Cheeky: on Paxil for 23 years needing advice

[DaveB]

2 hours ago, Cheeky said:

I’m so sorry to hear this, the good news is it does end. Stay strong. Nd don’t do anymore changes,  everybody eventually stabilisers. Take every day as is comes and do what you can do . This is such a mind **** , I hate what these drugs have done to us.

 

I know right? I know logically everyone stabilizes, but it is SO good to hear others who have been through it say it, so thanks for that! But no, I don’t at all recommend doing what I did in reducing doses.

[Cheeky]

Hey people,

I'm feeling like I need a little advice on my situation here. I last dropped my Paxil on the 16th of December 10 weeks ago and its been waves and windows ever since . I don't normally feel anything after 2 weeks from dropping but for 8 weeks its been up and down. I get a few good days then bam a couple bad days, sometimes it can even change within  hours I feel like I'm all over the place.

I'm wanting to start my Seraquel tapper and am wanting to ask if I should wait till I'm 100% no symptoms for a couple of weeks then drop  or do a ting decrease now.

When I feel anxious I get depressed thinking that I am so far from getting off these drugs and wonder how i'm going to be in the future. I look at this forum daily and not see people having difficulty at higher doses and that worries me alot. I think i'm just one of the unlucky ones that is sensitive to drops. I'm 42 years old and would do anything to be off theses drugs by the time I'm 50, but the rate I'm going I doubt it. I would love to hear from anybody at this moment, feeling discouraged .............

[Tom37]

Hi Cheeky,

 

I’m no expert but for me I wouldn’t taper anything until you are well and truly stable. If you are having waves and windows from the Paxil taper the cns isn’t too happy so my thought would be starting another taper could only makes things worse. Plus  could get confusing to know what drug is causing what symptoms.

 

Others may have a different view but I would wait to get stable which is what I’m trying to do after crashing while tapering. Unfortunately getting stable seems to take an awful lot longer than we expect.

 

Take care.

[Cheeky]

33 minutes ago, Tom37 said:

Hi Cheeky,

 

I’m no expert but for me I wouldn’t taper anything until you are well and truly stable. If you are having waves and windows from the Paxil taper the cns isn’t too happy so my thought would be starting another taper could only makes things worse. Plus  could get confusing to know what drug is causing what symptoms.

 

Others may have a different view but I would wait to get stable which is what I’m trying to do after crashing while tapering. Unfortunately getting stable seems to take an awful lot longer than we expect.

 

Take care.

Too right, I just hate feeling like this, it’s so cruel, you think your over it and then bam you have a bad day. I feel like a roller coaster.

[Carmie]

Hi Cheeky, 

 

Tom is right, please don’t taper until you’re stable again. If you taper too soon your waves might get worse and then it will take even longer to stabilise. I’ve done this myself in the past, before I knew about tapering, and I payed for it. I didn’t get any further in my tapering because I had to hold a really long time. 

 

If your last drop caused so much havoc have you thought about cutting down the percentage of your next taper by a tiny amount and see if that helps?  I’m sorry that this is such a slow process, but any step forward is going in the right direction. I know its frustrating, it’s sad seeing all the people on here desperately trying to get off their meds as it’s such a slow process. 

 

Wishing you all the best on your continued tapering💚

[Cheeky]

Hey Survivours,

Well I"m back again in need of a little support.

Its pretty sad I only write when things aren't going well, its generally because everything is fine so I tend not to go on this forum as I get scared of reading so much suffering.

As you probably can see I've stared my seraquel tapper and I've come down 9mg since mach the 10th, during that time I have feel pretty good 80% of the time,  just a week of waves here and there, but manageable except   for the last 5 days I've really felt anxious and it lasting all day in rushes. Ive been getting head pains no appetite , inner vibrations , fatigue and the awful dread. Im scared I rushed the seraquel tapper and now I'm being hit. should I just ride this out and hope I get stable again, I'm just so scared of these feeling .

I also worry that at the rate I'm going I will never get off and Im still in the higher doses.

I would appreciate any advice

 

thanks Cheeky xx

 

[Songbird]

Hi Cheeky, I think you've just been tapering a bit too fast, and your drops are catching up with you.  It works out at more than 10% per month.  If I were you I would hold at your current dose until you restabilise.

 

How are you figuring out your dose drops and timings?  You might want to try the Brassmonkey Slide Method, which breaks the 10% drop into four smaller drops - one per week - followed by a two week hold.  I've been using a version of this method recently, sometimes with longer holds as needed to restabilise.

The Brassmonkey Slide method of micro-tapering

BrassMonkey Slide Online Calculator

 

[ChessieCat]

Here are the calculations:

 

10/3/19  35mg           

4.29% – 7 days later: 

17/3/19  33.5mg       

2.99% – 9 days later:

26/3/19  32.5mg     

3.08% – 9 days later:    (10 March to 4 April = 25 days = 11.08%)

4/04/19 31.5mg       

8.73% – 17 days later:  (26 March to 21 April = 26 days = 11.81%)

21/04/19  28.75mg

[Cheeky]

47 minutes ago, Songbird said:

Hi Cheeky, I think you've just been tapering a bit too fast, and your drops are catching up with you.  It works out at more than 10% per month.  If I were you I would hold at your current dose until you restabilise.

 

How are you figuring out your dose drops and timings?  You might want to try the Brassmonkey Slide Method, which breaks the 10% drop into four smaller drops - one per week - followed by a two week hold.  I've been using a version of this method recently, sometimes with longer holds as needed to restabilise.

The Brassmonkey Slide method of micro-tapering

BrassMonkey Slide Online Calculator

 

Hi Songbird. 

Im so happy to have ypu answered me, I think mayby I was a little confident as I didnt' feel that bad and rushed it a little. you always come to my aid and i soooo apreciate it, I have been dropping by 1mg each time as its easier for me to do that and am dropping when i feel good enough, i crash my tablet and add water and do it that way. I am worried I wont be able to do the pill weighing and am hopless with the scale I have, if I go down by percentage does it mean it will be a more smoother transition then doing 1mg a time ?

[Cheeky]

22 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Here are the calculations:

 

10/3/19  35mg           

 

4.29% – 7 days later: 

 

17/3/19  33.5mg       

 

2.99% – 9 days later:

 

26/3/19  32.5mg     

 

3.08% – 9 days later:    (10 March to 4 April = 25 days = 11.08%)

 

4/04/19 31.5mg       

 

8.73% – 17 days later:  (26 March to 21 April = 26 days = 11.81%)

 

21/04/19  28.75mg

 

Thank Chessycat,

okay putting it that way I have done the tapper a little fast, do you suggest holding for awhile ?

 

[Songbird]

46 minutes ago, Cheeky said:

I have been dropping by 1mg each time as its easier for me to do that and am dropping when i feel good enough, i crash my tablet and add water and do it that way. I am worried I wont be able to do the pill weighing and am hopless with the scale I have, if I go down by percentage does it mean it will be a more smoother transition then doing 1mg a time ?

 

I'm confused - from your signature, some of your drops have been 1mg, others have been different amounts?
 

The problem with dropping by the same amount each time is that the percentage drop increases as the dose gets lower, so you need to adjust your drop amount now and then to keep the percentage low.  Also remember that the 10% taper is just a guideline - some people find that too fast and may do a lower percentage, e.g. 5%.  You need to listen to your body and adjust your taper accordingly. 

 

If you've been tapering okay with liquid, you shouldn't need to use a scale.

 

Another thing to consider is whether anything else has happened lately?  Stressful life events?  Infections?  Antibiotics?  Lots of other things can ramp up symptoms.

 

 

[Cheeky]

10 minutes ago, Songbird said:

 

I'm confused - from your signature, some of your drops have been 1mg, others have been different amounts?
 

The problem with dropping by the same amount each time is that the percentage drop increases as the dose gets lower, so you need to adjust your drop amount now and then to keep the percentage low.  Also remember that the 10% taper is just a guideline - some people find that too fast and may do a lower percentage, e.g. 5%.  You need to listen to your body and adjust your taper accordingly. 

 

If you've been tapering okay with liquid, you shouldn't need to use a scale.

 

Another thing to consider is whether anything else has happened lately?  Stressful life events?  Infections?  Antibiotics?  Lots of other things can ramp up symptoms.

 

 

Okay I will  wait this out and wait til I stabilise then do a 5% tapper doing the brass  monkey slide.  Have just on Tuesday had root canal done and the gave me happy gas to relax me, I’m not sure if that has made it worse.

[Songbird]

2 minutes ago, Cheeky said:

Have just on Tuesday had root canal done and the gave me happy gas to relax me, I’m not sure if that has made it worse.

 

The root canal procedure might have contributed - it's hard to know for sure.  I would just sit tight for now and let things settle down.  I know it is frustrating how slow the tapering process is!  But look at how far you've come - you're getting close to half your original dose.

[Cheeky]

11 minutes ago, Songbird said:

 

The root canal procedure might have contributed - it's hard to know for sure.  I would just sit tight for now and let things settle down.  I know it is frustrating how slow the tapering process is!  But look at how far you've come - you're getting close to half your original dose.

That is true, thanks for the advice.

[Cheeky]

Hi everyone,

im really struggling from my last decrease’s I really thought I would be okay doing that but now I’m suffering from it. I’ve been waking up with the dread and aniexty, then it goes for a couple of hours and then come back really strong , the aniexty is like my  inside nerves are tingling and vibrating from my feet upwards , it comes and goes, I’m having bouts of crying and restless legs.

im so worried im

not going to stabilise, yesterday was okay but today it’s like it turns in then off. When the aniexty hits I get diarrhia . I got blurry vision the other day as well and that really worried me. Is this normal ? I’m so worried and scared @Songbird @ChessieCat

[Songbird]

If you had an okay day yesterday, that's a good sign that your system is working to stabilise.  Relaxation exercises can be effective for calming down anxiety.  See: Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis

[Cheeky]

Just an update to what's been happening  since my last drop.

I've had good days where i'm myself and can laugh and everything is great and there are days like today that i wake with anxiety dread ,feel extremely anxious all day  and just wanting the inner anxiety to stop. I had a sleep today and woke feeling better but then when i brought my son to swimming i got dizzy and a rush of anxiety again,  it feels like I'm going back into a wave and Im emotional tonight thinking that this is how  the rest of my life is going to be. I"m so far away from every getting off and feel there is no hope for me. I don't understand  how people like my mother who has been on seraquel the same amount of time as me can stop with two weeks and have no problems at all and my brother-in-law that has been on xanax at  the lowest dose can stop within a couple of months and have no withdrawals , then there's me who can't go down more that 5% and  feel terrible withdrawals from both my medications.

I'm so disheartened tonight and think i may be the one who can never get off these drugs, i just feel there making me worse and having an opposite effect on me. I  sometimes  feel that i want to stop CT from both and suffer the consequences for the next 10 years but at-least i will be okay by the time i"m 52 and off these drugs but I know I would never do that,  i just feel so hopeless at the moment. 

5 years ago when the doctor took me off Paxil ct and tried me on other drugs my CNS has never been the same, I"m so sensitive to every drop. I really don't know what my future holds for me and I'm sick of being on these poisons..

[Songbird]

1 hour ago, Cheeky said:

I'm so disheartened tonight and think i may be the one who can never get off these drugs, i just feel there making me worse and having an opposite effect on me. I  sometimes  feel that i want to stop CT from both and suffer the consequences for the next 10 years but at-least i will be okay by the time i"m 52 and off these drugs but I know I would never do that,  i just feel so hopeless at the moment. 

 

I feel the same sometimes.  But CT would never be an option for me.  I've seen so many people come on here saying they're going to CT because they feel like it couldn't be any worse - and then they find out just how much worse it can be.  You've done a good job of getting your Seroquel dose down a lot lower, and I feel like that's how people like us have to do this - just chip away slowly and patiently.  If you've having a bit of a wave, it's time to hold dose for a while and wait for things to settle down.  I hit a bit of a rough patch recently too and I'm holding dose at the moment and waiting until I feel a lot more stable before I'll start tapering again.

[Cheeky]

12 hours ago, Songbird said:

 

I feel the same sometimes.  But CT would never be an option for me.  I've seen so many people come on here saying they're going to CT because they feel like it couldn't be any worse - and then they find out just how much worse it can be.  You've done a good job of getting your Seroquel dose down a lot lower, and I feel like that's how people like us have to do this - just chip away slowly and patiently.  If you've having a bit of a wave, it's time to hold dose for a while and wait for things to settle down.  I hit a bit of a rough patch recently too and I'm holding dose at the moment and waiting until I feel a lot more stable before I'll start tapering again.

Thankyou again @Songbird for your encouraging words, I’m hoping today is going to be a better one. 

[Cheeky]

I'm so dissapointment and.upset tonight.
I've been tapering my Paxil and seraquel over 4 years and have gotten down to  less then 1/4 of my dose  while raising a family.and working full-time in my bussiness. My mother finds it very easier to come off these drugs with no trouble at all so she dosnt validate the reasons I try to come off slowly. Tonight she asked me to.go see her psychiatrist becouse he could help me . I have researched so much about these drugs in the last 9 years with many failed attempts and realise there is no help and the only way is reduce at no more the 5% to 10%. every 4 to 6 weeks and read your body signs. I know too well what a  doctor will say and it's a complete waste of time.
I look after myself exercise everyday, have no sugar in my diet , don't drink alcohol smoke and  eat very clean.
I already feel deep down these these drugs have caused problems in my.life and it dosnt help when your trying to overcome them and you get told to go see a doctor when in the first.place I shouldve never been put on them in the first place.
Sorry I just feel let down 😔

 

[Hazel]

3 hours ago, Cheeky said:

I'm so dissapointment and.upset tonight.
I've been tapering my Paxil and seraquel over 4 years and have gotten down to  less then 1/4 of my dose  while raising a family.and working full-time in my bussiness. My mother finds it very easier to come off these drugs with no trouble at all so she dosnt validate the reasons I try to come off slowly. Tonight she asked me to.go see her psychiatrist becouse he could help me . I have researched so much about these drugs in the last 9 years with many failed attempts and realise there is no help and the only way is reduce at no more the 5% to 10%. every 4 to 6 weeks and read your body signs. I know too well what a  doctor will say and it's a complete waste of time.
I look after myself exercise everyday, have no sugar in my diet , don't drink alcohol smoke and  eat very clean.
I already feel deep down these these drugs have caused problems in my.life and it dosnt help when your trying to overcome them and you get told to go see a doctor when in the first.place I shouldve never been put on them in the first place.
Sorry I just feel let down 😔

 

Sorry to hear your mom doesn’t seem to understand how difficult this is.  I honestly don’t think anyone can understand what this is like unless they experience it.  Your mom was super lucky to get off the medication without trouble.  Unfortunately, as we know, that’s not the case for many people.

I hate these drugs and what they do to people.  I wish I had never been put on Paxil to begin with because now I feel I am stuck on them.  I plan to decrease slowly from them at some point, but after going through the nightmare that I did 2 years ago, I am in no hurry.

It is hard to feel let down, but you are definitely not alone.  Everyone hear gets it and are here to support you🤗

[Cheeky]

Thanks Hazel, I really needed to hear those words this morning. I sure.we will eventually get there.

[ChessieCat]

Please condense your drug signature.  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

You could group each year together in one/two lines.

 

For example,

 

2017 - 17/1 ......; 14/3 .....;

 

 

[Cheeky]

Hey everyone,

I’m really needing your advice at the moment. I lost my nephew today in an accident, he was 24 and I was really close to him, I knew I’m heartbroken but I feel all the withdrawals from my last drop hit me also. I dropped 7 weeks ago but it was a rough one. Can anybody give me some advice on this @Altostrata@ChessieCat@Songbird

[ChessieCat]

Hi Cheeky,

 

I am sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your nephew.

 

It is important to understand that you are probably not only suffering grief at this time but most probably are in shock because it was unexpected.

 

Regarding your drugs, I think the best think would be to hold on the current doses for as long as you need to.   I do not think that updosing is a good idea, especially after 7 weeks.  I am thinking it best to put tapering on hold for at least 6 months and then reassessing things after that time.

 

Also remember that grief places a huge stress on bodies so it will be important to do a lot of self care.  I think it would be a good idea to get some grief counselling.  Grieving is normal after any loss so it is better to allow yourself to feel the feelings than to bottle them up.

 

Even though your withdrawal symptoms may increase, I think that most of what you experience will be grief from the loss.

 

And I would suggest that you do not add any drugs / supplements into the mix.

[Songbird]

On 3/17/2021 at 9:45 PM, Cheeky said:

Hey everyone,

I’m really needing your advice at the moment. I lost my nephew today in an accident, he was 24 and I was really close to him, I knew I’m heartbroken but I feel all the withdrawals from my last drop hit me also. I dropped 7 weeks ago but it was a rough one. Can anybody give me some advice on this @Altostrata@ChessieCat@Songbird

 

Oh no, so sorry to hear that, Cheeky!  What a terrible thing to happen, and of course you are grief-stricken. 

 

I agree with Chessie that a long hold on your current dose would be the best idea.  Stressful events in our lives can be very destabilising (I know this from bitter personal experience).  It's important to stay as calm as you can and be very gentle to yourself.  Relaxation exercises to calm the nervous system should be helpful.  You could also try journalling or just writing your thoughts and feelings down in a notebook, which helps to release them from flying around inside your head.  Try to avoid other stressors as much as possible.  Be kind to yourself - you will get through this difficult time, and eventually you'll feel more stable and ready to continue tapering.

[Cheeky]

Hey everybody,

I haven't done any changes from the !0/01/21 as Ive had a lot going on with my nephews death three months ago and Ive been in the middle of a very stressful move from my Hairsalon to another location and there's been a lot of problems. I have started vaping and am so disappointed with myself as I stopped smoking cigarettes 15 years ago and didn't think I could get addicted to Vap, but I have. 

I have noticed for the last couple of months that I perspire a lot in my sleep and sometime my clothes are saturated. I feel very irritable moody  with aniexty that comes and goes, some days are better then other ones. I want to start tapering again as I really won't to get off this Seraquel but I know I have to listen to my body. Im getting my periods in a 5 days and Im starting to worry about why Im preparing so much in my sleep. Im 45 and my periods are very regular just not sure why this is happening. Could it be the vape that's causing it or withdrawal even though I haven't tampered for 5 months. Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks

@Song @brassmonkey @ChessieCat @Altostrata

[Altostrata]

On 6/29/2021 at 7:26 PM, Cheeky said:

Could it be the vape that's causing it or withdrawal even though I haven't tampered for 5 months.

 

I have no idea. Are you premenopausal? Is it hot where you live?

[Cheeky]

Thanks for getting back to me @AltostrataI m going to get checked out and do a blood test because otherwise not that bad, just around 2 weeks before my period starts

[Altostrata]

Please condense your signature, it's too long and we don't need that old tapering detail.

 

Good luck tracking this down! Smoking isn't good for you, you know

[Cheeky]

I know it’s not good for me disappointed I started. Thanks @Altostrata

[Rosetta]

Hi, Cheeky!  
 

[Cheeky]

Hi @Rosetta,

I've been following your progress and think your doing amazing. I'm not a very good writer and I admire how you explain your feeling through your posts. I really wish I could contribute more but I find it challenging to write. 

[Rosetta]

Thanks, Cheeky.  No worries.  It’s good to see you here.  I’m sorry you are feeling bad at the moment.

[Cheeky]

40 minutes ago, Rosetta said:

Thanks, Cheeky.  No worries.  It’s good to see you here.  I’m sorry you are feeling bad at the moment.

Yeah not sure what it is but will get my blood work done. It may be premenapause , just not sure.  

[Bee5]

Just my 2 cents: I used to have night sweats (I am also on paroxetine and quetiapine). It appeared to be dosage related (although I can't remember what dose). It doesn't occur at my current doses though. Both affect muscarinic receptors and I suspect it has something to do with that. I am 37 so not perimenopausal yet.