paxil withdrawal

I put this in the medication section, but no one answered. So I will put it here and let it get sent back to medication after seeing if anyone here has gone through it.

I've been through a really bad time lately. I got suspended from my job for threatening someone with a bowl of pasta, then got laid off from my job because my bosses were totally mismanaging my program. Then I had a panic attack and got booted from my next job after 2 days. So I finally decided to try paxil. My doc said it was a good idea to try. I noticed some annoying side effects - at first the worst was geting tinnitus. Then afer a month the itching got really bad. I decided to go off cold turkey even though my doc said if I deceided to go off I should taper off with half a pill and then a half pill every other day.

I've been off the stuff for 5 days and it is a bit unpleasant. It started with anxiety. Then it got really hard to sleep. When I do sleep I have bad dreams and wake up after an hour. I've been probably getting only 4 hours the past few days. Now I am starting to feel dizzy. I read that this can go on for 3 weeks. Does anyone else have experience with this?

I saw your other thread but didn't want to respond. Maybe if I respond now people will notice, but having it in the AvPD section is probably a better idea too. I congratulate you for throwing the bowl of pasta but, regarding Paxil withdrawal, I have no knowledge of. You and I have know each other for a long time (on the Internet) and my overall opinion is that you need stability in your life; and you need to know what is ahead of you each day. You've been up and down so much since I've known you, and I must admit that it's sad to see you like this. I don't know why you were given Paxil in the first place, but perhaps a 'basic 'SSRI would be better for you, long term?

Kevin

Chucky wrote: I congratulate you for throwing the bowl of pasta but,

Kevin

I want to make it clear - I did NOT threaten anyone with a bowl of pasta. I told a lazy employee to go get some pasta out of a cooler and make some pasta salad. She wouldn't do it. I told her where it was and I even pointed to the cooler, but she kept insisting that there was no pasta. So I went to the cooler and put it down in front of her and said this pasta. Then she ran to my boss and accused me of threatening her. Then I found myself at a disciplinary hearing defending myself fro a charge of threatening with pasta. It was ridiculous, but I was found guilty. Then I was laid off and now have a 5 month suspension on my record. That means my career is over with state employment. So I am having to spend thousands on a lawyer to get the charge overturned or made into a private reprimand that is not on my personnel file.

I was having terrible anxiety attacks and I was desparate. I told this to my doc. They are all really big on SSRIs. So I decided to try the paxil. I know some people like prozac. But I don't like te idea of trying any of that crap again. Hookers are so much better for stress relief. Why won't my insurance cover them??!!??

Parador wrote:I put this in the medication section, but no one answered. So I will put it here and let it get sent back to medication after seeing if anyone here has gone through it.

I've been through a really bad time lately. I got suspended from my job for threatening someone with a bowl of pasta, then got laid off from my job because my bosses were totally mismanaging my program. Then I had a panic attack and got booted from my next job after 2 days. So I finally decided to try paxil. My doc said it was a good idea to try. I noticed some annoying side effects - at first the worst was geting tinnitus. Then afer a month the itching got really bad. I decided to go off cold turkey even though my doc said if I deceided to go off I should taper off with half a pill and then a half pill every other day.

I've been off the stuff for 5 days and it is a bit unpleasant. It started with anxiety. Then it got really hard to sleep. When I do sleep I have bad dreams and wake up after an hour. I've been probably getting only 4 hours the past few days. Now I am starting to feel dizzy. I read that this can go on for 3 weeks. Does anyone else have experience with this?

Do the withdrawal slower. You can also ask your doc for advise to go on another meds that don´t cause these side effects. You know I´m the queen of the meds. For a time, I took a soft sleeping pill. (lomertazepam). Now, I use my relaxation exercises to sleep.
I don´t know if your nightmares are due to the meds withdrawal or the therapy effects. I would bet is the second one.
Have you tried Valeriana?

I have been on like every ssri there is on the market. Besides from the frist one nothing really helped. When I dicded to quit the pil I was given I did stop cold turkey just like you .

I got head aches , dizzyness, sweated like a pig . But all of that decresed after 4 or 5 days . Hang in there mate it will be all over soon

Im sorry for misreading what you wrote, Parador. I just misread the word 'threat' as 'throw'. SSRI's have to be given a lot of time before yuou can start to notice their effects. It took me up to a year before I realised that they were actually helping me. The SSRI that I took was Lexapro, which never seems to get mentioned much from the American contingent on this forum/website.

Kevin

Parador wrote:I want to make it clear - I did NOT threaten anyone with a bowl of pasta. I told a lazy employee to go get some pasta out of a cooler and make some pasta salad. She wouldn't do it. I told her where it was and I even pointed to the cooler, but she kept insisting that there was no pasta. So I went to the cooler and put it down in front of her and said this pasta. Then she ran to my boss and accused me of threatening her. Then I found myself at a disciplinary hearing defending myself fro a charge of threatening with pasta. It was ridiculous, but I was found guilty. Then I was laid off and now have a 5 month suspension on my record. That means my career is over with state employment. So I am having to spend thousands on a lawyer to get the charge overturned or made into a private reprimand that is not on my personnel file.

I've stopped believing your stories long time ago, Parador. Either you have worse luck with people than anyone I've ever heard of, or you have a tendency to alter the facts in your favor. I choose the latter. And I won't even apologize for saying this, cause you yourself have told us that you have a hobby of lying about yourself in the internet.

Chucky wrote:Im sorry for misreading what you wrote, Parador. I just misread the word 'threat' as 'throw'. SSRI's have to be given a lot of time before yuou can start to notice their effects. It took me up to a year before I realised that they were actually helping me. The SSRI that I took was Lexapro, which never seems to get mentioned much from the American contingent on this forum/website.

Kevin

When I was put on an SSRI, Lexapro was what was initially prescribed. However, since the parent company was able to extend their patent on the drug, it's not available in a cheap generic. So, when I went to pick up the prescription, I was told that it wouldn't be covered. Instead, I could choose either Celexa (generic) or some medication for OCD... or I could pay ~$100/month for the name-brand Lexapro. Sadly, it's a fairly common problem in America for health care companies to play doctor (psychiatrist, in this case) and choose the most convenient/profitable, which might be why you don't hear much about Lexapro and certain other drugs as often from the Americans on this site.

I've been off it for 10 days now and I'm still having withdrawal effects. They seem to be less intense than they were last week though. I am not as dizzy as I was and I slept a bit better last night. I still kept waking up with nightmares however. The one I remember from last night was of having a wasp crawl into my ear. He was really buzzing around in there. After waking up it took me a minute to realize it was just a dream.

I have gone off paxil after 6 years on it. I can tell you the side effects from going off it last about 2 weeks for me anyway. I did it slowly, from 20mg day to 10mg day for 1 week then 0mg. Since you went cold turkey you found out the hardway that you should not do that. By the way perhaps you should try other meds for your panic, not just give up so easily.