Blurred Vision, dizziness, etc

[ano111]

Hi.. I've been taking paxil for anxiety disorder since 1999. I started at 20mg and switched to 10 mg 5 years ago. Around 2.5 years ago, i switched to 12.5mg CR. To cut the story short, i'm still taking my daily dose of 2.5ml CR and have not missed a dose that i remember. Somehow, over the past 15 days, i've been having symptoms very similar to what many of you describe to be withdrawal symptoms. I have nausea, am dizzy, have blurred vision, have difficulty focusing, upset stomach, and feeling sleepy, etc. I should also mention that i have never had any side effects like these in the past 9 years.

I had my eyes checked out and they are fine. I called my doctor, she first thought i had vertigo, so she precribed me some medication that really didn't help.. all it did was put me to sleep. I called the doc again and she said we might have to increase my Paxil dose or switch to another medicine.

Has anyone experienced what i'm gong through before? What do you think about the dosage increase or medicine switch?

Your input would be so greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[mapleleafgirl25]

it sounds like you are in poop out..so the drug has stopped working and you are now having withdrawal...I am sure someone will come along soon who has more experience with this..and will let you know what to do ect..

michele

[LCrawford67]

Welcome!

What you're experiencing is known as "poop out" and very common with long term users. Increasing your dose will only bring temporary relief, as you've built a tolerance to Paxil. And, switching meds is the absolute WORST thing you could do. Search this forum for info regarding poop out.

Now would be the time to think about tapering from Paxil, because it's not working anymore. If, after you've safely tapered, you decide you still need medication, that's completely your call.

But again, upping the dose is only going to work for a while, then you'll have to up it again.

[ano111]

Thanks Michele.. eventhough poop out is a funny terms.. it does feel terrible. I'm sure you know more since you've gone through the whole withdrawal process (congrats). I personally want to get off this medication and maybe my body is trying to tell me the same thing.. I know doctors just want to give you meds and they dont really listen or care about what you say or feel..

[mapleleafgirl25]

you will have to taper very slow..we have a taper schedule on this site..Laurie who also answered your post..posted it..and she is doing a very slow taper with great success.....

its not fun to be in withdrawal while still on the drug..from what may people have posted..but if you do want to go off it..the best way is slow...

the taper schedule is right here in the general section near the top....

michele

[LCrawford67]

Here's the link to the spreadsheet. Rule of thumb is, 10% of your current dose, every 3-5 weeks. The sheet is defaulted to a 14 day cycle, but you can change that. Instructions are included.

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...le+spreadsheet

[ano111]

Thanks Michelle and Laurie.. i looked at the spreadsheet. Very helpful. Thanks for your help.

ps: How do you cut the pills to get those doses?

[LCrawford67]

If you can, get a prescription of liquid Paxil from your doctor. It's MUCH easier to get those doses that way.

Or, you can find a compounding pharmacist, which is what I did, who will crush, weigh, and recapsule in those increments. I wasn't very good with the liquid, I'm math deficient , so that's what I did.

You'll still need take the spreadsheet into your doc, so he/she can write the scripts for those increments, if you go the compounding route.

For the liquid, you can get that at any pharmacy and use a syringe for measuring.

[ano111]

Thank you so much.. one more question if i may, since i am in a 'poop out' stage, is my body going through a cold Turkey withdrawal? If so, then i'm in trouble right? I do also want to mention that prior to having the continuous withdrawal symptoms over the last 15 days, i did experience them off and on for a couple of months (without the blurry vision), so maybe it was starting to have less effect on me starting then..

this really sucks..

I really appreciate your respones and thank god for this site.

[LCrawford67]

It doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get worse. For me, it was just "episodes" of w/d symptoms. Don't panic, you'll be fine and frankly, you'll probably start to feel better the lower in dose you go!

[Dawn B.]

Hi Ano,
I am in poop out too right now. I had been on 20 for the last 7 yr. Last Feb. I thought I had the flu that would go away. It went on for nearly 2 months. Towards the end of feeling like I had the flu, I started feeling anxiety, which I never had while doing well on Paxil. I too had been having little flurries of anxiety showing up for several week prior, like waking up anxious, etc, and at first it would go away quickly, then before noon, then it just didn't go away anymore. The flu feelings left, and the anxiety went of for about 2 months before it eased up to liveable. During that two months I had gone up to 30 which did not help, then 40 for 2 days which was only worse, so back to 30. I jumped back down to 20 very quickly, 5 mg. at a time, and then got 'better' staying at 20 for a while. I had no real w/d symptoms from going from 30 down to 20. But then one day I had what LC calls an 'epsidoe' while at the bowling alley. It was a horrible anxiety attack that kind of went on for 2 days. I decided it was time to wean, and went to 17.5, seem okay, so from there I just kept lowering it. Again, I got sick and thought I had the flu. But I realized that over then next 6 weeks it just kept getting worse, and certain things about it didn't seem like a regular 'flu'. I never did feel anxious, so I did not connect I was having major withdrawal sickness, until I got down to 8.5 and got so sick I felt like I would rather die. That was when I found this site. I went back up to 13 mg. and I have been there about 3 weeks trying to 'stabilize'. I was SO sick, just horrible. I still feel sick, but not as bad as I did. They call it Paxil flu. I had no idea.
So, you are not if full blown withdrawal, and I think you would be very sorry if you just stopped taking it. You need to wean down very slowy. Remember my original poop out sickness lasted 2 months before I felt better, then 2 months of anxiety. I wish I had known not to wean off so fast, because the doctors will tell you it's okay, and it's not. They told me it was okay, and still keep claiming I'm having an unusually 'severe' reaction. Pretty much incapacitated the last 2+ months. It does get worse than poop out, so please don't go there.
Dawn <><

[Songbird]

You are right about doctors, most doctors only know how to prescribe more meds. People who switch their meds around a lot (on their doctor's advice) often seem to end up in a bad way, so I would not recommend that approach.

You are not in cold turkey withdrawal, your body has just got used to the drug and so the drug is now not as effective as it used to be. Even in poop-out you need to withdraw from this drug very slowly. (If you tried a cold-turkey, it is likely you would end up in an extremely bad state). Go very slowly and carefully, listening to your body, this gives you the best chance to get some control over withdrawal symptoms.

[ano111]

Dawn, I'm sorry you are going through this. I'm sorry for anyone thats going through it including myself. but i've read a lot of stories with good endings out here, so there is hope. I just wish someone had told me about these complications before i took it. It looks like you are on your way to be coming off this drug pretty soon. Just keep weaning it slowly.

I'm going through a tough day today. I have a doc appointment for tomorrow. I'm weighing all my options right now. My problem is that i live alone and dont have any family or close friends near by for a good distance, and not sure if i can go through this nightmare all alone.

When you were in the poop out stage, how did you feel exactly? Today, i've started to feel a little bit more weaker.. more anxious, etc. This sucks.

[Dawn B.]

Hi Ano,
Last Feb. I thought I had caught a virus. I was just feeling rotten, like a flu with no fever, cough, or snot, for about 7 weeks. I had NO idea it was poop out. I remember this clearly: Frustrated with MDs I made an app. to see a homeopath. It was on a Wed. and I felt rotten, and that day I was really anxious. I kept wondering what was up with me. By Friday, the entire flu thing was just gone, and was replaced my constant anxiety. That was when I realized the Paxil had quit working. I still didn't connect the flu symptoms at that point. So went to my MD and asked to change to something else. She gave me Lexapro. It did not agree wtih me at all. So after 9 days I changed to Cymbalta. I felt okay mentally, but was really jittery the entire time of 3 weeks I was on it. My doc suggested I go back to Paxil, and we double the dose. So I upped it from 20-30 for a month, and it seemed to be helping briefly, but then stopped, so I went to 40 for 2 days, and just felt way worse mentally, so I went back to 30. Since 30 was no better than 20, I cut to 25, then a couple weeks later to 20. That made no difference cutting that extra 10 off. So I sat at 20 for about 2 months, and eventually the anxiety, which was a lot at times, went away to a point that was easy to live with. But then one day I decided on a family outing which had not happened in months, and while out I got really weird, like I couldn't eat, I was anxious, and just this weird mental state that was horrible. It went away after a couple of days, but then I was anxious again. So I decided I would cut my dose down to 17.5. That was okay, so about 9 days later I cut it to 15. That was when things started down hill fast. I got the typical rubber band squeazing around my head, pressure in my head, and dizzy. I thought, well, I can handle this. Then I thought I caught the flu again. It started out with horrible body aches and upset guts. I made no connection between it and lowering my dose. So I lowered it again. In 6 weeks time I went from 20 mg. to 8.5. It was when I hit 8.5 that I had gotten so sick I could not handle it. I wanted to just die and get it over with. My body hurt all over, terribly, guts hurt and diarrhea, upset stomach, dizzy, head felt like it was in a vice and full of cotton at the same time, and a feeling like I was shaking inside. Trembling inside. And weak! I think I felt so horrilbe that I was not even aware of any anxiety, but I somehow know it was there under it all.
After finding this site, I upped in back to 13 mg. That was still 7 mg. less that I was accustomed too. It's been about 3.5 weeks since upping it. I'm a lot better than I was, but still not good. I was completely incapacitated, but now I'm starting to funtion some. I still feel rather weak, a bit dizzy, and the feeling like I have the flu is less, but it's still there. Today I had this weird queazy heartburn feeling.
So, I hope that helps you sort things out. From all the posts I have read here, some people get the flu thing, other get other things. All stink big time.
But what I went through in the initial anxiety faze of the poop out was no where near as bad has cutting my dose too fast.
Dawn <><

[ano111]

Dawn.. i'm so happy that you have been feeling better for the past 3.5 weeks. And you are right, this site has been as helpful for me as it's been for you. I hope everyone on this site will be back to normal soon.. don't give up hope.. stick witht he weaning program (10%) every 3-5 weeks and take it from there.

[Songbird]

It is a shame you don't have people close by to support you , but you are not totally alone, we are here for you! Come here and post as much as you need to.

[Dawn B.]

There are others here who live alone and face that challenge.
Do you have to go to work through this?
Dawn <><

[ano111]

Thanks for all the support. I do need it and i will use it. Dawn, yes, i do have to work unfortunately through this. Hope i can handle it all. One question i had which im a bit puzzled to till now is this.. since im pooping out on 12.5 mg CR right now and feel the w/d, to start weaning, should i continue on 12.5mg until i feel better and get more stable and then move down to a lower dose?

[Songbird]

If your symptoms are from poop-out rather than withdrawal, it's possible you might not start to feel better or get completely stable. Maybe you could try a very small dose reduction (no more than 10% of your current dose) and see how that goes. We need someone like Laurie Crawford who has tapered in poop-out to advise on this!

I notice you are on the CR which I have read here is extremely difficult to taper with. I think I also read here that 12.5mg CR is actually equivalent to 10mg normal Paxil. If you can get the liquid, that will be the easiest way to taper.

I am working full-time during my taper and the only way this is possible is because I am tapering very slowly so that withdrawal symptoms are mild.

[ano111]

Thanks for your response. My symptoms are definitely due to poop out. i did not try to quit Paxil, it is quitting on me on its own. I will ask for my doc for liquid paxil. I do like to get Laurie Crawford's input as well. Do you know how i could get her attention?

[Songbird]

You could try sending her a PM (private message). Looks like she is also on MSN, Yahoo and AIM (see the little icons under her avatar).

[Dawn B.]

I talked to Laurie C. when I started here. The taper is the same, whether in poop out or not.
I can attest to the fact that even though I was in poop out, when I tapered too fast I went into w/d.
The 10% rule still applies.
For me, live and learn!

[Songbird]

There is one difference. When not in poop-out you can stabilise after a dose drop, i.e. most withdrawal symptoms from the drop eventually settle down and disappear. Those in poop-out can keep having symptoms so it can be hard to judge when to drop again as symptoms don't disappear.

[ano111]

Thank you all. I was able to contact LC. I'm on my way to the doc right now.

[ano111]

Just wanted to give an UPDATE.

So I went to my doc this afternoon. I explained to her all my symptoms such as blurry eyes, dizziness, nausea, feeling anxious, sleepiness, lack of appetite, etc. I told her that i think it is related to Paxil pooping out. She completely understood and seemed like she know about all these withdrawal symptoms.. she was very supportive. We decided to cut back from 12.5CR to 10mg regular and see how that goes for a week. She also has no issues with the very slow taper off method that everyone on this site talks about. She did ask me questions about any chest pains or heart issues palputations, i told her i have some but i did a heart checkup 2 months ago (complete checkup - echocardio, stress test, EKG, heart monitor, etc) and i was fine.
She also mentioned that Paxil withdrawal is probably one of the hardest ones when it comes to SSRIs. She does want to get me off Paxil, but whether or not i go on another medication is yet to be determined.

Anyhow.. i feel like crap. Have been having lots of ups and down today emotionally. I know it's all withdrawal related. Gonna start on the 10mg tomorrow and take if from there.

This is it for now..