when you go off.

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

[Sezo]

Yes, I am still taking Bromazepam 3 times a week, 3mg per take, it makes 9mg per week, it is not so much and my doctor said that this dosage won’t make me dependant

Nevertheless, I try to avoid to take more than 3 times a week, I’d rather fight these problems with my mind.

[Frogie]

@Sezo

 

You can become dependent on a benzo in as little as a week. If you are taking Bromazepam 3 times a week, and have taken it for a while, your body has become dependent on it. 

 

You will need to taper off of this now after you are stable.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

[Sezo]

Hi @Frogie, i don’t take systematically 3 times per week, generally I take it but some weeks I don’t take it and i don’t feel dependant or with side effects

 

 

[Altostrata]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:59 PM, Altostrata said:

To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.