Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg

CyberSaint · 12-07-2008, 01:09 PM

Today is day three of having cut my Paxil from 20 mg to 15 mg under the supervision of a medical doctor. I feel like I have the flu. My head is congested and aches, my throat is sore, and my body aches. I have little energy and just want to go to bed. I've been forcing myself to stay at my routine, and to do things that "need" to be done. I will most likely spend 45 minutes on my elliptical trainer in a just a bit.

Today is the worst it has been since I made the cut -- I'm hoping it will start improving from here.

Anyone know how long it takes to "level out" after a Paxil cut?

My doctor has told me to go down to 15 mg and not to do anything further until I see him a month from now.

CS

carolyn · 12-07-2008, 01:54 PM

It normally takes me about 2 weeks to stabilize from my drops (I do 3 week tapers so that I have a week of "padding").

That said, like we mentioned in your other thread, 20mg to 15mg is likely too big a drop. People who experience the least withdrawal symptoms seem to do 8%-10% tapers and yours was 25%. It could take a long time to stabilize from that drop.

I realize your doc recommended this drop, but docs don't always know the best way to get off of Paxil. Mine recommended alternating 20mg and 10mg three times a week, which made me really sick. Fortunately, we have a good relationship and she's listening to what's working for me now and says she's passing that info along to her other patients.

CyberSaint · 12-07-2008, 02:48 PM

Well, you may be right that 25% is too big of a drop at this level. I've done 30 mg to 20 mg with not too rough of a time. I've heard however, that the closer to Paxil-free one gets, the harder each increment becomes. I haven't been below 20 mg in years.

This doctor is a psychiatrist that specializes is getting people off Paxil and into alternative medicines. He has a very good rep in the area.

My highest stress workday was today (I'm a pastor), so I think I'll ride out the flu symptoms and see what happens.

Two weeks for you to level huh? Oh boy!

LCrawford67 · 12-07-2008, 03:53 PM

Again, a 5 mg cut may be way too much for you and you may be looking at a lot longer than 2 weeks.

Not trying to scare you, but that's just the reality. Many people on this board, including me, can attest to that.

runtime89 · 12-07-2008, 04:59 PM

I would just like to add that I also tried drops like this, and they were debilitating. And I'm on Prozac, which is supposedly much easier to quit than Paxil.

Not to mention, my doctors laughed at this tapering schedule of mine, saying it was far too slow. So it's always a good idea to consider that advice from doctors may not necessarily be the most educated advice out there, as unfortunate as that is.

Songbird · 12-07-2008, 11:08 PM

I would say at least 4 weeks, maybe 6. If you are feeling this bad cutting from 20 to 15, then you now have a clue what future drops will be like and can see that you will need to make much smaller drops in future if you don't want to be even worse next time.

AussieGirl · 12-08-2008, 02:02 AM

Hi

I dropped from 20 to 10 before I found this wonderful site and I stayed there for 3 months to truly stabalise !!!!

i am now doing the 10% pp way of tapering and recently dropped to 9mgs.

SLOW AND STEADY is the key.

CyberSaint · 12-08-2008, 08:10 AM

Well, so far so good. My "flu" symptoms are much better today and I'm holding at 15 mg. I've managed to keep work related stress low, which seems to help a great deal. I'm also keeping other meds (Ambien and Librax) level right now. In the past when I've tried to cut back, I've cut not only the Paxil, but also the Ambien.

I'd like to get off the Ambien as well, but dropping Paxil is my first goal.

Thanks for all the input!

CS

Songbird · 12-08-2008, 07:34 PM

You've got the right idea, tapering one thing at a time. Keeping work stress low will also help a lot.

12-07-2008, 01:09 PM	#1
CyberSaint Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WV Posts: 119	Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg Today is day three of having cut my Paxil from 20 mg to 15 mg under the supervision of a medical doctor. I feel like I have the flu. My head is congested and aches, my throat is sore, and my body aches. I have little energy and just want to go to bed. I've been forcing myself to stay at my routine, and to do things that "need" to be done. I will most likely spend 45 minutes on my elliptical trainer in a just a bit. Today is the worst it has been since I made the cut -- I'm hoping it will start improving from here. Anyone know how long it takes to "level out" after a Paxil cut? My doctor has told me to go down to 15 mg and not to do anything further until I see him a month from now. CS

12-07-2008, 01:54 PM	#2
carolyn Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,105	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg It normally takes me about 2 weeks to stabilize from my drops (I do 3 week tapers so that I have a week of "padding"). That said, like we mentioned in your other thread, 20mg to 15mg is likely too big a drop. People who experience the least withdrawal symptoms seem to do 8%-10% tapers and yours was 25%. It could take a long time to stabilize from that drop. I realize your doc recommended this drop, but docs don't always know the best way to get off of Paxil. Mine recommended alternating 20mg and 10mg three times a week, which made me really sick. Fortunately, we have a good relationship and she's listening to what's working for me now and says she's passing that info along to her other patients. __________________ 10mg: 5/02 - 8/07 for panic disorder 20mg: 8/07 - 8/08 CBT: 8/07 - 2/08. Recommended! 1 unsuccessful taper in 7/08; went back to 20mg 2008: 8/2: 18.75mg 8/24: 17.25mg 9/28: 16.10mg 10/19: 15mg 11/9: 13.75mg 11/30: 12.5mg 12/21: 11.25mg 2009: 1/11: 10.6mg 2/1: 10mg 2/22: 9.4mg 3/6: 9.2mg (liquid) 3/29: 8.4mg 4/19: 7.6mg 5/10: 6.8mg 5/31: 6.2mg 6/21: 5.6mg 7/12: 5.1mg 8/2: 4.8mg 8/23: 4.4mg 9/13: 4mg 10/4: 3.7mg 10/25: 3.4mg 11/15: 3.1mg

12-07-2008, 02:48 PM	#3
CyberSaint Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WV Posts: 119	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg Well, you may be right that 25% is too big of a drop at this level. I've done 30 mg to 20 mg with not too rough of a time. I've heard however, that the closer to Paxil-free one gets, the harder each increment becomes. I haven't been below 20 mg in years. This doctor is a psychiatrist that specializes is getting people off Paxil and into alternative medicines. He has a very good rep in the area. My highest stress workday was today (I'm a pastor), so I think I'll ride out the flu symptoms and see what happens. Two weeks for you to level huh? Oh boy! Last edited by CyberSaint : 12-07-2008 at 02:49 PM. Reason: typo

12-07-2008, 03:53 PM	#4
LCrawford67 Moderator "Everybody poops" Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 26,493	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg Again, a 5 mg cut may be way too much for you and you may be looking at a lot longer than 2 weeks. Not trying to scare you, but that's just the reality. Many people on this board, including me, can attest to that. __________________ aka LC aka Laurie C. Paxil, 20 mg since 1997, for IBS Two unsuccessful attempts to quit. Started tapering 11/27/06 PAXIL FREE 12/29/07 If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants. ~Kevin James

12-07-2008, 04:59 PM	#5
runtime89 Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 287	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg I would just like to add that I also tried drops like this, and they were debilitating. And I'm on Prozac, which is supposedly much easier to quit than Paxil. Not to mention, my doctors laughed at this tapering schedule of mine, saying it was far too slow. So it's always a good idea to consider that advice from doctors may not necessarily be the most educated advice out there, as unfortunate as that is. __________________ Prozac Hell: (month.[day.]year) 01.04: 10mg for depression over lost friends at age 14 03.04: 20mg (2 CT attempts) 12.01.07: 10mg Late 02.08: 5mg, feeling better than in years Late 03.08: 0mg, huge crash 04.12.08: 5mg 04.25.08: 10mg 08.19.08: 9mg (several drops) 03.06.09: 6mg 04.06.09: 5.5mg 05.03.09: 5mg 07.05.09: 4.75mg Late 07.09: 4.25mg ~200mg magnesium for sensitive hearing, B-100 and 25mg iron for rapid hair loss, fish oil for chronic idiocy.

12-07-2008, 11:08 PM	#6
Songbird Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 7,046	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg I would say at least 4 weeks, maybe 6. If you are feeling this bad cutting from 20 to 15, then you now have a clue what future drops will be like and can see that you will need to make much smaller drops in future if you don't want to be even worse next time. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

12-08-2008, 02:02 AM	#7
AussieGirl Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,223	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg Hi I dropped from 20 to 10 before I found this wonderful site and I stayed there for 3 months to truly stabalise !!!! i am now doing the 10% pp way of tapering and recently dropped to 9mgs. SLOW AND STEADY is the key. __________________ 1988-1997:Nardil ( MAOI) for PND & Panic attacks 1997: Off Nardil & comm.Paxil 60mgs 1998:Went c/t. w/d was awful . Went back on 40mgs paxil. 1998-2001: 20-10mgs paxil. 2002: 20mgs paxil whilst pregnant. Daughter 2 months prem 8th Sept.08 To 10mgsTHEN found this site!!!! 31st Oct. 10mgs struggling 1stDec.9mgs1stJan09.8mgs1stFeb.7.5mgs 28March6.8mgs23rdapril6.1mgspharmacist liquid23rdMay5.5mgs15Jun5mgs7thJuly4.5mgs[[b]23rdJulyCrashed. Back to 10mgs.

12-08-2008, 08:10 AM	#8
CyberSaint Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WV Posts: 119	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg Well, so far so good. My "flu" symptoms are much better today and I'm holding at 15 mg. I've managed to keep work related stress low, which seems to help a great deal. I'm also keeping other meds (Ambien and Librax) level right now. In the past when I've tried to cut back, I've cut not only the Paxil, but also the Ambien. I'd like to get off the Ambien as well, but dropping Paxil is my first goal. Thanks for all the input! CS

12-08-2008, 07:34 PM	#9
Songbird Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Zealand Posts: 7,046	Re: Day Three -- Paxil Cut from 20 mg to 15mg You've got the right idea, tapering one thing at a time. Keeping work stress low will also help a lot. __________________ Jul 01-Feb 02 Aropax Feb - Dec 03 Citalopram Jul 04 Aropax Jan 07 - Feb 08 20mg - 5mg Apr 4.5mg 5mg Jun 10mg zopiclone > seroquel Jul 20mg Aug + methionine Oct aropax > loxamine Dec off seroquel 7 Dec 17.5mg 30 Dec 15mg 24 Jan 12.5mg 16 Feb 10mg 10 May 9mg 30 May 8mg 5 July 7.5mg 2 Aug 7.25mg 1 Sep 7mg 9 Oct 6.75mg 8 Nov 6.5mg Appreciation is the antidote to stress - Trust is the antidote to fear

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