karramia: Paxil taper

[karramia]

Hi everyone.

I’ve been on 20 mg Aropax (Paxil) per day for 20 years. I’m now 60.

 

My doctor suggested I give up as the reason for my depression and anxiety )a breakup) has long since passed.

 

I tried a few years ago and failed. This time I’m taking 3/4 of a pill one day and one pill the next with the hope of soon going to 3/4 every day for a while before the next step.

 

I’m doing relatively well, although I find that by the end of the 3/4 days I am starting to feel anxious, somewhat miserable and experiencing distressing thoughts … although how much of this is real and how much is placebo I don’t know.

 

I would be interested to know whether anyone else tapering off has experienced memory loss.  A bizarre thing happened to me yesterday in that I found something highly unlikely to be in my jacket pocket (a knob off the gas stove) and have absolutely no recollection of how it got there. I don’t believe in the paranormal and the knob was secured to the gas stove. I hadn’t been using it and I live alone, so presumably I took the knob off. 
 

could this be tapering related? 
 

many thanks

 

R 

Edited July 13, 2021 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, karramia.

 

To start:

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Please include the Paxil dosage you started with and date when you started the alternate day taper.  You'll need to use a computer for this rather than a phone.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

We strongly recommend against varying your dosage from day to day as a method of tapering.  This causes the amount of the drug in your bloodstream to go up and down, battering the nervous system and making withdrawal worse.  Instead we recommend a slow, steady taper of reducing by no more than 10% of your current dose every 4 weeks.  This link explains why:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

This link is specifically about tapering Paxil, including how to get the non-standard doses needed for a 10% taper.  If prescription liquid is available, that is an easy and accurate way to taper.  Other methods described in the link include making your own liquid Paxil, using a digital scale to measure doses and using a compounding pharmacy.  

 

Tips for tapering off paroxetine (Paxil, Seroxat)

 

Once you've completed your drug signature with the information requested, we'll be in a better position to make recommendations about your taper.  The symptoms you mention--anxiety, distressing thoughts and memory issues--are typical of antidepressant withdrawal.  The vast majority of doctors know nothing about safe tapering and don't believe in the existence of withdrawal.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

Brain fog: blank mind, comprehension, concentration cognitive ...

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

[karramia]

Thank you Gridley.

Regards

 

R

[Gridley]

@karramia

 

Since you've been taking 3/4 tablet every alternate day for almost a month now, your system has gotten accustomed to this new dosage.  In order to stabilize with a non-alternating daily dose, I suggest you take 17.5mg (splitting the difference between 20mg and 15mg) every day at the same time.  Then I'd give yourself time to stabilize on this dose (perhaps 2 months).  After you've stabilized, you can begin a 10% taper off 17.5mg, as described in my initial response to you.

[karramia]

Sage advice. Thank you