GodGiveMeStrength: struggling severely with anxiety/depression after coming off Paxil

[GodGiveMeStrength]

Finished a 13 month taper off of valium in April 2021. More recently just finished a short Paxil taper back in late February 2022. This is just the latest of several attempts the last two years to try to get off of paxil.  Every time I have come off I end up getting severe anxiety, depression, fatigue, inability to concentrate, DPDR, and sometimes panic attacks or panicky feelings. Right now it is mid April and so I have been off of paxil approximately 1 & 3/4 months, so about almost two months.

 

I was started on medications years ago at 19, and for the last 9 years (i am 28 now) I have been through hell and back from dozens upon dozens of medications, treatments, etc.  I have never gotten better on medications and just feel very very numb. I desperately want to get better but I'm not sure if I'm making the right decision. I have a very hard time believing (out of my own fear) that what I'm going through right now is just my own mental health and not withdrawal. Please if you guys can help, the anxiety is so intense I just want hope that I'm going the right way, and that healing might be possible.

[Onmyway]

Hi @GodGiveMeStrength, 

welcome to SA. First, let me reassure you that it is possible to lead a fully functional and happy life off of ADs. The idea that you have a chemical imbalance and need to be on ADs has been discredited many years ago. In fact ADs are no better than placebo. You can have a look here:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/

 

The process of coming off of ADs is arduous and long. It is the hardest thing that many of us have had to get through. But with proper tapering - at no more than 10% of previous dose every 4 weeks, holding when in a rough spot and generally listening to your body, it is possible. 

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Why taper by 10% of my dosage? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants Why taper? SERT transporter occupancy studies show importance of gradual change in plasma concentration - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants   Some people go even slower, a microtaper -  The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants   It seems like you tapered way too fast and are having bad withdrawal symptoms. One option is to reinstate a very small dose of your previous medicine.  In the case of paxil we actually recommend reinstating a drug like prozac that is relatively easier to come off of. Read carefully the topic below and see what you think. We would recommend reinstating a dose like 0.5 or 1 mg.  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants     The first post in this thread may explain a lot about what is happening in your brain right now.  What is happening in your brain? - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants   Fear not, though, many people have come through this ordeal and are living happy lives post drugs.  Success stories: Recovery from psychiatric drug withdrawal - Surviving Antidepressants   We recommend that people who go through withdrawal not take supplements (vitamin D and some Bs can be activating, other psychoactive substances as our nervous system is very sensitized so no alcohol, pot, street drugs etc. However many of us find Magnesium and Omega-3 helpful. Start them one at a time, see how you react and if ok after a few days, continue taking them.    https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/ King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants   I'm glad you found your way to us. Please feel free to ask all your questions on your intro thread but also check out other members' threads.  You can get through this.  OMW

[GodGiveMeStrength]

Thank you for the response. At this point it would complicate things greatly in too many ways to describe to reinstate back on paxil or prozac.  If I truly truly cannot/do not want to go down that route, can I still heal anyway? And do you have any books or resources you recommend? And is there a discord group for this site where I can chat with others in realtime? And lastly, sorry for so many quetions, what are the other supplements you reccomend besides magnesium? Thank you sir

[Onmyway]

@GodGiveMeStrength,

You will heal reinstatement or not but it will likely take a long time - months or years. Reinstatement of a small dose is to lower the withdrawal symptoms. Each person is different in how long it takes and the severity of their symptoms so we can't make predictions.

 

We don't recommend any other supplements. If you are curious about sth specific you can look up on the forums and see what experiences members have had with that supplement. In general people in withdrawal tend to be very sensitive to drugs and supplements so if you do try something do it at a small dose and one at a time to understand what is causing what.

 

We advise people not to experiment with other street drugs or psychoactive substances including pot, alcohol, herbs like St John's Wort etc. Even vitamins can be too activating (D and some Bs specifically) for some people. Others have found antibiotics have set them back. Testosterone can also increase anxiety and exacerbate neuroemotions.

 

There is no official discord group but there are various threads where people connect and may occasionally meet. You can browse the site to find out if anything more recent is happening in your area IRL.

 

Your signature is not clear. What drugs/supplements  are you on currently? We need you to list as accurately as possible at least the last 2 years of drugs and their times if you want us to help you. This helps us advise you properly.