Advice please

[twon]

Hello all,
As you know I was on Paxil for 14 years and have been off it for the last 2 years…
2 years out my w\d symptoms are actually getting worse.. mainly:-fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches, increasing body temperature, muscle cramps, memory problems, slight speech problems etc…all made worse on movement.

I like to ask an honest question…What can I do to improve my situation?? I thought I will put up with it, but 2 years and there has not been any improvement…
Please can someone suggest ways to improve things though their experience..

And also is this going to be a permanent condition for me??
The reason I ask is…from reading the posts, everyone has had some level of improvement around the 18 month stage…and for me its getting worse

[Katesmom]

I guess the only question is: what HAVE you done to improve it? I don't mean in the form of a pill. I mean, what have you done to change your 'sick' lifestyle into a 'well' lifestyle?

[Songbird]

I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling good. I don't know your history, how did you come off the Paxil? Have symptoms been constantly worsening over the 2 years, or have there been any good windows? Have you been taking any supplements such as fish oil? Are you still on any other medications?

[twon]

These are the things I have done so far…to see igf they improve things..:-Really cut down on my sugar intake, tried Yoga, breathing exercise, take Fish oil supplements, Magnesium(Oxide) 250mg a day. I do have a stressful job though, but with a family to support, there is no way of changing jobs etc.

[anjopom]

Hi Twon,

Sorry to hear your still feeling unwell after 2yrs.
You seem to be doing all the right things, maybe changing your magnesium for a "chelated" brand, as the body absorbs this much better, the mag glycinate or mag gluconate seems to work the best.

Obviously the fact that you have a very stressful job is fuelling how you are feeling right now, but absolutely understand with family to support etc.
Would be interesting to see if you changed your job, as to wether things would change for you, but note you also say, there is no way you can.

I personally think we need to reduce our stress levels during and after w/d from this poison, your poor brain, what it has had to go through, I would give it some more time, as lots on here say they still have issues at the same mark as you. We are all different, some heal quicker than others, give it some more time, frustrating as it is I know, but I am sure you will be rid of these symptoms soon, the brain will eventually heal!

Anjopom

[twon]

Thanks for the advice regarding the Magnesium....
I have to say I need to get back to reasonable functionality…

For me it does feel like it is never going to get better…the thing is although I was on Paxil for a very long time…it was no way as bad as I feel now after coming off it...I went on Paxil for OCD, was on it for 14 years…with hindsight there were some physical symptoms like dizziness etc, but it was no where as bad as the physical symptoms I feel now, after I came off Paxil.

Like I mentioned, although no one likes to be on medication…at the end of the day, one has to function to live…
So my question is, has anyone been off Paxil for 2 years like me and gone back on to it…and how they have felt after restarting

[anjopom]

Twon,

I have been on paxil for 11yrs, I came off it for 4/5 months, and ended up back on it, because of the severe symptoms, which I now know to be w/d, thanks to pp. Going back on paxil was the very worst thing I ever did ( apart from ever taking it in the first place) the symptoms I had prior to restarting were still present up until OCT 2007 - let me explain;- off paxil I was non functional, black hole depression, anxiety/panic attacks, felt like I was gonna faint all the time, felt really ill -like I was gonna die, insomnia, i basically had it all. These symptoms never abated at all, for me the very worst symptoms were the mental ones - you know the 24/7 brain fog etc.

So I was at the lowest point in my life i think - and I decided the test for me was to see if i could become a functioning human being OFF paxil, so I tapered in the way they do here - not as my doctor had me do, as I reduced from 20-18mgs, the brain fog mysteriously disappeared, I am now at 10mgs, and do function - but still have issues, not symtom free.

My worst symptom now is the anxiety/panic along with the d/p d/r issues and sometimes the agoraphobia, I have just started the magnesium which I do believe is helping and I think will help you to.

None of these things I have ever experienced prior to tapering from paxil, and so I do BLAME the drug for what I am suffering from, and the dizzyness - well for me is intermittent now, but has been severe, so I hear what your saying.

As I am not yet free of paxil, I can only give you the benefit og my experience with restarting the drug, my doc also tried the switch to PROZAC thing, and I can honestly say that for me that made my health issues worse, so I would never recommend that option either. I think HELL as this is, we just have to go with it, and ride it out, there is no magic bullet for this nightmare, and even if there was I for one would think twice about taking anything ever again. I often feel like I will never get better, i have been l;like this now since 2005, and please know that the symptoms we get in w/d are always magnified, so this appears to be nothing unusual.

I wish you well my friend, and please post and let us know how you are doing, but definately look into changing the magnesium, lots on here swear by it.

ANJOPOM

[Songbird]

The magnesium advice is good, the oxide is poorly absorbed, citrate or glycinate should be better. You can increase your dose slowly until you reach 'bowel tolerance' (i.e. it upsets your tummy), then back off a bit. The other stuff you are doing sounds good. It might help if there is anything you can do to alleviate the stress from your job. Take regular breaks, get out for a walk, that kind of thing.