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[Wolfie]

Hello Everyone,
I found this site by accident, and hopefully I will garner some information here to help myself and others.
I am a 47 year old IT Professional, and have been on Paxil for about 3 years. I was prescribed Paxil by my doctor, trying to alleviate depression.
Paxil worked for the first year, but is slowly losing it's effect month by month. I have tried to come off Paxil many times, with the same effects.
If I stop or reduce my Paxil, by day 2 I have a wild headache, day 3 I am confused and non-functional, and the last time I made it to day 4, I was confused, exibiting wild mood swings, and was even hallucinatiing (I kept seeing people who were'nt really there). My doctor says he would like to institutionalize me for a couple of weeks while I come off this drug, to monitor my progress. He is not sure exactly what will happen, and wants me in a controlled environment to minimize the chance of harm to myself and others. My mood swings can be quite unpredictable.
So now what do I do? I am addicted (Yes I beleive I am) to a drug that was supposed to be helping me, and has now become a ball and chain.

Wolfie

[safarigal]

Hi Wolfie,

I'm assuming you've tried to quit Paxil cold turkey. That is the hardest way to quit Paxil.

Have you tried tapering off Paxil very slowly over several months?

For example if you are at 30mg you could decrease the dose by 5 mg every 2 weeks. You'd find this much easier on your brain and body than cold turkey.

You also won't need to be "institutionalized". I find it hard to believe your doc would even suggest that, like he's done no research at all into Paxil withdrawal.

[Wolfie]

Hi Julie,
Yes I have tried cold turkey, and ramped myself down. Trouble is, I get very intense mood swings when i reduce the doseage. EG: I tried to run a carload of teenagers off the road because they gave me the finger. I was actually ramming their car with my truck. The last time I reduced my dosage I punched out a fellow employee at work. He grabbed me by my jacket, and I beat him like a rug. I just went off like a gun.
This is NOT like me at all. I am VERY afraid of this behavior because I seem to have no control over it. It just takes me over, like being swept away in a river. Has anyone else experienced these kind of intense mood swings?

[RockSinger]

Institutuionalized..????????

Oh sure.....

And if you start hallucinating and freak out while youre there?????

They will most definately poke you full of more drugs.......

Stay here.....Many many people have made it through what you're trying to do...

There are methods.......there are ways.....

I know exactly what its like to go off this crap.

I was on it for 6 years and they took me off cold turkey.........thats was over two months ago.

I know what its like.....

You CAN get off this stuff.......but it can be a long hard fight.

Even if it only takes a month for the symptoms to subside......it seems like a long time..

But you will learn how to get around a lot of the emotional and mental hurdles......until they go away.

The most severe stuff (Hallucinations).......shouldn't last more that a week or two.........

You gotta go real real slow......

Try to get your doc to prescribe Paxil Suspension Liquid.....

Then....you can taper off just as slow as you need to.

Even if you havd to go a milligram a month........you'll get there eventually.

It's a rough game.......but theres strategies on how to play....

And you'll find a lot....right here.

[Wolfie]

Thanks RockSinger,
Yes this is what I am afraid of. Being poked full of more supposedly "safe" drugs. I should point out I am only taking 10mg/day of Paxil. Yes, that's it, 10mg: half of a pink one. I have gone from 20 to 10 with no ill effects, but here is where the line is drawn in the sand (according to my brain anyways) Any further reduction so far has been too awful to endure. I havn't heard of the liquid though, I will take that one up with the doctor on Friday.

Wolfie

[Mr X]

20 to 10 with no ill effects, but here is where the line is drawn in the sand (according to my brain anyways) Any further reduction so far has been too awful to endure

..

I see that statement alot on here, And it's such a small dosage at that point...Very strange indeed....I wonder if the CR version would make things easier for you Maybe cutting a 12.5CR and taking it as a 6.25....

[scotty]

Welcome Wolfie!! With the scary mood swings I would definitely get the liquid paxil. With this you can drop by a mg. at a time. Drop 1 mg and then wait until all symptoms are gone(could be 2-4 weeks) and then drop again. This is going to take a while, but it's the safest way for you.

Next you have to recognize that it's the drug that is causing these symptoms. YOUR NOT GOING CRAZY!! People tend to think that they are weaning just off a drug. You are weaning off the drug and need to give your body the time to readjust the brain chemicals that have been altered . This isn't a quick process. Be patient, and come here and post if you feel out of control. This is a community that has seen it all and are ready to help.

Originally Posted by scotty

Welcome Wolfie!! With the scary mood swings I would definitely get the liquid paxil. With this you can drop by a mg. at a time. Drop 1 mg and then wait until all symptoms are gone(could be 2-4 weeks) and then drop again. This is going to take a while, but it's the safest way for you.

Next you have to recognize that it's the drug that is causing these symptoms. YOUR NOT GOING CRAZY!! People tend to think that they are weaning just off a drug. You are weaning off the drug and need to give your body the time to readjust the brain chemicals that have been altered . This isn't a quick process. Be patient, and come here and post if you feel out of control. This is a community that has seen it all and are ready to help.

Amen.

[rdjanis]

He is not sure exactly what will happen, and wants me in a controlled environment to minimize the chance of harm to myself and others.

Is this the same Dr. whom prescribed Paxil? If so, perhaps he should have spent some quality time in a controlled environment to learn about the risks of prescribing these medications, their addictiveness, and side effects.

Read, read, and read the threads here, lots of great advice. In my opinion, the worse thing you could possibly do for yourself is go along with his suggestion.

Withdraw very slowly, many people here have done it, and did not have to go into a controlled environment. Keep family or friends close and ask for their support. Keep coming back here and posting, you can get through this.

Good Luck

[Wolfie]

My doctor of 20 years prescribed to me based on the information available at the time.
Remember, GSK has hidden the adverse effects from everyone, including the medical profession. I do not hold him to blame in any way.

Thanks for the support, I will let everyone know what happens when the time comes. Expect the worst and hope for the best. I may join a class action suit here in Canada (If I can find one). Maybe a couple of weeks in the funny farm with medical documentation of the withdrawl will help someone. I don't know if they have ever done a close-in study of Paxil withdrawl in a controlled environment?


Wolfie

[scotty]

"I don't know if they have ever done a close-in study of Paxil withdrawl in a controlled environment?"

Not to sound bitter Wolfie, but they do it all the time!! They just deny it's the paxil When my son was admitted in full blown cold turkey paxil withdrawal, they called it a mood disorder and started him on another drug. Amazingly when we restarted the paxil the symptoms went away(prior to the 2nd drug even reaching a therapeutic blood level). I ended up taking Ryan out and weaning him at home. He's now paxil free!!

You can do this!!

[rdjanis]

Not to sound bitter Wolfie, but they do it all the time!! They just deny it's the paxil When my son was admitted in full blown cold turkey paxil withdrawal, they called it a mood disorder and started him on another drug.

Same experience. That is what is so scary, once you are in their environment they help by adding more meds. This happened after it was acknowledged that Paxil was causing side-effects, and withdrawal. I was told not to listen to the news, this stuff was always blown out of proportion and was simply not true. They tried very hard to get me to admit my daughter for two weeks in a mental hospital without my involvement. I just can't imagine what could have happened to her, scary!

[MizzT]

Originally Posted by rdjanis

this stuff was always blown out of proportion and was simply not true.

YUP!! my doc admitted he had heard of withdrawal but that it was "controversial at best" and that i was making it all up.

YUP! makin' it all up! that's what im doin'! making it all up so i can waste my life and be sick and feel crappy for years on end! THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN! I think i will go make up some more misery.


maybe i can take effexor and see what i can make up.

[Wolfie]

Hi Friends,
Well you know, the more I read on this site the more it scares me. This website really helps define the scope of the problem, kudos to all of you.
I ran out of Paxil today, doctor's appointment is not until Friday. I will now have to go to a clinic and see if I can get some samples to tide me over until I can get to my Doc.
Question: Anyone have information on GSK Lawsuits in Canada? I can only find 2 so far: One in Ontario (Which excludes those in Quebec and BC) and one in Vancouver BC which has been dropped? I would like to join a class action against these guys. Don't care about the money, but THEY DO. Someone should take their allowance away for this.


Wolfie

[rdjanis]

Anyone have information on GSK Lawsuits in Canada? I can only find 2 so far: One in Ontario (Which excludes those in Quebec and BC) and one in Vancouver BC which has been dropped?

I did a google search and found nothing. I find it odd that they dropped the case in BC, maybe try enquiring about it with them, perhaps they are referring else where.