New to Paxil-side effects

[aqueoushumor]

Hello all! I am new to Paxil (and to this forum) and had a few questions about some side effects. Thanks for reading my post.

I started about 2 and 1/2 weeks ago on Paxil. After taking 20mgs my first day and missing 2 days of work (insomnia, upset tummy, headache) I lowered to 10 for about a week and 1/2 and have been taking 20 for about a week. Just before this, I was on Wellbutrin for 3 weeks, but my insurance wouldn't cover it so my doc switched me to Paxil. I used to take Lexapro with minimal side effects, but I have anxiety and Lexapro affected my labido too much.

Anyway, I know the risks of Paxil and am willing to face them, as I was getting to be suicidal and unbearable to those around me. My mood, I'm glad to say, has improved greatly, but I feel I have some other side effects and I was wondering if you all experienced these on Paxil. I should also note that I started oral contraceptives the same day I started Paxil, and I also have a thyroid condition that I take Synthroid for.

My biggest side effect is insomnia. I'm also getting these weird electrical "pinching" sensations all over my body. Those are followed by a sort of twitching, which is causing my muscles to be very tense. I also feel very out of it, and am having a hard time at times feeling like anything is real. I feel like I am in a cartoon. I don't know if that makes any sense.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. For now, I'm sticking with it until my emotions become stable. Perhaps then I can switch meds if need be (I'm also getting therapy, but these things take time...)

[rdjanis]

Welcome to pp! Read the faq section here, it should provide you with the information you need.

I suggest you tell your doctor about the effects you are experiencing. Yes they are common with Paxil, and now the warnings of suicidal tendencies extend to adults as well. The fact that you are feeling like you are in a cartoon IMO is not a good sign.

Not much else I can say, you say you are aware of the side effects and choose to go with it for now, this is your choice and I wish you well. Just be sure you are making an informed decision, read some of the posts here and what many people experience coming off the paxil. Paxil will cover your emotions, but it is not fixing the problem, so I am glad to hear that you are also taking therapy.

Be careful, once paxil is started people tend to end up on a cocktail of medications for various diagnosis which are actually the side effects of paxil.

Take care.

[Katesmom]

Welcome to the board! Sounds like you might be having some withdrawal symptoms from the drugs you discontinued. The nausea is just as likely from the Pill, though. When I was on the estrogen/progesteron combo pills, I got morning sickness type nausea the first two days of every pill pack. Now that I am nursing I am on progesteron only pills (not as effective) and never have nausea.

I found Paxil to be very good at evening out my mood. Unfortunately, I was sort of like a zombie. I had zero libido. Plus, I gained a lot of weight that was impossible to lose. The rule of thumb seems to be a pound a milligram. Sorry to be such a downer about it.

[MizzT]

hi there!
*warning*....ive been told i am brutally honest...to a fault.
that said.....sounds like 1. your doctor has no clue what these drugs do or how they work at all. welbutrin works on dopamine and norepinephrine.....paxil and lex work on serotonin.....so what neurotransmitter do you need tweaked??
Or do you just randomly want to tamper with brain chemistry and hope you FIX the problem?

2. did the doctor tell you that paxil will not have sexual side effects?
*another sure sign he/she has no clue what they are prescribing*

the symptoms you are having sounds typical of not metabolizing the drug well. be aware of this. paxil also inhibits the same liver enzymes that it needs to be metabolized. as such...these pinching feelings could get worse.

I know its the easy thing to go to a doc and thing the drugs will fix it all...but they dont. they mask symptoms while creating others. at least consider having liver enzyme testing done to see if you can metabolize the drug so you dont have serious problems later.

also consider that your "mood being better" may also be placebo effect.

[elisa]

Welcome aboard!!

Some antidepressants can cause one to feel the way you described in the first few weeks of initiation. Nausea is also one of them.

Since you seem to be be determined to stay on this med and are informed about all the pro's (?) and cons of the SSRI's I really hope that these symptoms will be temporary for you.

(I wasn't that lucky and was switched from one med to another and in addition benzo's and sleepmeds were added. NOT a pretty picture being in a brainfog and feeling detached)

[elisa]

Additionally, thyroid problems can create mood disorders. When were you prescribed Syntroid??

[paxilgirl]

Hi,

The symptoms you are experiences are common to Paxil and possibly to the WD you are experiencing with the other drugs.

Let me also warn you that the sexual side effects of the Paxil are terrible. My libido went down to zero.....

I can relate to the cartoon like feeling....that isn't good and it was one of the (many) reasons why I decided to get off of the stuff.

Please do a lot of research on the drugs you are taking and read the FAQ sheet that is posted here as well as some of the positings and what this nasty drug does to people.

That said, I know that sometimes these drugs can help, but realize that it is only a short term fix. Drugs only mask larger problems....do a lot of reseearch and ask a lot of questions. Be pro-active about your care!

Let us know how things are going with you.

[aqueoushumor]

Thanks all.

To answer your question I have been on Synthroid for over a year now. I am very aware that my thyroid condition contributed to my mood (I was hypo, and went undiagnosed for years). I'll be on the Synthroid for the rest of my life as my thyroid is no longer functional.

So far I have not had any sexual side effects from the Paxil. Really, I'm not too worried about the side effects as I'm no longer feeling suicidal. It was getting really bad, to the point at which I had my short term disability claim form on hand and was getting ready to admit myself into the hospital. I know I'm just masking the symptoms, but I needed to do something to keep myself functional.

I'm going to ask the doctor about it as soon as I have another appointment (in a couple of weeks). In the meantime, I just wanted to know if anyone else had has these side effects or if it might be something else (side effects can be the placebo effect too, afterall). Since the insurance wouldn't cover wellbutrin, Paxil was the next choice since I also have bad anxiety. I'll see what happens.

[zappelina]

Hello and welcome to the board!

Make sure to have your thyroid checked regulary now. If you look at the side effects of antidepressants, you´ll find that they can cause both hypothyreosis and hyperthyreosis as well as a number or other endocrine disturbances. If you decide to stay on Paxil anyway, you may need to adjust your thyroid medication. I had to stop mine completely but neither me nor my doctor realized that my elevated thyroid hormone level was an antidepressant side effect.

[scotty]

Aqueos, I think we all understand your need to take something to calm the suicidal thoughts. Yes, initially paxil can help those feelings. Yes, the effects that your're feeling,the "pinching", all side effects of paxil caused by the neurotransmitters being altered. The sexual side effects will come later, as well as others.
It's your choice to take paxil.As you can tell the majority here were in the same situation when they started paxil. The only think I can tell you is you have been made aware of the adverse effectsand the most current information that is out there regarding paxil and it's sometimes life threatening side effects.
Use this time on paxil to get the therapy that will be the permanent solution to your anxiety. Don't dismiss ANY suicidal feelings and make sure that those around you know that you are on paxil. If you should start having suicidal thoughts while ON paxil tell someone immediately. If you should start having what's described as ""internal restlessness" notify someone immediately.
Good Luck.