turnips2002: struggling with paxil withdrawal

[turnips2002]

Hello everybody. I was put on Paroxetine 10 mg at 12 years old for panic disorder. At 15, starting high school, my dose was upped to 20. I started tapering after I graduated around 2019, so five years ago. I tapered 25% at a time, which I know now was not a good idea, but I was stable, up until I went from being on 2.5 mg to nothing on the 6th of April this year. 

 

April I had flu and IBS symptoms, May things started going downhill. May 21 I started shaking uncontrollably. In desperation I took 2.5 mg, expecting to immediately feel better like I usually do when I have missed a dose in the past. The tremor and intense fear did not stop, and I ended up in the ER, my heart rate was 140 and my blood pressure was sky high. My head felt like it was a million pounds. They gave me 50mg hydroxyzine which made the shaking stop, but I had to take it every six hours or else I would be thrown back into that state of shock again. I tried again the day after the hospital to take 2.5 mg Paxil again, but it did nothing. The extreme tremors lasted for three days. The shaking and racing heart and blood pressure did start before I tried take the Paxil again, so I'm not sure if it was because of that.

I have stopped taking the hydroxyzine for the most part. I have been taking around 10 mg whenever I can muster the courage to take one. I'm terrified of medication. 

 

After the hospital I went to a psychiatrist in the state I was in, wrapped in a blanket, they took my vitals there and my heart rate was 140 and I was shaking hard. He looked at me with a sad face and suggested Kolonopin. I told him why would I start a benzo if I'm withdrawing from something else. He said "Well, you only withdraw from benzo's if you take them for two weeks!" I could not believe it. 

The next psychiatrist I went on to could not even remember the word Paxil. She kept calling it Prozac. 

 

I have been struggling since I was hospitalized. I have had bad intrusive thoughts and panic attacks. I recently have been able to leave the house. The thing that bothers me the most are the intrusive suicidal thoughts. I am afraid to be alone. 

I read that I could possibly reinstate 1mg of Paxil and then taper from there? I'm afraid reinstatement won't work. I did try and take the Paxil again for those two days with no relief, but I may have to take it longer. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @turnips2002

 

Paxil is a very difficult antidepressant to quit. 

 

On 6/13/2023 at 12:05 AM, turnips2002 said:

The tremor and intense fear did not stop, and I ended up in the ER, my heart rate was 140 and my blood pressure was sky high.

 

Did the high heart rate and blood pressure start before or after you reinstated 2.5mg Paxil? How many days did you take 2.5mg Paxil?

 

When did you leave the hospital? How has your symptom pattern changed since then?

[turnips2002]

Hi @Altostrata 

Thanks for the reply!

The tremor and high heart rate started before I took the Paxil again. It was intermittent in the week before, but the night before I tried to break up with my boyfriend and left the house and went to my Moms, I think that pushed me over the edge. I was in extreme distress. I took the 2.5 mg right before I left for the hospital the next morning, 5/21/23. They discharged me the same day after giving me 50mg hydroxyzine which alleviated the symptoms. I had to keep taking the hydroxyzine until 5/25/2023 because those extreme symptoms were coming back when the hydroxyzine wore off. 

 

I did take 2.5 mg of Paxil again the day after the hospital, 5/22/23 but then stopped. So I was on Paxil again for 5/21/23 and 5/22/23, 2 days. 

 

5/24/23 I went to a psychiatrist who took my vitals, my heart rate was 150 and my blood pressure was high, again. Laying down on his couch, wrapped in a blanket, shaking extremely hard to the point that it hurt, he took one look at me and said he's not sure its possible that I'm going through withdrawals and suggested Kolonopin, and maybe a 10 mg Prozac. I declined the benzo. He ended up giving me more hydroxyzine the 10mg prozac, which I have now but haven't tried. 

I had bloodwork 5/26/22 that turned out fine. 

 

5/27/2023 I improved, a little anxiety but no intrusive thoughts, I could drive again, go to stores etc, and I thought things were looking up, until 6/2/2023 when it hit me again. I started to get the anxiety, racing heart and intrusive thoughts again. I moved back in with my boyfriend 6/4/2023 because I could not stand living at my moms, I have a ton of childhood trauma that took place with her and that house, I didn't feel good there. 

Since then I have been trying to avoid dairy, and gluten, which has been hard. I go for a long walk almost every night.

 

Last Saturday 6/10/23 I was doing really strenuous yard work in the heat and completely overdid it, I started shaking again and some of my more extreme symptoms returned for a few days after that, I ended up pulling all the muscles in my back and arm because I was using a huge electric hedge trimmer, lol.

 

Monday night 6/12/23 I tried 100mg magnesium and that gave me a massive headache and sent me into extreme anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

Tuesday I was anxious out of my mind, had an endocrinologist appointment to check out my thyroid, vitamin D, Iron, ect because both of my aunts and my cousin that have anxiety have hyperthyroidism. I gave him the labs that I got done 5/26. He told me to go outside and enjoy florida, maybe go to Disney, that would help my anxiety.

 

The cherry on top was, he reordered all the same basic labs that I gave him from my primary care. I sent the lab order to my cousin with some insight who practices functional medicine, and she told me the correct labs to have done. I played phone tag with the office the next day and had them change the lab order, which was extremely stressful and a hassle. I'm not sure if it was the Magnesium or that bullsh*t that was making me feel horrible, but probably a mix of both. Today I feel better.

 

Here is what i'm getting tested:

Thyroid Panel

Free T4

Total T3

Free T3

Thyroid Antibody Panel

Iron

Vitamin B12 and Folate

Cortisol

DHEA

Vitamin D

 

Sorry for the long post, I wanted to be extremely thorough.

[Altostrata]

Waves of symptoms and hypersensitivity to formerly innocuous supplements or even foods is typical in withdrawal syndrome.

 

Paxil is such a difficult drug for withdrawal, I hesitate to suggest anyone go back on it. Rather, if your withdrawal symptom pattern has not gotten better over the last month, you wish to try low-dose reinstatement of another SSRI, such as 1mg fluoxetine or 1mg citalopram. 

 

See 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 
 
The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization 

 

Hypersensitivity and Kindling

[turnips2002]

@Altostrata I need help. I went to the hospital because I was having such intense anxiety attack and they gave me kolonopin .5 ativan .5 and xanax .25 and its made me feel way worse. They also gave me Lexapro 10mg to take last night and I was desperate and took it. The anxiety today is unbearable. Its like my withdrawal rebounded 100% Please help what do I do? Do I quit the lexapro and go back to the paxil 2.5 mg????? or paxil 1mg?? I dont have access to prozac or  celexa and cant get a doctors appointment until Wed.Please help. I do have lexapro.

[Altostrata]

If what the hospital gave you makes you feel worse, if I were you, I'd stop it. But I'm saying that only out of common sense, I'm not a doctor.

 

Please review 

On 6/18/2023 at 3:35 PM, Altostrata said:

Waves of symptoms and hypersensitivity to formerly innocuous supplements or even foods is typical in withdrawal syndrome.

 

Paxil is such a difficult drug for withdrawal, I hesitate to suggest anyone go back on it. Rather, if your withdrawal symptom pattern has not gotten better over the last month, you wish to try low-dose reinstatement of another SSRI, such as 1mg fluoxetine or 1mg citalopram. 

 

See 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 
 
The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization 

 

Hypersensitivity and Kindling

 

[LostInCanada]

@turnips2002how are you doing? Any improvements? You mentioned at one point you were given prozac, do you still have some? I hope you have had a chance to read over the links Alto gave you. Reinstatement helped me though I reinstated with paroxetine. These drugs are very powerful and less is more once we have been destabilized. The hospital and doctor will only continue to give you a cocktail of more drugs to your detriment. These drugs do not heal us. Please read as much as you can on here. Try to learn some CBT and non drug ways to cope mentioned on here. Please let us know if you are going to try to reinstate a small amount of Prozac, citalopram or paxil. You would not want to start with more than 1 mg. It takes at least a week to feel the benefits. If you have a bad reaction to reinstatement then you would stop taking it immediately. Keep us posted. Thanks 🙏