Newbies to paxil tapering, Will you please read this?

[Baley85]

Can someone recommend a good scale to purchase for my journey into weaning?

[JessG]

Originally Posted by Baley85

Can someone recommend a good scale to purchase for my journey into weaning?

Here is one I and a couple others here use. It's affordable and pretty accurate for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh.../dp/B0012TDNAM

[MichaelBabbo]

Hi Baley85: I also recommend the Gemini-20. If you haven't already got one,
I'd definitely say "go for it." Inexpensive, easy to use, comes with a 10 year warranty. I wish you the best!

[Shimmer]

Hey! I started tapering in May and I just finished in October! I was on 10mg of paxil a day for 7 years. If anyone is trying to tapper and wants to know how I did it without any withdrawls, here's how:
10mg a day
7.5mg a day for a month
5mg a day for a month
2.5mg a day for a month and a half
1.25mg a day for a month
0mg

Worked great! Good luck guys!

[Betsy]

Glad it worked so well for you....
Betsy

[Baley85]

Quick question!!

I start my weaning journey tonight and am currently on 20mg Paxil. I had my doctor give me the liquid and I want to make sure I have my conversion correct.

20mg = 10ml

A quick response would be lovely!

[scotty]

You've got it correct.

[Baley85]

Thanks Scotty!

[bflosenrab]

Originally Posted by JessG

Here is one I and a couple others here use. It's affordable and pretty accurate for the price.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh.../dp/B0012TDNAM

I just bought this, but I never knew that the "advertised" dose is not the actual weight of the pill. I thought I was either dumb (I'm not a science/math person) or my scale was broken. Never knew this in all my years of taking meds. LOL.

[Sharron]

Baley, hang in there. I am on liquid paxil also and am down to
1.8ml or 3.6mg. It gets hard to measure when you get this low
but I am doing good. I can't believe that even this low i still have
some sides when I decrease. I am going very slow, every 60 days
I reduce by 10%, so far so good/ Sharon

[DaveC426913]

Originally Posted by bflosenrab

I just bought this, but I never knew that the "advertised" dose is not the actual weight of the pill. I thought I was either dumb (I'm not a science/math person) or my scale was broken. Never knew this in all my years of taking meds. LOL.

No, the 20mg dose refers to the active ingredient itself. The pill is mostly binding agent.

This makes me kind of concerned if you are measuring your own dose. How do you know you're doing correctly?

[MichaelBabbo]

I was also confused by the active ingredient / binder ratio. What I've been doing is taking 10% reductions every four weeks of the total weight of the pill. The average weight of a single tablet is 237 milligrams, 20 milligrams of which is active ingredient. This reduces to a ratio of 1 milligram of active ingredient to 11.85 milligrams of filler/binding agent.
I started out at a dose of 30 mg of Paxil (356 milligrams total weight of pill). My first drop, therefore, was one of 35.6 mgs from 356 mg. I've been dropping this way.
I'm down to 111.73 mg tomorrow. Things are going pretty smoothly.
The only problem with this method is that I'm not sure that the active ingredient/filler ratio is uniform throughout the tablet. I assume it is, or is pretty close to it, because I've had no problems so far, which is good!

[DaveC426913]

Originally Posted by MichaelBabbo

The only problem with this method is that I'm not sure that the active ingredient/filler ratio is uniform throughout the tablet. I assume it is, or is pretty close to it, because I've had no problems so far, which is good!

I'd call it a safe assumption.

[Melly]

Hi, i have just read the newbies to paxil tapering, which seems to make more sense. i have recently decided to start tapering off paxil (paxtene is aussie) as i have gained 10kg and eventually want to have kids and cant while on this drug. I thought it would be alot easier than it has been. i was on 20mg for two years and in the last 3 weeks went to 10 than to 5mg now back up to 15mg as i had really bad shock sensations, dizzieness, body aches theses were the worst nothing would help and headaches just felt like i was really sick with the flu. Once i increased my dose the withdrawl symptoms subsided but still have slight aches and tired. I just want to get off these but the doctors think i need to stay on them for now, i dont no why i think that they think these symptoms are my old anxious ways coming back, but i no they are not. i am going to have to get off them eventually and just wanna get it over and done with...is there any medication to take to help counteract the withdrawls so i can do it and not be so bedridden???

[Songbird]

Originally Posted by Melly

i am going to have to get off them eventually and just wanna get it over and done with...is there any medication to take to help counteract the withdrawls so i can do it and not be so bedridden???

See this previous post by Scotty:

Those who are fretting that they will never get off paxil...LOOK AT YOUR WEANING SCHEDULE(and yes, I'm yelling). If you've only attempted large, rapid drops in dose, or cold turkey, then yes, you will never get off paxil.

If you slow wean by what is recommended by thousands who are here, you will succeed. You can't claim failure if you've only attempted one way of getting off these drugs. That is a failure in learning what works, not in yourself.

Wean 10% of your dose every 3-6 weeks. It truly is what works, despite what your doctor is telling you.

By 10%, we mean, 10% of the dose you are on at the time, not your starting dose, so your drops get smaller and smaller as you go along. I would say no more than 10% drops, some people do even smaller. Wait at least 3 weeks after each drop until stable.

Before you start to wean again, you'd be best to wait until you have stabilised from your recent dose changes. There isn't a med to counteract w/d except the one you're in w/d from and you have just updosed, so you've done the right thing there to stop the severe w/d. It may take a few weeks to feel the improvement from the updose, so just stay with the same daily dose.

With the slow tapering method, you may still get some w/d symptoms but they will be a lot milder, you should definitely not be bedridden. It may take a little longer to get off that way, but because it is easier on your body, overall recovery time is quicker.

[Melly]

Thank you for the advise small drops seems to be the way to go obviously there is no way around it just have to be patient.

Has anyone got the liquid form in australia if so is it easy to get??

[Songbird]

I don't think you can get it ready-made, but a compounding pharmacy should be able to make it up for you. See this old thread:

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=43586

[JeffroUK]

What a good site! wish i'd come across this plan before i launched into my self diagnosed 2month tapering plan... Quickly reduced from 20mg to 12mg over 3 weeks, thinking 'wow ive got this nailed', until week 4 which has brought back some almighty anxiety... Docs dont seem too clued up on withdrawl advice so this is a really good source of info thanks. Im sticking at 12mg and riding the rollercoaster untill i level out, at which point I will procede with this 10% plan, ive learned my lesson, the macho ill tough it out route doesnt pan out too well!

[kayla2011]

Hi There Betsy my name is Kayla I live in New Zealand and i take Paxil as a antidepressent. and it works amazing wonders for me. I also take ritalin ADHD. and i have been on 60mg paxil for the past 1 year. i am on a small dose of serQuel 75g. my doctor has tapered me off the ritalin from 20mg down to 15mg in a week gradually by 5mg doses. in the last week i have been experiencing intensive anxiety and depression at the same time. and at the same time i cry and just cry. I am going to go see my psychiatrist tomorrow at 2.30pm. I am trying my hardest not to depend on a pill for that intensive anxiety and low at the same time. i try go for a walk and watch a movie and use all of my mind power to make it go away but it does not work at all.

[kayla2011]

hun hang in there i am thinking of you. don't worry it will get better you may not feel it now. but each day you feel awful it is in exchange for feeling happy.

:-)

[oheidi1221]

I am so grateful to have found PP. I have been on 15mg. of paxil for 17 years. I have taken 10mg for the last 2 days. After reading advice to the "Newbies" I am going to take 12.5mg instead...but for how long?? I can see that this taper should take a year. When do I reduce the dosage?

[Songbird]

For at least 3-4 weeks until you stabilise. If you are not stable after that time then wait longer.

[sallu]

im also a failed story of quick weaing over 3 months..and i suffered for 7 months in hell , so now i will listen to these people and go very slow

[Kierz]

I'm a newbie and I read this article! :-)
I tried cold turkey and like you said I had no idea what kind of chemicals I was dealing with. I've realized this may be a long road to recovery, and I am impatient. No matter, it needs to be done.

[Lucy99]

I want to encourage all who come here to read and heed the information that you see. This info is from all of us who have battled these issues. I am off of Paxil for 7 months. You can do it. You MUST do it slowly. The doctors to whom you speak may have no idea what they are talking about. They simply don't know. This is a very slow, progressive change that must take place in your body.

I suffered through intense headaches everyday at 3:00 PM (I don't get many headaches). I felt like a blanket of straight pins was being dragged around my legs. I had a metallic taste in my mouth as if I was chewing on metal. These symptoms did not necessarily coincide, although sometimes they did.

You must be patient with yourself. Go slowly, follow the directions here, and practice extreme self-care. If your practitioner says you can drop by one pill a day - DO NOT! 10% reduction is your best option. I let my body tell me when it was time for another reduction. At first, it took 6 weeks before the symptoms relaxed. Then it gradually took less and less. Listen to your body - listen to the people here.

And after you are done, do lots of research before you take another prescription drug. Lots and lots. Do lots of research before you take any other drug. Lots and lots. I just did what I was told to do when I began taking Paxil. Never ever again.

Best of luck. Love yourself, and follow the help here.