wheel: It's been a long time since I posted

[wheel]

Hi, feels like coming home.  I have been coming off paroxetine since 2015 and took my last Seroxat around 20 March 2020 in lockdown.  Seemed a good use of being on my own in the pandemic.  My coming off has been hard all the time.  Physical sensations like pins and needles, numbness, headaches, and lots of pains all over my body. I've had increased sensitivity to smells, tastes, plants, animals, foods, toiletries, and flare ups of sores and blisters in my mouth etc.  I've had nightmares, wet beds, nose bleeds, soary soary highs and dippy dippy low mood swings.  There was a time when paroxetine stole my tears, and indeed I have lots of eye pain even now.  In March 2020 I began to have increased problems with eating, and possibly got acid reflux etc.  Now I have the most awful feelings of bloating, indigestion, and pains in both armpits, chest, throat, legs, and in the muscles and bones of my upper body and face.  I still have little sense of taste and live in constant pain and discomfort.  I was a horrible person to be around.

 

I think it will take a long time to get sorted out.  I have worked out a healing process and am making use of the feelings of being broken, lost, hurt, alone etc to create a mosaic of my bits and make beautiful pieces from these fragments.  I have taken up creative writing, and make mixed media pieces from found, and discarded, pre-loved, and waste items.  I'm working through Paul Gilbert's The compassionate Mind book, Charles Fernyhough's The voices within, and Brene Brown's Atlas of the heart which is taking me through emotions and how to acknowledge, utilise and love all feelings, and be the person I am.   

 

I find that withdrawal from Paroxetine has not been recognised or handled well in the health service and that the result has been unhelpful.  I would like to turn this experience around and hope to offer ideas about ways that would have helped and how the ways I'm having a go at are ok for me and if they have any usefulness for other people.  I have limited laptop skills and feel this is not quite my medium but would like to have another go at contributing to the forum.  I hope this will be ok with you.  Many thanks, Wheel.

 

[ChessieCat]

Hi wheel and welcome to SA,

 

I sent you a PM which you have not yet seen.  Please respond to it.  Thank you.

 

Please create your drug signature following these instructions which will allow us to see how you reduced your paroxetine:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Sometimes we can be so focused on withdrawal that we do not consider other possibilities and we have to be our own detective.  I am wondering if there might be something else other than paxoretine withdrawal that is at play here.

 

Q:  How long after you stopped paroxetine did the symptoms start/worsen?

 

Q:  Have you had the Covid virus or other illness or a medical procedure which required drugs?  If yes, when and what drugs?

 

Q:  Have you had the Covid vaccination?  If yes, when?

 

Q:  Have you, or are you currently taking, any antibiotics, prescription drugs, OTC drugs, supplements, drinking alcohol?

 

We have members of SA who have noticed a worsening of their symptoms over the last 2 years, some earlier on in the time period, others more recently.  Since Covid started everything has changed and there are many additional stressors which might be affecting us.  So you might consider how this situation has affected you, eg financial, job security/loss, isolation, health anxiety, relationship issues.

 

There is a post in this topic about "doesn't end at 0".  The link is in Post #1:

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place to ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.