MrPhouse Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I am writing this because my doctor is taking me off 11 years of 30mg paxil use and he has taken me down from 30mg to 20mg in two weeks and then from 20mg to 10mg another two weeks and then from 10 to 5mg in another two weeks and then off. Then he is gonna try to bridge me with lexapro once off the Paxil. I have been quite and irritable. My friend told me about this website and stated that doctors have no idea about taking people off these drugs : is that true? I am already feeling irritable and withdrawn and quite. I need to know what I can expect? Is it a good idea to bridge? What are the consequences if that doesn't work? I have one year left at work and I am worried. I need help ! What should I do. Can you tell me everything to expect. I am clueless when it comes to this as I trust my doctor. I don't navigate well on the internet so this is a big deal. Was that taper too fast? Is this going to get worse. I am at 20mg and dropping to 10mg soon. Does it happen once i am off paxil completely.or is this all I am gonna feel? I have had a suicide attempt in the past. I am worried this could really mess me up. Please give me as much info as possible...I am 55 years old, could thisnruin my life? I also heard that doctors will tell me this is my original symptoms returning from my friend, having a hard time believing him. All your help is greatly appreciated. 11 years Paxil - 30mg Lorazepam occasional use 1mg when needed Sleeping pills nightly Paxil 30mg for 2 weeks down to 20mg for two weeks, down to 10mg for 2 weeks, down to 5mg for two weeks and then off. Currently at 20mg Link to comment
Frustrated Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi there. Welcome. Coming off that quickly is NOT recommended. I am seven months off a two month taper from paxil and still having withdrawals. The mods will arrive shortly to give you specific advice on what you should do. They are wise and have helped many who are tapering meds. 2002-put on amitryptiline for fibromyalgia. 10mg.2004-stopped abruptly. Didn't think it helped.2006 approx.-put on Paxil for mild anxiety 20 mg.2007 upped to 40 mg. not sure why.2011- tapered from 40 to 10. went nuts and went back to 20mg2014- tapered from 20mg to 0 from April to The end of June.current meds- Metformin(type 2 diabetic) and low dose aspirin.Take multi vitamin and vit b12, vit. D and magnesium. 5 months off Paxil. Still suffering.recently added 1.2mg of Paxil to alleviate withdrawals.(Nov 30)Dropped to .9mg because having symptoms from reinstatement.(dec 23)<p>taper to .76mg-.8mg (Feb 3) approx. weight .010 to about .008-.009 on scale..6mg (march 19th.) .5mg(April 19th).4mg(April 27th).2 (June 27th) 0mg. done taper at beginning of August. Link to comment
Member cymbaltawithdrawal5600 Posted January 22, 2015 Member Share Posted January 22, 2015 MrP, Welcome to the site and thank you for posting your introduction and for filling out a signature. You are definitely internet savvy enough to be able to navigate this site. While I am gathering some helpful links for you to read, would you please edit your signature a bit? Where are you exactly in the taper your doctor proposed? You can list the steps (and yes they are too fast) in a few lines. This site limits your sig to 12 lines total (I think that includes blanks). Please include the doses of any other drugs and how frequently you take them, including any supplements. You will definitely find a lot of helpful information here. What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878 July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site. Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey. Link to comment
MrPhouse Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Thanks I have included it in my signature. Currently on 20mg of paxil and my doctor has given me my lexapro prescription to start once done the paxil. When does the admin come to help me, so worried. Not sure what to expect.oh and I have been taking a sleeping pill for 6 years now every night except some weekends where I will drink to sleep. 11 years Paxil - 30mg Lorazepam occasional use 1mg when needed Sleeping pills nightly Paxil 30mg for 2 weeks down to 20mg for two weeks, down to 10mg for 2 weeks, down to 5mg for two weeks and then off. Currently at 20mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted January 22, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 22, 2015 MrPhouse, This is a site dedicated to helping people come off antidepressants. We don't provide advice as to which drug next or whether you should go onto another one. We can share our understanding about withdrawal. Here are a number of key threads you should read about coming off Paxil What is withdrawal - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/ Why taper off at 10% of previous dose - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/ Tips for tapering Paxil - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/405-tips-for-tapering-off-paxil-paroxetine/ Dalsaan Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to comment
Babs Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 This site recommends a slow 10% taper, to minimize withdrawal symptoms. I was on Paxil for 11 years as well, but when I did my taper I didn't know to do it slowly and had a long withdrawal as a result. I came off 20mg in 2.5mg cuts, over four months and had a really rough time of it. If I had it to do over I would have gone the slow route. Most doctors are woefully uninformed about (or turn a blind eye to) withdrawal and the need for a very slow taper. Paxil 20mg 1994-2005Tried to quit twice, finally did it on my 3rd attempt in 2005. I went from 20mg to zero in about four months, believing at the time that it was a reasonable taper. It wasn't. I suffered mostly emotional symptoms: frequent episodes of "anxious depression" lasting for about 17 months before it got noticeably better. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 4, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 4, 2015 How are you doing MrPhouse? 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
nz11 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 MrPhouse welcome to a place sought by millions but found by few. When did you drop to 20mg ?...yesterday? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
nz11 Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 "I am at 20mg and dropping to 10mg soon." Actuarially speaking there is a 50:50 chance that you have only just dropped to 20mg in the last week? Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
Alexander Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Slow tapers recommended. I did my own after 12 years on Paxil. I was clueless about it and hadn't been on any websites. Finished Paxil completely after a quick 9 month taper that I thought was slow. Didn't know what had hit me when I stopped. Didn't even realise it was withdrawal. Nerve spasms, agitation, copious tears, a constant need to urinate (not cystitis), a terrible emptiness that I had never experienced. This lasted for months. Even now I still feel agitated and had weeks of not sleeping, extreme irritability. Don't enjoy the things I used to, don't even feel much love for anyone. I have read so many similar experiences on this site and just hope for a slow improvement. I tried supplements,eg fish oil, magnesium, ginko and acupuncture, but I think it's a matter of time really. It's been the worst hell ever and I was totally unprepared. I tried the doctor but they denied it was withdrawal, so they can take a running jump. I wish I'd never taken them and I'd rather die than go back on them. I don't know if I'll ever get my life back. I am taking valerian at the moment to sleep. Just hang in there MrPhouse and talk to people here. Try not to lose heart. 1 Prescribed 20mg a day of Seroxat on 2001 August 2013 decided to taper. Reduced by 10mg a week (adjusted over the week small amounts) Stopped completely in April 2014 Brain and body went haywire. Didn't realise it was withdrawal at first. Have not returned to ad's but can't get my life back. Link to comment
nz11 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Mr P i have a confession to make. I am very worried about you. Please update us. Its been 2 weeks since your last post and that means if you followed the doctors orders you must have dropped to 10 mg now. Please i beg you, do not do that, i mean would you consider not doing that ...follow the advise on this site. The wdl can be delayed so right now i am concerned about whats coming down the pipeline from the 30 to 20 drop. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
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