Cheeky: on Paxil for 23 years needing advice

[Jlynn]

I just hit a big wave after being where I was for 4 weeks and going as slow as I am. Came out of the blue and I was not ready for it. Feeling a little better now (almost two weeks later). Personally I would not mess with your nervous system any more by dropping something else as you never know what might happen if you get really unstable. That is just my personal opinion and I am sure mods will know better than I. I hope you get some relief soon. 

 

Also I am only on Paxil and since I started tapering I fluctuate from severe insomnia to wanting to sleep 20 hours a day. I am not sure tapering the paxil will fix the energy thing right away. 

[Cheeky]

Thanks Jlynn,

I think I'm going to just stay here for awhile and wait it out. I really hope by the time I'm 50

I will be off these terrible drugs

[Songbird]

Seroquel is a sedating drug, and Paxil also tends to be quite sedating for many people.  Did you jump from 21mg to 12.5mg of Seroquel or were there other drops in between?  You might want to wait for a while to stabilise and then taper the last 12.5mg slowly with smaller drops.

[Cheeky]

Songbird , I forgot to put in my signature that there was 18mg inbetween. I'm think waiting it out seems like a good option, I have felt slightly better . I take the Seraquel at night before bed and I wake up

Edgy and a bit anxious , then the Paxil at 9.30 am, I start to fell better by 12 lunch time.

I suppose it just takes time. Thanks for the reply it really helps me out xx

[Songbird]

It's very common to wake up feeling anxious and then feel better later on.  I still wake up feeling anxious most days.

[Cheeky]

Hi everyone,

Just a little update. I decided to stay on the 12.5mg of Seraquel while I start my Paxil tapper. On May the 1st I did my own drop by 5% 38mg Paxil with mixed tablet and home made solution, after 2 weeks I hated makeing the solution as my tablet didn't desolve very well so I got the compounding pharmacy to make me a liquid up.

So for the last 2 weeks I've been takeing 30mg tablet and 8mg compounding liquid. I've been feeling 100% up until the last couple of days, been getting a little anxious in the morning. I'm just wondering should I stay at this dose another couple of weeks for my brain can get use to the compounding liquid. Do people feel a little different when they Chang to a solution? I'm in no hurry want to take things slow to let my brain adjust

[brassmonkey]

Hi Cheeky--  It sounds like your drop is going very well.  A bit of morning anxiety is to be expected.  Changing between liquids or changing from a tablet to a liquid can cause some people trouble.  I recommend treating it like a drop and holding for several weeks to let the change settle out before making any other changes.  We recommend holding each drop for 4 weeks at a minimum.  Personally I have found that 6 works better.

 

((((((((((HUGS)))))))))

[Cheeky]

Thanks Brassmonkey, I also think that my brain has to get used to the tablet and liquids combination so holding for some extra weeks is a good idea for my brain to get used to it. I have read in your personal forum that you tapper for 2.5% drop for two weeks then another 2.5% drop for another 2 weeks then hold for 2 weeks, that make a lot of sense to me , I'm going to follow your tapper method.

Thanks for your guidance x

[brassmonkey]

Hi Cheeky-- I really recommend it. That's the latest permutation of my schedule brought about by the physical limitations of the scales to weigh the small doses.  Originally I was on 2.5% a week for 4 weeks and then a 2 week hold for a total of 10% every 6 weeks.  If you wanted to stay with the 5% taper you could do 1.25% a week for 4 weeks and then the extra hold.  Any of these schedules should work well. The whole purpose is to make the symptoms as mild as possible but still feel like you're making headway.

 

Best of luck with it.

[Cheeky]

Thankyou. I will start at the 1.25% and see how I go.

I'm in no rush and won't to succeed . I'm documenting everything , so hopefully one day can help others.

[Cheeky]

Feeling a little flat and  anxious  the last week and half. I have extreme stress in my life financially and may even loss my business if things don't change.

I feel really worried and have slight tingling in my face and body the couple of days, not sure if its withdrawal or stress. I had so much energy a couple of weeks ago now i'm a walking dead person from morning till afternoon. Night time lately is the best time for me. I hope this is a little wave and i get through this, I need to be active in my business and mind.

[mammaP]

Hi Cheeky, it looks like you have been feeling withdrawal since cutting paxil on June 16th. It will settle down again. Try not to worry too much, and take each day as it comes.  Hopefully this won't last and you will feel better again. You may be better doing the smaller cuts that Brass suggested. Paxil is a nightmare for some people who have to make tiny cuts. I hope this passes soon for you.

[Cheeky]

Thanks mammaP, I thought I was doing it right I only did a 5% cut. So should I ride it out then dropp again ?

[mammaP]

Yes I would ride it out and then hold for a while once the symptoms subside so you are good and stable before the next cut. You didn't do anything wrong, we don't know how we will react to cuts until we try. Some people do fine with 10%, others are ok with 5%, then there are the ones who need to make tiny cuts of 1 or 2%. I made a 2% cut and have withdrawal so need to make smaller cuts. It's a learning curve and will learn what your body can tolerate.

[Cheeky]

Thankyou for help mammaP, the support from people like yourself are so valuable to me.

[Cheeky]

Need some support at the moment. I've been tapering well doing 3% every 6 weeks and have gotten off 36.5mg of Seraquel and 5mg of Paxil . It's been very stressful at the moment in my life with very big financial problems. I went to meet up with a friend today and all of a sudden while I was standing there I had a strong adrenalin rush through my body with tingling in my mouth , it only lasted a few seconds but made me very scared. After that I felt dizzy and slightly vertigo . Is this normal or could it be the start of something .

[scallywag]

Sounds like a withdrawal symptom to me, an unpleasant experience but not unusual.

 

Adrenaline dumps or bangs

[Cheeky]

Will settle down, when I get like this it make me won't to increase my dose but I don't want to. If I have to ride it out then I will. I feel like the couple of mornings to the middle of the day is worse and then better at night . Any suggestions would be really appreciated

[ChessieCat]

Hi Cheeky,

 

You might find something helpful here:

1. Acceptance
2. Acceptance and Mindfulness
3. Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System
4. "Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms
5. Change cognitive framing - Redirect - Another Way
6. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, depression
7. Cognitive Behavior Therapy lessons

One thing I have found is that once I understand that what I am feeling is a withdrawal symptom then I am better able to accept it for what it is and I don't feel scared of it.  Being scared of an unknown leads to what Claire Weekes calls the second fear.  Or fear of the fear.

[Cheeky]

Thanks . I will give it all a read. Your very kind xxx

[Cheeky]

I'm feeling a bit down of lately , I have so much stress on me at the moment and I need to

Work hard to get my business afloat. I'm a mother of two boys working full time and running my business and its losing money. I've only gotten down to 34.5mg of Paxil and 13mg of Seraquel and I feel like I will never reach the end. I'm not doing the 10 % tapper so I thought I would be okay . The last couple of days have really scared me although today I felt okay. Everyone seems to say the beginning of tapering is easier and when you get to the end it gets harder but I feel like I'm not sure if I'm able to tapper again and mayby I have to stay at 35mg of Paxil for awhile. I'm so angry at the world and what we have to go through to get off these poisons . I just don't understand why there is no justification to what we're going through and doctors that are so uninformed about this. I try to tell my husband but he just thinks it like a withdrwal that you get but then recover . It so hard to explain that I feel so vunerable and scared of what this drug had done to me. I suppose I'm in a wave and just have to wait it out. I need to get stable again, it's so hard to function like this Sorry I just have to vent, I wish there were more success stories to give me hope

[scallywag]

Cheeky, I'm sorry that the last few days have added more challenge to an already challenge-full plate.

 

You are right to be angry with the situation you find yourself in regarding Paxil. These drugs are so quickly prescribed without full informed consent.

 

There are success stories -- people have safely stopped Paxil after a careful taper over several years.  Be gentle and patient with yourself. You'll get there too.  ((((((HUGS)))))

[Jlynn]

I have found that withdrawal symptoms (paxil is all I know, but I am sure others) have a way of hitting you long after you feel like they should. I did okay for several drops and then went into a bad wave out of the blue that has lasted a while. I have discovered I have to do a couple of drops and then hold a good while and allow everything to catch up. 

 

I know if feels like getting off will take forever but I feel like as long as you are moving in the right direction and as long as your symptoms are minimal then you are winning at this! 

 

Hang in there! It will get better!

[Cheeky]

Thanks these comments makes me feel better . So should I just wait it out, it's obviously a wave I'm in so I will wait it out and then tapper again. Is that what you advise.

[Jlynn]

Personally I would give it more time if you can. I have had symptoms last as Long as three months before they ease. I am currently in a wave and holding as best I can. I have found when I start messing with my dose I end up with more and longer symptoms.

[Cheeky]

So I will just hold at 35mg and wait till I feel better. I

Just hope it disnt take long. Thanks for your advice

[Cheeky]

Hey everyone,

Well I'm not sure what's going on with me lately, need a little advise please...

I have stayed on my last dose of 35mg Paxil for the last couple of months but have recently 3 weeks ago ,quit smoking after 20 long years . I'm not sure if that would mess me around but I feel really anxious ,emotional and just flat. I'm finding it hard to kick these feelings and just wondering what is going on. I have been tappering slowly and been doing everything right, I just lack motivation and feel really disappointed ,I'm trying so hard to treat and look after my body and mind by eating right , no alcohol and cigarettes . I just hope this will pass

[scallywag]

Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's a HUGE deal.

 

Nicotine is a neuro-psychoactive substance. Adding it or stopping it will affect you. Although nicotine is a stimulant, many people  smoke to soothe themselves or release tension. If that's how you used it, it makes sense that stopping it would leave you anxious.

 

What web research have you done into nicotine withdrawal? There's probably somewhere with a list of symptoms.

[Cheeky]

I really don't understand this.

I've been on Paxil for 22 years and before I had my crash 2 years ago I could up and lower my dose without any problems. I exercised daily and felt pretty good. I think that when my doctor toke me off my dose 40mg Paxil by tapering it to 0 within one week, that it must of done something to my nervous system. I have in the last two years come off 3/4's of my Seraquel and 5ml of Paxil but I'm still feeling withdrawals when I last tapered 8 weeks ago. Is this a normal thing to happen

[brassmonkey]

Hi Cheeky--  Yes, a CT like you did can leave your entire system very sensitive to the drugs so any change will be really noticed.  Going through  taper is not a pain free experience.  There will be some wd symptoms with almost every decrease in dose.  The aim is to minimize the discomfort so one can still have some quality of life while the taper is being done.

[Cheeky]

Brassmonkey, when do you know the best time to taper then? I also think that since I quit smoking 5 weeks ago it made things worse. Is that correct ?

[coldturkmama]

Your nervous system is just a mess right now, quitting smoking (while a wonderful thing!) Probably revved things up. I wish you luck!

[Cheeky]

I feel this last drop with the added withdrawal from quitting of cigarettes has really taken it's toll on me. Everything was going smooth sailing, i just don't understand how this can happen 8 weeks after my last tapper, in a way I feel that it has all crept up on me, I even get slight ringing in ears, waking up anxious and getting waves of adrenaline in my body throughout the day. I'm better at night though. I feel I have so far to go and just don't know if I could even get to half my dose.

Currently 35mg Paxil , 12.5 Seraquel from 40mg Paxil and 50mg Seraquel

[coldturkmama]

Was quitting smoking super hard? I don't advocate it of course but I almost wonder if maybe 1-2 ciggs a day might help a bit given the current situation.

[brassmonkey]

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest addictions to break and for many people can be quite painful for many months.  I think that this has upset the balance that you achieved with your taper.  I would hold on tapering for a couple of months to let things settle out before tapering any further.  

[Cheeky]

Thanks Brassmonkey, I do believe that the ct of cigarettes was the problem with the additional stress from work , I tapperd and quit smoking at the same time which has caused this.

I was smoking one packet every 2nd day, so it is a lot .