WDSurviving22: Need Help! (tapering paxil)

[WDSurviving22]

Greetings,

 

I have a question, but first my history. I went on paxil 3 years ago, but quit cold turkey after I had my first panic attack. I freaked out of course, and was checked into a pysch ward where I was put on benzos. Fast forward 2 years later, and I was forced cold turkey by my pysch doc. Here it is 7 months later, and im back on paxil, which I started when I was cold turkeyed. But my paxil causes anxiety and bad effects. My question is, is 7 months long enough during a valium ct to start tapering my paxil?

[LoveandLight]

Hi WD

 

I have no idea to be honest..but hold on, there are other knowledgeable people here that will be along to help. Maybe introduce yourself in the introduction section of the site and put your drug history in your signature : http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/and people will best be able to help.

[mammaP]

Hi WD, welcome to SA. I am constantly amazed at the ignorance of psychiatrists who pull drugs forcing people to go cold turkey!  Paxil is a completely different drug and will not cushion any withdrawal, which is possibly what you are feeling now, plus possible side effects from the paxil.  I am out of my depth when it comes to benzo withdrawal so I am going to ask another mod to take a look who is very experienced with the mix of benzo and SSRI. In the meantime could you tell us a bit more? 

 

Do you have any pattern to your symptoms? Do you feel worse in the morning or later in the day? When do you take your paxil and what dose? 

Did you feel any withdrawal immediately after quitting the benzo and what doses were you taking? I'm sorry for all the questions but it will help to  see where the problem is, benzo withdrawal or paxil side effects which are also common.  

 

It will also help if you can put your drug history in your signature strip, we ask all members to do this and update it as changes are made. 

You can find instructions how to do that here....http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

You are in the right place here and will get lots of help and support. 

 About withdrawal syndrome  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/

[Rhiannon]

Hi WDSurviving. Welcome to the forum.

 

I'm so sorry for what you've been through at the hands of what sounds to be a particularly clueless and/or arrogant doc.

 

It would help if you could answer the questions MammaP asked, and if I knew what dose of Paxil you are taking, and what kinds of symptoms you are having right now, and how severe they are compared to seven months ago.  Those things would give me an idea if it might be safe to try reducing your Paxil now. 

 

I am inclined to say that it's probably okay to try a very small reduction, particularly if you're on a high dose now, but you'll need to do some preparation first. You'll need a liquid form so you can cut by small enough increments to be safe. Before making any reductions, please read through our materials in the Tapering section as well, particularly this: Why taper by 10% of my dosage?  (If you're going to cut Paxil while still in benzo withdrawal, you should make your first cut less than 10% probably, more like 5%, unless you're on a particularly high dose.)

 

If you try a very small reduction and your symptoms worsen, you'll know what you're up against, and you will have reduced a small enough amount that you won't crash and burn.

 

If you do taper down your Paxil dose this soon after a benzo CT, you'll need to do it extra slowly and be prepared to stop and hold your taper any time your symptoms flare up.

 

Please add your drug history to your sig line as soon as you get the chance:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ 

 

You might find some of the ideas in our Symptoms and Self Care section to be helpful.  Check that out when you get the chance.

 

Again, welcome to the forum. 

[WDSurviving22]

Hello everyone. Im Dani. My history is as follows: Started paxil Feb 2012. Took it for 3 weeks then cold turkeyed. Had no clue about paxil withdrawal, so felt like I was going crazy. Doc rx'd me Lexapro 10mg, and klonopin .5 x 3 tpd. 8 months later I switched to Celexa 20mg, and valium 10mg x 3. I was forced cold turkey by my doctor in July of 2014. Now 8 months later in March of 2015 Im starting to taper my paxil 15mg that I started at the same time of my c/t.

[WDSurviving22]

Im so sorry I havent respond. I have been busy dealing with the benzo withdrawal. Im currently on 15mg, and planning on cutting 0.5 mg every couple of weeks. But im definitely open to suggestions, since I have no idea what im doin lol.

[Fresh]

Hi  WDSurviving , welcome to the site.

 

Try going to the section called Tapering , and read "Why Taper by 10%"  as Rhiannon suggests.  There are also specific threads on tapering benzos and paxil.

You're in very good company here , and will get lots of support , advice and information.

 

If you click FOLLOW THIS TOPIC at the top right , you'll receive an email each time someone posts.

 

Good to have you on board.

Best wishes ,  Fresh

[Petunia]

Hi WD,

I joined your two introduction topics together, its one intro/update thread per member.  You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want.

 

If you are still experiencing symptoms from benzo withdrawal, its not a good idea to start another taper yet. Are you having any symptoms at the moment?

 

If you have been feeling well with low or no symptoms for at least 2 months, then its probably safe to try a small cut of your paxil dose. 

 

We suggest reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose every 4 weeks, this reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms arising.  Please read through this which will explain why:

  

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?  (The general philosophy of gradual tapering)

 

Here is our paxil tapering thread:

 

Tips for tapering off Paxil (paroxetine)

 

Thank you for filling in your signature.  Please stay in touch and let us know what you decide.

 

Petunia.
 

[WDSurviving22]

Well tbh idk which is from what. I have anxiety, agoraphobia, also freezing spells(coldness), but the past two days when I take my paxil about 4 hours later I get dizzy, nauseated, panicky, and also feel like im way to high.

[WDSurviving22]

To answer MammaP's question, I take my paxil at night at 5:30pm. I usually have increased anxiety for 2-3 hours then it subsides, and then I feel like you normally should on an AD. Around 5-6 months after my cold turkey, those 2-3 hr anxiety disappeared, then I tried to quit smoking, which thru my cns out of wack even more. So ive been in a wave ever since. Also my 2-3 hour paxil anxiety came back, ive become agoraphobic again like at the start. Also, like I stated in the post above on March 19, 2015 when I took my paxil about 2-3 hours later I got panic, and felt like fire going down my spine. I managed to calm myself down. Then on the 20th I took it, same effects just with extreme nausea, and feeling way to high.

[mammaP]

Hi WD, thank you for answering the questions. It does seem that paxil is activating for you and producing some side effects on top of the benzo withdrawal. 

You will need to be very careful though so as not to make anything worse. Side effects are dose related and tend to improve as the dose gets lower but it is always best to take it slowly because going too fast to try and ease the side effects causes withdrawal which can be much worse, especially with benzo withdrawal too. 

 

I would do as Rhiannon suggested and get your doctor to prescribe the liquid paxil so that you can make small cuts, and read the topic that Petunia posted for you on tapering paxil. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/405-tips-for-tapering-off-paxil-paroxetine/  We recommend tapering no more than 10% of the current dose with 4 weeks or more between cuts. This allows the brain to adjust to the lower dose before another cut. 

 

If you feel any worsening of symptoms then stop tapering because your nervous system will be struggling to cope. 

 

Keep us updated on what you decide and how it is going.

[WDSurviving22]

Thank you so much for responding. I tried to do 10% but I could tell instantly, so I went to a 3.33% drop, and im still feeling it, tho probably less so than the 10%. I had so much hope, but it seems to be going away. Gotta get it back. Lol

[mammaP]

Give yourself some time to stabilise, it will take time. Sadly the valium CT is still complicating things. I wish doctors would wise up and stop doing this to people. Giving them drugs and telling them all will be fine, then yanking them away again and adding more it's just cruel beyond words! 

[WDSurviving22]

I so very much agree. Thank you so much for all your ressponses. I so very much appreciate it. I will check in daily with updates.

[WDSurviving22]

Dont want to jinx myself, but took my second 14.5 dose, non of the symptoms I mentioned happen tonight. Im hoping this continues.

[WDSurviving22]

Morning 2 after my second dose of 14.5. Anxiety, headpressure, dizziness, intrusive thoughts. Looks like Ill be holding for a while.

[Rhiannon]

It's going to be confusing, because of the benzo withdrawal, which after a CT takes a couple of years for most people to get over completely. (On average. Some recover faster, some take longer, and you never know which you will be.)

 

So you will probably continue to have waves of symptoms which may be due to a change you made the day before but also may be due to something you changed a week before or may just be random windows and waves due to benzo withdrawal (which is typically very roller coaster, you feel better and think you're done, then it hits again, etc.)

 

Sounds like you're taking a sensible and cautious approach. That's the main thing. Take it slow, give your body time to adapt to any changes that you make. You can do this.

[WDSurviving22]

Thank you very much. Yes I very much want off this stuff, but at a very sensible pace so I dont get very worse.

[WDSurviving22]

3rd night of 14.5 other than a little shakey, i feel great, but mornings are still bad so like I said before gonna hold for a while.

[WDSurviving22]

This rage is unbelievable. I'm scared of losing my mind.

[WDSurviving22]

Need help. It's been a few months since I posted on here, and a lot has happened since. I started tapering in march. I started at 15 MG, and tapered down to 14.1 Mg. I never was able to stabilize on 14.1 even though I was making my own liquid. I started getting different symptoms every day and night just like I was taking different doses. I then switched to liquid paxil, and I didn't tolerate it very well. So I started weighting out my medicine on a milli scale, and even then I was getting different symptoms just like I was taking nonprecise doseages. I did all of this within a few months. I then went down to 13.8 because I started to shave my pills, and for some odd reason my body would not tolerate the whole pill at the dose of 14.1mg so I went down to 13.8. I did this for a few weeks but still noticed in was getting different symptoms every single day and night. I then decided I would have them compounded. I've been taking the compound 13.8 Mg pills for about 2 weeks, and I'm still getting different symptoms every single day and night. A lot of my symptoms have gone away like body pain, and rage, but now I have anxiety, depression, and irritability. I'm so scared, because I have no idea what to do to stabilize myself. Please help me!!!

[Altostrata]

WD, did you ever try holding at the same dosage for more than a month?

[WDSurviving22]

Yes I did. I held at 14.1 for 3 months, and never did stabilize.

[WDSurviving22]

There for a couple of months, it seems I wasn't receiving a stable dose. I did not do that on purpose. I'm still taking my compounded 13.8mg but it still feels as if I'm not getting a stable dose. Idk of it is my nervous system, or if the compounded medication was made precisely

[Altostrata]

You might double-check with the pharmacy. Did they seem sloppy?

 

You might want to stay at your present dose for a couple of months.

 

What is your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take your drug? Are you taking anything else? Please keep notes on paper for a few days.

[WDSurviving22]

I don't really have a symptom pattern tbh. I have a some symptoms that are the same like really cold, headaches, and now depression at night. I'm not taking anything else. The pharmacy did not seem sloppy, but who knows. They mostly consist of younger people in their late 20s early 30s. Some of my symptoms have left, and now I only really have severe anxiety, and depression at night.

[Altostrata]

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/
 

[WDSurviving22]

I've tried the fish oil, it revs me up. I'll try the mag.

[WDSurviving22]

What is the possibility that they were sloppy when creating my monthly prescription?

[WDSurviving22]

Odd question. I'm going to start shaving my pills, and weighting them out. Considering that all my pills weight differently, do I weight one out and then calculate my drop fromthat then repeat the next day? Or do I weight them all out, and just calculate from the total amount?

[WDSurviving22]

Is the medication hemogeneous in the pills? I've tried powder, and it I didn't agree with me. Both times I've had compounded pills made, I react badly to them as well. When I shave the pill, I don't have nearly as many side effects.

[WDSurviving22]

Anyone?

[WDSurviving22]

Can someone please explain to me why I get different symptoms each day and night but on the scale it says it weights the same.

[Petunia]

What do you mean by 'different symptoms each day and night'

 

Do you mean that you have a daily pattern of feeling certain symptoms earlier in the day and different symptoms towards the evening? If you could clarify what the symptoms are and when you get them, relative to when you take your dose, that might provide a clue.

 

You may still be in withdrawal from your CT off Valium last July.

[WDSurviving22]

No when I say different symptoms day and night, I mean when I take my measured dose, it feels like I took a drop in dose, then the next night I may feel like I've took more than usual even though on the scale is says it weighs the same.

[Petunia]

I'm sorry, I'm still not understanding what you mean. Could you describe what's happening, what you are actually feeling from one day to the next after you take your dose? What are the side effects or symptoms that are changing?

 

What time do you take your dose and when do the symptoms start?