wondering about majority of withdrawing people

[challenge]

i was wondering of what portion of paxil users under go protracted withdrawal. in literature, it is said paxil withdrawal lasts about few weeks or couple of months at most. in quitpaxil website it is cited it takes up to 8 weeks. i think it means we are unlucky rather than them being lucky. any thoughts?

I'm not really sure yet because I've only been off for a little over a month. So far, and it could change... I switched to another medication and only had issues tapering and for the next 3 weeks, roughly. As I said it could change but right now I'm rather well.

[Trying66]

I believe it is difficult to know for sure how long it lasts for the average person. I firmly believe that many who are still in withdrawal are led to believe it is a return of the original symptoms or some other undiagnosed disorder. Problem with this withdrawal is that for many people, the worst symptoms do not immediately appear. We are taught that anything lasting pasts a few weeks or a month is not attributable to SSRI withdrawal and so many of us, for whatever reason want to believe what we are told by the "medical experts". Most people seem to buy into this theory and are then encouraged to get back on an SSRI or to switch to something else to treat the "new diagnosis". Those who actually get off the SSRIs and stay off of them are in the minority. It seems to be the case that most people who try to get off end up going back on an SSRI at some point.

I'm a perfect example. I suffered through a year or more of a horrible, dark, Effexor withdrawal. I never once attributed anything past the first month to the effects of Effexor until recently. I thought it was just me. Luckily though I never went back on it or anything else and managed to somehow eventually overcome it.

After witnessing what has happened to my son post Paxil, I cannot help but believe that the numbers for protracted withdrawal would be extremely high if more people followed the rapid withdrawal schedules that are recommended by physicians and did not give in to being encouraged to go back on or to try something else. But because the medical establishment continues to lead people in other directions, I doubt we can ever know for sure what the true numbers are.

[Delynbetter]

Trying66 has it. The drug companies have convinced the physicians that any symptoms during withdrawal are only returning symptoms. And who can blame the physicians for believing that? It if walks like a depressed/anxious/agoraphobic/angry/bipolar duck.... It's maddening how they can't see that the person after these drugs is not the same person they started on these drugs. Apparently this person's symptoms have become MUCH worse while being numb, which should be a huge red flag to them, but instead they must have been miracle workers for catching the patient before they lost it without the drugs.

[rdjanis]

Originally Posted by Trying66

I firmly believe that many who are still in withdrawal are led to believe it is a return of the original symptoms or some other undiagnosed disorder. Problem with this withdrawal is that for many people, the worst symptoms do not immediately appear.

That's it exactly!!

[genevieve]

Originally Posted by Trying66

I believe it is difficult to know for sure how long it lasts for the average person. I firmly believe that many who are still in withdrawal are led to believe it is a return of the original symptoms or some other undiagnosed disorder.

bingo!
I am sure withdrawal is more common than aknowledged in the litterature simply because withdrawal looks like mental illness in many cases. At 8 months I could have been diagnosed with a serious anxious disorder ... that just disappeared at 11 months !

(ok, I am still agoraphobic but this is another story : I am not shaking in bed and I can eat!!!)