Why are you quitting Paxil?

[DonnaK]

I am in the process of trying to ween off Paxil for the ...hundredth...and hopefully last time. I thought it might be helpful to me and to others to have a good, clear sens of why we are doing this when it hurts so bad. When I am feeling like **** because I need Paxil, I think I need to be able to remember why I want off of it.

With addictions to street drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, it is pretty clear why one would need to get off of the addiction! But with Paxil, most of us probably felt good about taking it at some point. It probably helped in some way and had some positive effects. I know for me, I started on Prozac and was on that for about 2 years. Two weeks after started on it, I felt like my world had just opened up and I was free from the anger and depression I was feeling. I was thrilled with the results. I went off of Prozac mostly because of the bad dreams I was having from it and the sexual side effects. Thatis when I went on Welbutrin and then Paxil. I have been sick ever since! At first I was sick because I was not consistent in taking the pills everyday. I was really sporadic with taking the Prozac and never felt any ill effects from that pattern. But am you can all imagine, I did with the Paxil and Welbutrin. Unfortunately, I had no idea that missing dosages would make me feel sick. I thought I had a brain tumor and sadly, I think my doctor did also. Then about a year later I hit the internet and found of course a wealth of information from people like you!

Ok enough with my long story....so here I am trying to get off this rollercoatser and I am looking for help in reminding me why I want off. There have been times in the past that I just decided that I would have to be on it for the rest of my life and Iwould just have to deal with it. Then there are times that I get so angry that I am being controlled by a drug that I do not to take that I become determined to quit.

What motivates you to stop taking it? What side effects do you have while on it? What is your reason for wanting to go through this hell to get this drug out of your life?

Thanks in advance all for your input. I really appreciate it! I am planning on making up a poster or something to have around my house to remind me during the tough times, that is it worth it and to keep going.

[soulgalgirl]

Originally Posted by DonnaK

I have been sick ever since! .

But Donna, why do you ask when you've said it yourself? Besides. The stuff is killing you just as sure as tobacco, alcohol or street drugs. But maybe that's the reason I'm quitting. So I can stop deluding myself.

[jillybean]

Personally I cannot accept that I need or will be on Paxil for the rest of my life. You are right, Paxil really did help me, but it is not realistic to keep taking for the rest of my life. I refuse to use this drug as a crutch, I am committed to finding another way to battle my demons without pills. I woke up one day and figured out there is no quick fix, no way to just make my past go away, those experiences which contributed to the anxiety and depression I have felt since the age of 15.
I do think there may be people who will need to be on meds for the rest of thier lives due to medical reasons they can not control. But I am not one of those people, for me, my depression and anxiety are symptoms of a horrific childhood. But i'm an adult now, and I have to face up to these things, and do the work, I can't begin to do the work emotionally, when I feel so clouded by this drug.
I really feel, for me, there is another path, therapy, holistic medicine, meditation, and the love and support from those who love me, that will help me reach my goal of being a happy, healthy person.
I suppose for everyone it differs, but thats my reason.

J

[MicheleT]

Simply - the more I learn about this drug the more I want to be rid of it.

[-Ell]

my reasons for being off....

marriage on rocks due to NO NO NO sex drive (it wasn't the greatest before paxhell but now through paxhell and into withdraw it's noexistant)

rageathons...they started coming out of nowhere. I never used to be a violent person.

started not being able to recognize reality from fiction junk that was going on in my head.

not caring about anything or anybody...emotionless!

First off I have to say the first year I was on it....happy camper...oh life was so blissful! Then about 2 years into it ..things started slowly going south. I didn't realize it so I had my dose bumped up...ok then....life if bliss again (minus the sex drive which is now totally gone)....and well yeah nothing bothers me because my @$$ is in bed all the time. (great when you have kids) NOT!...keep going and getting worse and worse...then I found this website and thought....."Oh wow I am not losing my mind...it really is the drug backfiring on me!"
So here I am 1 and 1/2 years into weaning off the paxhell and soon to start weaning off the xanax. ( I only take that when I feel really stressed or I am going to be in the car or in a room of people for long periods of time....more for their safety than anything else)! Oh and before I go to bed or I wouldn't sleep.

yeah I forgot what the question was but I hope I answered it. STML...another good ole paxhell bonus!

[LF07506]

I don't know what your situation is, but me watching my husband at this damn medication for only 1 month - How can you really ever enjoy life. Yes he thinks he feel Great! Yes it is doing wonders for his aniexty, but he is empty. Completely hollow. The docotrs don't care. They go home to their families and discuss their poor patients. Before Paxi my husband may have had his moods -but we had a good time. I saw him laugh & smile and get mad. But those good times I wouldn't take away for anyting. I would do anything to have him back. Please get off the Paxil. I think your family & friends around you would be so happy for you. You need to really see what life is about. We all have obstacles to cross & getting through them make us stronger for the next one. Hang in there. You can do it!

[babs]

I initially did pretty well on Paxil ... though I never felt energized or amped up in any way; it acted more an an anti-anxiety drug for me, even though I was prescribed it for depression. Life just seemed to be calmer, things didn't bug me as much, I was content. The one thing that really bothered me was how sleepy it made me ... I could just sleep all the time. I had problems falling asleep at work and nodding off while driving. The last couple of years, I felt like it wasn't really working any more (if it ever did); I felt depressed anyway. And I was tired of feeling totally sedated and out of it.

I've been off for 2 months and the sleepiness thing has definitely cleared up .. maybe too well! Probably just withdrawal, but now I wake up early whether I want to or not!

[mdladie]

MicheleT hit the nail onthe head for me! that plus the side effects while taking it - Simply put: I wanted ME back in the original form!

[DonnaK]

The tiredness is mostly the thing I noticed lately that made me want to try to get off them again. I wasn't sure if it was caused by the Paxil or not. I think that is what bothers me the most. I have no idea what I am really like while I am putting this drug into my body. I could really be sick and I wouldn;t know it. Everything thing I feel, I blame on the Paxil. I just want to put food and water into my body and then see how I feel each day. No chemicals!

I also hate being controlled by this drug. If I miss a dose, my day is crap. One time I left my bottle of pills at work over a long holiday weekend. I was like a herion addict looking for my drug. I was emptying out drawers and looking under furniture hoping that a pill had found it way there. And I would keep doing it over and over again! It was horrible! I couldn't function the whole weekend. I even though about breaking into my work to get my pills. How sad is that! How many of you have secret stashes in case you run out. My husband always takes a couple out of my bottle and puts them away without me knowing it just in case I find myself without pills. This is a true addiction!

I actually went through a period of depression while on these pills, that were supposed to help with depression, just because I felt so used, controlled and powerless by these pills. How ridiculously ironic.

So for me, this time, I am taking back control! I am dealing with the withdrawal by seeing it as a step towards freedom.

[Yodarick]

In the begining I felt good, I was converted, I would tell people how this drug had changed my life, but it didn't last and I stopped feeling good. Now as I go through withdrawal and feel all these effects I know that I will never trust a Doctor again. If this is what it is doing to me as I withdraw what will this drug do to me and my life on a long term? Is it any different than a "street" drug? I WANT TO FEEL GOOD, I want to live a drug free life.

[Delynbetter]

Original reason for going off of Paxil - hubby told me to.
Final reason for wanting off Paxil - withdrawal sucked, figured out that Paxil muffled my feelings rather than making me face the source of the problems.

I'm a control freak of my own life. When I could not control the withdrawal symptoms, I knew this was an element that I cannot allow in my life.

And I really hate being lied to.

[feelin'_wiggy]

Miss the passion in my life. Want my spirit back. Want to renew my relationship with God. Want to renew intimacy with my husband. Want to regain the 20 points I think I've dropped from my IQ. Want to drop the 20 pounds I've gained in my abdomen and hips. Want the tremors and twitches to stop. Want to be able to walk into Best Buy without getting zapped. Want to watch a big screen movie without having seizures. Want to get rid of the additional meds I have to take because of the PaxHell induced symptoms, like the BP-type mania that landed me in the cuckoo's nest last summer.

And the number one answer: I WANNA BE ME!!!!

[kaamom]

I went on Paxil after I lost my parents 4 weeks apart and then had a baby. Depression was heavy. Now I just want to feel again. I have no emotion, no sex drive, and I'm lethargic. I have a wonderful husband and three of the most beautiful children God ever created. I do not want this drug to deny them of having me, not me on Paxil, but the real me. God help us all. Good luck to everyone.

[val84]

I'm quitting Paxil because of the weight thing. I'm only about 3 weeks into the withdrawal, BUT in the past 7 days, I've lost 15 lbs. Is that normal?? I went from 175 to 160 in a week.

[Delynbetter]

Not normal, but possible.

[kevman459]

My main reason for quitting is because of what I've read on this site. It also helped me realize that some things going on in my life are not unique to me and are because of the Paxil. "I miss the passion" is definitely a good way to put it, I never realized how flat it made all of my emotions, not just sadness or depression. I will however keep careful watch over my emotional well being, possibly with the help of my psychiatrist, depending how he takes it when I tell him the Paxil is what's hurting me the most. If I need to take something else, well I don't know. I never liked being "medicated" and only started taking my meds every day to keep everyone else happy.
And another reason I want to quit is simply because it's addictive. I think it has helped me deal with things, but as it's been said it can leave you complacent to everything.
I think Paxil and other SSRI's and the like should be used for very short periods of time and the prescribing doctor should always try to assess the situation if tapering off is possible within a few months. I had to tell my doctor I wanted to drop from 50mg to 25mg even after several 6 month checkups of nothing mildy deppressive to report. 2 years into my Undergrad in Psych makes me wonder if I should continue on and try to be a voice of reason in the field, or move into something like teaching.
But enough about me, I am curious to see what other people's doctors have said when they told them they wanted to kick Paxil.

-Kevin

[lotuslynn]

My reason for quitting cold turkey was the side effects, I thought i was crazy not knowing reality from fiction ,tired all the time I couldnt take care of my girls,still cant.I have been of paxil for 1 week and am going through hell but can only think of the changes i will make for myself,I know who i was when i didnt have paxil and who i am now i liked the person i was before i knew of this drug. I just signed up today and am hoping this helps you. Know i need it.